Gluten Sensitivity/leaky Gut

[jasonD2]

i am on a very strict diet right now - no gluten, eggs, dairy, soy and am also avoiding other foods that i have mild sensitivity to. my doctor thinks i have had leaky gut for 5 years and feels that is why i developed gluten sensitivity and other sensitivities. i dont have full blown celiacs. question: have there been any reports of reversing gluten sensitivity? ie. if i spend months or even years on a strict diet and allow my gut to heal is there a chance in the future that i might be able to slowly incorporate gluten and other foods back in to my diet? thanks

[Lisa]

i am on a very strict diet right now - no gluten, eggs, dairy, soy and am also avoiding other foods that i have mild sensitivity to. my doctor thinks i have had leaky gut for 5 years and feels that is why i developed gluten sensitivity and other sensitivities. i dont have full blown celiacs. question: have there been any reports of reversing gluten sensitivity? ie. if i spend months or even years on a strict diet and allow my gut to heal is there a chance in the future that i might be able to slowly incorporate gluten and other foods back in to my diet? thanks

Before that question can be answered, we have to know what your testing results were/are.

"I don't have full blown celiac" - sticks out like a sore thumb to me. With Celiac, you either have it or you don't, and there are no degrees of Celiac.

If you have been tested positive in any degree, you do have Celiac and it is a diet for life.

[CarlaB]

Me!

I was severely gluten intolerant, just as sensitive as a celiac! Even a crumb would make me sick. We eliminated all gluten from our home, and I was gluten-free for two years. I was dairy, corn, and soy free for six months.

I have Lyme Disease, bacterial dysbiosis, and heavy metal toxicity. I've been treating for 10 months and can now eat whatever I want!

Gluten can, however, be the problem .... it certainly is for a celiac. I tested negative on all celiac tests and do not carry the gene.

[CarlaB]

Before that question can be answered, we have to know what your testing results were/are.

"I don't have full blown celiac" - sticks out like a sore thumb to me. With Celiac, you either have it or you don't, and there are no degrees of Celiac.

If you have been tested positive in any degree, you do have Celiac and it is a diet for life.

I have to say, I agree with this 100%!!!

[Ursa Major]

Jason, a leaky gut always has a cause. It could be undiagnosed celiac disease, it will inevitably cause a leaky gut.

But, as Carla says, Lyme disease can also cause leaky gut, including a gluten sensitivity. If you have Lyme disease and it is treated successfully, your intolerances, including the gluten intolerance, could all go away.

So, you need to get to the bottom of what caused the leaky gut to be able to answer your question.

[CarlaB]

Lyme disease can also cause leaky gut, including a gluten sensitivity. If you have Lyme disease and it is treated successfully, your intolerances, including the gluten intolerance, could all go away.

Right. Bartonella, a coifection of Lyme, was at the root of my GI problems.

Bacterial dysbiosis as well.

[jasonD2]

well i had the celiac blood tests 5 years ago and they were negative. what happened was I contracted a horrible stomach virus and was also on antibiotics for several months prior and then my whole system collapsed - i then became lactose intolerant and developed food sensitivities over the course of a 5 year period. so i think the root cause was the damage done and as a result i developed a leaky gut and subsequently gluten sensitivity. I had a stool test for gluten 2 months ago and it was slightly elevated (21 on a scale of 10-450) so now im focusing on healing my gut and avoiding every single food I tested positive for.

[Mom23boys]

was also on antibiotics for several months prior and then my whole system collapsed -

There you have it right there

[CarlaB]

Abx made my Lyme become active. I always had a few symptoms, but they made it become active ... it started with GI issues ....

So, yeah, that could be the root.

Are you taking good probiotics? I like Theralac and Ultra Flora, both available online (I've no connection to them, I just like the products). You might also look at a parasite cleanse ... I'm using Humaworm right now, a good, gentle, herbal cleanse ... let's just say, I've found out now why I can't gain weight!

[Flor]

Jason,

Your story sounds similar to mine, though mine included pregnancy, childbirth and extended sleep deprivation.

But I had three rounds of antibiotics in and around a terrible case of rotavirus after my son was born, along with the above stressors.

I developed chronic gut problems and gradually eliminated stuff starting two years ago -- dairy, gluten, soy, pork, beef. And then a few months ago along with some other folks here, eliminated nightshade vegetables (peppers, potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes) and high oxalate foods (take a look at the "nightshades and oxalates" thread in this section). Each time I eliminate something, I get better for awhile and then tend to slip back. I also have joint pain and some CFS symptoms, all starting at the same time as the GI problems.

The final frontier for me on elimination now is corn and yeast-friendly foods. I haven't been able to conquer these last two steadily yet and I think they are the remaining beasts in my diet.

If you are NOT celiac and the damage is from these environmental factors, then I think there is real hope that if your gut can get a break from the big damaging molecules in these foods for long enough to heal and that you get supplements to help the gut heal and restore the good flora then you hopefully won't have to eat such a restricted diet forever. I know a number of people who have gone through similar experiences and now can eat most anything.

Other folks here will also tell you that for them mercury poisoning has been a key variable and that until the heavy metal contamination is cleared up (through chelation) that the gut can't heal. I don't think that's the case for everyone, however.

The probiotic I take is VSL3 (www.vsl3.com) -- I think it's been helpful for me. I also take calcium citrate 20 minutes before eating (which is supposed to close the tight junctions in the gut that are open in leaky gut and also bind with oxalates in the food you eat); also biotin, zinc, garlic, and some other weird stuff (NAG, glutamine), along with multi-vitamin that's high in Bs and D.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. You're in good company here!