How Long Does It Take?

[ginap73]

How long does it take for symptoms to start going away once you become gluten free?

I am on day 2 and feeling much much better although symptoms are not completely gone.

[Nantzie]

As little as a day or two, and as long as several months. A lot of people see gradual improvement over the course of a year or so. You'll have ups and downs as you get used to the diet because mistakes are inevitable and your body is also adjusting, but you should continue to see improvement.

I had most of my symptoms go away within a couple weeks. Then there were other symptoms, a few of which I never thought were gluten-related, went away slowly after about a year.

For example, I used to get allergies. This year, allergies are really bad around here, and lots of people who "don't have allergies" are having an awful time with them. I'm totally fine. Very odd.

But yea, feeling a difference after just a day or two is common.

Nancy

[PatBrown]

I did really well and after three months did bloodwork and it was great. Now I am again having bowel symptoms. I am thinking that I am more sensitive to contaminant gluten. Changed one medication(the drug company couldnt guarantee that the med was gluten free). I was diagnosed last march and feel much better now. I am eating more healthy and have gained 18lbs. I was too thin before but wish I would stop gaining weight.

[April in KC]

I have been gluten-free for 5 or 6 weeks. I noticed a big difference within 2 days in these areas: fatigue, "brain fog", headaches and GI urgency. Itchy elbows have slowly gotten better. GI is still improving. My Celiac son had positive behavioral response in about a week.

Be warned. I felt great--walking on sunshine--during the first week, and I was still eating quite a few processed foods like chips, etc. After two or three weeks on the diet, I started getting some symptoms back--tiredness, headaches, mouth sores, GI pain (pain was new for me), etc. I felt like crying, like my new-found "health" was going to slip away again. I pretty quickly found out that:

a.) I had somehow become very sensitive to cross contamination...for example, if I eat a baked potato, I have zero issues, but if I eat potato chips, I get gluten symptoms. The potato chips are made on lines with wheat-containing products. It does not make sense that I have become that sensitive, but I have.

b.) I think going gluten-free somehow unmasked another food intolerance--to corn or soy (I'm still figuring it out).

So, don't get discouraged if you start to have symptoms in another couple of weeks. If you do, just start looking at what you're eating.

[ginap73]

my family doesnt believe me when i say my gluten free bread can get cross contaminated in the toaster. my mother, is sensitive to this. and told me to get a toaster of my own, but my aunt doesnt believe it's possible to cross contaminate and get sick from crumbs.

[NoGluGirl]

my family doesnt believe me when i say my gluten free bread can get cross contaminated in the toaster. my mother, is sensitive to this. and told me to get a toaster of my own, but my aunt doesnt believe it's possible to cross contaminate and get sick from crumbs.

Dear ginap73,

My parents are like that. They just think I am paranoid. It is so annoying! It is not them who gets violently ill when they get a microscopic amount of the crap in their system. Their opinion does not count for that reason!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl