• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

hi all.....wheat free

calamitygayn

calamitygayn

Well-Known Member
Messages
125
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
hi. Ive been type 1 for 30 years. I was diagnosed in april 1984 so almost 30 years...im going to have a party but for now would like some advice/support/information....I have decided to try wheat free eating. despite following nhs advice, I have taken care of my diabetes but now have a painful complication of trigger finger, early signs of retinopathy, depression, fibromyalgia.....nothing is working. im tired of drs making me feel like a burden when im now sick and tired of being sick and tired. so...ive decided to go wheat free.....
8 units today instead of 35...no hunger, feeling pain and bloating free, lighter, no bloating, bloods ok all day....is this the way forward?????

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
calamitygayn said:
hi. Ive been type 1 for 30 years. I was diagnosed in april 1984 so almost 30 years...im going to have a party but for now would like some advice/support/information....I have decided to try wheat free eating. despite following nhs advice, I have taken care of my diabetes but now have a painful complication of trigger finger, early signs of retinopathy, depression, fibromyalgia.....nothing is working. im tired of drs making me feel like a burden when im now sick and tired of being sick and tired. so...ive decided to go wheat free.....
8 units today instead of 35...no hunger, feeling pain and bloating free, lighter, no bloating, bloods ok all day....is this the way forward?????
Click to expand...


Hello! I am really sorry you're feeling unwell.

I'm quite new at the LCHF regime, just ten weeks in, but giving up all starches (not just wheat) is working very well for me. I have no complaints.

My BG readings have improved, but I'm a non-medicated Type 2, so you should speak with someone who has experience with drugs and insulin.

Also, I know that sometimes doctors might not be supportive of low carbs regimes (mine wasn't), but I still think it would be best if you talked with your specialist about this.

Whatever you decide to do, please make sure you keep yourself SAFE, that's the most important thing.
 
Thanks. im getting there...only day 4, so still early days, but im waking up much more alert. just got fed up with my body seemingly breaking down. not getting much support from family but they are scared.
still, bloods ok and even my depression seems on the mend already!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Do you have a diagnosis of Coeliac disease? if not it might be worth asking for tests for the condition as you already have autoimmune type 1 diabetes and it's possible you could have other autoimmune conditions such as coeliac without knowing which could explain your symptoms.

Either way,It's great to hear your symptoms are improving on a wheat free diet-I too avoid grains and other starches and I'm doing well on it.
 
er...I had an argument with my gp last week and stormed out of his office, shall we say on a negative note! im therefore avoiding the doctors atm! I was told many years ago that I had a slight wheat intolerance but whenever I went to chase it up, was told it was nothing etc. im constantly checked for thyroid function and through my own research have found that thyroid/celiac disease shows very common symptoms.
will bore you no longer, just hoping im doing everything right as im finding some things still confusing but excited about the future now

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
calamitygayn said:
im tired of drs making me feel like a burden
Click to expand...

One of my bugbears too I'm afraid :)

I suppose you are one of those members of the public who has not yet realised that doctors are now an integral part of the management of the health service with a special responsibility for keeping costs down whilst maximising the efficiency and smooth running of the system.

The NHS already spends about £120,000,000,000 on wages and pensions and buildings and running costs and it spends a small fortune in medications too, just to make you feel better. So please, don't make things more complicated. It's your own fault if you have type 2 and your own bad luck if you are type 1 but life is like that. :)

It's the same with many so called 'services' in our system, courts service, pensions service, employment service etc, the health service is no different. As soon as you walk through the door, you can hear the collective groan, 'oh no, more work'.

I'm not a fan of privatising things but some of these large 'service providers' have simply become gravy trains for those employed within them. Making the people they are supposed to help feel hopeless or inadequate or at fault is common. Lack of time and lack of money are easy excuses to pass the buck too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
With fibromyalgia and depression aspects, I've got to pipe up and say I was diagnosed with this about 4 years ago now.
However, my fibro and depression have responded dramatically better by being more physical and taking D3 and cymbalta. Its hard, dont get me wrong, but now I can dig for 6 hours a day, and then come home to all my greenhouse and own garden and then upholstery and then paperwork for the PPG that I chair.
My only change was to make myself more positive, forget being anal with my bloods, and physically doing everything I can to break through the pain barriers. Baths every night help, and I use my friends jacussi at least 3 times a week. I was hoping he could take up massage as well, but just got an offer of something else!! (Not bad as I'm 13 years older than him!!) -lol!! I think the word would be "cougar"!!
Anyhow, I really know how bad fibro and depression can be, but honestly, my fibro I would say has pretty much gone to a 10% pain level now, and I can put up with that.
Haven't got any advice on wheat free, but hope you can lift yourself out of the spiral that fibro and depression give.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
calamitygayn said:
hi. Ive been type 1 for 30 years. I was diagnosed in april 1984 so almost 30 years...im going to have a party but for now would like some advice/support/information....I have decided to try wheat free eating. despite following nhs advice, I have taken care of my diabetes but now have a painful complication of trigger finger, early signs of retinopathy, depression, fibromyalgia.....nothing is working. im tired of drs making me feel like a burden when im now sick and tired of being sick and tired. so...ive decided to go wheat free.....
8 units today instead of 35...no hunger, feeling pain and bloating free, lighter, no bloating, bloods ok all day....is this the way forward?????

