Advice

[Natalie1980]

Hi I'm newly diagnosed with coeliacs only 5 days ago so I have had 4 days gluten free , I felt more energised pretty quick but today have gone back to that sluggish feeling lethargic, could this be a withdrawal effect also did anyone have swelling whilst on gluten ?

[squirmingitch]

There will be ups & downs for 6 months, maybe as much as a year. Sort of like being on a roller coaster ride. You can also get gluten withdrawal; just hang in there! I had swelling while eating gluten.

[Natalie1980]

It's all very new and a little daunting I feel a difference already but yes I suppose after 35 years of eating gluten it's not going to disappear overnight Thankyou though x

[GFinDC]

Hi Natalie,

That sounds like how it often goes after beginning the gluten-free diet.  We'd like to think that it would be steady progress in the up direction but it seems like our healing goes back and forth a little.  The immune system reaction takes a while to settle down, weeks to months.  So it is hard for the gut to heal while that reaction is going on.

It's helpful to eat simple foods at first and avoid dairy.  Processed foods including baked goods are best left on the shelf.  Try to eat whole foods only including meats, vegetables and nuts.  Carbs and sugar are not helpful.

Things should get better after a month or two if your diet is clean of gluten and diary.  Then you can try adding things back in slowly one item a week.

Peppermint tea can help with bloating.  Probiotics may help too.

Welcome to the forum!

[Natalie1980]

Thankyou so much that's really helpful I did wonder about dairy as I seem to bloat a little after a coffee with milk

[squirmingitch]

Read the Newbie 101 & follow the links contained within. This will give you a ton of good info. & teach you how to avoid cross contamination.

Yep, you're exactly right.... you didn't get sick overnight & you're not going to heal overnight.

We're here for you though through the good times & the bad & for pity parties too. Questions? Just ask!

[Natalie1980]

Thankyou it's nice to have a go to of people tjat understand do u think dairy and carbs are best eliminated a little at first ?

[squirmingitch]

I think it won't hurt a bit to eliminate dairy for a while. As far as carbs, that's kind of an individual thing. Some do better without them or with limiting them and some, like myself, have to have carbs. I am skinny, have a high metabolism & would dry up & blow away without my carbs & I eat lots of carbs. They don't bother me.

Keeping a food & symptom log can be a great help especially in the beginning.

[GFinDC]

28 minutes ago, Natalie1980! said:

Thank-you it's nice to have a go to of people that understand do u think dairy and carbs are best eliminated a little at first ?

Hi Natalie,

The dairy should be eliminated completely for a few weeks at least.  It can be hard to tell what food is causing symptoms at first.  Dairy is a known problem for many people, even those who don't have celiac disease.  Carbs are bad if you are having digestive upset and bloating.  The carbs feed the bacteria that make gas in your gut and that can cause symptoms.  Everybody is an individual though so you may not have bad symptoms.  But when you are trying to heal fast and aren't sure what's causing the problems, eliminating some common problem foods makes sense.  There is no reason to reduce the dairy and carbs slowly though.  They can be cut out completely right away.  You should be able to tell if it's helping within a week or so.  Eliminating them is no problem as long as you don't blow away!

 

 

[Natalie1980]

2 hours ago, squirmingitch said:

Read the Newbie 101 & follow the links contained within. This will give you a ton of good info. & teach you how to avoid cross contamination.

Yep, you're exactly right.... you didn't get sick overnight & you're not going to heal overnight.

We're here for you though through the good times & the bad & for pity parties too. Questions? Just ask!    Thankyou do yp

Wow I'm gonna be a skinny Minnie in no time rather than a bloated and confused Thankyou I'll try look at these images 4 days gluten free