Does Anyone Feel Good At All?

[Carolita]

Hello all.

I was wondering if anyone feels good at all after following the Gluten free diet? I know staying away from Gluten and its derivatives is the only thing that works with Celiac symptoms but does anyone feel good at all from following the diet? Or is the diet only supposed to help some? I've been reading some of the posts but I haven't read anyone yet who is not struggling with Celiac Disease symptoms even after being gluten free for a while. I've just started the diet and I don't feel good at all. Just when I think I'm starting to feel better I start to feel VERY dizzy ... its almost desesperating. I'm also very low on iron so that could be part of my problem but I already started taking iron pills (not from my Doctor's recommendations b/c she hasn't even called me back since Thursday but b/c I thought it might help).

I would love to read from all of you who have had success with the diet and are doing well.

Thanks ...

Carol

[Mango04]

Hi - I feel awesome on a gluten, dairy and soy-free diet. There is hope!

[Carolita]

Hello Mango.

That is good to know. How long have you been on the diet? How soon after did you feel better? How long did you have symptoms before going on the diet?

I'm glad there is hope. I feel pretty hopeless right now.

Thanks.

Carol

[carriecraig]

I have been gluten free for 10 months now, and feel great. No more bloating, 10 trips to the bathroom a day, severe stomach cramps; my hair no longer falls out in clumps, and I don't have to eat every hour to get rid of my constant hunger pangs.

Good luck, and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

[mmaccartney]

On a gluten and dairy free diet, I do feel better. I can't say that I feel great, nor can I say that I feel good everyday. I still live with pain every day from my arthritis, and my gut seems to be tempermental nowadays. I am pretty darn sure I'm not getting any CC as I make 99% of my foods from whole ingredients...very little processed foods and no restaurants...

So, yes it does get better. Will you get back to 100%, I think that varies from person to person....

For me, I can actually participate in life now to me that's 95% better!!!

How long have you been gluten free?? Could there be a casein intolerance issue as well?? That can perpetuate celiac like symptoms post gluten free...???

[StrongerToday]

I definitely feel much better. No, not all days are great - but no one has completely perfect days!

I also think that now I tend to over-analyze every little thing which doesn't help. But I can look back at this time last year and remember how awful I felt, and I even have a couple pictures that I've saved to remind me too.

[ehrin]

Hi Carol -

I've been gluten-free for 6 months and instantly felt better. No more stomach cramps, bloating or excessive trips to the bathroom. Perhaps you have another allergy? I'm relatively new to this forum myself, but have noticed that many others dxed with Celiac have other food allergies. Hang in there!

Ehrin

[lonewolf]

Definitely yes! I feel pretty good most of the time. The only time I don't is when I cheat on one of the other things I'm sensitive too or eat too much sugar. I don't EVER cheat on the gluten. Considering that I was almost completely crippled with arthritis and had horrible stomach aches and cramping constantly, as well as other symptoms, I think I'm doing great. Now if I was just a size 7 and a B-cup, life would be perfect...

[Mango04]

Hello Mango.

That is good to know. How long have you been on the diet? How soon after did you feel better? How long did you have symptoms before going on the diet?

I'm glad there is hope. I feel pretty hopeless right now.

Thanks.

Carol

I had symptoms off and on for my whole life until I was 22, but really horrible symptoms for about six months before I started the diet. I have been gluten-free for almost three years.

I had the dizzy problems you describe as well. I don't know if it's a coincidence but once I started following "The Metabolic Typing Diet" the dizziness went away. I would get so dizzy I could barely stand up without almost blacking out, but I don't experience that anymore. You might want to eventually check it out if you still don't feel better after remaining gluten-free for a while.

Don't give up! Sticking to the gluten-free diet can be really really worth it!

[WGibs]

I've been firmly gluten-free since right after Christmas, although I was still glutening myself regularly throughout January. So, two and a half months is probably how long I've been on the diet.

I feel better than I have in years -- no more chronic D, itchy rash that I didn't know was related has cleared up, gas is gone, no more stomachaches after eating... I really hadn't realized how long I had been sick. I thought 6 months, but it was really more like 6 years. Only now that I'm better do I realize how not good I was.

It all comes back if I have even a little gluten -- and it takes more than 2 weeks for me to feel completely better. Next time it happens (although I would love for there not to be a next time), I'm going to go on a very bland, dairy-free diet to see if I can shorten the recovery time.

