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Unmasking After gluten-free, First Month To 6 Weeks?

mftnchn

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mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

My doctor mentioned last week that after going gluten-free the "unmasking" process should be done after the first 1 month to 6 weeks. Not sure I fully understand but I think this means that the celiac masks other problems, and also perhaps the interaction with the autoimmune issues comes to play.

Has anyone else heard this? What is your experience? What's the explanation as you understand it?

I am wondering because of all the different problems that seem to keep popping up for me after going gluten-free. Pretty much any problem I have had over the past 20 years I seem to be revisiting since going gluten-free.

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CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I haven't heard it in relation to gluten-free, but in alternative medicine, it's called retracing.

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted
  • Author

Thanks, I looked that up, as I had never heard of it. I wonder how long it lasts though? This sounds a bit like me but I worry that its not all just the healing process.

I searched for this on google in regard to celiac but didn't find anything. Seems like on this forum I have read posts about other food insensitivities becoming more clear after going gluten-free, that type of unmasking. But I can't find them again when I search.

Guest lizajane
Guest lizajane
Posted
My doctor mentioned last week that after going gluten-free the "unmasking" process should be done after the first 1 month to 6 weeks. Not sure I fully understand but I think this means that the celiac masks other problems, and also perhaps the interaction with the autoimmune issues comes to play.

Has anyone else heard this? What is your experience? What's the explanation as you understand it?

I am wondering because of all the different problems that seem to keep popping up for me after going gluten-free. Pretty much any problem I have had over the past 20 years I seem to be revisiting since going gluten-free.

Don't know about this, but how did they determine your fecal fat test to not at least point to sprue? The lab value was very high and that was the test that lead my Dr. to having me do a biopsy!

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted
  • Author
Don't know about this, but how did they determine your fecal fat test to not at least point to sprue? The lab value was very high and that was the test that lead my Dr. to having me do a biopsy!

I haven't had the blood work or biopsy because I am in China, got the enterolab results after I returned here. (work here 10 months of the year). My allergist and LLMD both concur that I should be Gluten-free Casein-free. So I don't have a clear diagnosis but am working from the assumption of celiac.

tom Contributor
tom
Posted
Thanks, I looked that up, as I had never heard of it. I wonder how long it lasts though? This sounds a bit like me but I worry that its not all just the healing process.

I have heard of this rather curious phenomena, retracing. I didn't think I had any, but the way my brain was, that means very little.

And it may have happened but was soooooooooooo incredibly minor compared to pre-gluten-free, that it didn't make an impact. Like being hit by a dixie cup of water while climbing from a stint in a dunking booth.

I say don't worry - it IS part of the process. I've heard of it enough, and know too well the stranger aspects of celiac disease, to doubt that retracing happens.

Be assured it's temporary.

What's usually referred to as 'unmasking' is disovering other food intolerances which b4 gluten-free either has lesser magnitude or just relatively didn't amount to a hill of beans. (Or chaff)

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

What your doctor described and what your experience sound like two different things.

I have experience retracing ... didn't believe it could happen till I did!! :P But every old ailment came back temporarily. It was very odd. I don't remember how long it lasted, no more than a few weeks.

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mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted
  • Author

Okay thanks for the input. The retracing idea does make sense as a possibility. I have a phone appointment with my allergist later this week, and will see if he has any ideas. Otherwise will hang in there. I am about 9-10 weeks into Gluten-free Casein-free at this point. Had one relatively good week the first week of June and not one good day since.

Could be unmasking of food allergies I suppose. In the mid 1980s I tested for weeks and the allergist termed me a universal reactor. It was really impossible to eliminate everything, and tried a number of things, finally just avoided a few things and ignored the rest. So I have been reluctant to keep eliminating other foods.

Current symptoms also might be lyme and lyme herx related which of course confuses the matter since I just restarted azithromycin and metronadazole a week ago.

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted
Current symptoms also might be lyme and lyme herx related which of course confuses the matter since I just restarted azithromycin and metronadazole a week ago.

That's a distinct possibility.

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted
  • Author

Yes, the joys of being both a lymie and gluten sensitive.

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