Day 4

I'm crashing out after every meal and it seems the more gluten I eat the longer I crash. Breads seem to be the worst. Before when I accidentally ate wheat I would sometimes crash out but this is extreme. I wish I knew if it was normal...

Today I've had Shreddies, cheese and crackers and a burger with onion rings.

Reactions are much of the same:
- heavy limbs
- joints ache, especially wrists
- crashing out
- headache
- bloated
- stomach pains
- lethargic
- fuzzy head
- skin seems paler than normal

I wonder if I will get better/adjust or if I'll just keep crashing out after eating wheat/gluten.

Feeling quite low today... 10 more days to go.

Day 3

Its been a tough one today. I don't think my body likes me anymore. It valiantly put up with everything I've been eating but today its put up a bit of a fight.

I've eaten Shreddies, a sausage roll, slice if cake and a curry with a naan. The naan really wiped me out and caused a fair amount of discomfort, the feeling made me quite panicky. The sleep after this meal was fitful.

So today:
- lots of sleeping/fitful sleep
- shooting pains in belly
- constipation
- tingling feeling in hands/fingers
- headache
- groggy head
- heavy limbs
- cloggy throat
- tingling in my face
- queasy
- dehydrated
- panic feeling

When I've eaten I tend to sleep quite soon after. Its a weird kind of sleep though. At times I'm aware of what is going on around me but I can't respond, like my mind is awake but my body has shut down. It is a very strange feeling.

I usually get an upset stomach with wheat but it seems to be the opposite this time... maybe it is the quantity, but it is equally as horrible!

After only three days its beginning to taking its toll. Only 11 more to go though!

My sisters birthday tomorrow so that will be something to look forward to :)

Day 2

I'm quite surprised that I've not had any major stomach issues so far. That's usually what comes first. I seemed to have skipped to the symptoms I get after. Today I've eaten Shreddies, a crusty roll with sausage and gnocchi.

Today its mostly been:
- aching joints
- heavy feeling
- dry mouth after eating
- in and out of sleep all day
- leg/arm muscle aches
- shooting/stabbing pain in belly
- headache
- chest pains

I'm feeling a lot better than I thought I would, just feel wiped out. I can do this!

Day 1

After having eaten my fish and chips I'm not feeling as bad as I thought I would! I will list my symptoms so far...

- dry mouth
- queasy
- burping (which is unlike me)
- stomach spasms
- pains in lower abdomen
- tired/lethargic
- headache
- feel heavy

So not as dramatic as I thought but I have a general discomfort and I just don't feel right. If the rest of the two weeks goes like this I can totally handle it. I've felt worse before so this isn't so bad... at the moment

Will try to update daily 

The fun begins...

So tonight is the night I re-introduce wheat into my diet. I've decided on fish and chips... in my head it is less scary than a plate of pasta or a pie.

I'm going to try and keep track of my symptoms along the way. I'm quite interested to see what happens and how the they develop. My doctor said to eat wheat as I would have done before cutting it out... breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I'm actually quite scared...

Here goes...

Make-up and hair products containing gluten

I recently heard about make-up and hair products containing gluten. After having cut out wheat for almost 4 years I am still finding new things that it is in. Apparently what we put on our skin can be absorbed into the blood (http://glutenfreeville.com/featured/is-it-time-to-break-up-with-your-gluten-filled-make-up).

I buy most of my make-up from Avon so I did a little research and found a listing of products (all credit to the website providing the pdf).

http://www.glutenfreeinsd.com/PDFs/AVON%20gluten%20free%20products%20list%209-24-08.pdf

It is from 2008 but was the most recent I could find... if anyone else finds one more recent feel free to comment.

For more info on food allergies and skin products @skinsmatter posted this on Twitter:
http://www.skinsmatter.com/blog/?p=1

Gluten free and dairy free snack

My sister found these tasty little snack packs in Morrisons. This one is sweet potato pakora and there was another falafel one. They come with houmous. They had a nice spice to them and lots of flavour.
Not heard of the company before, Great Food, but will look out for them in future. On the go snacks have been the hardest thing to find. Just hope they keep stocking them... sometimes I find something awesome then it disappears.

Best GF sausages

The Asda own brand gluten free sausages are the best around in my opinion. Great taste and texture. The perfect banger to go with mash. My non-GF boyfriend says they are just as good if not better than normal sausages.
Best thing is they are only £1.50!
I have a feeling this blog is going to become me sharing my gluten free finds hehe

The road to diagnosis

Next week I'm eating wheat again after having cut it out for 4 years... I'm terrified to say the least. The doctors want to test me for coeliac disease.
I thought I would start this blog because I've been searching for some info about anyone who may have done something similar but haven't been successful. Now that doesn't mean there aren't people out there... I have to admit I'm not very good with the internet...
So here is a bit about how I got to this point. For years I've suffered with digestive issues and it got to a point where I was getting so ill that I struggled to leave the house at times. I then saw a program on TV about a lady who had similar symptoms, she cut out wheat and it 'cured' her. I thought, well that's worth a try surely. I took myself off to the doctors who said 'sure cut it out for a few months and see if it makes a difference'.
If only I knew then what I know now! I would have asked to be tested before cutting it out. I even went back twice to be sure that what I was doing was okay and both times they said its perfectly healthy and wont do me any harm. Not once did they think to do any tests... bit of a touchy subject for me.
4 years later I learn about coeliacs and its potential long term health problems. I see a dietitian who says I should be tested. After many months of back forth with doctors I finally have a date for a blood test but have to eat gluten again. I've decided I will do it so I know either way what I have.
I'm going to try and keep this blog going as a way of noting down my symptoms day to day.
It all starts Thursday 28th March... Seeing as I'll probably be housebound this will give me something to do hehe
Until next time
xxx