I hope you'll feel better soon -- now that I know what it is to feel good, I want it for everyone!

[penguin]

I've been on the gluten-free diet two-ish months and for the most part, I feel better. My symptoms from gluten are much worse, and I've become intolerant to non-cultured dairy, but yeah, I guess I feel better.

Not running to the bathroom 300 times a day, especially at work, is nice. "Stepping out of the fog" is nice too, for the small time spans between accidental glutening (hey, I'm still learning and am reasonably young ).

Not every day is good, for sure.

I'm about 50% better?

[codetalker]

I've been gluten-free for several years. It was tough at first because I was on a learning curve. I made gluten mistakes on a regular basis. It was hard going back and forth between being sick and being well. It was depressing as well. However, I eventually got a handle on the diet and now consider my health normal (at least, "normal" by 54 YO standards). The diet was/is well worth the effort.

[francelajoie]

I've been gluten free for a little less than a year. I feel great. No more going to the bathroom every 5 minutes. I can actually go do my grocery shopping now...before....i would just walk in the place and immediatly have to go. No more bloating. I have occasional gas but who doesn't

[jerseyangel]

I had hoped that by now (10 months) I would feel much better more consistantly. When I first went gluten-free, I felt so much better than I had been, but then the other food intolerances kicked in. I've been spending the last few months trying to figure it all out. I do know that I am a lot better than I was this time last year. There are periods where I feel "normal". I was sick for many years, so I probably had a lot of damage in there--but I'm coming along

[cgilsing]

I'm a totally different person than the one that started the gluten-free diet 2 years ago! I am healthy, happy, and feel good most of the time. I still have a bad time if I accidentally eat something I shouldn't, but 95% of the time I couldn't feel better.....that didn't happen over night though. I was actually just thinking about how long it was before I felt 100% again a few days ago. I came to the conclusion that a month after I started the diet my stomach and skin symptoms were better, but by no means gone and all my other symptoms (depression, exhaustion, sleeplessness, hair loss, and irratablity) were exactly the same. Four months after starting the diet my stomach would bother me at least once a week, but it was not constant, my hair was growing back, and I was feeling more like myself. By 8 months after going gluten-free I really can say I felt totally healed. I do, of course, still get sick if I am accidentally glutened, but that is rare. It really does get better! Just hang in there!

[floridanative]

I feel great on the diet, never better as an adult really. But dizziness could be a symptom of B12 deficiency so get that checked if you didn't already. Or also if you don't drink enough water you can get dizzy. My B12 def. was not caught until after I went off gluten, by then I'd fallend down my own stairs twice in 10 days, which led to shoulder injury for which PT was prescribed. Now my B12 is up over 500 on OTC supplement and I hoep to go off that, folic acid rx and iron in May when my levels are checked again. Seems I'm once again absorbing nutrients. Good luck to you and don't give up. Everyone heals differently and it may take you months to really feel better consistently.

[ianm]

I am healthier at 38 than I was at 18. Overall it took about two years to get to where I am at now. It takes time but it will get so much better.

[megsylvan2]

I'm so glad you started this thread -- I had been wondering the same thing myself. I guess I've been hovering between gluten free and gluten light for 3 months now, and only have a few days at a time when I actually feel normal again. But, I am still experimenting and learning. I seem to have done something lately that's gotten everything all inflamed again, so it's painful right now and I'm waiting for all this to calm down.

But it's nice to hear some success stories and know about the different variances among people. I was kind of wondering if this was ever successful for anyone, and would I ever be able to look forwards to a time when I could be healthy almost all the time again. It is very discouraging to think that I would be feeling like this most of the time from now on.

[Carriefaith]

I feel great on a gluten and casein free diet. I have been gluten free for about 2 years and casein free for about 1 year. The first year on the gluten-free diet was really tough for me, but after I got through that first year, I felt a lot better.

[PreOptMegs]

Try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I feel amazing 99.999999999% of the days. I am talking awesome! If you want to really "heal" then this is the diet you should try.

[whitball]

Hello all.

I was wondering if anyone feels good at all after following the Gluten free diet? I know staying away from Gluten and its derivatives is the only thing that works with Celiac symptoms but does anyone feel good at all from following the diet? Or is the diet only supposed to help some? I've been reading some of the posts but I haven't read anyone yet who is not struggling with Celiac Disease symptoms even after being gluten free for a while. I've just started the diet and I don't feel good at all. Just when I think I'm starting to feel better I start to feel VERY dizzy ... its almost desesperating. I'm also very low on iron so that could be part of my problem but I already started taking iron pills (not from my Doctor's recommendations b/c she hasn't even called me back since Thursday but b/c I thought it might help).

