Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Want To Cut Down Your Healing Time In Half Without Dr.'s And Drugs?


IrishKelly

Recommended Posts

IrishKelly Contributor

My doctor recommended the following two all natural supplements for people with gluten intolerances or actual celiacs disease (there is a difference amongst the two if you didn't already know).

1) "L-Glutamine" which is a free form of natural amino acids (like eating fresh fish) which your body absolutely needs to heal all damage done to the intestines.

2) "Digestive Enzymes" (this is something your body is already naturally creating...just not creating enough you need at this time) which has to do with promoting the good bacteria in your digestive tract to help break down food, which in turn will leave you with less gas, less diarhea, and less constipation.

I do recommend buying these at your nearest health food store to omit any risks of the generic/gluten risk factor...just be careful and remember to read your labels.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



breann6 Contributor

i'll have to check those out the next visit i make to nutrition depot...i think my husband takes the l-glutamine....what dosage? just the recommended dosage on the bottle?

thanks!

Marlene Contributor

I just would like to add that if you are taking L-Glutamine you should be taking a good probiotic at the same time. They work together to build up healthy bacteria in your gut. Don't take the Garden of Life probiotic -- a number of us have reacted to it even though it is supposed to be gluten free. It contains barley and oat grass.

Marlene

IrishKelly Contributor
I just would like to add that if you are taking L-Glutamine you should be taking a good probiotic at the same time. They work together to build up healthy bacteria in your gut. Don't take the Garden of Life probiotic -- a number of us have reacted to it even though it is supposed to be gluten free. It contains barley and oat grass.

Marlene

Isn't it good to know there is a natural form of fast relief/healing for us? Thanks for your input for everyone ;)

nettiebeads Apprentice

I swear by L-glutamine. It really does work! I was accidentaly cross-contaminated awhile back but had been religious about taking the supplement and my recovery time was greatly reduced along with the symptoms. (even the irritability!) I would highly recommend taking it as a matter of course even after healing in case of accidental glutening or cross-contamination.

Annette

IrishKelly Contributor
I swear by L-glutamine. It really does work! I was accidentaly cross-contaminated awhile back but had been religious about taking the supplement and my recovery time was greatly reduced along with the symptoms. (even the irritability!) I would highly recommend taking it as a matter of course even after healing in case of accidental glutening or cross-contamination.

Annette

I actually take two supplements three times daily...and 3 months after i was diagnosed i was almost completely healed :)

Robina Contributor

What brands are you guys using?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



waywardsister Newbie
What brands are you guys using?

I second that question! I really want my bloat to go away, dammit.

Nancym Enthusiast

I used Jarrow L-Glutamine and that is what cured me of some chronic poopiness, it was either that or the fact I stopped taking turmeric, not sure which. Maybe both? At about the same time I also started making kefir, which is a probiotic on steroids. It has 40 different kinds of beasties in it, versus the 6 or so in a typical probiotic.

I recently had a stomach virus and after the vomiting cleared up, my intestines regressed again. I just started the L-Glutamine again and things are... uh, firming up!

I read somehwere you should take 4,000-5,000 mg a day.

Sweetfudge Community Regular

Is this something I should talk w/ my doctor about before taking? Is it expensive?

Nancym Enthusiast
Is this something I should talk w/ my doctor about before taking? Is it expensive?

Not terribly expensive. Its an amino acid normally found in small quantities in food so nothing you're not already getting, but you get more of it. I don't bother asking my doctor, chances are he won't know a thing about it.

Personally I just take it while I have symptoms. Once I get healed, I stop taking it. So usually a bottle will be all I need. It is under $20.

  • 2 weeks later...
Nooner Newbie

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I started taking L-Glutamine shortly after reading this post, and it seems to be helping. A lot. I haven't found a digestive enzyme yet that I can tolerate, but the L-Glutamine alone has been cutting down on my reactions from my other intolerances. And the last time I was glutened, the pain wasn't as bad.

I've only tried one, the store-brand from GNC. There may be others that are better, but this one was easy to get and reasonably priced, and I think I'll stick with it.

:)

Sweetfudge Community Regular

excellent. i will have to add them to my grocery list for next month!

dionnek Enthusiast

does anyone know if there is a brand that is gluten-free that is sold at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's?

lorka150 Collaborator

L-glutamine can have negative affects. I would check with your doctor first. I took it, and it landed me in the hospital.

