Before Going gluten-free Was Anyone Else Always Hungry?

[Guest buzzinboston]

Ok...here's my story...it's very long but I will make it short and get to the point. A few years ago I had a small discomfort on the right side right at the tip of my last rib. I went to several doctors, tried numerous medications, all did nothing. At first they thought it was GERD. I then met to a doctor specializing in stomach problems and did a gall ballder nuclear test which tested position. They said my gall badder was bad and I had it removed. After the pain of the operation subsided, the discomfort was still there. The best I can explain it that is feels like a goofball is inside, (you cannot feel anything, nor was it sensitive to the touch, just a discomfort). Anyhow, I went back to another doctor who ran several tests. He called me one night and said, I tested positive for celiac. My blood level was 129. I did an endoscopy which I was told also tested positive. He said, he did not think that was my problem, that he thought the discomfort was muscular. I have no real symptoms of celiac. I am 46, 230 pounds, I have been eating bread and beer all my life. I tried to go gluten-free and did for several months and then stopped and went back to eating anything.. The discomfort never went away. Now 2 years later and still the discomfort is still there but for the most part 80% is gone. Now over the last several months, I am constantly hungry. I am eating, and never get the feeling of being full. I can eat a huge meal, and never get full and 10 minutes after eating, I feel like I could sit down and eat another big meal. I am not losing weight, infact I have gained several pounds since this started. About 6 months ago I went for a physical (before this constant hunger was happening) and I had several routine blood works done. All came out good, so at that point no diabetics or other problems. The test for celiac was 130.

Do anyone think this is due to Celiac? Do you think if I went gluten-free this feeling of being hungry all the time would stop? Does anyone else not have symptoms of Celiac like me but have it?

[Guest cassidy]

First of all, even if that pain isn't due to celiac, you tested positive and you need to go gluten-free. You are doing damage to your body every time you have gluten and even if it isn't causing these symptoms, it will catch up to you.

I was always hungry all the time. I still think I eat more than most people. I also got hypoglycemic symptoms when I didn't eat every few hours. That went away after going gluten-free.

I would highly recommend going gluten-free. I would also recommend finding another doctor. Any doctor that sees that you have tested positive for celiac and doesn't tell you that you have to be on a gluten-free diet is not a doctor I would trust.

[Guest buzzinboston]

First of all, even if that pain isn't due to celiac, you tested positive and you need to go gluten-free. You are doing damage to your body every time you have gluten and even if it isn't causing these symptoms, it will catch up to you.

I was always hungry all the time. I still think I eat more than most people. I also got hypoglycemic symptoms when I didn't eat every few hours. That went away after going gluten-free.

I would highly recommend going gluten-free. I would also recommend finding another doctor. Any doctor that sees that you have tested positive for celiac and doesn't tell you that you have to be on a gluten-free diet is not a doctor I would trust.

Thanks for the reply....I want to give the doctor, he did tell me to go gluten-free and gave me lots of reading material. I did it for a while, but stupid me stopped going gluten-free for the last two years because it was not "bothering me". I just wondering if this constant hunger is due to celiac?

thank you again

[ravenwoodglass]

Do anyone think this is due to Celiac? Do you think if I went gluten-free this feeling of being hungry all the time would stop? Does anyone else not have symptoms of Celiac like me but have it?

Yes, and yes it will stop once you are gluten free. I had lots of symptoms but my DH had almost none, or so he thought. There were a lot of things that went away for him gluten-free and he also lost some weight with almost no effort. It's nice to be around a guy whos not burping and passing wind all the time anymore.

You are also setting yourself up for a lot of problems down the line if you keep poisoning yourself. There has recently been a great increase in the availability of gluten free food, IMHO it is time to go out and get some.

[hannahsue01]

I would agree with the above that you need to go back on the diet.....your doing damage to your body. I have yet to go on the diet myself because I am waiting for testing. My fasting blood sugar tests came back ok. I am currently and have been for some time EXTREEMLY hungry all the time. Like you after eating I feel as though I never ate not long after a decent meal. I actually seem to gain more wieght while on a diet....errrr. I hope that on a gluten free diet that this stops!!! Unlike you I have well over a page of symptoms. I constantly feel like I am starving but am far from looking the part. Does this get better anyone? Goodluck to you! I hope your hunger subsides and please go back on the diet.

