Six months in

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draperygoddess
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Six months in

Post by draperygoddess »

I have been GF/DF now for six months--hard to believe! Also have been pretty much SF for 4-5 months now. No Zoloft since September. So here's how it's going:

I would consider my MC to be in remission at this point. Although the D has been out of the picture for several months now, it took longer to figure out what was causing the gurgling and stomach pain from time to time. My weight has stabilized. I usually have one Norman in the morning and am good for the day. I do have some problems with C, and I believe this is also related to an MC reaction, so I'm keeping tabs on it.

I think that I'm no longer lactose-intolerant--I'm able to eat mozarella in moderation. I am still reluctant to try hard cheeses, since my casein reaction was violent, and I have never been a milk drinker anyway. I am still avoiding soy and peanuts, and have recently concluded that some other legumes (sugar snap peas) also don't agree with me. I can still eat green beans, black beans, and chickpeas. Potatoes continue to bother me in any form (including potato starch), so I have given up GF baked goods. I do have some Chebe mixes, which have no potato, and I tolerate them well. So far I'm doing fine with rice, as long as I don't eat huge amounts of it, so I find it easier to avoid most "gluten-free substitutes." I can eat corn, cornstarch, and corn syrup, but can't handle tortillas, chips, or Chex GF cereal. I suppose this is probably a cross-contamination issue, but I feel much better if I avoid them.

So far all of my kids are free of GS symptoms, for which I'm thankful; however, I have started cooking more GF meals for the family and have stopped buying so many crackers etc. for snacks. The family is not GF, but they are eating a lot less gluten than before. I hope this may keep them from developing issues down the road.

Thanks so much to all the Potty People who are so willing to share their advice and experiences! I would have gotten nowhere with this, were it not for you. :pulsinghearts:
Cynthia

"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
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Zizzle
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Post by Zizzle »

Great to hear you are in remission!! :grin:

I'm confused about one thing:
I have been GF/DF now for six months...

I think that I'm no longer lactose-intolerant--I'm able to eat mozarella in moderation. I am still reluctant to try hard cheeses, since my casein reaction was violent, and I have never been a milk drinker anyway.
If you are eating mozzarella cheese, you are not Dairy Free, and you are definitely getting casein, so you must not be sensitive to casein at all, right? If hard cheese affected you, maybe it was the histamines they produce?? On the other hand, many people with casein sensitivity get C instead of D. Maybe there's a correlation there?
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Post by Lesley »

I was thinking about you and wondering last night!

I am SO pleased to hear this news. You have worked hard to figure this out, and deserve the remission.

Interested in Z's response. Does it make sense to you? Could Mozzarella be causing the C?
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tex
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Post by tex »

Cheese causes C for me.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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mbeezie
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Post by mbeezie »

Congratulations on all of your progress!

I agree with Tex, dairy is very constipating for many people.

Mary Beth
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Gabes-Apg
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

woo hoo that is great news, all your hard work is paying off! awesome

:festive:
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draperygoddess
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Post by draperygoddess »

Thanks for all the well-wishing! :grin:

Yes, I think I'm still sensitive to casein, but from what I've read, the harder (more aged) the cheese, the greater the concentration of casein. That said, I haven't been pushing this envelope too much--a sprinkling of mozarella seems to be okay, though I hadn't considered that it might be the culprit behind the C. And yesterday I had a GF cake with a cream cheese filling, and though I didn't have my typical 2-hour reaction, I'm feeling it today, so I think I may need to back off! I will say that, after eliminating all dairy (which I've only been experimenting with for the last couple of weeks), gluten, and most soy (there's some in my coffee creamer, but that's about it), along with the corn products I mentioned, the stomach pain stopped. Today I'm being reminded of why I went that direction in the first place, so I guess I will go DF again and not risk it. :sad: My lactose-intolerant symptoms were primarily bloating and gas, and I'm not having those anymore, so I think it's just the casein now. Oh, well.

By the way, I did end up having to take Augmentin for a sinus infection--I was scared to death, but it was getting out of control and I didn't think I had any choice. I took two probiotics--one yeast, one bacteria--with every dose. Two days in I had a little D, but nothing beyond that. Thanks for the advice!
Cynthia

"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
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Post by brandy »

Congrats on doing so well! It must feel great to be off of the Zoloft and have the anxiety issues gone too! Brandy
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Post by Gloria »

Terrific news, Cynthia!
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draperygoddess
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Post by draperygoddess »

Brandy, yes, it is an unexpected benefit of the GF diet (at least that's what I attribute it to) that my anxiety is nearly gone and I no longer have panic attacks. I would love to see a study on this--I did read one from several years ago that noted, in passing, that several patients who had been on antidepressants and subsequently developed MC, not only had an improvement of their GI symptoms after going GF, but also were able to stop taking the antidepressants. Kinda makes you wonder...
Cynthia

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MBombardier
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Post by MBombardier »

:thumbsup: Cynthia!!! :grin: :grin: :grin:
Marliss Bombardier

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Post by Polly »

WAHOO!!!!!!!!

You GO, girl! Congrats.

Love,

Polly
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Sharaine
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Post by Sharaine »

Congratulations, Cynthia! What great progress you are making!

:thumbsup: Sharaine
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