How Long Is Long Enough--elimination Diet?

[jabberwife]

Hello all!

Hope someone can help me determine how long is truly long enough being gluten-free to determine whether gluten is my problem. I have been diagnosed IBS and iron-deficient anemia but nothing helps the IBS--had a blood test for celiac a number of years ago but tested negative, but I've heard that's not super-reliable. Brother and father both celiac. Sister unsure, she's having the same issues I am but has not been tested (hence the reason to suspect gluten as the enemy) I have been gluten-free for a week now, and most of the stuff I've read states 2 weeks for allergy tests, but I am wondering if anyone else has had experiences and if so, with what success/failure using this method? Just don't want to do the colonoscopy if I don't have to! I feel better, somewhat. No diarrhea, much less bloating and cramps. Think it's time to reintroduce gluten as a test? Or give it another week? Help. Thanks!

[rinne]

I'm very new to this and I can't answer your question but just wanted to say hello and that this is a great site with lots of knowledgeable people.

I've been trying to be gluten free for about a month now but keep accidentally glutening myself, I am finding that it is a real learning curve.

I have a sister that has a diagnosis of Celiac and a family with digestion problems. Me, I've always known wheat is a problem and generally avoided it but until this winter when I melted (lost 35 pounds) I never knew how serious that problem could be.

I'm looking forward to the answers to your question, I'm sure it will be helpful to me. Thanks for asking it.

I will say that after the first week of being gluten free I knew that I would never go back to eating gluten regardless of the results of the biopsy. I am still struggling, in large part because of Ankylosing Spondylitis which is related to Celiac through the gut, but I feel like I am finding the answers that are unravelling the riddle that has been my health.

[tarnalberry]

My advice is to be *truely* gluten free (no hidden gluten in things like soy sauce, no contaminatino from croutons or shared toasters) for a month, then do a challenge by eating plenty of gluten (I suggest bagels, as they are made from high-gluten flours) if you are uncertain after that month. If the answer is clear after that month being gluten free, don't do the challenge! :-)

[jabberwife]

at least I'm somewhat knowledgable on the "truly" gluten-free part--I was still living at home, reading labels when my dad was diagnosed, so I know the drill! Thanks for the advice. I'll keep going....I'm just missing beer already! Dang it.

[loraleena]

You can need months to feel better on gluten free diet depending how much damage is done. I would suggest a stool test from enterolabs. Blood tests are very unreliable. You could just try the diet for a while. You do not have to eat gluten for the stool tests, so stay off it. Good luck

[jabberwife]

Ok so I'm still gluten-free. Truly, it's not as hard as I thought--but probably only because I'm so used to family members and their needs that it didn't take much to adapt. My husband still thinks I'm a hypochondriac, but anyway....

I ordered the Enterolab test. we'll see what comes of that.

I'm still having some issues, though, some gas that I can't pinpoint. I'm wondering--should I remove all dairy as well? Or just wait for the test? (what's sad is--in my mind, dairy seems harder for me to get over losing than gluten products! Soy cheese just isn't the same for me!) It does surprise me, however, how much less I crave the gluten-laden products. I don't really want them, unless of course someone is sitting next to me chowing down on a big burger on a bun or something.

Anyway, thoughts on dairy--yes or no? Anyone else have similar experiences?

[Kaycee]

No thoughts on dairy.

But like you, I am not interested in glutenny things, never even craved them at the start, but milk would be hard to give up, but I still feel I am missing out when everybody else has cakes and sandwiches, maybe it is because they can have them and I can't. A lot of choice has been taken away. But I would never eat them again!

Cathy

[loraleena]

Try raw cheeses (better for you anyway) or goat and sheep cheese. There is a wonderful water buffalo yogurt that you can get at Whole foods.

[jabberwife]

I haven't known there was "raw" cheese and "not raw" cheese. Hmmm....you learn something new every day! Are these labeled as raw cheese at Whole Foods, or how do I know?

[pesto126]

Hi.. yes - RAW cheese is made without pasterization.. most agree the cheese tastes better and is in a more pure state. Of course, you also need to be a bit careful because it is not pasturized... I eat mainly raw cheese because I just like it better.. Whole Foods does mark most of these cheeses but anyone in the cheese department can help you out too. Good Luck!