[CarlaB]

I am 5'8" and at the time weighed 121 pounds. I would order a meal in a restaurant, then order a second meal! Waitresses would look at me like I was kidding and my husband would assure them I wasn't. If I didn't do that, I'd make myself something to eat as soon as we got home. My 18 year old daughter has said recently that I used to eat 10 times as much as her, now I only eat three times as much! It sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. I still eat more than 6'2" hubby!

I have put on almost 10 pounds (okay 8!). I know you're not looking to gain weight, it was a lot of work for me to do that, and it's still work to keep it on sometimes. I'm not hungry like I used to be. My guess is that the quantity of food you are eating is making up for the poor absorption of it.

It is not uncommon for a celiac to not have symptoms. You are still susceptible to all the complications of celiac, however! Cancer being one of them!! Some celiacs are overweight, some are underweight, some are neither. You need to be eating gluten-free!!

Like you after eating I feel as though I never ate not long after a decent meal.

One time I ate a good meal at the health food store, I left and went to Target. A little while later when I left Target, I was thinking that I really wished I had eaten as I was starving! Then I remembered that it hadn't even been an hour since my last meal. I found humor in it at the time.

[amber-rose]

Yeah, I would eat a huge meal, then 30 mins.-1 hr. later, I'd be hungry again. So'd eat, and etc. People were always saying "You eat so much, but you never gain weight! You're so lucky!" But it was actually the FOOD that was making me sick. Who ever knew? lol. I'm 5'7" and my lowest weight was about 100 lbs.

[LoriCF]

My son used to eat huge portions and was hungry all the time. He was overweight as well. Since taking him off gluten his appetite has moderated noticeably and he's lost 4 pounds. I read somewhere that because the body is not getting the essential fatty acids it needs (and probably other nutrients?) it craves food to try to get what it needs.

Do anyone think this is due to Celiac? Do you think if I went gluten-free this feeling of being hungry all the time would stop? Does anyone else not have symptoms of Celiac like me but have it?

[julie5914]

I had eating disorders as a teen - would basically binge eat. Later, the damage got so bad that I actually never wanted to eat - got full and in pain quickly. If you tested positive, you have celiac and definitely need to be on the diet - it can lead to stomach cancer. Your problems could be something else, but you still need to be on that diet!

[Nancym]

I just read an article about celiac messing up CCK. CCK is a hormone that causes satiety. I always noticed that whenever I ate wheat, I could eat forever and not feel full. You might try putting CCK celiac into a search engine and see what you can find.

[RiceGuy]

I just read an article about celiac messing up CCK. CCK is a hormone that causes satiety. I always noticed that whenever I ate wheat, I could eat forever and not feel full. You might try putting CCK celiac into a search engine and see what you can find.

Wow, that seems to be right on the spot! Nice work!

I will have to read up on this, as I have been eating large portions ever since childhood. Never gained weight though. Not surprisingly many of my relatives also have this trait - but just mention a gluten-free diet and get looks that could kill.

Now since being gluten-free it seems like wheat was a pacifier for it somehow, so it can be worse unless I eat right. I find I am far more satisfied if I eat enough carbs and I think fats/protein too. Peanut butter has been a staple food all my life. Unfortunately I consumed it on wheat bread. Now grains like rice and millet make a real difference on the hunger level, and I try to keep peanuts handy to snack on. Good quality oils like olive and some nut/seed oils help too. I think I should try adding some legumes soon too. So I guess I'd suggest making sure you replace the wheat with other things. If you can have tapioca pudding, that's a high carb food, and IMHO it's fabulously delicious as is rice pudding. Add some fresh fruit for a nutritious, no-guilt dessert if carbs are insufficient in your gluten-free diet.

I also found that I eat WAY to fast. Chewing is important for proper digestion, and in the case of the compromised gut, we need all the absorption we can get. So I keep reminding myself to chew slower and more completely. It helps, but admittedly I keep forgetting, as the hunger can make me ravenous at times. I know the human stomach just isn't supposed to stretch as much as I am making mine do.

