Re : Kris : re gluten reintro

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Gluten is a protein gound in wheat and certain other cereals. People

who suffer from coeliac disease cannot tolerate gluten. They have a

reaction to gluten as if it were a foreign substance and, in trying

to destroy it, they destroy the lining of the small intestine. The

thousands of villi (hairlike projections) which line the intestine

hugely multiplying the area of that part of the digestive tract,

become flattened. Digestion cannot occur properly and malabsorption

(steatorrhoea etc.) tends to follow, and/or tiredness, weight loss

or pain. I hope I've given a reasonably accurate picture.

Once gluten is eliminated, most patients respond well. The villi

grow again and nutrients are again absorbed properly in most cases.

In the UK, once you have a medical diagnosis of coeliac disease, you

can join the Coeliac Society who send you an updated book each year

of almost every imaginable food product you can buy, including all

the different brands (a huge job!) and regular newsletters with very

interesting info on diet, current research etc. You also have the

right to obtain all your basic gluten-free foods (bread, plain

biscuits, pasta, crackers etc.) on prescription. As these foods tend

to be very expensive, it's excellent to be able to get them on

prescription. Fancier stuff like gluten-free cakes etc. are not

available on prescription. You just have to buy them. Health food

stores and the major supermarkets now carry a huge range of

delicious gluten-free foods. To-day foods are well-labelled anyway

and often indicate whether or not they contain gluten.

I had a diagnosis of coeliac disease in 1988. I have just had a

definite diagnosis of CP and my current panc specialist thinks the

1988 diagnosis was probably incorrect. I am currently trying to

reintroduce gluten very gradually. After 15 years, I want to do this

very slowly and only started last week properly. I was diagnosed

with CP last year but I kept putting off reintroducing gluten. The

gluten-free diet did seem to help back in 1988 but that may have

been coincidental. Anyway, I was wary of making dietary changes

which could make things worse. So far, I think I'm OK. I had one

very bad day and evening last week but that happens anyway, as we

know! It may have had nothing to do with the gluten. I'll have to

wait and see.

My gastro (not the panc specialist) told me to be careful and not to

rush to reintroduce gluten as eliminating it in 1988 did seem to

help me. In any case, he said, a lot of people with digestive

problems do better on a gluten-free diet, even if they don't

actually have coeliac disease. My panc specialist advised me to try

to reintroduce it but very gradually so as to accustom my system to

it bit by bit. 15 years is a long time and I had NO gluten during

those years.

So why am I bothering? Only for convenience really. Now I have to

take gluten-free foods with me on holiday, for example, in case I

can't find them where I am going. It would also be less restrictive

in restaurants although to-day most chefs are aware of the problem.

Not so in 1988!!

I hope that's helpful. Please feel free to ask me any other

questions you may have!

With good wishes,

Fliss (UK)