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Diarrhea Question . . . Sorry!

LisaJ

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LisaJ Apprentice
LisaJ
Posted

So I know it's a gross topic, but I'm getting a little freaked out . . . so I was diagnosed with Celiac and have been gluten free for about 6 weeks now. I feel great! I am concerned though about one thing . . . I have diarrhea every day now. I realize that it may take a long time for my body to heal, but I am concerned because I only occasionally had diarrhea before I started the gluten-free diet - now it is every day - why would this get worse?? Any ideas?? Thanks!

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AmandaD Community Regular
AmandaD
Posted

Probably a couple different reasons -

a) You could have temporary lactose intolerance, I was diagnosed and then for about the first few months really had to lay low on dairy

B) You might still be getting some gluten in there - check and check and check your diet again and again. I screwed up a few times with a brand of rice milk I'd been drinking. Watch the vitamins - I take Naturemade...

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Have you checked your lipstick, lotion, shampoo and toothpaste?

Anything that can get into your mouth will add gluten to your system if not gluten free.

GlutenWrangler Contributor
GlutenWrangler
Posted

I've been gluten/dairy-free for 5 months and still have diarrhea daily. Enterolab told me not to expect it to go away for 3-6 months. If this is true, I guess it's normal to have it for a while after going on the diet.

-Brian

Marlene Contributor
Marlene
Posted

Hello Lisa,

Are you taking any probiotics at all? A good probiotic AND L-Glutamine help to heal the lining of your intestines quicker. It should help with the diarrhea. (Unless you are eating something which is causing the diarrhea.)

Marlene

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Lisa,

Never apologize for asking ANYTHING on this board. We all have strange lives so its ok---we really do understand :)

Celiac is strange and odd things can happen, esp in the beginning. So while it might not be 100% normal, its not out of the realm of possibility at ALL. ;)

Are you eating out at all? How well do you think you are doing, gluten free wise?

I recommend immodiums until it calms down...the pills are gluten free, esp for those times when you are "out and about."

Laura

kristend Rookie
kristend
Posted
So I know it's a gross topic, but I'm getting a little freaked out . . . so I was diagnosed with Celiac and have been gluten free for about 6 weeks now. I feel great! I am concerned though about one thing . . . I have diarrhea every day now. I realize that it may take a long time for my body to heal, but I am concerned because I only occasionally had diarrhea before I started the gluten-free diet - now it is every day - why would this get worse?? Any ideas?? Thanks!

Wow! Same thing happened to me. I felt fine when I was diagnosed barely any symptoms and now since being gluten-free I have every symptom I could possibly have including what you are mentioning, plus the dizziness and brain fog. Its horrible. I am wondering the same thing..why am I getting worse by the week...???

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LisaJ Apprentice
LisaJ
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all for the advice - I appreciate it!! It's also good to know I'm not alone :D

par18 Apprentice
par18
Posted

Lisa,

It's weird how we all react differently. Mine was chronic 'before" diagnosis and completely disappeared the second day on the diet never to return. That was over 18 months ago. I think if I were you I would try to eliminate different things from your diet (like dairy) and keep a log of what you eat. I did this for the first couple of weeks or so when I started. Like some of the other posters indicated it could be non-food item. Have you "added" something to your diet that you did not eat before you went gluten free?

Tom

Tasha2004 Contributor
Tasha2004
Posted

I posted this elsewhere but just saw this topic. My 81 yr old Mom has been Celiac about 17 years. Her recent Celiac blood panel showed nothing getting through. A colonoscopy and Endoscopy showed gastritis only. She is now having Diarrhea from many foods, most especially fats or fruits. She can eat rice.

I worry because she is drinking rice milk, but she says it is gluten free. They told her no fats, no dairy and they set her up for an abdominal CT scan. I think that is very very drastic. They have not discussed how she is feeling with her, and they only just today ran a blood test looking for possible causes.

If the Celiac panel was fine, does it truly mean no gluten is slipping in?

Poor Mom, she is so upset and just worried that something severe is wrong. Yet I think with the Celiac, there are so many possibilities.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

daisey Newbie
daisey
Posted

Hang in there, I had severe D for about 2 years after being diagnosed. It turns out that I have many allergies I was unaware of, eggs, dairy, red beans, white beans and a few others. Perhaps get an allergy test now and again in a few months. You are not alone, my thoughts are with you. Also, make sure you have your own toaster!!!!!!!

