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

Cheating On The Diet


heartfelt

Recommended Posts

heartfelt Newbie

My question is what happens if you cheat once in awhile?. I was diagnosis 8 months ago and never had one side effect for this disease. I found out by a blood test. I'm really having a hard time convincing my husband this is important, but he  said if you never had any symptoms of this disease how serious is it?

Is there away I can read actually what this disease is and what happens if you cheat so I can have my husband and myself read. I was told me if I cheat I'm back to square one is that true? HELP

 

I'm new at this page so were do I type a question of my own topic? I can't find any were for this. That's why I'm I asking this question under coping  Thank you

 


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



kareng Grand Master

I am curious why they tested you for Celiac?  That isn't a normal blood test.  They must have had a reason.

 

Read here:

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

"The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms......"

StClair Apprentice

My guess is that everyone reacts differently to consuming gluten, either accidentally or on purpose. I've read here that that there are 300 different symptoms of celiac disease, so your response will probably be unique to you. That said, serious damage can be done without your even knowing about it, so better not to consider cheating on the gluten free diet. I may want to eat a cinnamon roll and see what happens (I do!), but I'm way too afraid of the consequences to try it.

cyclinglady Grand Master

I had life-long anemia which was attributed to 1) my being a woman and 2) a genetic anemia which was masking iron-deficiency anemia related to celiac disease which was caught finally during a routine consult for a colonoscopy (Yep, over 50!). Two months in to my diagnosis, I broke some vertabrae doing nothing. That's when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I had no tummy issues at the time I was diagnosed.

Why did they run a celiac panel? I too, am curious.

heartfelt Newbie

I am curious why they tested you for Celiac?  That isn't a normal blood test.  They must have had a reason.

 

Read here:

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

"The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms......"

The reason why they did a test is I had my 10 year colonoscopy and they did a biopsy. I ask doctor why they did that and he said he does t with every patient. Then after I have had 2 blood test and very high

kareng Grand Master

The reason why they did a test is I had my 10 year colonoscopy and they did a biopsy. I ask doctor why they did that and he said he does t with every patient. Then after I have had 2 blood test and very high

So you have intestinal damage - whether you directly feel it or not. Have you checked your bone density? Are you anemic? Low on B12, D, etc. those are all things that can be caused by Celiac disease.

cyclinglady Grand Master

Your hubby needs to get serious!

I was shocked at my diagnosis because my husband had been gluten free for 12 years (never tested/bad advice from two doctors). We maintain a gluten-free house. The kid gets her gluten fixes outside of the house. Some households can be mixed but you need safe areas to prepare food and he needs to brush his teeth before kissing you besides other things. Yes, you can get glutened from kissing!

Lucky that you had a celiac savvy doctor! Me too!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



heartfelt Newbie

So you have intestinal damage - whether you directly feel it or not. Have you checked your bone density? Are you anemic? Low on B12, D, etc. those are all things that can be caused by Celiac disease.

I so surprised that I have this not one symptom. They say its hereditary so I had my parents tested and they were fine.  I would of never new if I didn't go to this doctor to have my colposcopy done.  I had a few bone dentistry test  level in that is average and no not anemic. I do take plenty of D and few others  but not sure on B12 how much I'm taking. I will have to check that. what other vitamins should I be taking for celiac disease?

Its just so hard as we travel a lot and never can find restaurants for my needs. Its always salads.

 

thank you Kareng

BlessedMommy Rising Star

Even in the absence of symptoms, a celiac patient suffers intestinal damage each time they consume gluten. That damage can add up to a lot of health problems, over time.

 

What a blessing that you were diagnosed! That doctor sounds like a really good one! :)

nvsmom Community Regular

Cheating will set you back a few weeks to a month.  If you cheat repeatedly, it will set you back further because autoantibody levels will start to rise.  The tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG IgA and tTG IgG) can be very slow to change.  I was gluten-free for about a year (with two known accidents in the early months) before my tTG IgA levels came down to normal.  That means that even though I was gluten-free for 363 meals in a year, my intestines were still being attacked and damaged... One year later!

 

Avoid cheating at all costs.  Eat raw fruits and veggies if you need to.  When we travel, we rent cottages, camp, or bring along camp stoves so we can prepare our food.  It's a pain not eating out while on vacation, but long term health is important.

 

Here are 300 possible symptoms of celiac disease :Open Original Shared Link As you can see, many of them are not very obvious.  It's no wonder that celiac disease is underdiagnosed.

Celiacandme Apprentice

That's great that your GI doc routinely looks for celiac. I agree with the others - you've got a great doctor! You had an endoscopy at the same time as your colonoscopy?

