Stagnating recovery

[Eric.C]

Hi

I got my diagnosis about 3 months ago and has been gluten-free since that. In the beginning I started to feel better right after just a few weeks with things like joint pain disappearing, more energy and improved bowel movements. However, it seems like my recovery has sort of stagnated and my stomach has begun feeling worse as of lately. I find it very strange because I haven't really changed much from when I first got my diagnosis and I'm very careful with what I eat and CC. Is it normal for symtoms to come back or what experiences do you have? And how long did it take you from going gluten-free to having normal bowel movements regularly?

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Eric.C!

Are you still consuming dairy and oats? It is very common for those with celiac disease to have or to develop additional food intolerances. It could be to almost anything but dairy and oats (even gluten free oats) are the most common offenders because their proteins are similar to gluten. 

Also, if you are relying on a lot of gluten free prepackaged food products you could be reacting to peculiar ingredients that are commonly found in ready made gluten-free foods such as xanthan gum. There are a lot of polysaccharides used in gluten free ready made food products to give them textures similar to conventional wheat products. Polysaccharides can be hard to digest.

[Scott Adams]

Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months.

Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal.

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