How Long Do I Wait?

[Terch]

Hi,

I am so grateful I found this site! I had an endoscopy 3 weeks ago and don't get into to see the doctor until the 13th of October. I waited until after the scope to start gluten free and have been on it faithfully for 2 weeks and still feel lousy. I am not sure that I have celiacs but I do know that he was going to biopsy my small intestine to test me for it. I think that if i had celiacs or something more serious i would have had a call from my doctor. I also think it sounds to me that not all labs know what to look for. And I am considering using enterolab if I get negative results from my GI Guy. Can anyone tell me how long until i might feel some small relief and or if they had any similiar experience with Canadian doctors and lab results and the time frame. I also want to know if my symtoms sound like anyone elses so I will give a small history. Thank you so much to anyone that could helpl.

I was diagnosed with ibs as a 14 year old and have never done well with any of the ibs drugs. I started on Nexium in March and have used motillium for the past 5 years with no real improvement. In Feb. of this year i started with a lot of upper gi symptoms, constant burping and stomach gurgling and intestinal discomfort. like some battle going on in the intestines and I am losing since i can't pass gas very easily. Since I turned 40 almost 6 six years ago my health has been in a decline. I have gone from having energy and working out to not doing anything this year at all. I must say though that the decline has been cyclical, I do well for a few weeks and then boom I am back at zero. I know am just in a constant state of fatigue. Extreme fatigue and muscle aches joint pain and stomach issues. I don't have diaharrea all that often usually just after I eat too much dairy. I do get nasueas a lot and this gassy thing that drives me crazy. I have also gone dairy and soy free as well as gluten free. I am positive that I have not ingested any gluten at all since I am only eating what I make at home and only eating chicken and rice and veggies as well as gluten free foods from my health food store. ie puffed rice cereal and brownie!!!

Thank you again to anyone that can help me.

[CarlaB]

Welcome!

I have had digestive symptoms all my life, too. I ended up having a negative biopsy, but had been gluten-free before, and did a six week "gluten challenge". I ended up being tested by Enterolab. I am gluten intolerant, yet had the "classic celiac" symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea, etc. also bruising, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some ... I'm 43 btw.

I've been gluten-free since last December, and was mostly gluten-free for six months before that and mostly wheat free for four years. I'm still feeling rough. Because of all the inflammation for so many years, the stress our family has been under for the past 5 years, and I have found out that it is likely all my strenuous exercise has not helped, I am suffering from adrenal fatigue in addition to the gluten intolerance. Now that I'm treating it, too, I am starting to feel better. My doc says it will be another year till I'm back to normal.

It's good that you're off dairy and soy as well. It takes time to heal, and sometimes there's more to it than "just" one intolerance or "just" one issue. Food diaries are a very good idea. Give it time, two weeks is not very long.

[Terch]

Hi Carla,

Thank you so much for responding. It's so odd since I have the bruising and I am also suffering from adrenal fatigue. My Naturopath said that my adrenal glands are completely depleted! I didn't know if that was a real thing or not. I am sorry that you have been under so much stress for the past few years. It's not easy dealing with stress at the best of times let alone when you physically aren't feeling well. I was thinking that maybe all this that I am feeling could be attributed to perimenopause since I am confident that I have started in that direction. How were you diagnosed with adrenal fatigue? My Naturapath took my blood pressure which is low while i was sitting down and then had me stand midway through it and it dropped by 15 more points, she said it should rise with my standing and not drop. Anyway I guess that you are right that two weeks in not very long, but in some of the celiac sites i looked at many of them said you should notive an improvement within days and that is not happening for me. I think that I am scared that I will feel like this forever. I know that the longer something lasts the LONGER something LASTS. Well I will try to be patienet. Do you have any upper GI symptoms and I have lost 15lbs this past year and don't have enough weight on me to lose that much. I have been underweight all my life and when you hit mid forties you need a little extra to round out the face!!!

Many Thanks.