[Emily Elizabeth]

Has anyone had the "celiac belly" and gotten rid of it? By celiac belly I mean the stomach that expands/distends more and more as the day goes on. So you have to by larger pants in order to fit into them by the end of the day. Anyway, I've been gluten free about 10 months and have still not gotten rid of this. My antibody levels are going down (ttg/iga 5 U/ml) so I know that I'm doing something right.

I would love to hear from someone who has had the celiac belly and gotten rid of it. Even if you tell me that time is the only thing that can fix it, I'd love to at least have hope that it will go away! Thanks in advance.

Emily

[lizard00]

Sorry, I cannot say that I have had that particular issue. But, seems here many have and often dairy is the culprit. Have you tried avoiding dairy to see if that helps?

[Emily Elizabeth]

LittleMissAllergy, on Mar 10 2008, 10:00 AM, said:

I am gluten free, dairy free, fat free, sugar free, meat free, egg free, nut free, citrus free and I am STILL bloaty Is yours kind of painful? Not only is it uncomfortable but it cramps my style! Haha. Luckily I love wearing "baby doll" flowy tops, but that's all I can wear!

Yes, mine is painful when I'm intestinally "sick" - leaky gut. When I'm not sick though, it's not painful at all, it's just there. I've been leaning towards the more flowy tops now too. It's so frustrating because my entire wardrobe has had to change in order for me to be comfortable. I hope that someone can provide some hope for us!

Emily

[Emily Elizabeth]

lizard00, on Mar 10 2008, 10:49 AM, said:

Sorry, I cannot say that I have had that particular issue. But, seems here many have and often dairy is the culprit. Have you tried avoiding dairy to see if that helps?

I was dairy-free for a couple months when I thought I was lactose intolerant and unfortunately the stomach was still there (then I tested negative for lactose intolerance and started eating it again). I may try it again though and see if it helps. Thank you!

Emily

[melmak5]

I call it the go-go-gadget belly.

The only thing that made it better was IBS medication... but I broke out in hives from it, so I am trying another kind, but its not working.

Avoiding fried foods, beans, sugars, whole grains and dairy helps some, but not completely.

[blueeyedmanda]

Emily Elizabeth, on Mar 10 2008, 10:55 AM, said:

Yes, mine is painful when I'm intestinally "sick" - leaky gut. When I'm not sick though, it's not painful at all, it's just there. I've been leaning towards the more flowy tops now too. It's so frustrating because my entire wardrobe has had to change in order for me to be comfortable. I hope that someone can provide some hope for us!

Emily

I am not bloaty, mine is just there.....and I did start excersing....but I choose more flowing tops as well. Which helps right now is that is the style

[missy'smom]

I used to get asked if I was pregnant because mine stuck out so much on my small frame and I had to buy the next size up to accommodate it so I know what you're talking about. I had mine still the first 2 months into the diet as I was still learning but after that, no more unless I am glutened, which is rare. I also have dairy issues but it doesn't cause my abdomen to be distended like gluten does. Very occasionally if I have alot of gas or am constipated for a day, it will stick out but 90%or more of the time I have my old flat tummy back. When I'm in good shape, healthwise, I have 2 or 3 normal BM"s a day. If I don't, a cup of black tea and tummy squeezes often get things moving. Probiotics or yoghurt can help. Many years ago I read Dr. Andrew Weil's book and if I remember correctly, he said we should be having a BM per meal if we are eating regular meals. I had one BM per day and thought that I wasn't constipated all those years when in fact I was very constipated. I would also recommend re-evaluating what you are eating to be sure that you aren't getting hidden gluten or CC. Don't eat anything unless you've confirmed for yourself that it is gluten-free.

[Emily Elizabeth]

missy'smom, on Mar 10 2008, 03:56 PM, said:

I used to get asked if I was pregnant because mine stuck out so much on my small frame and I had to buy the next size up to accommodate it so I know what you're talking about. I had mine still the first 2 months into the diet as I was still learning but after that, no more unless I am glutened, which is rare. I also have dairy issues but it doesn't cause my abdomen to be distended like gluten does. Very occasionally if I have alot of gas or am constipated for a day, it will stick out but 90%or more of the time I have my old flat tummy back. When I'm in good shape, healthwise, I have 2 or 3 normal BM"s a day. If I don't, a cup of black tea and tummy squeezes often get things moving. Probiotics or yoghurt can help. Many years ago I read Dr. Andrew Weil's book and if I remember correctly, he said we should be having a BM per meal if we are eating regular meals. I had one BM per day and thought that I wasn't constipated all those years when in fact I was very constipated. I would also recommend re-evaluating what you are eating to be sure that you aren't getting hidden gluten or CC. Don't eat anything unless you've confirmed for yourself that it is gluten-free.

Thank you so much for your post. I am so happy to hear that it is possible that it will go away! I will continue to exercise and eat healthy and pray that I am able to stay healthy for a long enough amount of time to see results. Right now I've been sick for over a month (must have gotten glutened somehow, but I have no idea from what) so it is of course worse than usual. Hopefully once I am well again, I can stay that way, and eventually fit into my old clothes! Thanks for giving me hope.

[hippiegirl2001]

Emily Elizabeth, on Mar 10 2008, 08:36 AM, said:

Has anyone had the "celiac belly" and gotten rid of it? By celiac belly I mean the stomach that expands/distends more and more as the day goes on. So you have to by larger pants in order to fit into them by the end of the day. Anyway, I've been gluten free about 10 months and have still not gotten rid of this. My antibody levels are going down (ttg/iga 5 U/ml) so I know that I'm doing something right.

