How do you know if you have a gluten allergy?

Question

I have been sick for a whil and certain foods with wheat and gluten make me sick? The docs are still working to find out what is wrong!!

Answer 1

I know exactly what you have! Because I have it too! Tell your dr. to run the blood test for celiac disease. It's super simple. There are tons of ways you can tell if your allergic to gluten/wheat:
1. You get an upset stomach every time you eat it
2. You get constipated a lot (this one is more rare)
3. Your sick all the time and can't figure out why
4. Everything you eat is seems like it makes you sick
5. You feel tired
6. Your stomach is bloated after eating
7. You have a hard time gaining weight (only some people)

Please, please have the test done...I was sick for years and the dr's didn't know what was wrong with me. I had been diagnosed with IBS, been told I was faking it, told there was nothing wrong with me, etc, etc, etc. But then I met my new dr. and she ran the test and what a miracle! I started eating gluten free and started feeling better right away! The diet takes a while to get used to but believe me it's defenitely worth it! It's a lot easier now too because there are so many different flours out there you can use in place of wheat flour and also there are hundreds of companies out there now that make ready-made gluten free foods, baking mixes, breads, and snackss. Once you get diagnosed...that is the hardest part because most dr.s have never heard of celiac disease. Don't let your dr. tell you no either. Demand to have the test! Some of my friends dr.s didn't want to give them the test...why I don't know! Just be strong and get the test. It's just a little blood test and it isn't that bad at all! My life has been much better since I was diagnosed a few years ago! I eat everything everyone else eats: bread, sandwiches, pasta, cakes, cookies, pancakes, etc! I just make mine a little bit different! Here are some websites for you to look at:

glutensolutions.com
glutenfree.com
glutenfreemall.com
glutenfreemeals.com
authenticfoods.com
celiac.org
celiac.com

Answer 2

I'm not sure, but if you're vegetarian, or eat healthy like me, TOFU is a soy food and it can be a substitute to almost any dairy, gluten or wheat product. It has a lot of calcium and proteins. it comes in lot of varieties of textures and firmness... you can make desserts with it if you choose the right one! Good luck and avoid gluten, it's a very hard to digest food and if you suspect you have allergies, be careful! Take care

Answer 3

I would talk to your doctor about being tested for celiac disease, an intolerance to the protein gluten found in grains like wheat, rye, barley, and oats. A blood test measuring autoantibodies, and a possible small bowel biopsy as a follow up is the usual protocol. If you go off of wheat before testing it might interfere with the results, so keep that in mind.

If you have celiac disease a no-gluten diet must be followed.

Here is an informative link:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/



Good luck!

Answer 4

It's so simple, it's scary. All you have to do is to go completely off of gluten for one week. Be very careful, it is in lots of things you wouldn't expect. If after a week, you're better, it was a gluten allergy and permanent diet changes will make you better.

Answer 5

To add to Jewel's answer, here are a couple of message boards for people following the gluten-free diet. -

www.glutenfreeforum.com
www.celiacforums.com

Nancy

Edited to add - Dangit! I meant to vote for Jewel's answer as the BEST answer, but I accidentally voted it down. It really is the best answer here. I'll email Yahoo support and see if I can get it fixed. Sorry Jewel!!!

Nancy

Answer 6

The best way is to not eat the wheat products for a week and see if there is a change. Here is a link to read for symptoms.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/67464