elmhar

Hi Kerri,

There are many forms of gluten intolerance. Some people are allergic to wheat. If you are allergy-prone, you may want to ask your allergist to test you for wheat allergy.

As Irish Dude has mentioned, there's the possibility of celiac disease, which is an autoimmune reaction by the body to gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye, & oats (by cross-contamination). Celiac is the most serious form of gluten intolerance. Left untreated, it can lead to nutrient malabsorption resulting in anemia & osteoporosis. Untreated celiacs risk acquiring additional autoimmune diseases, and are at quite high risk for a very nasty difficult to treat form of cancer. Celiac disease is diagnosed by gastroenterologists in most cases.

There are many other people who are simply gluten intolerant, without having a medical diagnosis. Gluten is the most difficult protein for the body to digest -- much harder than beefsteak or lobster or most anything else you can think of . The wonders of modern agriculture have tripled the amt of gluten in bread flour in the past few decades. Perhaps our own evolution has not kept pace.

One day is a pretty short trial, but if wheat elimination continues to keep your pain at bay, at some point you will have to make a decision. If you want your condition to be medically recognized, you need testing done. For test results to be revealing, one must be on wheat/gluten for a while.

Medical documentation is most helpful for those whose work takes them in contact with wheat (bakers have a high rate of acquired gluten intolerance), and for those whose jobs demand frequent travel. ( A gluten-free diet can be a hardship out in the boonies.) It's also helpful for certain personality types, who need hard facts in order to justify lifestyle changes. In social situations med diagnoses are frequently used to excuse atypical behavior -- like why someone is no longer drinking beer (contains barley/gluten), or why they can't share in the group pizza.

Gluten intolerance is vastly underdiagnosed. Estimates of how many people are gluten intolerant range from 1% of the population for celiac, to 3% of the population with food allergies (that's ALL food allergies; wheat allergy is just a fraction of the total), to 35% of the population who carry genes for either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. So, if it does turn out that wheat and/or gluten is the cause of your pain, you're in good company.

Best wishes.