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

5 Weeks But No Improvement...


alib91

Recommended Posts

alib91 Newbie

I started eating gluten free 5 weeks ago today, and although my doctor told me that I should feel slightly better after a few days gluten-free and then much better about 4 weeks into a gluten-free diet, I am still feeling awful. I have had occasional "not so bad" days, but even then I still have a lingering nausea.

 

The last week or so, I even think it has got worse and I am feeling very nauseous whenever I eat or drink anything, be it a bowl of brown rice with vegetables, or a cup of tea.

 

Is this all part of the healing process or am I doing something wrong? I've also limited my dairy intake and am now only having yogurt in the mornings for breakfast but take soya milk in tea/coffee.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank you!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



shadowicewolf Proficient

It takes time sadly...

1desperateladysaved Proficient

Beware and watch out for hidden gluten.  Check every label.  You could be experiencing withdrawl symptoms or having cross contamination problems.  I had both after going gluten free.  Time will help you decide just what is going on.  Just take steps and keep moving.  It will take some time.  You are on the road and headed in the right direction.

 

Diana

Takala Enthusiast

Try ditching the soy milk - some of us just don't get along with soy - and use a nut milk or coconut milk.  Big learning curve to figure out each person's individual needs, with this.   You might also have to not do dairy completely for a short time until you are well on the road to healing...  this can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. 

alib91 Newbie

Thanks for all your help! But should I not be feeling at least a bit better? I just feel like I'm getting worse! I had a drink of water this morning and felt like I was about to throw up (sorry for tmi!)

cavernio Enthusiast

If I were in your shoes I would go back to the doctor. You may have something else wrong with you too.

Weeber47 Newbie

I am in the same boat..just over a month of being gluten free but most of the time I still feel sick. Mornings in the bathroom are rough, needless to say...and I have been super careful! What else could I be missing?


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



charlotte-hall Apprentice

I've had 18 months, and still no improvement unfortunately.

GFinDC Veteran

Hi Ali,

 

Try following the tips below for a few months and see if things improve.  It can take quite a while for the gut to heal and anything we can do to help the process along is good.  Personally I wouldn't use soy and there are several other people on the forum who react to it.  If you do some reading on soy and intestine issues it isn't real good for you.  Plus most soy is GMO these days.

 

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.
Get your vitamin/mineral levels tested also.
Don't eat in restaurants
Eat only whole foods not processed foods.
Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.
Take probiotics.
Take gluten-free vitamins.
Take digestive enzymes.
Avoid dairy.
Avoid sugars and starchy foods.
Avoid alcohol.

quincy Contributor

your doctor should have checked your Vit D, ferritin, and other vitamin levels. You might be malnourished depending on your level of villous atrophy.

 

also, your gut may be in a state of disbiosis, meaning you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria and little of the good bacteria.  A good probiotic is good for that as well as eliminating all the processed gluten-free junk foods out there. 

 

ditto what GFin DC advises.  it took me over a year to start to feel better, and 3 years later I am still dealing with residual problems, though frequent bathroom trips are mostly a thing of the past.

New Community Member Explorer

I agree, GFinDC.

 

Ali, I just wanted to say that I was told the same thing when I was first diagnosed- "lay off on sugar, starches, dairy, processed foods etc." and I didn't listen... If it's gluten free, isn't that enough?! And...I wish I would have listened to that advice sooner! I believe it would have sped up the healing process. I was told I would feel better in 4 weeks, too, but I didn't! So frustrating and very misleading thing. I eat a gluten free diet and am better than I was at first since going gluten free. So, there is some improvement. It makes sense, though...Since our intestines are so inflamed at first, we need foods that are easy on our stomachs, even if that means cutting out to just the basics. Tea and coffee both affect lots of people, including me, so might want to think about cutting that out for a bit? Just a thought. Remember "Nothing tastes better than being healthy feels." I'm still not where I want to be, but after 19 months I am better than when I first started gluten-free. You'll get there. It takes time and discipline. Keep you head up and hang in there!! You WILL get through it. It gets easier with time. 