I would love to hear from someone who has had the celiac belly and gotten rid of it. Even if you tell me that time is the only thing that can fix it, I'd love to at least have hope that it will go away! Thanks in advance.

Emily

Hi Emily! I had the belly, I called it IBS belly since that was and is my diagnosis, for 3 1/2 years. To call it bloating wasn't doing it justice, it was Abdominal Distention! I would be normal when I woke up in the morn, and around lunch time my waist would grow 3-4 inches. It was stuck gas from the undigested wheat I was eating. Had to undo my pants button and sometimes unzip my zipper all the way down. The problem was trying to find clothes to accomodate both sizes in one day size 8 waist in the morn, 14 -16 in the afternoon. I tried maternity pants but they didn't stretch in the afternoon, only bound me in more. Underwear that didn't bind was an issue too. I actually wore some Hawaiian muu-muus! What cured it for me was a few weeks off gluten, especially stopping the 20+ grams of wheat fiber I'd eat for breakfast in the morn. My MD only told me to take Metamucil 3X a day, which I tried for 3 months and only made it worse (lack of fiber was Not the problem).

Missy'smom gave you great advice, lots of stuff I was going to say. I drink hot green tea before meals and after meals, no drinks with meals except maybe sips of room temp water to swallow with. I drink water when I first get up, followed by coffee only awhile before my breakfast. I eat kefir which is like yogurt with probiotics (I make a protein shake with fresh fruit out of it). I massage my belly, and put a heating pad on it if I get pain. My belly is still tender, I can't stand tight clothes, but it is almost consistenly flat. After having that problem for so long, you can bet that I never knowingly eat gluten. I found I had to be better about assuming things were gluten free, especially my medications & vitamins. Family dinners, I take my own food. I err on the side of caution now. I am trying all kinds of vegetables I have never tried in my life before such as beets & brussels sprouts. My goal is 90% of my food will be fresh & organic, the other 10% can be processed gluten free stuff. Today I had too much fiber in the morn, Cream of Buckwheat with ground flaxseed, and a protein shake with hemp and flaxseed later. Had a minor belly problem but nothing like before. I also drink a small glass of wine when I get a tummy ache in the afternoon and it seems to help.

Hope your belly goes back to normal soon!

[LeahKristen]

I just found out that I have celiac disease about two weeks ago and lately I have been so bloated which is why I went to the doctor in the first place) I have been working out at least five times a week and eating a healthy diet with no dairy or sugar, only good fats and whatever fat is in meat, no wheat, and since i found out,I'm trying to eliminate all the gluten but I cannot seem to loose weight. In fact, even though my body is looking better and more toned (my kickboxing instructor even commented that I look great) my pants are fitting tighter. It seems like my symptoms are just now occuring at the age of 19. Was weight gain a problem for anyone when you started noticing your symptoms or could this just be bloating? I cant figure out if i am bloated or getting fat!!!

[Emily Elizabeth]

LeahKristen, on Mar 14 2008, 08:05 PM, said:

Was weight gain a problem for anyone when you started noticing your symptoms or could this just be bloating? I cant figure out if i am bloated or getting fat!!!

I know the feeling! If you answer yes to one of the too questions below, then I would say you are not getting fat.

Were you too thin before?
Can you fit in your pants in the morning, just not at night?

If you were on the thin side before and not able to put on muscle due to the damage in your stomach, then you are probably just now starting to do so which is great! That means you're getting healthy! Or, if it is a case of you being able to still fit in your pants in the morning, but not at night, then that is certainly due to bloating.

I started getting my first symptoms when I was 19 too, but wasn't diagnosed until 7 years later. I lost a lot of weight and people thought I was anorexic. Then I got a little better and was just thin and couldn't seem to put on the muscle I used to. After being diagnosed I put back on about 5 lbs and am struggling like you are. My pants don't fit at night so I feel fat. I wish I could get rid of the stomach bloating so I would stop asking myself every evening if I'm getting fat too!

I've just recently started writing down what I eat and writing down my symtoms each day to try to figure this out. For me, if I write down what I eat and I see that it was healthy and the right amount for my weight and activity level then I feel better about myself. If you know you are doing things right, then you will be confident that you are not getting fat and it's something else you are dealing with. If I figure anything out I will certainly post it!

[missy'smom]

I used to live in California where women let their tummies hang out year round and mine always looked different than the other moms. Their's was a little jiggly and could be tucked into their pants. No offense to anyone. But mine was hard and round. It was a little painful if I wore anything too tight. I did gain some weight too in the last few years as I was getting sicker.(I was undiagnosed for 8 years) My sister(before she realized she had celiac disease as well) kept telling me I was in denial and that it was just weight and lack of exercize and I somewhat believed it but part of me knew it wasn't. Every once in a very rare while, my system would clear itself out and my tummy would go back to normal, giving me a clue that it wasn't just fat. I dropped 16 pounds seemingly overnight when I went gluten-free and went back to what I consistantly weighed for 10 years before I was sick. In the end, being healthy is what matters most.

[Respira]

My belly used to look 6 months pregnant, I am happy to say it is as flat as a pancake. I'm 54 yrs. old and now have a flat tummy that any 20 yr. old would be proud of.

[Emily Elizabeth]

Respira, on Mar 18 2008, 08:54 AM, said:

My belly used to look 6 months pregnant, I am happy to say it is as flat as a pancake. I'm 54 yrs. old and now have a flat tummy that any 20 yr. old would be proud of.

Bless you for posting this! That is wonderful news! I am now optimistic that mine will flatten out soon too. I'm almost at my 1 year anniversary of going gluten free, so hopefully I will see results soon! Please pass along any advice as to how to do it if there is anything to do other than follow the diet and continue to eat healthy and exercise.

Thanks!
Emily