These things I consider minor compared to the terrible glutening I was getting for so long. I feel enormously better now, but there's a lot of damage to be healed, so I know I must be patient.

[Kaycee]

That was me. Always hungry. I can remember coming home from school when a teenager and having at least 4 sandwiches because I was starvng, and I still managed to eat tea with dessert no problems.

I do blame coeliac form my hunger. I have always been big, even as a child. I have dieted, have got results, but then always manage to put the weight back on because of the hunger.

So years down the track, and into my forties, I was starting to have symptoms, but like you I did not think much of them, but it slowly progressed until it was d everyday. I had to do something as it was getting worse, and starting to interefere with my enjoyment of food and socialising. But I was still forever hungry.

I was diagnosed with coeliac at 49. My first thought was, oh no, I will definately the weight back on with the appetite for food that I have. But I was quite shocked, and even stunned because within two weeks, the hunger had gone, and now 9 months later it has not returned. I have not put on any of the weight I lost just previous to diagnosis, which has been a bonus, but then I have not lost any either (could do with loosing another 10 kilos). But my eating has stabilised and my weight is constant. I will tackle the weight, hopefully over summer when it will be eaiser with all those yummy salads. I enjoy food now, and take care with what I eat, I get sick of people telling me how healthy my food looks! But I agree, for me it is the only way to go, with the occassional break out.

I did mention to my doctor that I was not as hungry anymore, and he said it was because of the lesser amount of carbohydrates in my diet. It would appear according to him, that carbs makes us hungry. But there is no problem finding carbs on a gluten free diet, so I try hard to watch the amount of carbs I eat.

As everyone above has said, if you have been tested for coeliac, you need to go gluten free for your own health. You mght just surprise yourself and find you are not as hungry.

So in answer to your question, yes I was always hungry before going gluten free.

Cath

Cathy

[Daxin]

Ok...here's my story...it's very long but I will make it short and get to the point. A few years ago I had a small discomfort on the right side right at the tip of my last rib. I went to several doctors, tried numerous medications, all did nothing. At first they thought it was GERD. I then met to a doctor specializing in stomach problems and did a gall ballder nuclear test which tested position. They said my gall badder was bad and I had it removed. After the pain of the operation subsided, the discomfort was still there. The best I can explain it that is feels like a goofball is inside, (you cannot feel anything, nor was it sensitive to the touch, just a discomfort). Anyhow, I went back to another doctor who ran several tests. He called me one night and said, I tested positive for celiac. My blood level was 129. I did an endoscopy which I was told also tested positive. He said, he did not think that was my problem, that he thought the discomfort was muscular. I have no real symptoms of celiac. I am 46, 230 pounds, I have been eating bread and beer all my life. I tried to go gluten-free and did for several months and then stopped and went back to eating anything.. The discomfort never went away. Now 2 years later and still the discomfort is still there but for the most part 80% is gone. Now over the last several months, I am constantly hungry. I am eating, and never get the feeling of being full. I can eat a huge meal, and never get full and 10 minutes after eating, I feel like I could sit down and eat another big meal. I am not losing weight, infact I have gained several pounds since this started. About 6 months ago I went for a physical (before this constant hunger was happening) and I had several routine blood works done. All came out good, so at that point no diabetics or other problems. The test for celiac was 130.

Do anyone think this is due to Celiac? Do you think if I went gluten-free this feeling of being hungry all the time would stop? Does anyone else not have symptoms of Celiac like me but have it?

I was hungry ALL THE TIME, and losing weight like it was going out of style. That's what triggered the DR to look for celiac. It seems to have passed now that I am gluten-free though. I don't feel hungry quite so often.

[spunky]

Yes, I was ALWAYS starving to death! I ate much more than my husband could ever attempt to...he always thought I was such a pig! But I would stuff myself silly and then turn around and start looking for something else to eat just a few minutes later.

Now, my in 8th month gluten free, and just finally starting to see consistent results within the past several weeks, I can go from one meal to the next without snacking. I get hungry sometimes, but it isn't that awful, desperate to eat, shaky thing. I eat less than I did before, but also find eating much more enjoyable than it used to be. Food just goes down a lot better these days.

