Newly Gluten Free

[cellolaur]

So I just started a gluten free diet two days ago. I have no symptoms of celiac disease but I got tested for it and had the endoscopy and all that because my younger brother has celiac, and it turns out that I have it too. I'm 20 and starting my junior year in college this fall and I'm dreading having to explain this new diet to all my friends and people at school who don't have any idea I have this problem. The worst part for me is that I don't have a reaction to gluten at all. At least if I had some sort of reaction I would feel more inclined to eat gluten free, but it doesn't bother me at all if I eat gluten. My doctor and my parents keep telling me that it's for the best so that I won't get sick in the future but it's all very frustrating right now. My family is really supportive, of course, since we've been dealing with my brother's gluten free lifestyle, and my boyfriend is also really caring and willing to help me out. Somehow, though, I feel so depressed and unhappy about this whole situation. I've been reading the posts here and it's helped a little, but I still feel like the only one who is being forced to be gluten free and doesn't feel sick at all from gluten. I would love to hear from anyone who is in this same situation. Thanks!

Laura

[Rikki Tikki]

Hi Laura:

It is hard. I haven't had the same experience but my brother has. I was ill and diagnosed with it, then my mom got ill and was diagnosed with it. My younger brother then got tested just in case and also was positive. The thing is he was not having any symptoms. But when they checked his bones it had already started doing damage, his endscopy showed no villi and yet he didn't feel a thing.

The board will be a lot of help, just be careful and stay away from gluten, it really will wreck havoc with your body.

Welcome

[queenofhearts]

Welcome! It's always hard right after diagnosis, I was a teary mess myself even though I did have lots of symptoms-- it's just overwhelming at first to deal with so many restrictions, & there is so much to learn, & yes, to explain to everyone is a drag. But the good news is it does get much easier, & you will never develop all the miserable complications that so many of us have had to deal with.

You may find too, that you feel better even though you didn't think you had symptoms-- there's much more to Celiac than the digestive issues. Check out this thread & you might see something that rings a bell & helps motivate you.

Open Original Shared Link

Hang in there, & feel free to post whenever you feel down. We've all been there & can help you get through it.

Leah

[celiacgirls]

I didn't have any symptoms when I was diagnosed either. I found out when my daughter tested positive so I tested myself. Now I do have symptoms when I eat gluten. I have never knowingly eaten any but I have had stomach issues recently which I think are due to trace amounts of gluten. That is the bad news.

The good news is that I discovered that gluten was affecting me in many ways that I didn't connect to gluten. Emotionally and mentally I feel much better. I don't have any regrets about it. I feel like discovering my gluten intolerance is the best thing that has happened to me. Hopefully, you will notice unexpected benefits also.

I admire your willingness to do the diet at such a young age when you haven't noticed any symptoms.

[AndreaB]

Hi Laura and welcome !

I was one that didn't have any obvious symptoms. I got allergy testing because my infant son broke out with eczema on his face. After going gluten lite and soy free he was much better but not cleared up. I then did testing with enterolab and due to the results went gluten free. His face cleared up completely after that.

Now, 2 months later (totally gluten free since June 6), if I get "glutened" I have abdominal distress until it clears my system usually about a day. The last glutening seemed to hang around a little longer though. You may be surprised about how sensitive you can become once you aren't eating it all the time.

It will get easier and you already have a good support base to help out, and this forum is loads of help.

[kbtoyssni]

Welcome! It's possible you do have some symptoms and don't even realize it. There were so many things wrong with me that I didn't know weren't normal until after I went gluten-free. Hopefully after a few months you'll see some positive benefits.

[CarlaB]

My oldest daughter was not tested, but went gluten-free on her own because she and I were sharing an apt. after the rest of the family moved until she graduated hs. She didn't expect any changes since she had no symptoms, but her seasonal allergies completely went away. So, she avoids it entirely.

[GFBetsy]

It might also be worthwhile to check and see if there are any on-campus helps available. There has been an official "Celiac Club" on campus at BYU in the past. And, Hey! If there isn't one at your college yet, maybe you could look into starting one . . . You could be the president by default and improve your (eventual) resume! And it would also be a way to introduce your friends to your new dietary needs. You could have meetings where you tried gluten-free recipes, ate completely gluten-free at a restaurant, raided the library for new celiac information, or just sat around making up great slogans for club t-shirts. It definitely has possibilities!