What brings about gluten intolerance in a family with no history? Well that is a common question I hear. My personal dilemma was caused by doctors. Apparently I suffered since I was a teen with PCOS (Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome) with insulin resistance, yet it had not been diagnosed until a couple of years ago. Doctors treated the symptoms but never looked for causes for years, and when they finally found it the heavy doses of medication caused my body to rebel.
After about 6 months of treatment I was still having serious pain from cysts rupturing and my stomach began to swell, and I mean swell to the point I looked ready to give birth. Doctors told me it was all in my head, but ran some tests anyway and of course tried adding some more medications. They also kept bringing up wanting to remove my ovaries in case they were the culprits, yet I refused. Then they told me nothing was wrong with me and it was not from my medications, I needed Prozac they kept saying. Well I found out a serious side effect from one of my medications was abdominal swelling. I asked and they kept insisting that it was not the case. Finally my endocrinologist admitted it is a serious side effect to metformin, but as no other medication is used for insulin resistance I was given two options: Option 1~ Stop taking it for a couple weeks and build back up to the dosage hoping to lose the side effect. Or Option 2~ Stop taking the medications and wait to become diabetic.
I was angry. I did not want to take a medication that I was having a serious side effect too. I found alternative medications with promising results in studies, and the doctors kept saying no they are not approved yet for use in insulin resistance only diabetes. I got to the point I told them if I became diabetic I would not let them treat me, to which they insisted I had emotional disorders and they wanted to put me on Prozac, again with the damn Prozac. My stomach was still swelling when I ate and I still had pain but it was not as bad as it was on the medications.
A vendor for our health insurance made the suggestion I go to a naturopath, they found out her daughter was allergic to cucumbers. I figured why not, at this point my favorite doctor was my acupuncturist, and I had a lot of doctors. So I made an appointment, and it was the best decision I have made.
She made me go for blood work, 12 vials of blood for my first work up. She found out my progesterone was at 0, and my stomach was destroyed by too many medications. The doctors also on top of dangerous abdominal swelling had me playing life or death every month. The cysts that were large and rupturing every month because I could not ovulate, could of ended my life each time they ruptured which is not normal as my doctor had told me. She also pointed out at this point with all the damage they did it was no surprise I was having bad side effects to all my medications. I had to switch to non synthetics.
Now my daily routine consists of supplements, that unfortunately are not covered by insurance, hormone cream and a gluten free diet. I am proud to report that as long as I avoid gluten my stomach does not swell, and the supplements prevent the rest of my issues. So that is how one with no family history becomes gluten intolerant.
I learned that finding edible gluten free products is unfortunately a issue of trial and error, and more trial and error, until voila success. As many who have tried gluten free products know, many items taste as if you are eating cardboard. As such I figure I might share some of my success.
For bread that actually tastes like real delicious bread:
So there you have my post for today. Hope you enjoyed or at least found some products to try. Feel free to comment and add your opinions on products.
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