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

Lorka, could you give us more specifics?

ArtGirl Enthusiast

Earlier this week L-glutamine was mentioned in another thread. I did a quick google search on it and found a good article. I copied part of it and provided a link to the article - here's the thread - my post is #10.

Open Original Shared Link

I started taking L-Glutamine shortly after reading about it on the above thread. I have not had any bad reaction to it, but it's too early to give a report on any good results.

I bought the Wild Oats brand. I have not had any problems with this brand with the three or four supplements I've bought. I cannot have corn or milk or soy or egg - and WO labels what's NOT in their supplements, making it easier for me without having to contact the manufacturer.

I also take a probiotic by Lame Advertisement called FloraSmart - it also does not have my allergens in it.

I have high hopes for L-Glutamine to clear up the lingering D I have had even after being gluten(and allergen)-free for several months.

lorka150 Collaborator

Fiddle- yes, sorry. I just wanted to make sure I wrote, but I hadn't had time to write a proper response.

I started taking L-glutamine upon suggestion from a celiac friend, whom shared identical symptoms with myself - I had a lot of them (as did she) so I started taking them.

First thing was that I started losing weight rapidly. I already was, but it was ten-fold. I lost about 25 pounds in a month, then another 20 among the next six weeks or so.

My liver enzymes, which were high (about 200) soared above 800. I was hospitalized.

They did every test you can think of - gallons of blood, pooing in a bucket for days, MRIs, liver biopsy.

My internist and I were having a convo and that came up. He said to get off it immediately... And within a short time, my liver enzymes went back down to about 250, and I gained about 8-10lbs in a week.

Clearly, I cannot be sure that was the culprit, but everything started once I took it, and stopped it once I ended it.

I also started feeling better. When I was diagnosed, i started the L-glut short thereafter, but never really felt like I was 'healing' until I got off of it. All of a sudden, I wasn't in the bathroom about 10 times a day, I had more energy (I had been walking with a cane and lost all of my muscle mass, too). I could not even sit up in my bed or walk up stairs. I even moved back in with my family as my apartment had too many steps, and I was in university and could not longer make my way to and around campus.

I'm not saying it's bad - I mean, people have seemed to have benefited from it - but surely, it was the wrong choice for myself. I would just recommend speaking to your GI or internist before looking into it.

Nooner Newbie

Lorka,

Thank you for the reminder that not everything is good for everyone! I'm glad you figured out what was making you ill and stopped taking it.

I would have asked my doctor about it, but her standard answer is to read the PDR, quote it, and say, "what do you think?" So I decided to skip that step and try it on my own. I took it for a few days, noted any responses (less pain, in my case) and stopped taking it for a few days, noting any responses (more pain). Then I went back on it, and have been using it for the last 3 weeks with what seem like positive results. I'm pretty sure it's not hurting me, and it may just be the placebo effect, but if I feel better, I don't care what's causing it.

I agree with you, though, that people should exercise caution and personal responsibility when trying anything like this.

Ltrain917 Newbie
Lorka,

Thank you for the reminder that not everything is good for everyone! I'm glad you figured out what was making you ill and stopped taking it.

I would have asked my doctor about it, but her standard answer is to read the PDR, quote it, and say, "what do you think?" So I decided to skip that step and try it on my own. I took it for a few days, noted any responses (less pain, in my case) and stopped taking it for a few days, noting any responses (more pain). Then I went back on it, and have been using it for the last 3 weeks with what seem like positive results. I'm pretty sure it's not hurting me, and it may just be the placebo effect, but if I feel better, I don't care what's causing it.

I agree with you, though, that people should exercise caution and personal responsibility when trying anything like this.

lbpeterson Newbie

I am only two months into this, so please be patient. I do not know about L-Glutamine. I just purchased GlutenEase and Digest Gold. Both are manufactured by Enzymedica. GlutenEase states: "...the addition of Amylase and Glucomylase will assist in the digestion of the non-protein portion of the cereal grains which often contain gluten...contains a blend of protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase..."

Anyone familiar with this concept?

ArtGirl Enthusiast

ibpeterson

Welcome to the forum.

Most people here have a gluten intolerance/celiac disease, which means that they cannot ingest gluten without it giving them an autoimmune reaction.

The enzyme that helps a normal person digest gluten would not be of any value to the person for whom gluten is sort of like a poison.

