Newbie! - How Long Until I Feel Better?

[Puckster]

Hello,

I just found out I have celiac disease (through enterolab) and was wondering what I can expect in terms of feeling better? How long does it take? What's your experience with getting on the gluten-free diet?

[Mo92109]

I THOUGHT I was being gluten-free for 6 months now and there is just something ELSE wrong with me, but as I manuver through this site (which has done so much for me already!) I am realizing that I am not being as careful as I need to be. I never thought about cross contamination (am not celiac disease, diagnosed intolerant) because I didn't think it was a big deal. Same with going out to eat... never asked about the dressing or just pulled the bread off my burger rather than ask for it bunless.

So, even though I have not answered your question (since I have no idea and am waiting too) - I am telling you that you really, really need to be careful. I am doing a total inventory of the products I use when I get home (yes, shampoo, detergent, etc. makes a difference, who knew?) and my fiancee can now buy his own bread and butter and make it himself.

Take care and good luck!!!

[Rachel--24]

It really depends on how careful you are (as the last post already mentioned) and how much damage was done. Everyone's healing time is different. You may find you also have other food sensitivities, which is common. Eating out is risky...there is always a chance of getting sick when you eat out...no matter how careful you try to be.

[Carriefaith]

Everyone is different, some feel better in a few weeks and others may takes several months to a few years. Personally, I didn't start to feel about 100% better until over a year on the diet.

[julie5914]

I felt better almost immediately, but my symptoms came back because because I was still going out to eat and was still eating foods with "natural flavor" and "modified food starch" without contacting the manufacturer. Don't be in denial - you have to be extremely careful and it is best not to go out to eat until you have a few months of healing, and then bring those cards with you that the server can take back to the chef.

I now only go to places that know what I am talking about when I say gluten and can recommend something on their menu that is already gluten free. If people I am with insist on going somewhere else, I think from here on out I will just get a drink and enjoy their company. It's not worth it.

[Guest nini]

you can start to feel better within a few weeks to several months, but it may take years to be completely better. I guess I really started feeling better about 6 month into the gluten-free diet, and now 2 1/2 years later I am a lot better than I was, but still not feeling 100%. You have to be so careful to not get any gluten at all because even the tiniest molecule can set you back. Over the summer we went to the Tennessee Aquarium and ate at Chili's while we were there, I'm sure my meal was cross contaminated even though the wait staff was extremely careful. They couldn't guarantee that my meal was completely gluten-free.