Off Gluten For Days, Symptom Worse?

[JennyC]

My son has been of gluten, as best as I can tell, for at least 3 days. (I started 6 days ago, but I wasn't really aware of cross-contamination until day 3. From then on I've been very careful!!!) On Sunday his tummy was upset and that night he vomited. I had given him soy cheese that day because I read that Celiacs should avoid lactose the first few months. Monday evening he had severe diarrhea, so much so that I am staying home with him today. Is it normal to react this way when changing your diet so dramatically? (He was a carb-junkie.) Could it be that wretched soy cheese? (It could also be a stomach bug, as he does go to daycare.)

Also I've checked his toiletries and nothing has any of the normal gluten products. There are plenty of alcohols, do I need to worry about them? I have read that they can be produced by gluten products, but I think that it is more likely that they were produced by other laboratory synthesis methods.

Thank you so much for any replies. The people who a members of this message board have been so wonderful. You all have been making this transition so much easier than it could be.

[Cuervo]

I have been Gluten free for about a week and a half and since Sunday I have not felt good. My stomach is acting like I have been eating Gluten foods, I've had a headache since Friday, and since Sunday morning I have been exhausted just like a few weeks ago before I was diagnosed. For the first five days of being Gluten free I felt great and now it is like a relapse.

I am hoping this is happening because my body is getting used to the new diet.

[confused]

I have only been off gluten for 2 weeks and 1 day. The first few days i felt wonderful, then i started to feel terrible again, got an massive sinus infections and just so tired, i think i just caught what my kids had. And now today i feel wonderful again, i took my kids for ice cream and went to were my hubby worked, i dont go visit him very often cause im always tired, he was so happy to see us today. I did get glutened last night tho and i felt so had for about an hour or two. But today i feel like a new person.

I think it takes time to feel completely back to normal, whatever normal is. I hope i continue to feel the way i do today, but i highly doubt i will. I think everyone is different some feel better in a few days, some not for a few months or years, i think it just depends on how damage you are inside.

paula

[cyberprof]

My son has been of gluten, as best as I can tell, for at least 3 days. (I started 6 days ago, but I wasn't really aware of cross-contamination until day 3. From then on I've been very careful!!!) On Sunday his tummy was upset and that night he vomited. I had given him soy cheese that day because I read that Celiacs should avoid lactose the first few months. Monday evening he had severe diarrhea, so much so that I am staying home with him today. Is it normal to react this way when changing your diet so dramatically? (He was a carb-junkie.) Could it be that wretched soy cheese? (It could also be a stomach bug, as he does go to daycare.)

Also I've checked his toiletries and nothing has any of the normal gluten products. There are plenty of alcohols, do I need to worry about them? I have read that they can be produced by gluten products, but I think that it is more likely that they were produced by other laboratory synthesis methods.

Thank you so much for any replies. The people who a members of this message board have been so wonderful. You all have been making this transition so much easier than it could be.

I am new to this but I would suspect the soy. One of my bad experiences since going gluten free (one month ago today) is from soy. Several people here have said soy is also a problem. You might want to try to avoid it until you've got a handle on the gluten free part and avoiding cross-contamination. Good luck!

~Laura

[CarlaB]

A lot of people find that they have to eat simple, whole foods in the beginning -- meat, eggs, veggies, fruit, potatoes, brown rice. The whole foods give the body what it needs and allows it to heal.

Foods that have a lot of ingredients sometimes make people feel bad even if they're gluten-free. Plus, many people are sensitive to soy.

I'd just keep his diet simple until he's feeling better. I had to eat well-cooked veggies (not how I like them!), chicken soup (be careful, many prepared ones have gluten), etc. -- soft foods, easy to digest.

I wouldn't worry about the alcohol in his toiletries.

[Moondanse]

I've actually been gluten-free for almost two months. I think part of the problem for me is that I'm much more aware now of my stomach -- more than I ever was before. But, I swear that I'm having more issues and more discomfort now. Maybe that is all just part of the healing process?

I notice that my stomach gets more 'gurgly' and gassy now. It doesn't much matter what I eat. I had gluten-free Cereal with a banana this morning and my stomach was making all kinds of wild noises in my meeting here at work. Much fun!!