 

 

 

 

Hi Ali,

 

Try following the tips below for a few months and see if things improve.  It can take quite a while for the gut to heal and anything we can do to help the process along is good.  Personally I wouldn't use soy and there are several other people on the forum who react to it.  If you do some reading on soy and intestine issues it isn't real good for you.  Plus most soy is GMO these days.

 

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.
Get your vitamin/mineral levels tested also.
Don't eat in restaurants
Eat only whole foods not processed foods.
Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.
Take probiotics.
Take gluten-free vitamins.
Take digestive enzymes.
Avoid dairy.
Avoid sugars and starchy foods.
Avoid alcohol.

karichelle Newbie

If you drink herbal teas, give them a Google and be sure they don't have barley malt or something else gluteny included in their "natural flavors."

  • 2 weeks later...
alib91 Newbie

Thank you all for the advice! The doctors didn't mention anything about my vitamin levels but have been taking calcium, iron and folic acid tablets after a different doctor recommended them.
I'm trying to eat in as much as possible but I'm on a gap year in Spain at the moment and every social activity seems to revolve around either going out for a meal or out for alcoholic drinks and I'm trying to balance not missing out on everything with improving my health.
Not easy, but I'm optimistic about the future :)

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,543
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Carol Zimmer
    Newest Member
    Carol Zimmer
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jsingh
      Hi,  I care for my seven year old daughter with Celiac. After watching her for months, I have figured out that she has problem with two kinds of fats- animal fat and cooking oils. It basically makes her intestine sore enough that she feels spasms when she is upset. It only happens on days when she has eaten more fat than her usual every day diet. (Her usual diet has chia seeds, flaxseeds, and avocado/ pumpkin seeds for fat and an occasional chicken breast.) I stopped using cooking oils last year, and when I reintroduced eggs and dairy, both of which I had held off for a few months thinking it was an issue of the protein like some Celiac patients habe mentioned to be the case, she has reacted in the same fashion as she does with excess fats. So now I wonder if her reaction to dairy and eggs is not really because of protein but fat.   I don't really have a question, just wondering if anyone finds this familiar and if it gets better with time.  Thank you. 
    • Chanda Richard
      Hello, My name is Chanda and you are not the only one that gose through the same things. I have found that what's easiest for me is finding a few meals each week that last. I have such severe reactions to gluten that it shuts my entire body down. I struggle everyday with i can't eat enough it feels like, when I eat more I lose more weight. Make sure that you look at medication, vitamins and shampoo and conditioner also. They have different things that are less expensive at Walmart. 
    • petitojou
      Thank you so much! I saw some tips around the forum to make a food diary and now that I know that the community also struggles with corn, egg and soy, the puzzle pieces came together! Just yesterday I tried eating eggs and yes, he’s guilty and charged. Those there are my 3 combo nausea troublemakers. I’m going to adjust my diet ☺️ Also thank you for the information about MCAS! I’m from South America and little it’s talked about it in here. It’s honestly such a game changer now for treatment and recovery. I know I’m free from SIBO and Candida since I’ve been tested for it, but I’m still going to make a endoscopy to test for H. Pylori and Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Thank you again!! Have a blessed weekend 🤍
    • knitty kitty
      Yes, I, too, have osteoporosis from years of malabsorption, too.  Thiamine and magnesium are what keep the calcium in place in the bones.  If one is low in magnesium, boron, selenium, zinc, copper, and other trace minerals, ones bone heath can suffer.  We need more than just calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones.  Riboflavin B 2, Folate B 9 and Pyridoxine B 6 also contribute to bone formation and strength.   Have you had your thyroid checked?  The thyroid is important to bone health as well.  The thyroid uses lots of thiamine, so a poorly functioning thyroid will affect bone heath.  
    • Celiac50
      That sounds so very likely in my case! I will absolutely ask my doctor on my next bone check coming up in March... Thanks a lot! 
×
×
  • 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.