I haven't known there was "raw" cheese and "not raw" cheese. Hmmm....you learn something new every day! Are these labeled as raw cheese at Whole Foods, or how do I know?

[jabberwife]

Ok folks. I have been gluten-free for 2 1/2 weeks, ordered the Enterolab stuff and am waiting on my results, but decided last night that I would do a gluten challenge. Just curious, I suppose. Well, I had a bagel. Other than a great deal of brain fog, and a headache like a hangover (last night and this morning), night sweats, not a lot happened. I was expecting a run to the bathroom or something within a few hours...but in fact, I haven't "gone" since Wednesday. Not even a huge amount of bloating or gas...a little, but not much. I'm going to continue on the gluten-free diet from here on out until I get my results, but this surprises me--especially since I've had tummy troubles throughout the gluten-free diet and always before. (alternating constipation and D before) I'm wondering--anyone else have constipation and these other symptoms with gluten instead of D on a challenge? What does this mean? I know I'll find out once and for all on the results of my lab tests--but that's a few weeks from now.

[Nancym]

Ok so I'm still gluten-free. Truly, it's not as hard as I thought--but probably only because I'm so used to family members and their needs that it didn't take much to adapt. My husband still thinks I'm a hypochondriac, but anyway....

I ordered the Enterolab test. we'll see what comes of that.

I'm still having some issues, though, some gas that I can't pinpoint. I'm wondering--should I remove all dairy as well? Or just wait for the test? (what's sad is--in my mind, dairy seems harder for me to get over losing than gluten products! Soy cheese just isn't the same for me!) It does surprise me, however, how much less I crave the gluten-laden products. I don't really want them, unless of course someone is sitting next to me chowing down on a big burger on a bun or something.

Anyway, thoughts on dairy--yes or no? Anyone else have similar experiences?

Enterolab pointed out to me my dairy issues. Sure enough, I cut it out and got better. On my own I found that soy is also an issue with me. Yes, dairy is much harder to quit than wheat. I'm not as fanatical about it as I am with wheat but it definitely makes me feel better to stay far away from it.

I had things that improved immediately on going gluten-free (within 2 days), intestinal cramping and some diarrhea, what I always called IBS. Still had some weird poops though and lots of flatulence though. That got better with dairy free. It is almost a year since going wheat free and I've had much slower improvement in my arthritis and improvements in memory and much less fatigue.

[tarnalberry]

Well, I had a bagel. Other than a great deal of brain fog, and a headache like a hangover (last night and this morning), night sweats, not a lot happened.

I'd say that was quite a lot. Not everyone gets diahreah, of course, and you certainly did react to it. Unless you get that sort of reaction everytime you eat anything, I'd say there is something happening!

[jabberwife]

Haha...update on that bagel reaction. It all came "flooding in" on Friday night/Saturday morning. I guess the constipation was over, and boy, was I sorry I ate that bagel! About 5am I started my trips to the bathroom, back and forth every half hour, until 10-11 am. Can't sleep that well when every time you doze off you have the need to get up and go! Anyway, I'm still gluten-free since then. Doing better at it...wish I could tell you I feel wonderful, but I can't quite tell for sure because I caught a cold (guess I brought my immune system down with the bagel thing or it's a coincidence) and feel like crud from that!

A separate issue though, if anyone knows about this, I'd like to hear. My sister is about a week behind me on the gluten free diet. She's been lactose intolerant for more than a year, and has bad acid reflux, can't go a day without Prevacid. She has also been told she has IBS. She experiences a lot of anxiety and consistent tiredness, which she is currently seeing a doctor for. (the doc has her on a combo of prescription meds and alternative treatments, and just performed tests on a bunch of her chemical levels (serotonin, etc) and she's ok on anxiety now, but still showing really tired and sluggish.) I talked to her about her possibly being celiac, so she started the diet. Well, 2 weeks in, she decided she didn't feel any different and was mad about how much everything costs (especially cutting dairy and gluten) and ate some Cheerios to test herself out. She had what I would consider a gluten reaction from those, and is back on the diet. Now...Cheerios are a nono, but I would think she would be less likely to react to those as something with a higher gluten content, especially just being only 2 weeks gluten-free, right? I mean, everyone's different....but that surprises me. The gluten in cheerios is only from oats and wheat starch...low in comparison to something like...a bagel.

Anyway, just wondering.