Does anyone here have experience with gluten free diets. I don’t know if I need one or not but am at the point I will try anything to get rid of the intestinal cramping and constipation. How fast did you notice results?? Do you have a lot of problems planning your meals? I think gluten is the largest part of my diet at present.
As long as you’re basically healthy I hardly see how it could hurt. I have never tried it, but I have an advantage in that I LOVE rice. I could easily substitute rice for any gluten grains without missing it.
According to Wiki something like .4% of people have gluten intolerance. On Facebook 90% seem to claim gluten intolerance
I understand this doesn’t help you.
With the increased number of gluten free products available today-in grocery stores, internet, and restaurants-it is not very hard.
I did gluten free in 1999 and used two cookbooks: The Gluten Free Gourmet and More from the Gluten Free Gourmet, both by Betty Hagman. I found a “pie crust” recipe that worked well as a pizza base, a bread recipe I liked, and other recipes. I lost 30 lbs that year (mainly from not snacking). I had tested positive for an allergy to gliaden, which is a protein component of gluten. It did not make me “feel better”, so I stopped doing it.
I did learn that I am very sensitive to sorbitol, maltitol, and other sugar alcohols. Even the small amount present in toothpaste will give me urgent brief bouts of diarrhea 8 hours later.
Finding the source of your intestinal issues will be by trial and error. Don’t forget to look at any medications and supplements you are taking.
I have identified several foods that have a very dramatic and predictable reaction in my intestines. Everyone of them is a wheat product but they also contain malt sugars which seems to be the common denominator. I have eaten bread and other flour based products throughout my life without problems. The wheat based malt sugar issue I was aware of for decades. The malt sugar connection is the only one I have identified when in reality it may have nothing to do with malt sugars.
I had an aunt with celiac disease. Not just gluten sensitive, real celiac. She once got really ill from eating a fish salad made with lite mayonnaise that had been thickened with wheat starch. When she visited we bought some gluten-free products from our supermarket and I made a gluten-free bread from a mix we found. Once, when visiting her, I made pasta salad (one of my specialties) using rice noodles. It was okay the first day, but the noodles disintegrated the second day and it was a starchy mess. Still you can get by. The thing she missed worst was bagels.
After a gluten attack it took her 2 to 3 weeks to get back to normal.
So I guess I should give myself a month. I will have to rethink my entire eating regime. I like beans and corn, maybe more bean sup with vegis and a little meat for flavor. More potatoes and rice.
There is a blood test for Celiac disease.
I will check on that
It’s much more common to be sensitive to FODMAPs than to gluten. There is a big overlap between the foods they lurk in, but I would try cutting down on FODMAPs, first. (And cutting down often helps, it doesn’t usually have to be all-or-nothing.)
FODMAPs are basically complex carbohydrates that can be hard to digest. It stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Most foods with gluten (which is actually a protein) also have FODMAPs, especially wheat.
Several of my friends who developed intestional disorders have gotten relief by limiting their FODMAPs. One friend who used to be mostly vegetarian had to return to meat, though, because all the bean and pasta dishes she liked give her intestional issues. 
I did it for a number of years, then decided to give it up - for me, gluten causes IBS (and its probably more of a FODMAP thing) - indigestion, diarrhea, cramping, gas. But I like cake. And pizza. And not having to deal with needing special food.
Its actually really easy right now. There are tons of substitute products out there (Udi’s makes fairly decent “bread” - I like orgran’s pasta noodles) Even pizza places will do a gluten free crust. Lots of restaurants have gluten free menus or at least GF choices on their menus. There are tons of cake mixes and brownie mixes…they aren’t the same, but they are really not bad - and you can decide if what you give up is worth what you gain.
I’m ok with small amounts of gluten as long as I maintain a good weight. If I get heavier, the problems occur more often with less trigger. So things like soy sauce never bothered me. Other people can’t touch a speck without ending up in pain.
I also found that its sometimes better just to avoid the foods - i.e. instead of going out for Italian, go out for Indian, which has lots of gluten free options. Chili (without beans - FODMAP thing) is better than sandwiches. That way you don’t need to bother with the substitutes.
(I would start with FODMAPs - I agree that unless you have celiac, its more likely a FODMAP thing - although you could be lucky and have both)