Dairy and Gluten Issues

I've been doing some research lately and think I'm sensitive to gluten and dairy products.  I just wanted to pop my head in and see if anyone else on here has tried a gluten-free or dairy-free diet and inquire as to whether it helped you with stomach cramps, lethargy after eating, itchiness related to food, keeping your skin healthy, and weight loss.  Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
What is important is you must find out what is causing this allergy. Fruits of different types like citrus fruits; wheat, sea food, coloring agents, preservatives in food, gluten, lactose, etc can cause food allergy. There are various tests designed to test for food allergy. You need to take those tests. Make a complete list of things that cause allergies and avoid them. Avoid buying and consuming things like tinned and processed food that have those ingredients—check all labels before buying.
Your symptoms could also be due to IBS. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor or maybe a gastroenterologist.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[chubbynovlawstudent]

I don't eat processed or canned food at all and have been avoiding synthetic dyes for years (yellow triggers athsma and red causes hyperactivity).  I am not "allergic" to wheat or dairy" but think I have a "sensitivity" to both.  Can you comment on this, my actually question?  What is your PERSONAL experience with a gluten/dairy free lifestyle?

[Bliarg]

Hi,  

I cut out dairy and stopped having itchy skin and swollen sore joints in hands and feet...unless I miss a hidden milk derived ingredient in the label, and then I have to go through everything in the cupboard to find out where the pesky milk-based ingredient came from!  If you think, but are not sure, that you have an allergy or sensitivity to either or both, then cut out first one then the other.  Dairy is probably easier to do without than gluten, so maybe start with that for a week or so an see how you feel before deciding whether to cut out gluten too.

Watch out for the numbered ingredients...I recently bought a huge jar of olives and found that I was ill after eating some.  I checked every packet for everything I ate that day, and it was only when nothing seemed to have milk in it that I checked the olives.  It had presevative 270 on the label, and after checking I found that that was lactic acid.

There are tests but honestly it's probably quicker and more reliable to just play with your diet until you feel better.  You could cut out dairy for a week or two, then gluten, then both if no relief, then look for other possible allergens in your diet.  

[chubbynovlawstudent]

Thank you so much for answering my question.  You're totally right that eliminating all dairy and all gluten in one go is a huge challenge, and I'm going to follow your advice and not go that route.  So far, I've replaced my breakfast cereals and pastas with oat-based and rice or quinoa-based ones, respectively.  The rest will take some time.  On the dairy front, I've gotten rid of every milk product and anything that contains casein and/or lactic acid.  I really miss cheese and ice-cream.  Have you found any good substitutes?