Newbie, Need Some Help

[amitaitos]

Hi.

I'm quite new with Celiac, about 3.5 months gluten-free.

The problem is I don't feel a lot better...

1. I have constipation.

2. I have pain in my lower stomach (abdomen?), especially after I eat.

3. I have acne.

 

Also I wanteed to ask if before everytime I eat I need to wash the plate and cutlery with water to make sure it's not glutened.

 

Any ideas?

Hope you can help me.

Thanks

[shadowicewolf]

Try removing dairy for a while. Some celiacs cannot handle it.

[bartfull]

Have you read the Newbie 101 thread? It will help you to prevent cross-contamination. There are LOTS of places gluten can hide.

[notme]

yes, read the newbie 101 thread - are you taking a probiotic?  shadow also has a good point - dairy is a problem in the beginning  - if you have damage to your villi they are not producing what your digestive system needs to process dairy.  i would skip it for awhile (i think i did 6 months) and then try it back.  

[amitaitos]

Thank you.

I removed dairy for about a month and it didn't seem to be a problem.

 

Any other suggestions?

[nvsmom]

I had C, and bowel pain (I was backed up) after going gluten-free too. My C finally cleared up after I adressed my hypothyroidism, and got my TSH to below a 1. Is it possible that you have thyroid problems? If you have had your TSH tested recently, it should be near a 1.

 

I too have acne. Going gluten-free and dairy free did not help me either. I'm not sure what is causing it but I am now putting finacea (sp?) cream on my face (to help with acne due to roseaca) and that is helping on my face, but I still get it on my back and neck (for the last 5 years or so). Acne is linked to hypothyroidism too, and my neck and back acne have lightened up a bit lately, so perhaps it isimproving now that I am on hormones.

 

It is possible that your pain, C and acne are not related to gluten, but it could be. The gluten-free diet could still improve it, it just may take some more time. In the meantime, perhaps check your thyroid checked out. Good luck. 

[dani nero]

If you're not sure if you need to wash your own eating gear, then I think the problem might be cross-contamination. I agree with the previous posts, check the 101 post https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101 for general guidlines on eating safety and cross-contamination. 

[amitaitos]

Hi again.

So I was re-diagnosed.

My first diagnose showed this:

CELIAC SCREEN (Includes TTG and DGP): 236.0 U/ml

TRANSGLUTAMINASE_IgA: 55.90 AU/ml

 

Now I got these results:

CELIAC SCREEN: 10.1 U/ml

TRANSGLUTAMINASE_IgA: 5.85 AU/ml

ENDOMYSIAL Ab: Pos. 1:10

 

I understood it's pretty good.

So probably I don't have cross-contamination.

My thyroid is ok.

 

What do you think I can do to help make me feel better (acne, bladder and stomach pain)?

 

Thanks.

[nvsmom]

If those symptoms are from celiac disease, then all you can do is give it more time and cross your fingers that they will improve. At 3.5 months into the diet I felt absolutely horrible after going through some sort of autoimmune attack that lasted a few months.  It really did take addressing other issues to fix everything. Celiac caused me a lot of problems but it didn't cause all of them, at least not directly.

 

Just give it more time and look into other causes, you might find the fix.

 

And congrats on yours lab results coming down so fast. That's great!

[w8in4dave]

I am still a couple months into Celiac Dx'd , I still have lower pain. I have recently stopped the dairy. I am hoping that will work. I also have constipation , I am trying to eat alot of fresh veggies and fruit! Eat eat eat that !! It helps!! Corn seems to help alot!! Just sayin it is farmers market season and there is ALOT of fresh veggies out there! It helps! I think my body is going thru a transition so it is taking time.

[BelleVie]

You could try taking oil of oregano for the acne. My acne was mostly related to gluten, but I took the oregano oil to help along the healing. It's supposed to be really good for killing off yeast in your system as well. I take two capsules, three times per day whenever I have a yeast and/or acne flare up. Also, be sure that you are drinking plenty of water. I've heard that caffeine can irritate your skin as well, so maybe look into that? I really hope you get to the bottom of your issues. Constipation and acne in particular are just awful! (Oh, the oregano oil may help the constipation as well, if it is related to yeast overgrowth.) 

[AlwaysLearning]

Yeah, I'd look into other issues that started before you went gluten free. First step is to look for the ones that can be found with blood tests (easy and least expensive option too) so that means checking the hormone levels and vitamin deficiencies. And of course, if you do have deficiencies, make sure you only use gluten-free supplements.

I had hoped that going gluten free would help with the abdominal pain and bloating too, but it just continued to get worse over several months, sometimes going away completely, then returning. I finally got tested for deficiencies and I think maybe supplementing was the solution. Fingers crossed.

[amitaitos]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement!

Hope it'll be ok...