Trouble digesting/ constipation with hard foods?

[Sarahcat58]

So I’ve felt a lot better after going gluten and dairy free. Although I’ve found that whenever I eat hard foods (in this case, chips and granola bars, as well as some meats that my body just won’t tolerate) that I get constipated, although I don’t “feel constipated” which has me wondering where on earth the food is going. 

I can eat things like soups, rice or noodles, scrambled eggs, most veggies must be sautéed to prevent bloating, oatmeal. I eat grilled chicken, but can’t ever have any large portions of meat (like a whole hamburger patty is a bit too much) or I get the same symptoms. 

I wasn’t sure what’s going on because these symptoms seem unrelated to gluten/ celiac, or dairy, but wanted to check if anyone has experienced anything similar. 

[Fenrir]

10 minutes ago, Sarahcat58 said:

So I’ve felt a lot better after going gluten and dairy free. Although I’ve found that whenever I eat hard foods (in this case, chips and granola bars, as well as some meats that my body just won’t tolerate) that I get constipated, although I don’t “feel constipated” which has me wondering where on earth the food is going. 

I can eat things like soups, rice or noodles, scrambled eggs, most veggies must be sautéed to prevent bloating, oatmeal. I eat grilled chicken, but can’t ever have any large portions of meat (like a whole hamburger patty is a bit too much) or I get the same symptoms. 

I wasn’t sure what’s going on because these symptoms seem unrelated to gluten/ celiac, or dairy, but wanted to check if anyone has experienced anything similar. 

I think it has more to do with fiber than the texture of the food. Most of the foods you mentioned aren’t high fiber foods. Also if you are eating too many “gluten-free” processed foods you will likely not get enough fiber.

[Ennis-TX]

I would suggest digestive enzymes, I cannot digest meat or fatty foods without them. Meat is really slow to go through the GI tract for some people and hard to break down. It can "rot" in some peoples with the right bacteria and bog you down. I found the only way I tolerate meat is taking very high-end enzymes in proportion to what I eat.
https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/119919-digestive-enzymes/
You should consider removing oats, they are a common issue for celiacs and VERY often contaminated.
I might suggest more liquid and fiber, stuff like nut-based baked goods if you find this hard nut butters and avocado are easier to digest. The bloat and where is it all going, you mention makes me think you have a bit of gut flora issue and you should cut back to carbs to get it under control. Of course make sure you are getting fiber via ground seeds meals IE Chia, Flax etc. There are 2 types of fiber, insoluble and soluble, the first gives your stool bulk and cannot be broken down, the latter will feed the bacteria in your gut. 
Another thing to consider is in celiacs with constipation, is magnesium deficiency. Look up Natural Vitality Calm, it is a Magnesium Citrate and can help keep liquid in your stools and lead to easier and more frequent BMs. You dose this to tolerance start with 1/4tsp or 2g and up the dose, each day by 2g til you get loose stools then back it down. 

 

[cyclinglady]

Drop the oats for six months and that includes even certified gluten-free oats.  Some celiacs react.  

[Fenrir]

5 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

Drop the oats for six months and that includes even certified gluten-free oats.  Some celiacs react.  

Yes, I tend not to do well with any kind of oats so I just avoid them.

[Posterboy]

Sarahcat,

I think you  might want to have your doctor perform a Bowel Transit test.

Here is  a Webmd article about it.

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/bowel-transit-time-test#2

you can do this test with charcoal yourself if  a doctor is not convenient for you ...or some other staining food like Beets. ..I think  I heard Ennis_Tx said he tried the transit time test one time with Beets.

Here is the home test method.

https://ndnr.com/gastrointestinal/using-the-transit-time-test-to-assess-patients-bowel-function/

Here is another good link/article about food transit times. ..I think (if I remember correctly) this article was posted on celiac.com as related research.

https://www.redorbit.com/how-long-does-food-stay-in-your-stomach/

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[Awol cast iron stomach]

After my gluten challenge I had to puree many of my foods. As Ennis and many posters mentioned above the body struggles to digest after diagnosis. In my opinion and personal experience the less energy you make your body use to digest the more energy it can use for healing. I would struggle as my pancreas ( bile) and enzymes were less efficient and my body struggled. The more I supported my body the better I did.

As Ennis said Magnesium also helps too. If you still have issues that then as cycling lady and posterboy said look at other food culprits then visit Dr for further testing. Although with many of us we just find what works for our individual situation which sometimes requires some self investigation. 

Once you know it's valuable as if you every get cc you have your go to plan.

Good luck

Edited March 12, 2019 by Awol cast iron stomach
Autocorrect incorrect t

[CelesteRY]

I agree with digestive enzymes and magnesium citrate. Be careful when choosing enzymes and vitamins and probiotics, contamination issues are a problem. These items are not FDA regulated and sometimes companies take advantage of that. I was taking CeliAct vitimans that have enzymes in them and it helps me tremendously with digestion. When I stop taking them I become constipated again. Different products work for different people, just do your research before you put something in your mouth. Pure Encapsulation is a clean brand who tests their products for gluten. Pricey but worth it. A more affordable brand is Country Life, they also test and I’ve not had any reaction taking their products (love the magnesium citrate). I was diagnosed in 2013 and was subsequently diagnosed with SIBO which, for me, mimics the symptoms of gluten consumption and it contributes to horrible digestion issues. You may want to ask your GI to test you, it’s an easy breath test. For now, definitely cut oats/oat flour and limit processed foods... meaning only eat gluten free processed food if you have to (like.. stranded at an airport). You can try to add processed gluten-free foods and oats down the road (symptom free for 3-6 months) but for now you have to keep your diet super clean. A YEAR after I was diagnosed I was still getting sick and someone gave me that advice. I kind of listened but I thought it was a little extreme so I was still eating processed foods. 3 months later I was still sick. I finally followed her advice and got super strict (and don’t eat outside of your home). 3 months after that, things turned around and I started feeling like a normal human being again. The first year post diagnosis can be very challenging and frustrating and many people remain sick. This is a good place to start, asking for help from fellow celiacs is crucial and is how I finally got better. After diagnosis my doctors couldn’t help me and I quickly realized was on my own. It was terrifying and a difficult way to learn about this disease. So continue to reach out for help. You’ll get there, I promise! ?

Also sign up for an account with gluten free watchdog. It’s a valuable resource and you’ll learn so much!! You can follow them on Facebook as well.