How Long After Going On A Gluten-free Diet Do Symptoms Lessen

[UzairH]

Hello all!

I'm from Pakistan, age 24, and suffering from a serious problem which I have all but bashed my head against the wall to solve. That's why I have joined this site, hoping to talk to people who may have similar problems.

In brief, my problem is:

- Always suffered from diarrhea, frequency at least 2 times a week, all my life.

- Never feel hungry, even when fasting. Always feeling of fullness, can't eat too much. Abdomen slightly distended.

- Weak appearance, never able to gain weight even with heavy eating (proteins, carbs) and fanatical bodybuilding.

- History: Diagnosed with Intestinal Tuberculosis at age 1 month, had full treatment for a year with antibiotics.

- Recent Steps: Consulted doctors: first went on lactose-free diet, now 2 weeks on gluten-free diet. TB tests all negative, hence a TB relapse is ruled out.

My doctor has put me on a one month gluten-free diet to test for wheat-intolerence. Two weeks have passed: initially for 2 days I felt a little better and the diarrhea actually transformed into constipation, but for the past week I've had extreme diarrhea, with very, ahem, aqueous stools. I want to ask those of you who may be Celiacs what was the progression of their sypmtoms after going on a gluten-free diet. How long does it normally take for the symptoms to go away?

I hope I find out the nature of my disease sooner rather than later. Thanks for your help!

Uzair

[jerseyangel]

Hi UzairH--Glad you found us! It can take longer than 2 weeks to really see an improvement--especially since you've been sick for so long. Right now, for this gluten-free "trial", I would urdge you to make sure there are no hidden glutens in your food or personal care products. A tiny bit can cause a reaction that will slow any progress you make. If you need any tips for doing that, ask and we can help you out there. I would give it some more time--I went back and forth with the D the first 1-2 months. It wasn't until the 4th. month gluten-free that I really began to feel better. I was sick for 20 years before I knew gluten was my problem, so it took a while for my body to begin to heal. Good luck and I hope you begin to feel better soon

[UzairH]

Hi UzairH--Glad you found us! It can take longer than 2 weeks to really see an improvement--especially since you've been sick for so long. Right now, for this gluten-free "trial", I would urdge you to make sure there are no hidden glutens in your food or personal care products. A tiny bit can cause a reaction that will slow any progress you make. If you need any tips for doing that, ask and we can help you out there. I would give it some more time--I went back and forth with the D the first 1-2 months. It wasn't until the 4th. month gluten-free that I really began to feel better. I was sick for 20 years before I knew gluten was my problem, so it took a while for my body to begin to heal. Good luck and I hope you begin to feel better soon

Thanks Angel of Jersey ! If it takes so long to diagnose celiac disease through a trial, then are there pathological tests which can determine that? Also, since I've been Gluten-free for some time, will that affect the outcome of those tests?

Thanks again, appreciate your kind help !

[jerseyangel]

Yes, there are tests that will diagnose Celiac--a full Celiac blood panel and also a biopsy of the small intestine. If you have been gluten-free for a while, as you have, the tests have a high risk of coming back a false negative. Your doctor, it looks like, is trying a diet challenge to see if you are gluten intolerant. The best thing right now for you would be to be 100% gluten-free and give it some more time. Even if you were diagnosed by a test, the symptoms you are experiencing after going gluten-free would be the same. In other words, the only treatment for Celiac is the gluten-free diet. Try and "hang in there"--feel free to ask any questions you may have about being 100% gluten-free

[lonewolf]

Have you tried acipdophilus or another type of pro-biotics? You might also have a problem with the balance of bacteria in your intestinal tract or a yeast overgrowth. It's one of those things that can't possibly hurt to try.

Liz