celiacs 3 months post Celiacs diagnosis, still struggling

[JennaGF]

Hello, 

I am a college student and I was diagnosed with Celiacs about three months ago. I have been doing okay with the new diet. The first month was rough figuring out what I can eat and anxiety about gluten crumbs being everywhere, but starting to get the hang of it. I was feeling better, but I went on spring break a week ago and ate out a lot. I was very careful and vetted my waitress and only have a few "risky" meals. I had a few days of feeling 'blah' and one day of diarrhea. Ever since then I have been quite constipated and have been feeling like I did before my diagnosis (before diagnosis I yo-yoed between constipation and diarrhea a lot). It is possible I could have had some cross contamination or some gluten somewhere in there. 

Any recommendations on how to get gluten out of your system once you have had some? and how to get back to a health state after exposure? 

[cyclinglady]

Welcome!  

I am sorry that you are sick!  Unfortunately, we are all different in terms of recovering from a glutening.  You see, it is not about the gluten in your body.  It is about gluten triggering an autoimmune reaction (flare-up) that can last for days, weeks or months.   We are lucky that we know the trigger, unlike those with MS, lupus, RA, etc.  

In the meantime, keep hydrated.  Try to stick to soft, well-cooked foods if your gut is really bothering you (remember, that flare-up is causing your body to damage your intestinal villi).  Glutening symptoms can change, so do not always expect the same symptoms to re-appear.  

Three months in is such a short time and the learning curve is steep.  We all make mistakes.  We accidentally get exposed to gluten.  It happens.  Just try to move forward.  

Next time bring food with you (always have something with you).  If you do not feel safe, (I grille the manager or chef as wait staff is not always knowledgeable) just order a drink.    Get the app "Find Me Gluten Free" and look for reviews from celiacs.  

Hope you fell better soon.  ?

[pixiegirl]

I agree with the post above, getting the gluten out of your system doesn't take that long but the damage it does can last a long time. 

I get glutened occasionally at restaurants but not often. I have a few I trust and eat at with very few problems. At new places (if I'm traveling) I make a point of not only taking to my server but usually the manager too, I go out of my way to do my best to get a gluten free meal. My biggest problem is actually at other people homes. Many decent restaurants today have systems in place to get people with food issues the meal they need. But friends/family - forget it. Their homes are usually filled with gluten (none in my house) and they don't understand cross contamination.

When I do get glutened I drink a lot of water to try and flush it out and I take a lot of probiotics. For me high end, 5 ingredient vanilla ice cream settles my stomach!  Something about the cold and creamy. I've had people tell me dairy isn't good for me when I've been glutened but I know my body and it works. Fortunately I don't get glutened much anymore. After that, it's just waiting, sometimes weeks for all the glutening symptoms to go away.

[Jmg]

11 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

grille the manager or chef

Make sure they're gluten free before attempting this..

[cyclinglady]

1 hour ago, Jmg said:

Make sure they're gluten free before attempting this..

Ha!  Ha!  ? I know your grammar skills are superior to mine.   I should have left the "e" off the word grill.  ?  You are correct.  All managers and chefs should be gluten free before grilling them.   For that matter, the grill should be gluten free as well!