As you read more here in the forum you will get a good idea of what gluten intolerance is all about.

haphenomenon Newbie

I have taken L-Glutamine for a few years now and it really does help ( when you remember to take it regularly :P ) I have a powdered form with aloe and licorice root added made by Metagenics. It was expensive but I like to take it in powdered form. I bought it at my doctor's office, she recommened it and she told me to take it mixed with a half cup of warm water. this part is really soothing. I take it about 30 min before meals.

I also recommend Pioneer Nutritionals -they are an all gluten free vitamin company that is great! One of their biggest goals is to make gluten free vitamins with as many bioavailable forms of a vitamin or supplement as possible to help absorption! They even have chewable vitamins for a adults ( I personally can't digest vitamins without eliciting some wrath of the intestines... )

Pioneer makes digestive enzymes without Betaine HCL which also spurs the wrath, so I really like them.

Here also is a helpful website on digestive enzymes which taught me alot!

Open Original Shared Link

Has anyone ever taken a product called glutenzyme? its a new digestive enzyme specifically to help those of us who accidentally ingest the evil and want to help prevent the results. just wondering :huh:

ArtGirl Enthusiast

Well, it's been about a week now on the L-Glutamine. I am so encouraged. After having been gluten-free for several months I still have had D most days - up until a few days ago. Wow, this is great. I'm still cautious about the results as it's only been a week, but certainly am hopeful.

Sweetfudge Community Regular
L-glutamine can have negative affects. I would check with your doctor first. I took it, and it landed me in the hospital.

What kind of effects? How did you end up in the hospital? Are you better? :unsure:

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,612
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Rotary
    Newest Member
    Rotary
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • itsdunerie
      Dang......did it again and yeah I should admit I am 63 with clumsy phone thumbs. I started feeling better quickly and a doctor a year later said I had to eat  poison (gluten) every day for a month so he could formally diagnose me and NO FREAKING WAY. I couldn't then and can't imagine putting my body through that crap (no pun intended) on purpose ever again.  Why ingest poison for a month to have some doctor say Hey, All you Have To Do Is Never Eat poison Again.. 
    • itsdunerie
      Poop head, sorry, but I accidentally posted and can't figure out how to continue my post. My long winded post was going to tell you that after I figu
    • itsdunerie
      15 years ago my best friend 'diagnosed' me as Celiac. Her little nephew had been formally diagnosed and her observations of me dealing with brain fog, stomach problems and other stuff had her convincing me to try going gluten free. Oh my heavens, within 3 days, no lie, I felt human again. Took me about a y
    • Scott Adams
      It seems like you have two choices--do a proper gluten challenge and get re-tested, or just go gluten-free because you already know that it is gluten that is causing your symptoms. In order to screen someone for celiac disease they need to be eating gluten daily, a lot of it--they usually recommend at least 2 slices of wheat bread daily for 6-8 weeks before a blood screening, and at least 2 weeks before an endoscopy (a colonoscopy is no used to diagnose celiac disease). Normally the blood panel is your first step, and if you have ANY positive results there for celiac disease the next step would be to take biopsies of your villi via an endoscopy given by a gastroenterologist.  More info on the blood tests and the gluten challenge beforehand is below: The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate. Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy: and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:   Not to discourage you from a formal diagnosis, but once you are diagnosed it may lead to higher life and medical insurance rates (things will be changing quickly in the USA with the ACA starting in 2026), as well as the need to disclose it on job applications. While I do think it's best to know for sure--especially because all of your first degree relatives should also get screened for it--I also want to disclose some negative possibilities around a formal diagnosis that you may want to also consider.  
    • Wheatwacked
      Yes.  Now, if you hit your finger with a hammer once, wouldn't you do your best not to do it again?  You have identified a direct connection between gluten and pain.  Gluten is your hammer.  Now you have to decide if you need a medical diagnosis.  Some countries have aid benefits tgat you can get if you have the diagnosis, but you must continue eating a gluten-normal diet while pursuing the diagnosis. Otherwise the only reason to continue eating gluten is social. There are over 200 symptoms that could be a result of celiac disease.. Celiac Disease and Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity  both cause multiple vitamin and mineral deficiency.  Dealing with that should help your recovery, even while eating gluten.  Phosphatidyl Choline supplements can help your gut if digesting fats is a problem,  Consider that any medications you take could be causing some of the symptoms, aside from gluten.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.