I would love to read from all of you who have had success with the diet and are doing well.

Thanks ...

Carol

I'm with you, Carol. I have been gluten free since mid february. I still feel crappy. I hope things go better for you. Take care. tara

[DingoGirl]

My bowels changed IMMEDIATELY after going gluten-free - they were pretty much normal for the first time in years. I do notice subtle changes if I accidentally ingest gluten. There has been little to no stomach pain or anything wrong (except a couple of times - ugh).

Mentally - that takes a little longer. I am just over two months gluten-free - still get tired and depressed, but that is improving too.

I think it just takes time! We didn't get this way overnight....

Susan

[Carolita]

Hello guys. Thanks for all the replies and participation in the post.

Meg, I had to ask. Some times I feel like I'm going crazy so I needed to know if it had gotten a lot better for other or if it was going to be like I'm feeling right now forever.

Tara, we have almost the same time then. I'm going to be gluten free for about a week soon. Hope you start to feel better soon.

I'm glad that it has gotten so much better for several of you.

PreOptMegs, I have never heard of that diet. What does it consist of?

What is really frustrating for me right now is that I was feeling well for about a year until like 3 weeks ago. I have been on a yeast free / low carb diet for about a year and 2 months b/c I was diagnosed with Cadida Albican so in order to kill the yeast I had to follow that diet and take Nystatin but about 3 weeks ago I started to feel sick and every day seems to get worts. I did cheat on the diet for a few months and I started eating things I shouldn't have (not every day though) but about 3 weeks ago I went to an italian restaurant and after that all was history. Now I'm back to square one feeling miserable.

I don't have to many stomach problems (no D) but I feel either very very dizzy and like I'm about to passout or I feel very weak or extremely hungry even after I have just eaten. Is the kind of hunger that makes me shake. Is horrible. Is like if I had been starbing for weeks. Last night I had to get up at 1 AM to eat I don't ever have the need to eat at night once I have already gone to sleep. I didn't know what to eat so I ate tortilla chips

I will have to find out about the B12. I have been taking a sublinguinal B12 for the last two days though.

I really do hope all this passes soon. I have been following a gluten free diet but I have still consumed soy and milk / source cream. I think I'll cut that out too. Thank goodness for meat and vegetables ... other wise I wouldn't have anything to eat.

Thank you all for your replies. It gives hope all of us who are still starting this new way of life.

Carol

[PreOptMegs]

There is a website can explain it better than I can, but I will try (www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com). The SCD is a cleaning out diet that starves out all of the bad bacteria in your gut. It is the hardest diet I have ever been on, but I feel amazing. Basically, only the simplest fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses are allowed. No processed foods. In the beginning, all of the vegetables and things must be cooked until they are mush. It sounds awful, but when you start feeling amazing after just 1 week on the diet, you know it works. You make your own yogurt as well (lactose free). You can't eat any disaccharides. I hope my explanation helps, but if you take a look at the website and are interested you can order the book that explains the scientific basis for the diet. IT WORKS!!!!!

[Ursa Major]

Well, I was sick for 52 years, having had celiac symptoms all my life. I've had fibromyalgia for many years, caused by the celiac disease, anemia, depression and many other things. I don't expect for 52 years of accumulated damage to be fixed overnight.

But I am so much better than I was six months ago! I was on codeine 24 hours a day for the pain for many years, and I don't need painkillers any more, unless I get a migraine (which also doesn't happen often any more). Only the occasional bout of diarrhea (probably not caused by gluten, I have a million intolerances, and it's not possible for me to always pinpoint the cause), stomach ache once in a while, still get rashes, but not raw and oozing now, head stopped itching so badly it was driving me nuts, still have depression, but that is because of a bad home situation. But I have lost 30 pounds since starting the diet (still need to lose another 50 at least), I have some energy again and started exercising.

It will take some time, and at my age, I may not get completely well. But I am much improved, and getting better all the time. I am so glad I figured it out, because now I have hope that I won't be dead from cancer by the age of 66, like my mother (and her mother even younger). I am sure they both got cancer because of celiac disease.