Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

3 Months Gluten-Free, Feel Like I'm Dying

Wheresthebeef

Recommended Posts

Wheresthebeef Rookie
Wheresthebeef
Posted

I'm nearly 3 months out from my gluten free diet.  Things have been really rough for me. I'm starting to discover that fruit and starch and other high carb foods are not really good for me, especially if I eat too many of them.  I'm still very skinny.

 

I also discovered that I develop new allergies to foods if I eat them too much.  An IgE test proved it, I developed allergies to 3 vegetables I had been eating recently up until the appointment.

 

Today I just feel so anxious and sick.  I just can't wait for this day to end.  I know there's alot more people here that have it worse than I do too, but sometimes I just feel like I'm dying.

 

Edit: Anyone have to take iron supplements on top of this diet?  Wow, they hurt so much. >.>

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


txgal748 Apprentice
txgal748
Posted

Hi!

 

Fortunately I have not developed allergies to any food since going gluten-free.  I recommend you visit Mark's Daily Apple website and look into the primal blueprint diet.  Hang in there.  Maybe after your digestive system has had time to heal you may be able to add some foods back.

Good Luck!

PRG Newbie
PRG
Posted

I'm nearly 3 months out from my gluten free diet.  Things have been really rough for me. I'm starting to discover that fruit and starch and other high carb foods are not really good for me, especially if I eat too many of them.  I'm still very skinny.

 

I also discovered that I develop new allergies to foods if I eat them too much.  An IgE test proved it, I developed allergies to 3 vegetables I had been eating recently up until the appointment.

 

Today I just feel so anxious and sick.  I just can't wait for this day to end.  I know there's alot more people here that have it worse than I do too, but sometimes I just feel like I'm dying.

 

Edit: Anyone have to take iron supplements on top of this diet?  Wow, they hurt so much. >.>

Take heart. Be good to yourself, be patient, and consider that the "allergies" may not be permanent conditions at all, but instead temporary intolerances as your body adjusts and heals. I've been gluten-free for three months, and it's not always been smooth going. At first I feared I had a myriad of food intolerances in addition to gluten, but eventually I decided that I was paying such close attention to my body that I noticed every little thing. You'll likely find you can eat many things, in moderation, in several months. Until then, here are some things to try: my body responds EXTREMELY well to fish, kale, sauteed onions, garlic, flax seeds, sesame seeds, millet, amaranth, carrots, winter squash, and beets. Coconut is very good to me, as is green tea. Eat only whole foods--NO prepackaged gluten-free anything for a week and see if it helps. We're all different, but I feel bionic when I eat only whole foods.

 

As for an iron supplement, there's a naturally-derived iron supplement in liquid form (made in Germany) that I get from my local natural food store. It's expensive. But I was hospitalized for iron-deficiency anemia (I needed two blood transfusions before a doctor would even think about doing an endoscopy for a biopsy) and I'm regaining iron. It takes a long time for the body to convert food into heme iron and red blood cells. I left the hospital with a hemoglobin count of 10.9, and eight weeks later it was only 11.6. But hey, at least it's headed in the right direction.

flowerqueen Community Regular
flowerqueen
Posted

You've had some good advice already on here, so there's not much to add. I would like to say though, that I was gluten free for over a year before I really started to feel better.   I was extremely anaemic too and the first type of iron tablet I was prescribed made me ill.  There are different types of iron medication, so it's worth the time to look into one which is more suitable. 

 

Even though it's been 16 months since I started my gluten free diet I still get 'flare-ups' which I can't always pin point what has caused them.  (Cross-contamination etc.) so you have to act like a detective sometimes.  Don't dispair, it will get better in time.

1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

I take iron and don't understand about any pain associated with it.  I take a capsule of powder.  Mine is very natural, just meat.

 

At 3 months gluten free, part of the time I felt like I was dying.  Keep in my the goal of better health.  You are going toward it, but it isn't all up hill.  Often my lowest points were followed by the strongest ones yet, so I am hoping you're about due for one of those.

 

Diana

StolenMockingbird Newbie
StolenMockingbird
Posted

I had the same issue, except it was almost 2 1/2 years after I started the gluten-free diet. I would try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and I only say that because you mentioned starches and carbs. I'm really not the type to tell someone "This worked for me, it will work for you," but it might point you in the right direction. There are many similar diets that might be as helpful to you as SCD was for me.

