Fed up

[siannie]

I've been trying so hard to be totally gluten free , alcohol intolerance, lactose free etc basically you name it I can't have it . I do have the occasional g&t which doesn't seem to affect me .only have lactose free milk in cereal and have an occasional muller rice . My basic diet consists of

Gf cornflakes, salad . Meat and veg .

Fruit (apples and pears) throughout the day i.e. Am and pear pm.

Gf biscuits occasional days

Herbal tea & water

My downfall especially on bad days - sweets and chocolate (my everyday day) but of course after I've eaten them - not gf!

I'm like a person possessed and grab the nearest thing to ear .

I'm now having hypnotherapy hopefully to help with some issues which cause me to reach for the seeet stuff, so fingers crossed .

My t3 - from France I've discovered contains gluten !

I still feel so tired especially after hectic days, work, going out etc (I have CFS)

I don't enjoy cooking (stress levels go through the ceiling !!!) so food is kept to basics meat veg/salad etc

I'm especially not to eat bread😱 Bananas , melon as grapes (love them all so much ). I'm a fussy eater too!

Just so depressed with the whole thing.

I thought I would have lost weight having read on here about people taking t3 and how they'd lost weight . My weight fluctuates daily lose 2 put in 2 -

I'm still suffering with exhaustion some days

Brain fog can still kick in - feel ridiculous trying to describe what I'm trying to say to people

Some days my ankles and wrists so swollen . some days my hip and legs are painful too.

Blood tests due in 2 weeks then I see my endo in September .

What am I doing wrong?

I know I need to be totally gf which will mean re sourcing t3 - which is frustrating given my efforts to obtain several boxes from France .

I know I need to stop grabbing that chocolate bar - I've now bought a high quality 90% bar which I'm to have 1 piece at night

My diet so restrictive due to the gf/low gi, etc stuff, me being so blooming fussy and gagging when trying to introduce new foods. Life is not fun. I know that the new diet regime is for health reasons to make me feel better and lower my antibodies. I'm just so incredibly fed up at not feeling the benefits totally . Don't get me wrong I certainly feel better than I did several months ago, last blood tests in May showed my antibodies had got better-

I'm sure I swing between hypo and hyper as everyday different .

I guess I should need someone out there to reassure me that things will get better and it's a slow road to recovery - and of course I need to put the effort in 😳

[greygoose]

Have you placed these dietary restrictions on yourself? Or do you see a dietician or someone? Why can't you have bananas? How long have you been gluten-free? And do you feel it has helped you in any way? Never mind antibody testing, antibodies fluctuate, so you can never really tell if they've gone down permanently or just on a low day.

Sounds to me like you're under-medicated. Do you have a copy of your last blood test results? If not, make sure you get a copy of the next one. It's important for you to know exactly where you are.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to greygoose]

The Diabetes specialist nurse at my surgery said to cut back on bananas - limit yourself to one a day, she said. At that point I probably only ate one a week. She also said to cut back on grapes - I could eat pounds of them in a day - and pineapples and other tropical fruits but that was her advice to reduce my blood sugar! She also said to eat carbs with every meal. Once I got a blood sugar meter I discovered that that was very bad advice for me.

I agree with you I think siannie is undermedicated, a person's diet shouldn't be complicated and it certainly shouldn't be unbalanced or even sometimes to worry about. I don't eat gluten but I can always go anywhere and find something to eat.

[siannie in reply to greygoose]

Endo told me to go gluten free back in Feb this year. I had been tested previously through a lady regarding the dairy lactose thing . She told me at the time I reacted to almost e writhing she tested other than fish !!! Which I dobt eat other than fish from chip shop . At my last endo appointment the endo told me to incorporate low gi especially cutting out

Potatoes. Melon, grapes bananas - at this appointment he said I had CFS, I'm having the sleep apnoea test on Wednesday .

My last blood tests are not clear and hand written due to the NHS computer system crashing when I was due for my appointment .

There are no ranges.

Endo said there was slight improvement since he saw me in Feb.

Having follow up bloods in a couple of weeks .

Just feel I'm going backwards

[greygoose in reply to siannie]

Well, I would never, ever take dietary advice from a doctor! They don't learn about nutrition in med school. Most endos are diabetes specialists, so any dietary advice he might give you is probably for diabetics. Are you diabetic?

If he thinks you have CFS, then you are under-medicated, I'm pretty sure of it!

[siannie in reply to greygoose]

I'm pretty sure I am too ! I was on 150 Levo pre Xmas until I was admitted to hospital my notes says I was in 125 (dr didn't know I was taking the extra) .

In hospital they could t decide what was wrong with me - meningitis , bleed on the brain , water infection - bombarded with loadsa antibiotics . A dr decided I was overnecjvated so reduced me to 200 then on discharge reduced me again to 75!!!! I've never been right since .

When I saw dr Skinner before he died he doubled my Levo from 100 to 200. I felt amazing .

