update: Long

[Crankin]

I went to the health food store today and bought some more gluten free products. Knott, I found some bread in the frozen food section that isn't too bad. Also some brown rice rice krispie cereal. I bought some gluten free pancake mix, which will probably be horrible, but, I will try. I love corn tortillas, so that's good. I am going to try for a month.

[Triskeliongirl]

If you find that gluten/whole grains exacerbates your symptoms, but it is too hard to give up FOREVER, why not apply the principles of Flexible Dieting (for example in the book Flexible Dieting by Lyle MacDonald). The idea is that what is most important is what you do 80 or 90% of the time vs 100%. Many dieters forbid certain foods, and then when they eat them, feel everything is blown and go off their diets completely. However, flexible dieters recognize that while their body many run best on certain foods, a LITTLE bit of the bad ones won't hurt them. So, someone trying to lose weight may slip and eat a cookie. They have one of two choices. They can say, well, its just one cookie and then get back on track. If they do that, it is just one cookie, a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of their weight loss effort, and move one. Or, they can say, well, I broke my diet so I guess I should eat the entire box. Then its no longer one cookie, and then they have done themselves a lot of damage. So, maybe you could not ban the bagels you love, but restrict them to one serving a week, something you can look forward to and not feel deprived. It will also help you see if you really are sensitive, kind of like an elimination diet with challenge. If even one a week makes you feel really bad, maybe you'll choose not to, but then you'll know there is a good reason to give them up.

[Crankin]

I totally agree with you. That is how I lost 25 pounds, about 30 years ago and I've never gained it back. I guess I will have to subscribe to this theory, since we went into Boston this afternoon and I had a beer...
I am going to see yet another rheumatologist, who is part of a women's health group, associated with Brigham and Woman's. At least it's not all the way in the city, but in the suburb I grew up in. She also has experience with sports medicine, so she will understand my lifestyle. I am totally fed up with my pcp. She didn't even read the report from the neurologist I saw in Boston. Thankfully, I relayed the info. to my rheumo. in Concord and we have implemented his plan (I started a 10 mg. dose of Elavil, an older anti depressant that has been used to generally calm the nervous system down in this small dose. As he said, my nervous system is going haywire). I think the acupuncture is helping the anxiety part, because I've been able to wean down the anti-anxiety meds and feel pretty good. However, I am having other weird symptoms and I'm not getting any answers, so as long as I have the time, I am going to go on a bit more.
Thanks again, everyone.