Has anyone had luck with a gluten-free diet?

Yes, I have experienced a significant improvement in my symptoms since going gluten free. I don't think that eliminating gluten has resolved my IBD, but I do know that it stopped all of the issues I was having with soft/loose stool, and it resolved a some joint pain and 'brain fog."

I also love pasta and pizza and cake. There are good gluten free pastas (I like the buckwheat and quinoa ones much much more than the rice pastas). Udi's makes pretty good gluten-free bread. There are some bakeries close to me that make good gluten-free cupcakes, but I've found plenty of gluten free desserts that satisfy my sweet tooth just fine - last weekend I made sticky rice with mango and ....whoa that was good.

I would suggest you give it a shot and see what happens. You can always go back to your gluten.

Well, my first week I really didn't try many replacement products. I made scrambled eggs for breakfast and used gluten-free corn chips to make it fun (like a huevos rancheros). For other meals I used potatoes or rice for my starch. It wasn't that complicated.

For breakfast later on, I got gluten-free oatmeal (by Bob's Red Mill) and I tried the various gluten-free breakfast cereals. I like "Baked on Main" granola, and Udi's gluten-free granola (made with their gluten-free oats). It's important for me to note here that many folks with celiac disease cannot tolerate oats, even if they're "gluten free." I don't have celiac disease - I've been tested - and was really exploring a possible gluten intolerance. So oats don't bother me at all.

I haven't done any gluten-free baking other than what I buy in a prepared mix at the store. I like Schar's pasta the best for gluten-free pasta, but it's not widely available. I like gluten-free pizza at a restaurant close to me, but not the frozen crusts you can get in your grocery store - I also tried making a gluten-free pizza from a mix and I hated it.

I used gluten-free bread crumbs and gluten-free all-purpose flour and make all of my regular dinner recipes that need those things in a direct substitution (recently made eggplant parmesan, baked mac & cheese, salmon croquettes, oven fried chicken....) It's not that hard.

I used tamari sauce (gluten free soy sauce) and make all of my regular stir-fries.

Give yourself three weeks and see if it makes a difference for you. Pay close attention to make sure you're really gluten free. Then evaluate and decide what you want to do next.

I have experimented a little bit, but only after being really and truly gluten free for a couple of months.

The first time I ate a small slice of bagette. I had a lot of upper GI pain within - minutes. It seemed ridiculous but I didn't have any more bagette.

A few days later I had a very small bite of croissant. No problems.

A few days after that I had a very small bite of blueberry muffin. No problems.

We were on vacation, LOL. Anyway, it turns out that I feel so much better eating this way that I have very little interest in cheating. Those small bites that I had were enough. Honestly.

In the first month of my gluten free diet we went out to eat at an Indian restaurant. It was a pretty new restaurant and the servers weren't that familiar with the menu, and although we tried really hard to make it clear that we needed gluten-free food, the next day I really felt awful and had diarrhea. It was Indian food, though, and pretty spicy, so I wasn't sure about what happened.

More recently, I ate at an acquaintance's house. She'd invited me to dinner, along with several others, and I told her I needed gluten free food (I would have brought my own if it was hard for her). She insisted that she often prepared special meals, and when I got there she had several dishes that she identified as gluten free. I ate them happily. Two days later I really felt awful.

Lastly, in January I made birthday cake for my daughter. I tasted the batter, frequently, LOL. Again, two days later, I really felt sick. I mean like Crohn's sick - like I was tired, and my appetite was gone, and my belly felt like it was just a mess. Neither of these events gave me diarrhea, or loose stool.

So I am not that interested in cheating, but I have, in very small doses.

After being gluten free for awhile, I decided to break and eat something off the diet last night. This is funny this subject came up today..I ate manicotti..I got a tingly sensation in my mouth immediately. I woke up this morning with severe stomach cramps and urgency. I have IBS symptoms on occasion anyway even if the doctors say I am in remission. I need to go into work today and put in some overtime but I am afraid of spending more time in the bathroom..I am not sure if I was ever tested for celiac, but I think gluten intolerance can be a problem with some Crohns patients. I have the oily film coming out this morning as well which I have been clear of for awhile. I also feel the need to go out and get some hemmie cream for the burning sensation. Some people are affected by dairy in this way as well. I think the best thing is to eliminate something and then add it back to the diet to see if you react to it..not everyone that has Crohns is set off by the same foods. I get diarrhea when I drink wine or any alcoholic beverages. I have an intolerance to MSG and nitrates as well. I know some people are on SCD or trying element diets. I still like the idea of eliminations and put backs to see what causes a reaction. As for gluten free products, I have not found them very tasty. I can still tell the difference in texture and taste that kills it for me. They are pricy too..The udi's bread at Whole Foods was tiny and $6. I did not like the texture..As for eating out, I do...You have to stick with stuff that is not breaded or coated..You can have a chicken/steak/fish, veggies, and a salad..You can get a burger and fries with no bun. Most places will wrap it is lettuce for you. Tacos & nachos are safe because they use corn tortillas in most encilladas too. Breakfast foods like omelets and potatoes are great just substitute fruit ect for the bread..You have to make sure they aren't adding stuff like pancake batter to it to make it fluffy.. Obviously pizza and bake goods are out..This was very hard for me being a baked good junky..I love pie, cookies, rolls, cup cakes..ect..There are alot of cereals and foods out there are gluten free..I read alot of labels..If it does not have a warning for wheat I can usually eat it..Rice Crispies, many of the Chex products, and the peebles products for cereal are gluten free..I have potatoes and rice no noodles with dishes..Many sauces and dressings are gluten free you just got to read the labels..Most soups are not!
Cindy