Now - losing the will to live 😰

[greygoose in reply to siannie]

No, I don't suppose you would be right on only 75 mcg levo. Just make sure you get a copy of your results after the next blood test, and then we'll know more about what's going on. Perhaps next time you see the endo, he'll give you an increase. If not, it's time to take charge of your own health!

[Fruitandnutcase]

You need to look at the DietDoctor.co.uk web site. You can sign up for an eight week free online course linked to lowcarb, high fat eating. That should fill you up. Think of joining CoeliacUK to get their 'bible' which is lists of gluten free food of all sorts, you also get a magazine and access to their online website. Then combine the low carb, high fat with gluten free foods. Sounds like until you get rid of the T3 that contains gluten then you're not going to be gluten free.

I avoid grain based carbohydrates and don't eat cereals or bread very often. My big weakness is gf brownie.

I make myself a two egg omelette for breakfast every day with either sliced mushrooms, blueberries or sometime I'll mash in an over ripe banana and the omelette is more like a pancake. A bit more carbs but nice every now and again. It takes time but I've got used to doing it now so I'm used to it.

For lunch I tend to have a gluten free soup - Covent Garden ones are good. I eat a lot of unsalted nuts , Brazil almonds, walnuts, just a handful at lunch time wth the soup, if I don't have that I'll have something like cooked chicken, either straight from the packet if I'm on the move or wth a salad if I'm at home, I could also have a chunk of cheese and tomatoes. There's lots you can eat without cooking but you've got to change your eating ideas - or I had to. Your evening meal can be anything - chops, salmon fillet, that sort of thing is easy to cook.

Think you hit the nail on the head when you said you need to put in the effort. I started my style of eating when I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes after being given a three month course of steroids - I'd been pre diabetic for a long time before the steroids did their worst - so I had a huge incentive to eat my way out of it and I also like cooking although I have to say sometimes I just can't be bothered.

Loads of eating places now offer gluten free on the menu. Even the local choppier around here so it on Mondays - I assume because they've just cleaned out their fat fryers or something like that so you should be able to eat out too. Just read the ingredients on absolutely everything before you buy it, you'll be amazed at there gluten containing ingredients pop up.

I'm definitely no expert but it sounds like your thyroid isn't balanced yet if you feel you are swinging between hypo and hyper every day so if you post your results along with their lab ranges hopefully someone will come along and help you with that.

[siannie in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you .

I will join the coeliac site - browsed it but not committed myself as yet .

I think the snacking on chicken etc is a good idea as I don't do nuts - literally heave 😳

My last results are not clear but will post my next lot .

Thanks again

[NatChap]

Why have you cut out all of these food groups? Going gluten free can help if you have Hashimotos but have you been diagnosed as lactose intolerant and why cut out certain fruit?

You may be undermedicated but you also may not be getting adequate nutrition. I am 100% gf but have found a delicious gf bread at Sainsbury's, I eat lots of bananas, plenty of things like curries, stews, soups, meat, fish etc...gf crackerbreads, cheese, yoghurt, granola, I certainly don't struggle for choice!

I agree though that it's no good cutting gluten out of your diet if your meds have it in.

Maybe a bit more research needs to be done with regards to your diet and also getting some tests done to check for deficiencies and thyroid levels?

I must add that I am a chocoholic yet I don't find it negatively impacts my health and hasn't stopped me losing weight 😉 Don't deprive yourself of things you enjoy because it isn't sustainable, you will crave the food more and make yourself miserable. I little bit of what you fancy does you good.. that's my motto!!!

[greygoose in reply to NatChap]

Totally agree with you!

[siannie]

I was told to go gf then follow low gi by my endo . Especially to cut out potatoes, bread, bananas , grapes and melon due to high sugar (I think). He had just told me I appeared to have CFS - having sleep apnoea test on weds.

The alcohol etc was recommended by a lady i saw for intolerance testing . I have been struggling for years with bloat . Low stools etc with bread, dairy and alcohol it was becoming quite severe so much so I would avoid going out .

I feel like you a little of what you fancy does t hurt . I guess I need to spend my time looking at options for food choices and my T3

[NatChap in reply to siannie]

I'd ignore your endo!!!

[cwill in reply to siannie]

If you really have an issue with fruit sugar then you need the full table showing you the fruits, their sugar content and in what portion size. And a home kit to test blood sugar. I can do a little banana now but not a whole large one and certainly not on 3 consecutive days Most of the issues I have assessed are portion specific and I am convinced that this is the way to keep variety in our diets

I am gluten dairy nightshades legume fish egg nut and seed free as I have real issues with many food groups. The key is a good store cupboard and fridge in which I can always find something that I can eat. Any items that are off my list are stored where I can't reach them even if I wanted them. You have to organise your fridge and cupboards so that there really is nothing there that you shouldn't have and plenty that you can.