Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

25mg of Elavil (amitriptyline) is what had the biggest impact. About 8 years ago, I was misdiagnosed with celiac disease through a gluten challenge, no other diagnostic tool. Blood tests weren't available and the dr said I had to go back to eating gluten for the biopsy. I only experienced the IBS pain when eating wheat products. This fall, the new GI did the new gene test for celiac (negative). This combined with what he said were typical IBS symptoms that were not common to celiac lead him to believe that I did not have it. We did the colonoscopy and an endoscopy and he specific looked for celiac. Over the summer, I had experienced a return of D (but not pain). Going into the procedures, we both thought I was getting cross contamination from gluten. He took many biopsies, more than normal. All negative. He gave me the Elavil and told me to try eating french bread (just like EFI) because it had no dairy, no eggs, no soy, all things I had discovered bothered me. I left the dr office and bought some bread. Exactly 24hrs after eating it, I was sick. I called the doctor. He told me that Elavil took 3-4wks to kick in, so I should wait and try again. I didn't want to, but my husband made me try again 4wks later. I got a plain bagel and ate half of it. I didn't get sick. I began to try more foods. I've even been able to eat things not on the EFI diet. It makes me more constipated, so I've only had D when I eat something that is just awful. Since starting the Elavil, I've only had one major attack, with pain and it was after eating something I had no business eating and the first day of my period. Eight years ago, prior to cutting out all gluten products, I lived in constant pain and had explosive D all day long. Cutting out gluten eliminated the pain, but was very expensive and hard to maintain. It's even made a difference in how I view the EFI diet. Staying GF and EFI was almost impossible. None of the store-bought GF products were safe. I had almost resigned myself to having frequent D. Now that I can eat wheat again, the EFI seems so much more reasonable. It's also been more acceptable to my family. My husband can handle the low fat cooking if it's regular, not GF. Several of the EFI recipes that I had adpated to GF were so bad that we had to order pizza in. Now, using regular flours, they are eating whatever I cook. Elavil hasn't relieved the gas and bloating and does push me more towards the C end of things, so I do need to get serious about the EFI diet. Right now, I'm just kinda having a little personal party, enjoying some of the foods I haven't had in 8 years. I made myself a promise that the day that Great Lent starts (2/19 for the Orthodox)I would get serious about the EFI diet.

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