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
If something seems to be working for you it's definitely good to keep it going. Are you just planning to cut out wheat, or are you actively trying low carb? In either case, it's worth looking at possible side effects. For instance, I found it really easy to get dehydrated in the first few weeks of my low carb diet. Thankfully, there was a really simple fix that instantly alleviated symptoms- drink more water :).

I would also recommend getting as much data as possible about how your diet is working. What I mean by that is to test your blood sugars. Lots. And then some more. I am still quite early in my low carb journey, and I am testing around 10-12 times a day. Your body will take a while to get used to your new way of eating, and your blood sugars may be a bit unpredictable early on. Keep a source of glucose with you at all times, and test test test, making sure to note your results down so you can spot patterns. Try making small changes to correct any undesirable results. If you are going low after dinner, the next day reduce your insulin by 1-2 units or have slightly more food. If you go high at breakfast, try an extra unit or two, testing an hour or so later to make sure you have not overshot.
My main advice would be to eat the same sorts of meals each day for a few days, so you can fairly test how your insulin is affecting your blood sugars. It may get boring after a few days, but then you can start mixing things up a bit once you have some solid data to work with.
One of the most difficult things to do (believe me I know) is to try and keep things civil with your healthcare team. If your doctors think you are not managing your diabetes and you shut them out, they can complicate things such as your relationship with the DVLA. It's much better to prove them wrong and smugly show them your overwhelmingly good results. The way you are looking at your diabetes, you are very likely to see an improvement in your control, and it will be very satisfying for you to say 'I did it, and I did it my way.'
 
calamitygayn said:
hi. Ive been type 1 for 30 years. I was diagnosed in april 1984 so almost 30 years...im going to have a party but for now would like some advice/support/information....I have decided to try wheat free eating. despite following nhs advice, I have taken care of my diabetes but now have a painful complication of trigger finger, early signs of retinopathy, depression, fibromyalgia.....nothing is working. im tired of drs making me feel like a burden when im now sick and tired of being sick and tired. so...ive decided to go wheat free.....
8 units today instead of 35...no hunger, feeling pain and bloating free, lighter, no bloating, bloods ok all day....is this the way forward?????

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
I'm sorry you have so many problems and I don't know how much going wheat free will help overall but I've been doing it for a couple of months now and it's made a huge difference. I was investigated for coeliac disease a couple of years ago, but results were negative so my problems were put down to ibs. Four months ago I began eating LCHF and my ibs symptoms began to ease, so once I'd cottoned on, I cut out wheat products and now all those miserable symptoms have disappeared! I hope it does the same for you :)
Good luck.
Geri :)
 
How are your bloods with going wheat free and less insulin.

Have you got a male gp or a female? I know its quite discriminatory to say this.. But my last female ones have listened and empathised a lot more than the males. Its not because I have any female issues, just their ability to lusten and not judge....


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Gluten intolerance is in fact very common. I wouldn't bother with getting blood tests because they wont necessarily show anything up and it would be a pain in the proverbial to get your doctor to agree to do the full panel needed, he might agree to do the most common one for celiac but I doubt he would sanction the rest. Stick with gluten free, gluten intolerance is closely linked to type 1, and thyroid disease anyway. It can trigger antibodies that are linked to lots of diseases even if you are not celiac. Watch out for gluten free products they are often higher in carbs than ordinary varieties, its probably best just not to eat that sort of stuff anyway. It may take anything up to six months to get all the gluten out of your system. Then if you are brave enough eat something that contains gluten and see if there is a reaction - that will give you your answer. Personally, if you have stuck with it for six months and feel better, I wouldn't touch gluten ever again.
 
I agree 100% Harper....However...been at it for a week...not lost any weight at all. I ate some white rice yesterday and feel sooooooo bloated. However.....will stick at it tho. x

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Calamity
Just going gluten free will not necessarily make you lose weight....gluten free products will still have carbs I them...do you know how any carbs you eat on average a day.

Feeling bloated is not necessarily down to gluten..there are lots of reasons for feeling bloated. I'm being tested currently for lymphoma and this can also include feeling bloated...please, I'm not saying that it isn't gluten intolerance, but being heavily constipated etc can make you feel bloated too. Constipation can have numerous causes. Bloating, sicky feeling really should be investigated by GP, as I wouldn't want you to put it totally to gluten when there is even a 0.001% chance it could be something else.

I hope 100% that it is gluten intolerance! but please be aware that feeling sick and bloated could have other causes that may not have been considered.

If you are sure, then it's going to have to be adjusting to white rice free diet!!!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Gluten as well can stick to knives, cutting boards etc.if you have gluten intolerance it may well be that you shouldn't use the same cutting knives and cutting boards as other people in your family....if you live with others..


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Back
Top