Please Help

[AaronsWife]

My husband is in SO MUCH pain constantly. We just started a gluten free diet today but even when he eats something as simple as applesauce, he's in pain and running for the bathroom. I can't stand to see him this way. What do we do? What direction do we go? When will the pain let up after going gluten free?

 

PS - We just lost insurance due to a job change so we can't even get further advice from doctor right now. 

[kareng]

Does he have Celiac disease? If not, being gluten-free might not make any difference. If he has Celiac, it can take at least a few weeks to feel noticeably better and even a few years to become completely " normal".

[AaronsWife]

After bloodwork and ruling out so many OTHER things, the doctor highly suggested Celiac but that is as far as we got before insurance cancelled. He has almost all signs/symptoms including the rash and some things are easier on his gut than others, like rice. He tolerates rice better than bread. We're in a trial and error phase right now I guess.

[cyclinglady]

If he is going to go gluten free, then I would advise looking at our Newbie 101 thread found under "Coping":

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

It discusses cross contamination (yes, you can gluten your hubby by kissing him after consuming a piece of bread or whatever contains gluten) and hidden sources of gluten like medication, supplements, etc.

Time to heal? It can take months to years to heal. Everyone is different depending on damage and the learning curve is steep for adhering to the gluten-free diet. If he has DH (celiac rash) it can take a very long time for antibodies to leave the skin).

Check out the rest of the forum and start learning and welcome!

I hope he feels better soon!

[LookingforAnswers15]

Hi, I really do not have a medical advice to offer. However, since your husband cannot go to a doctor now and he does have to eat, concentrate on plain food. Since he can handle rice, just plain rice (unsalted) might help him. They usually give it to patients after surgeries, I think. Also, I might sound silly since I already told someone else to eat bananas, but I would recommend that he eats that instead of applesauce. I just remembered that even when I was sick and no one even thought of celiac (although looking back there were typical celiac symptoms), I only could handle eating bananas. I know that applesauce is sweet but at the same time I think apples are considered to be good for losing weight and can be sometimes somewhat sour, so I would avoid that. Also avoid sweets, processed food, and spices. Good luck!

[squirmingitch]

Bone broth. Made this way:

Open Original Shared Link

 

Many, many people have found this is one of the only things they can get down & will stay. It's rich with nutrients and nourishment. Fresh pears but you might want to cook them in some water to make it easier for him to digest but don't try the canned ones as they will be full of sugar.