Daisey

LisaJ Apprentice
LisaJ
Posted
  • Author

Thanks again everyone. I think I am going to try eliminating dairy, then maybe soy and see if that's it. I don't remember having a problem with those before, but I am eating more of it now than I was before. I have checked everything in my house for gluten - I am definitely not new to gluten-free - I was gluten-free from age 2 to 18, until a dumb doctor told me I did not have Celiac, then was just "re-diagnosed" about 6 weeks ago (long story - ugh!) :angry:

Thanks for all your help! You guys are great.

mamabear Explorer
mamabear
Posted
Thanks again everyone. I think I am going to try eliminating dairy, then maybe soy and see if that's it. I don't remember having a problem with those before, but I am eating more of it now than I was before. I have checked everything in my house for gluten - I am definitely not new to gluten-free - I was gluten-free from age 2 to 18, until a dumb doctor told me I did not have Celiac, then was just "re-diagnosed" about 6 weeks ago (long story - ugh!) :angry:

Thanks for all your help! You guys are great.

Doubt this is the cause, but don't forget about licking envelopes!!!! And check and double check your spices.....

LisaJ Apprentice
LisaJ
Posted
  • Author

ah-ha! found the problem. I guess I was in denial, but I'm pretty sure it's the dairy. Went off dairy for 3 days - D totally disappeared right away. Ate a big bowl of my gluten-free cereal this morning - D came back full force about an hour later. Guess you were right Amanda D :P I don't remember having a problem with dairy before, but maybe it was just covered up with all my other symptoms I was having before I went gluten-free . . .

Thanks everyone!

Lisa

CMCM Rising Star
CMCM
Posted

Lisa, when I got tested thru Enterolab, I did their full panel and found out I am also intolerant to the casein (dairy) protein. IN addition to that, I could ALSO be lactose intolerant. Dr. Fine at Enterolab said casein could cause me the same types of reactions as gluten.

On top of all this, when I went off gluten and dairy I STILL had huge problems, and decided it was some component of the gluten free foods I ate (the baked goods such as breads, rolls, cookiesl, cakes etc)....perhaps tapioca flour, rice flour, I really don't know exactly what it was. I had to stop eating all those things and found I do best on simple things like vegetables, fruits, some meat and fish, eggs, and that's about it. I tend to eat from a very small universe of food choices and that suits my system best.

ah-ha! found the problem. I guess I was in denial, but I'm pretty sure it's the dairy. Went off dairy for 3 days - D totally disappeared right away. Ate a big bowl of my gluten-free cereal this morning - D came back full force about an hour later. Guess you were right Amanda D :P I don't remember having a problem with dairy before, but maybe it was just covered up with all my other symptoms I was having before I went gluten-free . . .

Thanks everyone!

Lisa

PetitHaricotVert Newbie
PetitHaricotVert
Posted

Hi Carol,

I'm new to this particular forum. Your post about something in the gluten-free foods intrigues me. How are you with plain potatoes and plain rice?

I was dx last August and have been having problems with diarrhea since last October. I've been seeing my GI, allergist and a nutrionist and they are all currently helping me locate my problem. I've heard from a few fellow celiac people that carbs found in potatoes, rice, corn, etc are particularly difficult to digest so they avoid them. I'm wondering if that's where I'm heading.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated :-)

Lisa, I'm glad you found what was giving you D. I'm still struggling so I was empathizing with you.

Donna

Mary Contrary Rookie
Mary Contrary
Posted
So I know it's a gross topic, but I'm getting a little freaked out . . . so I was diagnosed with Celiac and have been gluten free for about 6 weeks now. I feel great! I am concerned though about one thing . . . I have diarrhea every day now. I realize that it may take a long time for my body to heal, but I am concerned because I only occasionally had diarrhea before I started the gluten-free diet - now it is every day - why would this get worse?? Any ideas?? Thanks!
get checked for Microscopic/lymphocytic colitis...I have been doing lots of reading about it, it is what I have..see my sig..anyway lots of people with celiacs have this as well....look it up on google and see if it sounds like your symptoms...it is hard to diagnose and I was lucky enough to go to a good Endo who found it right away...

try Physillum husk, two teaspoons, three times a day, with meals, that should help you with the D.