 

The book Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Peter H.R. Green, MD and Rory Jones is a good one to check out. It easily could help you both learn more about the disease and why it is important to be strict with the gluten free lifestyle.

fran641 Contributor

I have heard that some people have silent celiac. Not in my case. The Peter Green book is very informative. That is the first place I read about lymphoma associated with celiac. I have had 2 forms of lymphoma treated with chemo and radiation. I did great in 2008 until 2010 after my first cancer and I went on a pity party with food! There isn't a pill for my kind of stupid. Again in 2011 cancer hit, worse. I struggled with staying gluten-free for long periods until last year when the most severe pain began every time I had gluten. I guess my body's reaction has increased over the years. Anyway pain is my motivator. Radiation damaged my biliary duct and gallbladder and because of that dairy makes me severely ill. All this and more can be avoided if you avoid gluten completely. It is so worth it.

psawyer Proficient

My short answer about cheating: Don't do it!  Don't even think about it.

 

You have had some replies that explain why, so I won't belabor the points already made.

cap6 Enthusiast

Cheat and ultimately you sign your own death certificate. Bottom line.

My mother did it. It is not something to mess around with.

Archived

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

  • 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 replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

    2. - Wheatwacked replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      35

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    3. - Known1 replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

    4. - Kimmy88 commented on Scott Adams's article in Product Labeling Regulations
      3

      FDA Moves to Improve Gluten Labeling—What It Means for People With Celiac Disease

    5. - knitty kitty replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,424
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jennie s
    Newest Member
    Jennie s
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Yes, that's the one I was referring to!  Good for you, being proactive!
    • Wheatwacked
      link works but you may have enhanced security blocking it.  In Edge you have to click on continue to site when the security warning opens.  Other browsers or antivirus may just block it because it is not https.
    • Known1
      It looks like she has a couple of books that share "The Paleo Approach" in the title.  I ordered this one, as the other is a cookbook. The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body Thanks again for the info.
    • knitty kitty
      @Known1,  I understand you have had your B12, Folate B 9, and Vitamin D level checked.  However there are other B vitamins that are not routinely checked because blood tests for other B vitamins are terribly unreliable, expensive, or cumbersome to use frequently.  Results can take a long time to get back, delaying proper treatment and risking permanent damage.  It's easiest to supplement and look for health improvement. Blood tests can reflect how much of a certain vitamin was consumed in the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  Vitamins released by digestion is absorbed by villi, anemone like projections that increase the surface area of the small intestine, and then pass into the blood stream for distribution around the body.  A Marsh score of 3C indicates severe damage to the villi lining the small intestine.  Absorption of nutrients is definitely affected.   Blood tests don't reflect the amount of a vitamin  that is stored inside cells before being used.  You can have "normal" blood levels but have deficiency within cells of organs and tissues.  Tissues and organs will relinquish their stored vitamins into the blood stream in order to keep the brain and heart working while tissues and organs are depleted.   It's possible to have a localized deficiency of Thiamine B1 in different organs which cause the organ to malfunction.  Gastrointestinal Beriberi is caused by Thiamine deficiency in the gastrointestinal tract.  Gallbladder dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, heart attack, and cognitive dysfunction can be caused by Thiamine deficiency.   Most of the B vitamins cannot be stored for very long, maybe six weeks. B12 can be stored for as long as a year in the liver.  So having "normal" B 12 levels does not mean all your other vitamins are "normal" as well.   Thiamine can be stored for eighteen days, however  Thiamine can be depleted within three days.  We have a greater metabolic demand for Thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally stressed or are physically active (work out regularly) or work outdoors (or ride bikes).  Because most B vitamins can become low within a month or two under the best of circumstances, many newly diagnosed feel great on the gluten free diet at first.  After that, they seem to start going downhill.   The nutritional deficits start making themselves known.   Keep in mind that processed gluten free foods are not enriched nor fortified with vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost in processing like their gluten containing counterparts are.  You have to replace them yourself by taking supplements at least until the villi regrow and absorption improves. The eight B vitamins are water soluble.  They are easily lost if one has diarrhea or constipation or in those with a high Marsh score.  Because they are water soluble, the body can easily excrete excess through the kidneys.  Recommended Daily Amounts are based on experiments done on humans to find the minimum dose required to prevent disease.  Levels for optimal health are much higher.   Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions which are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  Requirements for nutritional education have been reduced to twenty class hours over the course of the seven years of medical school.   Three-day weekend seminars earn ten hours.  Vitamins cannot be patented as they are natural substances, so there is more profit for doctors to prescribe pharmaceuticals.  They are taught to cover symptoms with pharmaceutical bandaids.  They may not look for what caused symptoms to appear in the first place.   Doctors are taught nutritional deficiencies don't occur except in impoverished or drought stricken countries.  This is not accurate.  Nutritional deficiencies can occur if you eat a High Carbohydrate Diet, eat the Standard American Diet, and if you have malabsorption problems as occur with Celiac Disease.   You can check out my blog for the challenges I faced due to vitamin deficiencies that went unrecognized by doctors.   Talk to your doctor and new dietician about supplementing with vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients while your villi are healing.  My favorite Celiac book is The Paleo Approach by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  She explains the AutoImmune Protocol Diet.  It has been shown to reduce inflammation and promote healing in the gastrointestinal tract. Best wishes!
    • Known1
      Thanks, I had already sent you a direct message regarding bananas.  Maybe just reply to that?
×
×
  • 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.