Gluten-free diet: What has worked? Your tips

I am literally just getting started. I have been diagnosed with Grover’s disease and have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and my family has a miriad of health issues. I want to go gluten free to see if it helps with my health issues. I am going shopping this weekend and will start right after Christmas. Wish me luck ! I am looking forward to hearing others success stories.

Yes! Any & all information is usefull. I have been gluten free about 2 years. I tested positive for the ' celiac' gene, but colonoscopy in Sept of 2015 did not find evidence of damage. My 2 docs say ' celiac' & 'gluten sensitivity'. My primary stated what difference does it make what u call it the result is the same. SO, no gluten if I want chronic pain & disorders to be less. Short list of disorders: peripheral neuropathy, hip bursitis & tendonitis, degenerative disc disease, celiac, SIBO, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, tachycardia, insomnia....I am also taking CBD oil as it really helps ME. I can't work, sold my house in LA county & been living off of for over 3 years in Oregon..It's almost gone, then what? Sorry it's so long...it could be worse 😁

Sounds so familiar. You might look for a functional MD or LLMD. I have and progress is slow and roller coaster like but no opoids. Soc Sec disability is next for me...waiting as long as I can.
Best of luck.

Hi, @dlady, this is @mamacita, Volunteer Mentor for Mayo Clinic Connect. I I have many of the conditions you have mentioned, as well as IBS, Diverticulitis, and Autism. I cannot speak for anyone else, but following a basically gluten free diet has been a real lifesaver for me. It took me over one year, but I lost sixty five pounds. My A1C went down to 6.2, my blood sugars are normal, and I have tons more energy. My thinking is much clearer, my anxiety levels are down, and my Fibromyalgia flares are fewer. I also have Depression, which is much better with this way of eating. I basically count carbs, even the ones in vegetables. I have gone from a lunch sack full of meds to a small ziplock bag of prescribed medication. Two of my medicines were recalled because they were found to cause cancer. I do take a multi-vitamin and mineral every day, as well as Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium, and Vitamin C. My Primary Care Physician is totally on board with me trying every trick up my sleeve, the more natural the better. I hope that your health continues to improve and that you feel better very soon. I would very much like to be a part of this discussion. We can all learn from each other.

Mamacita

Most definitely. Jane Brown

I'm interested. I have been gluten free on an off for several years. I've noticed that my pain is less severe and I feel so much better when gluten free. However, it's not easy. I would love a gluten free support group.

Sure! I was confirmed with Celiac 4 years ago. I also have Crohn's, Fibromyalgia, and Autoimmune Hepatitis. I try pretty hard to stay gluten free, but there are those times.... To be truthful, with the other things I have going on, I'm never sure what is making me feel like s**t. One of my problems is that it takes a day or 3 before I realize I've been glutened and often don't know where I got the gluten. Such fun. Things could be worse. Merry Christmas!!

I have been gluten free for over a decade. Nothing was marked "gluten free" back then and shopping for food was a landmine. Most restaurant staff had never even heard the word "gluten". By the time I knew I couldn't have gluten I had lost 20% of my body weight. My small intestine was wrecked. The first time we went shopping I had a meltdown and started crying in the grocery store's soup aisle. If anyone has questions, please ask. It is so second nature to me now that it is hard to know what beginners need to know. Hardest thing about being gluten-free is being careful to avoid cross-contamination. This can even occur at home if someone dips into a jar, spreads on bread, and then redips again. Wayward crumbs are also a landmine. It will be crucial to clean up your house first. After you master your home you can then branch out to restaurants, etc.

as far as the daily part of the GF diet, i do find it is getting easier. But when it comes to special occasions (parties, vacations, etc) I find it is not. In part because I am naturally shy and don't feel free to tell everyone about it. But there are some restaurants that I am familiar with and frequent. They are Chick-fil-a (grilled chicken, and they do have a new GF bun), Jason's Deli is my favorite, Wendy's has baked potatoes, and Furr's Buffet where I can choose what I want. I do miss my favorite food of macaroni & cheese though, but have moved on to mashed potatoes and meat juice (not gravy).
I thought I explained why I went GF. I have endometriosis. A friend who also has endometriosis, advised me to go gluten free. My friend was told by her dr to go gluten free. When I did research at a later date,I found out gluten is very high in natural estrogen. Endometriosis feeds off of estrogen, therefore gluten would be feeding it. 3 years later I was tested for Celiac, and although I was gluten free at the time, the dr. did do a blood test. I tested positive for 2 out of 3 items in the blood test. I was advised to remain gluten free.

I have given up all carbs. I tried gluten free for 6 months and noticed no difference in any symptoms. Along with all carbs I also gave up all sugar, natural and processed. Now 2 1/2 months later am free of chronic female yeast issues and my 3 forms of eczema are in remission. Not only will gluten pass through the intestines to raise my histamine levels, but it along with sugar and other carbs, not just gluten free, feed the residual yeast in our intestines that will never die out with a food supply of gluten and sugar. They need sugar to live. It takes 2 months min. to kill off the yeast. After 5 weeks the sugar craving diminished and now 2 1/2 months later don't think about sugar every hour!!! No issue baking for my family or watching them eat it. I pass the candy jars without my mouth watering. It is because the yeast which sent signals to the brain to feed this addiction were starved to death. I figured I would suffer though this detox for 2 months and see if it helped. It did, now I supposedly can add back a minimal amount of gluten free carbs and 2 servings of safe fruits a week to test. Yes all processed sugar a no no for life. Stevia is the only allowed substitute. Yet I am afraid to start up again and be forced to go though withdrawal again.