Going gluten free made a huge different for me. Got increased energy, rid diarrhea and some pain. It's always possible to learn how to make home made breads and buns, if you don't like the ones at the stores.

I've had great success with: gluten free, wheat free, and dairy free diets. And I highly recommend it.

 

Kimerz7,

Let us know how you make out with the gluten free. A word of caution, read all labels carefully, and you'll need to cut out wheat too.

There are hiddens forms of gluten as well:

Sources of Hidden Gluten You May Not Have Known:

Blue cheese, bouillon cubes, caramel color or flavoring, commercial chocolate milk and drinks, curry powder, flavored instant tea or coffee, food colorings, gelatin starch, grain alcohol (such as beer, ale, rye, scotch, bourbon or grain vodka), gum base (such as in chewing gum), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, malt, marshmallows, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, non-dairy creamers, packaged rice mixes, preservatives processed meats (such as sausages, hot dogs, or bologna), pudding, salad dressing, soy sauce, spices and spice mixtures, textured vegetable protein, vegetable starch and white or malt vinegar.

Blue cheese, bouillon cubes, caramel color or flavoring, commercial chocolate milk and drinks, curry powder, flavored instant tea or coffee, food colorings, gelatin starch, grain alcohol (such as beer, ale, rye, scotch, bourbon or grain vodka), gum base (such as in chewing gum), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, malt, marshmallows, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, non-dairy creamers, packaged rice mixes, preservatives processed meats (such as sausages, hot dogs, or bologna), pudding, salad dressing, soy sauce, spices and spice mixtures, textured vegetable protein, vegetable starch and white or malt vinegar.

Recently I went gluten free. It made me feel better than I've felt in 25 years. I've been dairy free for several years already.

Within a few days I had no abd pain, no joint pain and I no longer had brain fog. I didn't even realize I was in a fog until it was gone.
I stopped taking Questran and have no D at all. I won't go back to eating gluten ever. I've accidentally had some a few times and felt it right away.

Rice, potatoes, masa to make great homemade tortillas, rice paper wraps, rice pasta.
A trip to the ethnic aisle in your supermarket will help. I go to an asian store and get rice noodles or filipino cornstarch noodles in all shapes and sizes.
I make my own bread. It's more like an irish soda bread but does the trick. Quinoa for breakfast is great too.
It's difficult for the first week with cravings but when you feel so much better you don't want to ever cheat.

Try it for a week and you should notice a difference if you are going to at all.

Deakin,

You said you struggled with GF bread - not uncommon at all. I've found a great company from Canada called kinnikinnick which has just introduced soft breads that are very soft and good, normal size slices, which you do not have to freeze. Look them up online. Shipping is fast and their cake mixes and other products are also very good. I highly recommend the doughnuts! they make breadcrumbs for coating chicken, fish, etc too. I wish my local stores carried all of their product line...but for now I order every few weeks.

I just went and bought a bunch of gluten free food.

It is in almost everything. It's a total change for most but living with CD hasn't been an easy road either.
I found you need to go back to basics. Simple and homemade. Fresh meats, fresh vegetables and fruits. No fast food or anything processed. You can have plain tortilla chips and plain potato chips. Yay! Junk food.
Potatoes and rice not bread. Lots of stir frys and leftovers for lunch. It takes a lot more planning but for me it's well worth it.

My husband bought some Pamela's Gluten free bread mix..It was actually pretty good..I got the premade gluten free bread at Whole Foods and hated it..Not all seasonings and salad dressing have gluten in them..I can control more by eating at home even if I try to eat safe foods out..My husband also made a coating and fried some chicken for me that was good..Kraft Parmasean with the green lid is also gluten free..I use it in place of bread crumbs for like meatloaf..SCD is much more restrictive along with some other diets..Snickers Candy bars and some ice creams are safe..Most of the major manufacturers like Kraft you can look up food allergies like gluten on their website for all products..I am thinking about starting a food delivery service for people on special diets that are homemade here in Vegas..This is why my husband has been experimenting...I will get cramps and diarrhea..