As I type this, I wonder more and more about dairy. I've read repeatedly that we have issues with dairy through the healing process. I tested myself by drinking a full glass of milk on an empty stomach. I waited three hours and didn't have any issues. I did that two days in a row without incident. Based on that, I haven't eliminated dairy at this point. But, I suppose it could be the culprit.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you are definitely not alone. I do think that we are much more aware of our body, so our symptoms will stand out more and, if we're feeling stressed about it, that'll just add to intestinal issues. I would imagine, with time, it will definitely get better. Good luck!

[Lisa]

It took me six months before a saw much improvement, although it was twoish weeks for the D to subside. It came and went depending on my education as to what I was eating. The learning curve is steep in the beginning.

Villi damage, gluten and dairy should be elimimated immediately. After the villi are healed you can try to add dairy and see how it goes.

Regarding a child, I would recommend to be as pure as possible for the time being. Once the D has stopped from some time, you can add on additive at a time and keep a food log. It is natural for it to be up and down at times.

I do not have a child with celiac and will defer to the experts in this field. Best wishes to all of you.

[JennyC]

Thank you to all that responded. I think that be must have very significant damage to his bowls. Yesterday I found out that his tTG level was three times the maximum normal value for his age. I know that he doesn't have any food allergies--that's what we were originally looking for when we found Celiacs. I give him soy milk, ect, but he does get cheese. His doctor said that I could give him half a lactate before he ingests cheese. Out of curiosity, has anyone herd anything negative about that?

Thanks again. This resource is truly indispensable!!!

[marlykarly]

Thank you to all that responded. I think that be must have very significant damage to his bowls. Yesterday I found out that his tTG level was three times the maximum normal value for his age. I know that he doesn't have any food allergies--that's what we were originally looking for when we found Celiacs. I give him soy milk, ect, but he does get cheese. His doctor said that I could give him half a lactate before he ingests cheese. Out of curiosity, has anyone herd anything negative about that?

Thanks again. This resource is truly indispensable!!!

Be careful with the soy milk... not all of them are gluten free..

I agree with the doc.. use lactaid milk for awhile.. then reintroduce regular milk.

the lactase enzyme is on on the tip of the villi.. so until they repair.. the dairy has a bit of trouble getting digested.. with a child it won't take long for it to heal.

[tarnalberry]

Three days isn't really enough time to be sure of any changes. And if you've got processed items in his diet, it can make it all the harder to sort out if he reacted to anything in there too. (I know, I know... he probably won't like taking away things he's used to already. ) If he is having problems with milk, however, and it's casein (the protein) not lactose (the sugar) the soy cheese would still have bothered him, as virtually all soy cheeses have casein. (Not to mention that soy cheeses are very high concentrations of soy protein, and some people have trouble with that.)

[HawkFire]

For myself, I found that I cannot tolerate soy at all. Removing soy has been difficult. Perhaps your child is not intolerant of soy as I am, but rather, cannot tolerate significant amounts of soy as in cheese or soy milk. Have you tried rice milk? It is quite good. I have done a little research into soy and found that it can have a large impact on your thyroid. I do not know if this is for all people or for those with thyroid problems. However, I would not suggest soy as a dairy replacement. For myself and my family, I use coconut oil in place of butter and oil. I use rice milk in place of milk, we no longer eat any ice cream, yogurt or cheese. I have done enough research to be convinced that dairy is very bad for the body. No other country promotes the dairy consumption that ours does. Most countries do not have massive dairy industries. Rather they use water or small amounts of goats milk. America cannot be held up as the beacon of healthy choices in our world. Rather, we americans should look to the heatlhy food choices other countries make and follow their example. As another thought on soy, I have heard it said that the asians rely on soy and are healthy throughout my lifetime. When I investigated this, I found that the opposite was true. That the asians use soy as a daily meal replacer is simply incorrect. They use minute amounts, and do not agree with the american soy burger, soy milk, soy cheese. Our notion that if a little is good, then a lot would be better is incorrect. A tiny amount of soy is ok. A glass of soy milk is, apparently, not good for us at all. You must do your own research rather than relying on my advice.