3 Months Gluten Free

[*Allie*]

So initially I went gluten-free at the advice of a friend. I was off it for a month and I felt absolutely incredible. I finally got my energy back. Then at the advice of my doctors I re glutened myself to get tested for celiac, obviously coming back positive. As soon as the surgery was over I got off gluten again and I haven't gotten back my energy. The symptoms seemed to be getting better sometimes then they don't, but the fatigue has yet to go away. I work so hard to keep my diet 100% gluten free and it's really getting to me that it's not working this time around. Thoughts? Advice? 

[Ennis-TX]

30 minutes ago, *Allie* said:

So initially I went gluten-free at the advice of a friend. I was off it for a month and I felt absolutely incredible. I finally got my energy back. Then at the advice of my doctors I re glutened myself to get tested for celiac, obviously coming back positive. As soon as the surgery was over I got off gluten again and I haven't gotten back my energy. The symptoms seemed to be getting better sometimes then they don't, but the fatigue has yet to go away. I work so hard to keep my diet 100% gluten free and it's really getting to me that it's not working this time around. Thoughts? Advice? 

1. How long were you gluten-free before doing the challenge? 2. Eating gluten damages the intestines of those with celiac disease as our bodies attack and destroy the villi in the process leading malabsorbtion of nutrients. You  might still be recovering from your challenge damage and this can take months.  Though I find it odd that this much could have been done in such a short time frame. Other thoughts are you might be deficient or having issues with certain nutrients like b-vitmains or magnesium which are the most common. Consider supplementing them. Also what is your current diet like right now, Everyone is different and you have to find the combinations that work with your body and how it is geared.

One other HUGE factor you probably developed a food intolerance from your challenge. One common thing with use is during glutenings our body can become more confused with another food and leads to a new allergy or intolerance developing. Try a food diary and record what you eat and how you feel after, Try rotating foods out of your diet for a few days at a time then rotating them back in. You might find you still feel crummy due to a new intolerance to something perhaps you eating daily.    Do not worry to much about these as they can go away in a year or so of avoiding them.

[*Allie*]

I was gluten free for a month before doing the challenge... And you're right... It was odd that I got my energy back so quickly. Now I'm taking vitamins as recommended by my dietician, so I'm not sure about the nutrients. I'm working on my diet, right now I am trying to stick to fruits, veggies, nuts, rice, etc. I'm gonna experiment with cutting dairy out for awhile as it an inflammatory. What intolerances are common for celiacs? And thank you! The food journal is a good idea I'll try it out. 

[Lori0467]

I was gluten free for 2 months and felt great!!Then I cheated and I am fighting to get back where I was. It is a daily battle.

[TexasJen]

Lactose and oats are the most common food intolerances. About 10% of celiacs can't tolerate oats so GI docs recommend avoiding them for the first several months and then reintroducing.  Look carefully at your gluten-free foods because a lot of gluten-free foods are made with oat flour - also a lot of oats are contaminated.  If a product claims to be gluten-free (not certified gluten-free) but uses oats or oat flour, you should call the company and ask them where they source their oats. (check a website called glutenfreewatchdog to find out the good companies)

With regards to lactose, the villi that are destroyed in celiac produce lactase which helps cleave the lactose molecule into galactose and glucose which are digestible. (lactose is not digestible in its pure form.) Often times, once the villi recover (after months on a gluten-free diet), you can start eating dairy again without trouble. 

Good luck!