Do Symptoms Get Worse Before They Get Better On A Gluten Free Diet?

[Eva H]

Hi there,

I'm not sure if I'm in the right place to ask this but I've been on a gluten-free diet for just a little over a week and in the beginning I seemed to get a little better and now my symptoms are getting worse again. I'm just wondering if I'm detoxifying from being gluten free ( I know I've been completely gluten free!) So basically, do you get worse before you get better? I will also be doing a test for a dairy allergy and am not sure if this is a contributing factor or not. Any answers or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Eva

[Ursa Major]

Hi Eva, and welcome to this board.

Yes, often people suffer from withdrawal symptoms at the beginning. Plus, people with celiac disease cannot usually digest dairy for at least the first six months, because the tips of the villi are supposed to produce the enzyme lactase, which is essential for digesting dairy. If those tips are damaged or eroded, than you will at the very least have a lactose intolerance.

Many people with celiac disease are also intolerant to casein, and cannot ever have dairy again. The best way for you to find out which is the case for you is, to try dairy again in six months to see if you react to it or not.

For now, eliminate dairy to see if you feel better without it. Many people who are intolerant to gluten won't really start getting better until they cut out dairy as well.

You may have a dairy intolerance, which will not show up on allergy testing. True allergies will cause a systemic reaction soon after ingestion, like wheezing, instant rash, tingling on the tongue and your throat etc. So, unless you find you get that kind of symptoms from dairy, the allergy test will likely be negative.

[mftnchn]

Hi, Eva. Welcome!

I'm rather new to this whole thing too, just over 2 weeks gluten-free and milk-free. But I have had the same thing, feeling worse at times than usual. Especially more fatigue, bloating, "flu-like." I expected the withdrawal symptoms, having gone through this with food allergies before. But, the way the symptoms come and go surprised me.

People on this board have been encouraging me to just hang in there, that it takes a long time.

The support we get here on this board is tremendous, it's really been a lifeline for me.

[sfm]

Hi there,

I'm not sure if I'm in the right place to ask this but I've been on a gluten-free diet for just a little over a week and in the beginning I seemed to get a little better and now my symptoms are getting worse again. I'm just wondering if I'm detoxifying from being gluten free ( I know I've been completely gluten free!) So basically, do you get worse before you get better? I will also be doing a test for a dairy allergy and am not sure if this is a contributing factor or not. Any answers or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Eva

I had similar difficulties - but it was because I hadn't realized how careful I needed to be about food being contaminated with gluten. Also, your system can be sensitive, in general, and to other foods as well.

[hathor]

My experience is that it definitely takes more than a week. I've seen any number of posts now where people report the same thing.

My symptoms went back and forth for the first few weeks. Then things calmed down ... until I gave up soy and went through the same thing.

I still have symptoms after four months. I don't know if I've reacting to other foods, cross contamination, or my system just needs more time to heal. But I think I am making progress, slowly but surely.

I take it you have been extra careful about possible CC -- no gluten-contaminated wooden spoons or cutting boards, no envelope licking, no bits of gluten in old colanders, toasters, etc., no crumbs in spreadable items, etc. I've found I have to be extra careful now with items where it says "may contain traces" or made with shared equipment.

[mftnchn]

I'm trying to be very consciousness about cross contamination; however, I can see that there are a number of possible sources of small amounts of gluten. In China (where I am located) labeling may not be complete and even then I don't know if it is made in a gluten free environment. I maybe will try just pure whole foods for awhile, see if that helps.

[loco-ladi]

I cant say for sure I feel or felt worse (its only been a couple months since totall gluten freeness) I did however start cutting it out of my diet well before as I suspected it was the problem, I just didnt have the knowledge I have gained in the past couple months to see it hidden in other things...

I can pretty much say for the last 2 months I have been 99.9% gluten free (had 1 accidental glutening took me a week to recover from) I can't say I feel totally better however as problems disappear or reduce the remaining ones are screaming louder, or I hope they are as if I felt this bad before I was in very sad shape! Overall I would say I feel better but worse in some areas, does the muscle/back/joint pain go with this or is that just from those oh-not-so-comfortable-seats-in-the-locos?

Did I mention I just spent the last 3 hours on my feet in my kitchen cooking up meals for me to eat "at work" for the next um.... 2 weeks I love my freezer and its once again full of yummy gluten free meals for work