I Have Been Gluten-free For 3 Years And I Am Getting Sick...

[Janie*]

Hi! This is my first post. I am 23 and have been gluten-free for 3+ years. After adjusting to the diet I felt better than ever before. Recently, however, I get terrible stomach pains after I eat anything. They feel like the pains I get when I accidentally ingest gluten, but I never intentionally eat gluten and I am very cautious about contamination. I am experimenting with the Paleo diet right now to see if I can discover any other allergies I may have. If anyone has and suggestions/comments or advice, it would be much appreciated. I feel like I did before I was diagnosed with Celiac and it is terrible!

[AndreaB]

I don't really have any solid advice.

I know gluten, dairy and soy are the top food offenders. I don't know how you feel about doctors but if you cut out foods and still have the same problem you should probably been seen.

It seems any intolerance can cause stomach pain, but it shouldn't be with every meal unless you're eating the same food groups. My daughter is intolerant to (among other things) citrus. She can't handle lemon juice but does ok with orange occassionaly. She gets stomach pain when she eats something she's intolerant to. An intolerance reaction can present as soon as 1/2 hour to as long as 2-3 days. The reaction usually resolves by then. If you are eating an offending food frequently (say dairy) then the reaction would be ongoing. Let's say you have milk with breakfast, cheese with lunch and butter with dinner. If your intolerant to dairy you will have an ongoing reaction since dairy is consumed with each meal. Plug in any food here that's eaten frequently.

[Rusla]

I would try to eliminate all foods one by one. First take dairy out, if no change take something else out. Keep going until you find out what it is, because of the caseine in dairy it has similarities to gluten reaction.

And welcome to the board Janie.

[Janie*]

I would try to eliminate all foods one by one. First take dairy out, if no change take something else out. Keep going until you find out what it is, because of the caseine in dairy it has similarities to gluten reaction.

And welcome to the board Janie.

Thank you all for your advice. I think I will go to the doctor soon if I can't manage to work it out by elimination. Feels good to know there are others in similiar situations..none of my family members have been diagnosed and my friends are all allergy free. Go figure!

[AndreaB]

You could also get the ELISA IgE/IgG test. My doctor uses US Biotek. We did that with our family. You can get false positives and well as false negatives with those but it gives you something to start with, if you want to spend the money.

[Looking for answers]

I went through a period like this myself. My GI told me to take accidolpulus (sp?) and digestive enzymes and I can't believe how much that has helped out.

Good luck!

[ravenwoodglass]

While other intolerances are certainly a possibility you should also be a gluten detective for a bit. Have you changed any soaps or toiletries, changed makeup, taken up a hobby or craft that uses paints, glutes, clays, cements, are you doing any remodeling? Many times when symptoms sneak back in on me it is due to a cross contamination issue with a mainstream product that I thought was gluten-free.

If you need to do an elimination diet the best way to do one is with the guidance of an allergist. Many do them backwards by trying to eliminate one food that may unknowingly be in much other stuff. A true elimination diet starts with skin tests for actual allergies and a questionaire about what you usually eat. Then the doc picks 5 or 6 non reactive foods that will provide all the nutrients you need to start and then a new food is added in pure form one at a time once a week to check for a reaction. It is boring, and time consuming but in the long run can be very beneficial. It can be difficult to find an allergist so don't give up if the first office you call says they can not help you.

[NoGluGirl]

I went through a period like this myself. My GI told me to take accidolpulus (sp?) and digestive enzymes and I can't believe how much that has helped out.

Good luck!

Dear Looking for answers,

I take acidophillus. I can definately tell a difference when I do not take it. I may have a yeast overgrowth, too. That can really wreak havoc on your digestive system. If you have that, a gluten free diet will only help temporarily, but then you begin feeling bad again. I still am gluten free, but it is not relieving the symptoms as well as it had been the first few months due to the yeast.

Dear Janie,

I am close to your age. I am 24. I just went gluten free about five months ago. I second the acidophillus. The paleo diet could be hard on your system, though. If you are not used to the fiber, especially from the seeds, it can really be rough on your stomach. My doctor wants me to do a rotation diet. She thinks I may have more food sensitivities. Other possibilities include gallbladder problems, or an overgrowth of yeast. For instance, with yeast, if you were on a lot of antibiotics, steroids, or birth control, crave sugar, have PMS, migraines, mood swings, food allergies, and have digestive problems like gas, reflux, diarrhea, constipation, and/or nausea, it is likely.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[happygirl]

Many traditional GIs know little to nothing about other food intolerances, so if yours doesn't, it might be worth it to see an allergist, as some of them are more familiar with intolerances.

Have you had the Celiac blood panel re-run recently to determine if gluten is potentially part of the problem (i.e., hidden gluten). It might be worth it to know if your scores are elevated or normal before you go down another path.

Laura