Open Original Shared Link - This site really changed my life. I hope this helps.

  • 2 weeks later...
jiggles Apprentice
jiggles
Posted

I also have difficulties taking iron , I take two sachets a day of spatone www.Spatone from boots pharmacy , I am in the UK but

It sounds just like the one PRG takes from Germany and I too find these type of supplements very kind and gentle on the tummy,

they are supposed to get absorbed very easily , even when my tummy was at its worst I had no problems taking this type of iron

and I also ate more meat ,

hope you start feeling better soon

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Son's legs shaking

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son. Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia. An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal. Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease. Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease. Though having the genes for Celiac...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining...
    5. SamAlvi
      - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,868
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LMGarrison
    Newest Member
    LMGarrison
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son.  Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia.  An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal.   Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps, as well as aggression and irritability, confusion, mood swings and behavior changes.  Thiamine is essential to the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which keep us calm and rational.   @Jsingh, histamine intolerance is also a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is needed to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine at the slightest provocation as is seen in histamine intolerance.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins and Vitamin C are needed to clear histamine from the body.  Without sufficient thiamine and other B vitamins to clear it, the histamine builds up.  High histamine levels can change behavior, too.  High histamine levels are found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia.  Thiamine deficiency can also cause extreme hunger or conversely anorexia.   High carbohydrate meals can precipitate thiamine deficiency because additional thiamine is required to process carbohydrates for the body to use as fuel.  The more carbohydrates one eats daily, the more one needs additional thiamine above the RDA.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses. Keep in mind that gluten-free processed foods like cookies and such are not required to be fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals like their gluten containing counterparts are.  Limit processed gluten-free foods.  They are often full of empty calories and unhealthy saturated fats and additives, and are high in histamine or histamine release triggers.  It's time you bought your own vitamins to supplement what is not being absorbed due to malabsorption of Celiac disease.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that has been shown to improve intestinal health as well as brain function. Do talk to your doctors and dieticians about supplementing with the essential vitamins and minerals while your children are growing up gluten free.  Serve nutritionally dense foods.  Meats and liver are great sources of B vitamins and minerals. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Scott Adams
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • trents
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By trents · Posted

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining of the small bowel which generates specific kinds of antibodies. Some people are IGA deficient and such that the IGA antibody tests done for celiac disease will have skewed results and cannot be trusted. In that case, there are IGG tests that can be ordered though, they aren't quite as specific for celiac disease as the IGA tests. But the possibility of IGA deficiency is why a "total IGA" test should always be ordered along with the TTG-IGA. The other modality is an endoscopy (scoping of the upper GI track) with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. The aforementioned autoimmune response produces inflammation in the small bowel lining which, over time, damages the structure of the lining. The biopsy is sent to a lab and microscopically analyzed for signs of this damage. If the damage is severe enough, it can often be spotted during the scoping itself. The endoscopy/biopsy is used as confirmation when the antibody results are positive, since there is a small chance that elevated antibody test scores can be caused by things other than celiac disease, particularly when the antibody test numbers are not particularly high. If the antibody test numbers are 10x normal or higher, physicians will sometimes declare an official diagnosis of celiac disease without an endoscopy/biopsy, particularly in the U.K. Some practitioners use stool tests to detect celiac disease but this modality is not widely recognized in the medical community as valid. Both celiac testing modalities outlined above require that you have been consuming generous amounts of gluten for weeks/months ahead of time. Many people make the mistake of experimenting with the gluten free diet or even reducing their gluten intake prior to testing. By doing so, they invalidate the testing because antibodies stop being produced, disappear from the blood and the lining of the small bowel begins to heal. So, then they are stuck in no man's land, wondering if they have celiac disease or NCGS. To resume gluten consumption, i.e., to undertake a "gluten challenge" is out of the question because their reaction to gluten is so strong that it would endanger their health. The lining of the small bowel is the place where all of the nutrition in the food we consume is absorbed. This lining is made up of billions of microscopically tiny fingerlike projections that create a tremendous nutrient absorption surface area. The inflammation caused by celiac disease wears down these fingers and greatly reduces the surface area needed for nutrient absorption. Thus, people with celiac disease often develop iron deficiency anemia and a host of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is likely that many more people who have issues with gluten suffer from NCGS than from celiac disease. We actually know much more about the mechanism of celiac disease than we do about NCGS but some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease.
    • SamAlvi
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By SamAlvi · Posted

      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.