How Long Do I Have To Wait For Improvement?

[ula1234]

Hello Everyone,

I am new on this site and was wondering if anyone could help me. I am diagnosing myself at this point because I've been to many doctors and none of them helped me so I am tired of spending the money. I have a few of the symptoms of Celiac disease (the worst being extreme constipation) and so I decided to start the gluten-free diet 6 days ago and see if there is any improvement. I figured it can't hurt. I was wondering how long do I have to wait to see improvement? I feel much better mentally already and I have enormous energy,my skin is clearing up too, but the constipation hasn't lifted. I also just read about Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill pancake mix contamination, and I had both for dinner for the past two days without knowing!v Could that possibly be the problem? Besides these two items I've been really careful. Also, I'm trying to avoid gluten products, but I am still eating some dairy and eggs and soy. Do you think it is a good idea to give it all up at once or to stick to just the gluten-free for a while longer?

[mftnchn]

Hello Ula,

I am fairly new to this forum and also to the gluten-free diet (10 days), that is being as strict as possible re gluten free. Constipation was the issue that led to my doing the enterolab testing, with the results strongly positive.

Yesterday (day 9) I noticed some abdominal cramping, not really uncomfortable. That happened a bit this morning, and today a very soft stool, only 24 hours since the last one. That is encouraging to me.

However, I am prepared to wait weeks and even months to see the results. The gene testing for me was two DQ2 genes, and as I understand that from my reading, the tendency toward more severe symptoms and longer recovery.

I don't think you will get clear improvement unless your diet is strict and consistently gluten free. My allergist told me to be very strict for three months, at which point many of his patients are able to sense clear of improvement beginning. Clinical improvement then confirms a patient is on the right track. He said the recovery for the intestine is a very slow process.

[mftnchn]

One more thing: I have also been dairy free as well as gluten-free for 10 days. (Enterolab test for casein also elevated)

[ula1234]

One more thing: I have also been dairy free as well as gluten-free for 10 days. (Enterolab test for casein also elevated)

Thanks for replying mftnchn. I know that I'm being impatient, it's just that I had this problem for so long and now I'm anxious for results. Starting tomorrow I'm stopping dairy and eggs too maybe that is also the problem. I will also not buy anymore packaged foods that say "gluten-free" and risk it. I'll just have to live on fruits and vegetables, rice and fish.

[mftnchn]

Understandable! I think we've all been there.

I also found another thread here on constipation, under the post-treatment thread. You might find that helpful too.

[abdab]

I never had problems with constipation, in fact usually the opposite.

But it took about 10 weeks of strict gluten free diet for me to return to 'normal'.

[mamaloca2]

Hello Everyone,

I am new on this site and was wondering if anyone could help me. I am diagnosing myself at this point because I've been to many doctors and none of them helped me so I am tired of spending the money. I have a few of the symptoms of Celiac disease (the worst being extreme constipation) and so I decided to start the gluten-free diet 6 days ago and see if there is any improvement. I figured it can't hurt. I was wondering how long do I have to wait to see improvement? I feel much better mentally already and I have enormous energy,my skin is clearing up too, but the constipation hasn't lifted. I also just read about Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill pancake mix contamination, and I had both for dinner for the past two days without knowing!v Could that possibly be the problem? Besides these two items I've been really careful. Also, I'm trying to avoid gluten products, but I am still eating some dairy and eggs and soy. Do you think it is a good idea to give it all up at once or to stick to just the gluten-free for a while longer?

My daughter also had condtipation problems that did not go away until I took her off dairy also. I heard celiac's are often lactose intolerant, at least until completely healed.

[confused]

I had bad problems with C, when i went gluten free it did get better, but it did not get completely better til i gave up casein. Now I am very regular and go every morning, unless of course i have glutened myself or ate something with casein, or ate beans, I am completely fine. It is so nice not to have the hard stomach anymore, but the one that jiggles lol.

So i would suggest giving up dairy and i bet within like 5 days, u will feel better.

paula

[hathor]

It took me longer than six days, I can tell you that. I noticed some change after about 3 weeks. I'm still not all the way there. I am reacting to other things I haven't identified yet, am getting some second hand gluten (or casein or egg or soy or yeast ), or my system is still healing and learning to function normally.

If you give up anything else at this point, do the casein. It has a major constipating effect on many people. Soy, I've learned, has the same effect on me, but I haven't heard many others discuss this. I don't know that egg has such an effect; it just makes me sick to my stomach. I don't notice an effect from yeast, but Enterolab says I have enought antibodies to it that I should avoid it.

After 10 days on a gluten free diet, I noticed some improvements & decided to do the Enterolab testing. You might consider this. It is expensive but it can help with your need to stay the course long enough to get results. I thought it would be hard for me to keep up with gluten-free if I didn't have something in writing. (Obviously, this would not be true for those who have dramatic positive results from going off gluten. You folks know.) You also can find out from them if you need to avoid these other things.