Weaveherr...what mrsD said was: I assume by "no grains" she means gluten free?No celiac says they are grain free, unless they are totally grain free. We say, gluten free. Grain free means...no grains. I was gluten free for 3 years, then I also had to go soy free, next came the corn, and 1 year ago, the rice. Yes, I do have many intolerances, and, I am grain free, not just gluten free.

That means she is more than just celiac. Often, I say, "Why can't I just be celiac?" Losing soy, didn't really matter to me, I never cared for it anyways...now corn and rice, that was upsetting. The first reaction I had to corn was cornbread stuffing I made for a Christmas turkey, and I made sure my corn flour was gluten free. After that reaction, I found myself reacting to anything with corn flour in it, although I was still able to eat corn as a vegetable. I never try it anymore, corn is too fattening anyways!

People who are "grain free", can sometimes use almond flour. They could make bread with it, then make their own bread crumbs. There are bean flours too, and many celiac/gluten intolerants like them, one being garbanzo.

Every year there is more and more gluten free foods. A celiac can eat very healthy, by eating whole foods, nothing processed. Occasionally, I will eat a cookie or piece of bread, then suffer the effects of the grains, and no, I never cheat and eat gluten.

I'm very happy that doctors are finally recognizing gluten intolerance's. I find it sad there are so many of us though, more all the time.

G'day there... I reckon when mrsD and me posted that we weren't actually sure what Melody's friend had absolute intolerance to and so we tried to advise despite that. I don't have a clue whether Melody's friend is gluten intolerant or has issues with anything else.

We both asked the questions. Gluten free? Rice ok?

Melody, let us know sometime when you are able about your friend's situation more please. I'd hate to give advice that would not be helpful to her.

I just got an email because I had asked her "do you have celiac, and asked her questions about her intolerance to grains"

She said "I can eat rice, and I don't know if I have Celiac, but when I eat anything with grains, I feel ill and I gain weight".

So I gather she has not gotten herself tested for Celiac.

She had posted on another board and when I saw that she can't use breadcrumbs, I thought she had celiac disease.

I do thank all of you for the rice suggestions. I've passed it along and she now knows that she can buy subsitutes for the breadcrumbs.

One can only hope that she is able to get tested for Celiac. Maybe someday?

thanks much

Melody

I agree Melody's post was a bit confusing to me too. I just didn't want someone new to the idea of a gluten free diet to get even more confused about what they had to give up.

We had a patient come in, who told me she is gluten free. I told her I have been gluten free for over 8 years and we started talking. I asked her if she had found a good doctor in our area and she told me she was going to the same PCP I do. Thing is, the PA diagnosed her, yet when she left the office, the PA told her, "Stay away from wheat and you will do fine." She went home to the internet and realized wheat is not the only gluten, and was scared. I told her it may help her to find a good nutritionist/dietician who could help her out, and I gave her my email addy.

A couple of years ago in the same office, I had one of the PA's tell me that his son was celiac. He says, "The poor little guy can't have barley." I told him that if his son actually has celiac, then he needs to study up on what gluten is, because keeping just barley from his son will not help him. I found this really sad, that man should have been a great help to a celiac, yet he didn't even research for his own son.

I'm sorry WeaveHerr, sometimes I come on too strong. I have been from doctor to doctor, trying to find one that actually understands celiac disease. My neuro is the first one who seems to understand it best. My PCP is always willing to learn, and that's nice.

No biggie Deb. My rheumatologist has a teenage daughter who is celiac and a brother-in-law who was dx'ed later in life. He is the one who thought I was too even though the blood tests always came back negative. He told me I can take my GF pasta to some place like Olive Garden and have them cook it in the water they use for their pasta without any problems. Sounds like cross contamination to me so I've never done it. It stunned me that he said I could though. Makes me wonder just how much he really knows about celiac disease. Granted he is a rheumy doc not a gastro one but I would have thought he would be up on the disease since his daughter has it. He's still a keeper in my book. He really listened when all the other docs I saw didn't.