Recovery

[Ash82]

I have been recently diagnosed with celiac disease about 3 weeks ago. I have tried really hard to maintain a gluten free diet. I was just wondering how long it takes to start seeing improvements with your GI symptoms (diarrhea, etc.) I seemed to get better for a week or so, and then would start having problems again, not all the time but enough to be annoying. Is this normal during the recovery process, or should it cause concern for other problems (lactose intolerance, refractory celiac). I am 23 and had been diagnosed with IBS about a year ago. My blood levels were definatly positive, but not on the high end. I was just wondering if anyone can relate or has any suggestions. Thank you.

[CarlaB]

I have good days and bad days. It's getting so that my bad days now are better than my good days used to be -- this is if I haven't been glutened. Some days I'm just tired and a little foggy. I've been off casein for three weeks now and am doing much better -- been off gluten for six months. Give it some time. It took years for this damage to take place, it will take a while till you're completely better. Be patient with it. If you are like I am, you are expecting it to all be okay too quickly!!

[BRUMI1968]

I have always had C rather than D. When I went gluten free, I had C for three weeks maybe. I did figure out I had hidden gluten in my diet - cross contamination on some pumpkin seeds, the mayo I was using, that sort of thing. I did carefully segregate my kitchen into gluten side, not gluten side - got my own toaster and cutting board, have my own silverware drawer (didn't want crumbs falling into it) - that kind of thing.

My C has diminished a bit, but I still have bloat. My other symptoms have gone away though, canker sores, itching, and apparently, more brain fog than I thought I had (now that I don't, I can see how bad it was).

Anyway, keep at it. Make sure you're not getting glutened. And I agree about the dairy - it makes sense to quit dairy at least temporarily as lactase is made on the villi, and if you have damaged villi, you're not making the required stuff to digest dairy. (Never mind the casein, which is used an industrial glue - there isn't anything we make that allows us to 'digest' that.)

Take care.

[jerseyangel]

Hi and welcome to the board!

It's very common for healing to be uneven at the beginning. This is the point where we're becoming familiar with the diet, making sure our kitchens are gluten-free, and going through our personal care products, meds and vitamins. Sometimes the problem is getting some gluten by mistake--happens to everyone at first! Also, the healing process itself takes time--how much is individual. Depends on a number of things--how long you were sick, your general health and possibly other food intolerance. It's a good idea to avoid dairy products at first--as Bully4You explained. The first several months for me were difficult--

Good luck with everything--just keep up the good work, and it should all fall into place

[Ash82]

Thanks for the advice, I feel a bit better now. I think I am going to cut dairy from my diet for a few days and see what happens. Im also going to look for hidden gluten. Did anyone try those lactose pills?? I was wondering if they worked and if I should bother trying them.

[CarlaB]

Thanks for the advice, I feel a bit better now. I think I am going to cut dairy from my diet for a few days and see what happens. Im also going to look for hidden gluten. Did anyone try those lactose pills?? I was wondering if they worked and if I should bother trying them.

Some celiacs have a lactose intolerance and the lactose pills help. Mine is a casein intolerance, which is the protein in millk, so there's nothing to take for it.