[hafadai43]

I am 5'1" and have always been petite...I lived with celiac disease for probably 5 years before I found out that I had it. A little while before I actually found out, I had gained weight and got to almost 120 lbs. Then, without slowing down on what I ate (which was a ton) I lost so much weight...I got down to 98 lbs. Even though I wanted to lose some of the weight...I was so unhealthy! I looked terrible. I was 17 at that time, so my mom finally got tired of dealing with our family doctor with no answers and no solutions and called around for a gastroenterologist. It was tough to find one that took patients under the age of 18. It took me a long time to gain the weight back. And even though I've been gluten free for more than 3 years now, I still eat a lot. I'm just always hungry! So that hasn't really changed. I'm at a healthy weight, and I just try to eat healthy so I don't become overweight. So yes...I ate all the time before I was gluten-free...but still eat a decent amount

[bmzob]

i just found out i had celiac's and it was sort of out of the blue because I have never had any symptoms. Now that i've been reading more and more about celiac's i think i may have had a few symptoms though....but so minor I never knew. I had really bad reflux once like two years ago, I guess I am quite gasy, every once in a while i would get a pain under my left rib like i'd been running even when i hadn't been. I also eat like every three hours or so, I don't know if that's always being hungry, but I do feel like i'm always eating.

[rinne]

I rarely felt satisfied by food, I always wanted more and now I know I was starving even though I needed to lose thirty pounds. It was really bad if I ate wheat, my brain would shut down and I could and sometimes would eat a whole loaf of bread at one sitting or half a dozen donuts. This past year I got really sick and melted and now it is an effort to keep the weight on.

I was always C and I wonder if there is a connection between C and overweight Celiacs and D and underweight Celiacs.

[Kaycee]

Interesting thought Rinne.

But I am here to prove it wrong. I am overweight, not excessively, but probably bordering obese according to my bmi. I have always had D. So sorry about your theory. Last time I remember being constipated would be about 20 years ago. No I have not had D for 20 years, but normal until probably a few years back. It just got gradually worse, and now I am so pleased, eight months after diagnosis, I am almost back to normal.

Cathy

[rinne]

Thanks Cathy, another theory "bites the dust".

[Kaycee]

Rinne, now I feel terrible. I surely know how it feels when a theory has bitten the dust, and there have been many of mine gone by the wayside over the last eight months.

Maybe, I could always pretend that I am underweight.

Maybe I really am underweight!

Just wishful thinking.

Cathy

[buzz]

3 weeks Gluten Free and still hungry all the time...I eat a Thanksgiving size meal and the hunger does not go away...what did anyone else do to stop the hunger....Houdia? any type of pill? a kind of food...please help..it sucks being hunger ALL the time...

Buzz in boston

[carriecraig]

Hi Buzz!

Yes, I too was hungry constantly. I am 5'4" and weighed 118 and ate more then my husband who is 6' and weighs 180 lbs. I'd say it took somewhere between 4-6 months for the extreme hunger to go away. Now, I am down to 105 and I sometimes have to force myself to eat - just because I know I should.

Hang in there!

[cmom]

I also ate alot of food but was always hungry. My MIL told people that I ate like a pig. How flattering!!!!

[buzz]

I also ate alot of food but was always hungry. My MIL told people that I ate like a pig. How flattering!!!!

How long after going gluten-free did the constant hunger stop?

[CarlaB]

Hi Buzz!

Yes, I too was hungry constantly. I am 5'4" and weighed 118 and ate more then my husband who is 6' and weighs 180 lbs. I'd say it took somewhere between 4-6 months for the extreme hunger to go away. Now, I am down to 105 and I sometimes have to force myself to eat - just because I know I should.

Hang in there!

I was like this, too. I ate double what my husband ate and he's 6'2", I'm 5'8" and got down to 121. If we ate out, it was not uncommon for me to order a second meal!! Our 18 year old daughter told me recently that I used to eat 10 times as much as her and now it's only 3 times as much. So, it gets better, but it takes time. I'm not hungry all the time now, but my doc wants me to eat 5-6 times per day, with each meal being centered on protein (which means they're all cooked), and I have to literally make myself do it. I have little appetite now, and like carriecraig, my weight is going down again (but it's still a few pounds higher than my low).