LisaJ Apprentice
LisaJ
Posted
  • Author
get checked for Microscopic/lymphocytic colitis...I have been doing lots of reading about it, it is what I have..see my sig..anyway lots of people with celiacs have this as well....look it up on google and see if it sounds like your symptoms...it is hard to diagnose and I was lucky enough to go to a good Endo who found it right away...

try Physillum husk, two teaspoons, three times a day, with meals, that should help you with the D.

Hi Mary -

Thanks for the info - I like educate myself :) My D has totally disappeared (except for a couple of days after I accidentally glutened myself during Christmas) now that I have been taking Lactaid with all my dairy - so I'm pretty sure that was the problem.

Hope you are feeling better! Cute puppy BTW :P

Tasha2004 Contributor
Tasha2004
Posted
Hi Mary -

Thanks for the info - I like educate myself :) My D has totally disappeared (except for a couple of days after I accidentally glutened myself during Christmas) now that I have been taking Lactaid with all my dairy - so I'm pretty sure that was the problem.

Hope you are feeling better! Cute puppy BTW :P

Seems to be a common problem, the lactose.

My Mom finally figured out she was having d. from probably eating foods and not taking a Lactaid pill with them.

She finally seems to be getting better. Whew.

CMCM Rising Star
CMCM
Posted

Hi Donna,

Interesting you asked about potatoes and rice. Way before I got diagnosed, I'd identified potatoes as a problem. And I LOVE potatoes, more than just about any veggie. But they kill me, and I have to be very very careful with them and eat them very sparingly. For some odd reason, what affect me the worst are mashed potatoes....probably due to the milk in them creating a double whammy for me (I'm casein sensitive too, and probably also lactose intolerant). As for rice, I've never been a bit rice eater and I think it probably does bother me a bit. I tend to avoid it, or eat it in very small amounts only occasionally (such as when eating Thai food or something).

I actually feel that I don't do well with any of the starches.....there were a lot of starchy things in the gluten free baked goods, and those things tend to really upset my system a great deal. Some my big problem areas are: gluten, dairy, starches such as potatoes, rice, corn kills me too. I need to learn to never eat any of these things, I guess!

Carole

Hi Carol,

I'm new to this particular forum. Your post about something in the gluten-free foods intrigues me. How are you with plain potatoes and plain rice?

I was dx last August and have been having problems with diarrhea since last October. I've been seeing my GI, allergist and a nutrionist and they are all currently helping me locate my problem. I've heard from a few fellow celiac people that carbs found in potatoes, rice, corn, etc are particularly difficult to digest so they avoid them. I'm wondering if that's where I'm heading.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated :-)

Lisa, I'm glad you found what was giving you D. I'm still struggling so I was empathizing with you.

Donna

hiasun Newbie
hiasun
Posted

Hi Lisa,

My doctor says that many people are lactose intolerant when they are eating gluten, and once they are off of gluten they are able to tolerate lactose again (adults average 2 years, children 6 months).

Better days ahead.

Hiasun

betterbelly Rookie
betterbelly
Posted

ME TOO! I was doing fabulous until the 6 week mark: then Diarrhea everyday! Totally freaked out; because I rarely got it before this...

outOfThisWorld Newbie
outOfThisWorld
Posted

Quick Question. I went to see my doc yesterday and he was hesitant in getting me tested for celiac because I don't have Diarrhea. Instead I experience the opposite, C on a daily basis. Based on some of the threads I have read I was wondering if Diarrhea is a true indicator of Celiac, or is it still possible to have Celiac without it?

super-sally888 Contributor
super-sally888
Posted

Hi,

Some people get C, some people get D. I recently met a lady here whose main symptom is C when she eats gluten.

For me, I get C for several days and then it turns to D - and then repeat. Fun stuff. Seems to be improving off gluten (though Christmas season have not been strict and am paying for it now - at least I know for SURE that gluten free helps) :)

If a Dr. thinks D is the only possibility they are not very knowledgeable.

Sally

Quick Question. I went to see my doc yesterday and he was hesitant in getting me tested for celiac because I don't have Diarrhea. Instead I experience the opposite, C on a daily basis. Based on some of the threads I have read I was wondering if Diarrhea is a true indicator of Celiac, or is it still possible to have Celiac without it?

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