Weight Loss

[Guest Kalynn]

I am just wondering, for those of you who have had weight loss, how much weight and how fast. Was it over a period of time, or did it just seem to fall off? I have always struggled with gi problems, but wrote it off to IBS. Then when I got really sick in July (and was off and on for about 4 1/2 months) it just dropped off like pounds at a time. I would stay the same weight for a week or two, and maybe even gain a pound or two only to have it just fall off the next week. I was definitely losing more than I was gaining. This all while eating the same as before I got so ill. Over the past year or so, up until July, I had slowly gained about 13 pounds that I absolutely could not lose with diet exercise.

Which brings me to another question. Did it seem like you were a lot sicker when extremely glutened? Let me explain. First, keep in mind that I have been bloated for over the past year. In mid April I went to Las Vegas, very nerve racking because I am claustrophobic and we flew. At the end of April I got married (yea!), so of course we ate lots of cake and bread for some time (lots of food leftover). Then we bought a new house in at the end of May and, because the house has a pool, had birthday parties here for the next six weekends. This means I was eating cake, ice cream, hot dogs and hamburgers a lot for over six weeks. After about four weeks of this eating, I started getting really anxious and having panic attacks. About two weeks later, I was in the shower getting ready for work and it felt like my stomach blew up. I had to get out of the shower to go to the bathroom. For the next four day, I had severe D, nausea, could not eat. I would get cravings, but they would soon disappear. I was incredibly tired, got dizzy sometimes and lost my first six pounds. I lived on grilled chicken salads for the next week and then when I began eating normally (or trying to, still not much appetite and lots of nausea), I got sick all over again. This went on for several months and now I have lost a total of 18 pounds. I have recently gained about 1-2 pounds back and am starving all the time. The only nausea is when I don't eat soon enough.

Sorry this is so long...just wondering if anyone's case is similar to this. Mostly whether not you seem sicker with more gluten, or if it is about always the same. I guess it might depend on the disease, I don't know. I should have my test results back within the next week. I have been gluten-free for two days now (started right after they drew the blood), because it seems the most effective test seems to be whether or not the gluten-free diet works.

Thanks for listening and helping with my questions.

[Carriefaith]

I got very sick very quickly and lost about 10 pounds in one week.

For the next four day, I had severe D, nausea, could not eat. I would get cravings, but they would soon disappear. I was incredibly tired, got dizzy sometimes and lost my first six pounds.

Sounds like you may have celiac disease. I have had all of those symptoms after eating gluten.

[Guest DanceswithWolves]

"For the next four day, I had severe D, nausea, could not eat. I would get cravings, but they would soon disappear. I was incredibly tired, got dizzy sometimes and lost my first six pounds. I lived on grilled chicken salads for the next week and then when I began eating normally (or trying to, still not much appetite and lots of nausea), I got sick all over again. This went on for several months and now I have lost a total of 18 pounds. I have recently gained about 1-2 pounds back and am starving all the time. The only nausea is when I don't eat soon enough. "

Wow! Sounds almost exactly what I went through, minus the birthday parties. I am holding steady at a whooping 125lbs. after a back & forth of 118-120lbs. for the last 6 months. I was told by a Gastrologist that I have IBS and Gilbert's Syndrome. (you'll have to look it up)

I have gone back to eating breads and drinking milk and it seems that is helping put weight back on me. But now, it's almost like I wake up starving in the morning. I have to make a point of eating something almost every two hours. I was told I should be consuming 3000 calories a day. I was tested for Celiac but it came back negative. Still not convinced. I was even wondering if Chron's disease testing is a seperate test that I should have done. I am currently on Prozac to ease anxiety brought on by a stressful job and relocation that I went through.

I get stomach noises and it always seems that I am never full, even after I eat.

I have about three bowls of cereal in the morning and a fruit.

The strange thing is, almost exactly after I eat something (within an hour or so) I have the worst allergy attack. Eyes water, sinus pressure and drippy nose. I am most likely going to an allergist next.

[Rachel--24]

When symptoms first started 3 years ago I actually gained weight...I've always been small so I was happy to gain weight. I rememeber people commenting on me looking chubby and I knew my stomach was kind of looking pregnant but I didnt think too much about it. I stayed "bigger" looking for over a year but I was getting sicker during this time. I started noticing I was weighing less on the scale but I couldnt notice it on the outside. It was like I was losing muscle mass and fat but I was plumped up from fluid. I had excessive fluid retention that I could feel but somehow it disguised my weight loss so I still appeared normal to others.

I didnt discover that diet had anything to do with my illness until 2 years into it. As soon as I started messing around with my diet and trying to eat healthier I dropped of alot of that bloated fluid retention and was looking extremely thin very quickly. I had always told the doctors that I had fluid retention and I felt if the fluid ever left I'd be only skin and bones....this is exactly what happened. It scared me and I wanted to put the fluid back on so that I didnt look so bony. I did test for Celiac during this time but I'd already changed my diet 2 weeks before testing. The tests were neg.

I figured gluten wasnt my problem and I just needed to eat lots of fattening foods to put weight back on. I started eating cookies, bread, cake, pasta....but I was only losing and this time my symptoms were worse. I couldn't function at all and this is when the weight really started to fall off fast. I lost a total of 25 lbs. in a few months time and ended up at only 94 lbs. I think that after being off gluten...even for only a short time really made things worse when I started eating it again and at that point my food was coming out totally undigested.

Now I'm doing better and have gained 10 lbs. back...havent been able to gain any more than that though. I've almost been gluten-free 2 months now and if I have an accident it really sets me back. I can still easily lose the weight with one bad glutening so I have to be very careful. I'm getting used to it and I know what my body can deal with right now...I cant have dairy or processed foods.

Yes....I got ALOT sicker after a couple weeks off gluten and then going back to eating tons of gluten. I think it almost killed me and I was severely depressed and couldn't even get out of bed. I never tested positive for Celiac in the blood and I dont carry a Celiac gene. I got tested through Enterolab and I have gluten sensitivity genes plus positive IgA, tTG and malabsorption. I did have a biopsy last week but it will likely be negative after being on the diet...I didnt want to do a gluten challenge. I dont think I'd ever test positive for Celiac but gluten was obviously damaging my body so keep that in mind if your tests come back negative. I didnt know any of this stuff when I had my bloodtest come back negative. I had no idea gluten could still be making me sick regardless of the test results...I was stupidly stuffing my face with gluten everday and not knowing why I was still losing the weight (and my mind).

[Guest Kalynn]

...I was stupidly stuffing my face with gluten everday and not knowing why I was still losing the weight (and my mind).

Thanks for all the replies.

Rachel, I know what you mean. I was beginning to get depressed because I had not idea what was going on, and was continually worrying about my health...that I would end up incredibly underweight.

I had low potassium levels during this time (even when eating somewhat normally), so I'm thinking malabsorption, maybe. I have been gluten-free for two days and prior to that had some pasta and things. I am still bloated, but my stomach aches have pretty much stopped, along with the pain in my lower back, lower back side and the constant pain that comes right after eating. I would try to eat slowly and eat as much as I could, but knew that as soon as I stopped eating, the pain would begin. This, all the while trying to gain/maintain weight.

Good Luck. I hope the gluten-free diet is the answer to my problems.