Susan the coeliac
For the newly diagnosed

Start here (if you're newly diagnosed)

If you've just been told you're coeliac and you found this page mid-panic-Google at 11pm, hello. Breathe. This is the page I wish I'd landed on in my first week.

The absolute basics

  1. Gluten is in more than you think.Wheat, barley, and rye: so bread, pasta, most beer, a lot of sauces and stock cubes, and plenty of things that seem like they shouldn't contain it (soy sauce, some crisps, some sausages).
  2. Even a tiny amount matters.This isn't about “mostly” avoiding gluten: coeliac disease means your immune system reacts to it and damages your gut, even at small amounts. That's why cross-contamination (shared toasters, chopping boards, fryers) is a real issue, not fussiness.
  3. You'll feel worse before you feel better, sometimes. Your gut needs time to heal. Be patient, more on that here →.
  4. Get the official guidance too. Coeliac UK has the medical detail, food and drink directory, and helpline. I'm not a replacement for that: think of this site as the “what it's actually like” companion to it.

Your first fortnight, roughly

  • Clear out the obvious stuff: bread, pasta, flour, oats (unless certified gluten-free), beer.
  • Sort your kitchen: a separate toaster or toaster bags, your own butter/spreads, a clean chopping board.
  • Learn the label wording:in the UK, “gluten-free” on a label is a legally protected term meaning under 20 parts per million of gluten. Look out for the Crossed Grain symbol too, though not every safe product carries it.
  • Book the follow-up:you should get a review appointment (often 6 months post-diagnosis), so don't let it slip if it's not offered.
  • Ask about prescriptions: gluten-free bread/flour mixes may be available on prescription depending on where you live. Worth asking your GP.

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A word from me

It feels enormous right now. It won't always. Most of what you're panicking about tonight will be second nature within a year, mine was. Come back whenever you need to.