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Did any of you ever get discouraged that your symptoms wouldn't go away?

glutenkid

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glutenkid Rookie
glutenkid
Posted

I've posted about this before, but I'm about 14 weeks in and have seen very little improvement. Did any of you take a long time to feel better, and do you think I should cast my doubts aside?

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Airchee Rookie
Airchee
Posted

Hello

I was diagnosed Dec 15 of last year and went totally gluten-free the next day. I actually got worse before I got better - it's a steep learning curve - but now, 4 1/2 months later I'm finally seeing improvement.  Hang in there. 

rarchy Apprentice
rarchy
Posted

I was diagnosed with celiac very recently and so have only been gluten free for 5 weeks and was wondering why I haven't noticed much difference (just because I had read stories about people who noticed a huge difference after 1 week). My digestion has improved a little (less constipated, more regular and less bloat/gas!) but other than that nothing else.... I am glad to know I am not alone in not noticing anything, and also knowing how long it has taken you guys I will try not to get depressed if I still don't notice much for a few months!

Fbmb Rising Star
Fbmb
Posted
On 4/28/2017 at 9:05 AM, glutenkid said:

I've posted about this before, but I'm about 14 weeks in and have seen very little improvement. Did any of you take a long time to feel better, and do you think I should cast my doubts aside?

Oh yeah. I'm 6 months in and still have bad days, even though I know I'm not eating gluten. It takes a long time to heal. I have been on here a lot in the past 6 months venting because I didn't feel good. I just posted today about how tired I still am. Everyone has basically said the same thing - give it time. Be patient. It can take a long time. Some people said it can take a year. Hang in there.

TexasJen Collaborator
TexasJen
Posted

Yes!  I never really had GI symptoms, but I did have palpitations and restless leg syndrome from anemia.  These went away within the first month. But myalgia and joint aches aren't better after 1 year.  Waiting to get my antibodies re-tested and see if they're negative.....

KKJ Rookie
KKJ
Posted

This is not uncommon. When you have celiac, your gut has been damaged and needs to heal. While going gluten free helps many fairly quickly, for others the journey to healing is a bit longer. The worse shape your gut is in at diagnosis, the longer healing can take. I noticed good results for the first 2-3 months and was eating mostly paleo because I realized I just was not digesting ANY carbs well, but then improvement leveled off. I found a nutritional therapist, NOT a dietician or nutritionist. A nutritional therapist is different training, food as medicine etc. and focuses on healing the gut. She also had celiac and was a wealth of info on the healing patterns of different folks. She suggested the GAPS diet for a while. So, I went through GAPs intro and then did full GAPS for about 7-8 months. That was exactly a year ago and I am just now able to put back rice, blue corn (yellow still a problem) and, in moderation, tapioca flour. I feel GREAT, but it has taken time. My suggestion is find a good nutritional therapist. If you are still eating LOTS of carbs, your gut may not be able to digest them. Does it take discipline? Yes. Does it mean you may have to learn to cook? Probably. For me, feeling great and being healthy is worth it's weight in gold and although I do get weary of always cooking, it's WORTH IT! Most packaged gluten free stuff (especially cookies etc) is truly not real good for you and will not help you heal. Be sure you are taking a good quality probiotic as well. MegaFood's Mega Flora is very good and safe for celiacs.

icelandgirl Proficient
icelandgirl
Posted

Hi glutenkid,

Yes, I was very discouraged for a while.  I heard about people feeling better as soon as they went gluten free and couldn't understand why that didn't happen to me.  

For some of us it takes much longer than others to heal.  In the first year after diagnosis I had a lot of ups and downs.  It was really rough at times.  This board was so helpful to me at that time because I was scared that I would never feel good.  

It really took about a year to feel pretty good for me.  Now at 3 years I still see improvements happening!  It can take the body a long time to heal from years of damage.  You have to be very patient.

Try to eat a diet rich in while foods.  Avoid eating out for a while.  Make sure that you've been checked for common deficiencies like iron, B12 and D.  Most of all, be good to yourself.  You will heal with time!

((((Hugs))))

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    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thank you so much.
    • knitty kitty
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

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    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thanks @Scott Adams! I guess my question now is: do the celiacs who can get away with regular contamination without villi damage as you mentioned have to be strict about cross-contamination ? 
    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thank you very much @knitty kitty! I'm glad you brought up the point about histamine. I have been taking an antihistamine after meals where I don't feel so good and never knew why it helped so much. At first I thought I might have a food allergy, but I recently did a food allergy test and I actually have ZERO food allergies. Regarding your last point about the stages of grief, are you saying it's likely that I have celiac? I have Hashimoto's BTW and I know for sure that gluten causes an autoimmune response to my thyroid as my anti-TPO and anti-Tg go up and my throat feels swollen. Could the symptoms be due to that autoimmune response?
    • knitty kitty
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Zuma888, The antibodies produced in response to gluten are made in the intestines.  When the body is provoked sufficiently, the antibodies overflow out of the intestines and into the blood stream.  Once in the blood stream, the antibodies can be measured with tTg IgA tests.  Three grams of gluten per day for two weeks minimum is enough gluten to make you feel the symptoms of having been glutened, but the antibodies are not in sufficient quantity to be measured in the blood. Ten grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks is required to get the anti gluten antibodies at a high enough level in the blood stream to be measured by tTg IgA tests. So, no, occasional cross contamination or (heaven forbid) intentional cheat days will not be sufficient for tTg IgA testing.  You will still be making antibodies which will still be causing inflammation and damage to the intestines and body.  Histamine is released as part of the immune response to gluten.  High histamine levels lead to food sensitivities, brain fog, and body aches.   The damage done to the gastrointestinal tract affects the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals.  Malabsorption of fats can cause changes in stools.  Insufficient absorption of vitamins and minerals can cause damage to other organs like the thyroid if it can't get enough Selenium, iodine, iron, zinc, and Thiamine.  Brain fog and fatigue can be caused by low Thiamine and other B Complex vitamins.  Vitamin D is needed to regulate the immune system.  One gene is all that's needed to develop Celiac disease.  I know a Celiac diagnosis is a change that can be difficult to get your head around.  Many people go through the five stages of grief.  One stage is "bargaining".  Sounds like you're stuck there.  Every little cheat counts to your detriment.  But sticking to a gluten free diet, makes every meal a success.   Read the comments below the article... Best wishes!  Keep us posted on your progress!
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