The Road To Going Gluten Free Pt.1

So back in May I accidentally found out what has been wrong with my digestive system since I was a teenager. You can read more about how I found out HERE. The story hasn’t stopped there like I thought it would though. I’m going to start a mini series, keeping a diary of the road to my new gluten free life.

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a new shampoo and conditioner to review on my blog and I started using it like any good blogger would. About 4 hours after the first use I had some of the worst gluten reactions I’d had in a long time. I was sat on a village green with my family, having a nice picnic lunch and watching the carnival go past when all of a sudden the stomach cramps started. I honestly thought I was going to lose control over my bowls in the middle of a cricket pitch.
I was desperately trying to work out what had set me off as my Ceoliac niece had also eaten everything I had and I couldn’t stand the thought of her having a reaction.
I started to think that maybe I had a dairy intolerance too as it tends to go hand in hand with gluten but I can normally eat cheese till it’s coming out of my ears!

After the 2nd use of the shampoo and conditioner I was drying the bottles off and just happened to read the ingredients, there is was, on the back of the conditioner “wheat”. Of all the things, I’d never considered conditioner not being gluten free! I actually couldn’t believe it, so much so that I sat in a towel and scoured Google to see if anyone had had a reaction like mine before. The only reactions I could find were skin ones, people had redness, itching and bumps appear but not a stomach reaction. I decided to wait and see what happened but after a couple of hours the headache came on, my stomach bloated and I felt really gassy so I posted in my Instagram stories and asked if anyone else had ever reacted to haircare products.
I had a few replys but one particular lady called Jasmine had had the same reaction as me! It was such a relief to know that I wasn’t overreacting and this was actually a thing.

This then finally prompted me to get checked properly. Ceoliac Disease is so much more than being allergic to gluten and it can affect a lot of things now and later in life if left untreated; I already have a chance of getting osteoporosis, I don’t need to increase those odds through my diet!
There is no cure for Ceoliac, it is just a case of changing your diet but I need to know if I just have to eat Gluten Free or whether I need to worry about cross-contamination too as Ceoliacs can be a lot more sensitive to even the slightest bit.

So on Monday I headed off to my first doctor’s appointment. I knew what was coming as I’ve been through it all with my niece: blood tests, results then biopsy if they come back positive, but none of that scares me. Eating gluten again scared me though. I got offered a blood test for pretty much the next day but I didn’t think there would be enough gluten in my system for it to show so I have it booked for this coming Wednesday and I’ve been making sure I’m eating something containing gluten every day.

My first full day I went a little overboard. I had 2 crumpets for breakfast and a pasta salad for lunch which doesn’t sound like much but when your body is used to being gluten free it makes a huge difference! I felt awful! My belly was really bloated and painful, I felt so lethargic and my head was thumping. I couldn’t face eating anything else that day and I went to bed in a rotten mood.

I’ve since cut back a bit on the amount I eat in one day but I still feel dreadful. It doesn’t just affect my stomach, I do get bouts of diarrhea but mostly I get bloating, headaches, muscle aches, I feel tired, my skin breaks out, I’m moody and I have very little energy. I’ve also been super hungry which makes me wonder if that’s because I’m not absorbing the nutrients I should be.

Only time (and tests) will tell though and I’ll be going straight back to Gluten Free as soon as Wednesday gets here. If the blood tests come back positive then I will have to have a biopsy on my intestine but prior to that I have to eat gluten again for 6-8 weeks! I’ve not even done a week yet and I’m totally fed up with feeling like crap so I’m really hoping I don’t have to have a biopsy.

I’ll just have to see what the test results say I suppose but fingers crossed!