Thoughts on my first few weeks gluten free

[Bananasbananas]

Hi again everyone. I’ve been gluten free for 27 days now, and was officially dx late March with celiac. I received the diagnosis from a nurse over the phone, and my follow up isn’t til late June. I’ve been doing pretty well with everything but have so many questions. 

When I got my blood work back in December, I upped my gluten intake quite a bit— last time having all my favorite Christmas cookies, special holiday beers etc. I developed a really itchy rash around my mouth and nose bilaterally, which is still kicking around. Should I have this checked by a dermatologist or give it some more time to potentially respond to the gluten-free diet?

At the same time in December, I really relaxed my workout regimen. I have felt for a few years now that I’ve been making less progress than the effort I was putting in. My iron has been an issue since early childhood, and I’ve been on supplements but it doesn’t make much difference. Now that I’m on the diet, I am trying to get back into a workout routine, but I’m left feeling very achy and fatigued after. So I’m wondering if I should just keep taking it easy and hold off on higher intensity workouts? 

The last thing I’ve really been struggling with is brain fog. I have an intellectually demanding job, and even the most basic words can be tough for me to recall. My focus has been terrible. Outside of work, I find myself starting different projects and never completing them, jumping from one hobby to the next in quick succession. On top of that, I’ve been pretty emotional and feeling like I just do not know how to properly care for myself. I feel like a complete space case. Are there supplements I could take to remedy this?

sorry in advance for the long post. It is so nice to have this forum to seek advice. My family has been supportive, but they usually just say “it’ll get better, you’re doing your best..” etc without really knowing how to help. And I’m really eager to get back to my doctor, but he is a gastroenterologist and really only seemed interested in my GI symptoms the first time around.

[kareng]

21 minutes ago, Bananasbananas said:

Hi again everyone. I’ve been gluten free for 27 days now, and was officially dx late May with celiac. I received the diagnosis from a nurse over the phone, and my follow up isn’t til late June. I’ve been doing pretty well with everything but have so many questions. 

When I got my blood work back in December, I upped my gluten intake quite a bit— last time having all my favorite Christmas cookies, special holiday beers etc. I developed a really itchy rash around my mouth and nose bilaterally, which is still kicking around. Should I have this checked by a dermatologist or give it some more time to potentially respond to the gluten-free diet?

At the same time in December, I really relaxed my workout regimen. I have felt for a few years now that I’ve been making less progress than the effort I was putting in. My iron has been an issue since early childhood, and I’ve been on supplements but it doesn’t make much difference. Now that I’m on the diet, I am trying to get back into a workout routine, but I’m left feeling very achy and fatigued after. So I’m wondering if I should just keep taking it easy and hold off on higher intensity workouts? 

The last thing I’ve really been struggling with is brain fog. I have an intellectually demanding job, and even the most basic words can be tough for me to recall. My focus has been terrible. Outside of work, I find myself starting different projects and never completing them, jumping from one hobby to the next in quick succession. On top of that, I’ve been pretty emotional and feeling like I just do not know how to properly care for myself. I feel like a complete space case. Are there supplements I could take to remedy this?

sorry in advance for the long post. It is so nice to have this forum to seek advice. My family has been supportive, but they usually just say “it’ll get better, you’re doing your best..” etc without really knowing how to help. And I’m really eager to get back to my doctor, but he is a gastroenterologist and really only seemed interested in my GI symptoms the first time around.

If you have waited a whole year to go gluten-free - being diagnosed last May- it is going to take longer than a month to feel better.  You spent a whole year knowingly hurting yourself.

[Bananasbananas]

4 minutes ago, kareng said:

If you have waited a whole year to go gluten-free - being diagnosed last May- it is going to take longer than a month to feel better.  You spent a whole year knowingly hurting yourself.

And there’s that brain fog. I went gluten-free the day of my biopsy. The doctor said to keep eating gluten up until then even though we knew it was damaging based on the blood work.

[Ennis-TX]

Read the newbie 101 make sure your doing everything right, removing diary and oats is normally suggested for the first few months. Also make sure you threw out contaminated scratched pots, crumbed condiment jars, cutting boards etc.
https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

To help with the fog try this combo, Liquid Health Stress & Energy, and Liquid Health Neurological Support 1 tbsp each 3 times a day. Also to help with fatigue and brain issues you need to take magnesium which is a common issue with this disease, here depending on your bowl habits depends on what you need. If you have constipation then Natural Vitality Calm, take 1/4tsp (1-2g) at first and up it every day 1/4tsp (1-2g) to the full dose or til you get loose stools then back it back down dosing to tolerance. If you have normal daily bowl movements get Doctors Best Magnesium powder and take as suggested, night works best.
Iron, to help absorption you have to take it with vitamin C other wise your going to have more issues, topped with damaged gut and body constantly healing you need the help.

I use Vegan Protein Powders like Jarrow Pumpkin, Naked Pea, Growing naturals pea, Julian Bakery Pegan (both plain which is sancha inchi, and the cinnamon twist which is pumpkin), MRM Veggie elite etc all of which are high iron, magnesium, etc and great for working out, recovery. It took the first 2 years of healing before I started being able to step up my work out regime....I am now body building and working out most of the week. I personally follow a Paleo/Keto diet to manage other conditions and it keeps a lean and muscular build sustainable due to the higher protein, fats, and iron intakes and this disease.

Zinc might also be needed, which you can get in lozenges...if the lozenges taste like metal then your good, your body lets you know by the taste if it needs it or not.