Gluten

Well, I will be the first to admit that, throughout my 18 years with UC I haven't been diligent in seeking proper diet. Like many of us, I just don't want to deal with all the "special" considerations I should be making. I have become way too good at ignoring pain, to a point, but we all know that UC doesn't play nicely if not taken seriously. I have actually caused myself much more agony over these 18 years than I would have had to experience had I been more responsible with my own health.

As I write this I am newly diagnosed with B-12 deficiency and Vit D deficiency, and I think I am looking at my 4th time in 2 and 1/2 years (since being on Imuran) of coming down with c-diff :-(.

I am a cyclist. While listening to a podcast today they discussed gluten. I have been avoiding the gluten conversation, as I thought it was a fanatical discussion, or the next new fad. I fould out from the podcast that there is a connection between gluten and inflammatory processes, and having an auto immune disease I should be particularly interested. After listening to the scientific evidence, and given the fact that I have failed Imuran and am now taking Humira, I need to get serious about what I can do to make my life and disease more tolerable.

I am interested in hearing what others have found after switching to gluten free diets, as it relates to UC symptoms. And I will gladly report back as I attempt to progress in the direction of a gluten free diet.

Any and all replies will be much appreciated!

Thanks
Deacon

In 2013 my UC symptoms started with a bang. In the span of two weeks I suddenly could not eat gluten or dairy whatsoever. I stayed in denial for a couple of months and continued eating these things even though I was having diarrhea regularly with blood and mucous. I think I speak for everyone when I say that our connection to food is very emotional. It's about comfort, security, pleasure and enjoyment. It's a very basic human thing. So when you suddenly can't eat a lot of the stuff you tend to enjoy, it's hard on the psyche.

For me, avoiding gluten does not downgrade my flares, it just prevents them from getting worse. My immune system is sensitized to gluten thanks to years of leaky gut that I didn't know about. If I eat gluten and especially wheat gluten, within 3 days my small intestine lining is shed and I stop absorbing food, especially fats. Food then passes undigested into my colon where it putrefies and creates further UC symptoms.

On a molecular level, gluten is a difficult molecule to break down. If your GI is going through a struggle, gluten will hinder rather than help, even if you're not having an immune reaction. Avoiding gluten is a golden rule in my life now. I can't even have traces of it or my UC will flare.

If you haven't considered cutting our dairy and gluten, then it's definitely worth a try to get your symptoms under control. They are primary culprits.

I was gluten-free for a few years (about 2013-2016; diagnosed in 2014), last year began to bake my own sourdough bread using wheat bread flour. I eat 2-4 loaves each week. Sometimes I have white pasta. I don't feel any worse eating it. Also yes I can see your signature!

I can't tell if I ever had any problems with gluten, I went gluten-free back then after reading something about paleo and deciding to go on full keto (which is no longer the case for either, hehehe). I use white flour; whole grains are a different story, regardless if they have gluten or not. Right now I'm in remission and I can handle whole grains in smaller doses but they still cause my eyes to dry up a little.

I went on an elimination diet in July to see if I had developed any food allergies or sensitivities that were contributing to the sudden onset of chronic hives. After about a month, I added wheat back, and it definitely contributed to the hives. What I also noticed though is that within 45 minutes, I became so incredibly bloated and uncomfortable as a result. So I cut out wheat and gluten by extension because I don't know if it is one or both, and frankly, I rarely eat the other grains that have gluten so going full blown gluten-free versus wheat-free wasn't a big deal.

So that was before my UC diagnosis, though I was experiencing a host of non-GI symptoms that we now know are related. Then came a hardcore flare between October - December. So going off wheat/gluten certainly didn't prevent the insane D. Lialda killed the D within a week, and my the BMs became soft and solid and maybe 2-3 times a day. However, in the past week and a half, I have accidentally had wheat twice.** Both times, bloated within 45 minutes to the point it was very visible. Both times, the day after, I had 6-7 BMs (still soft and solid, but urgent). It felt like my body was trying to purge the stuff. So wheat, at the very least, definitely makes whatever GI symptoms I have worse and more uncomfortable. Everyone is different though, so you should experiment.


**Okay fine, I ate the Girl Scout cookie intentionally, but how do you turn down a Thin Mint? The other time I just didn't know.

I went gluten-free for a month, saw no improvement and thus discontinued it.

I kept all gluten out when my diet mod. was strictest so that I could determine which foods caused problems. As my gut healed I still kept gluten out for years because it was part of my overall diet mod. plan of "ain't broke don't fix it".

Now I eat french bread made with gluten with no issues. Was gluten a problem back then when gut was crazy inflamed? All I know is when I eliminated gluten and a lot of other possible problematic foods that began my path to remission.

Fiber, including whole grains, is an ongoing problem for my gut, not gluten. My gut lets me know with increased BM's when something I ate bothers it.

Small rant: my fave gluten-free bread "Udi's" recently changed their bread recipe, and not for the better. So annoying cuz I love my piece of buttered toast with coffee.

I gave up gluten in September of 2013. It was just part of the picture for me, but every time I have eaten something with gluten I get terrible stomach pains. FWIW, I think Little Northern Bakehouse makes the best gf bread you can buy in a store.