Help!

[FoxersArtist]

After almost 4 months of being gluten free, hubby has recently started having sever digestive problems and is running to the bathroom after every meal. I have never seen him so sick. We have decided to put him on a diet of only meats, some veggies, some fruits and rice to see what he is allergic to by slowly adding one thing back into his diet at a time. He started his new diet mid afternoon today and I know it'll take a while for his stomach to settle down but I was wondering if anyone has any other advice for the poor guy. Thanks!

-Anna

[gfp]

After almost 4 months of being gluten free, hubby has recently started having sever digestive problems and is running to the bathroom after every meal. I have never seen him so sick. We have decided to put him on a diet of only meats, some veggies, some fruits and rice to see what he is allergic to by slowly adding one thing back into his diet at a time. He started his new diet mid afternoon today and I know it'll take a while for his stomach to settle down but I was wondering if anyone has any other advice for the poor guy. Thanks!

-Anna

Well, other than having a wonderful wife who is doing 101% what can we say ?

Are you gluten-free? It will reduce risks.... has he started taking more risks?

Has he lost weight? I have seen cases where gluten seems to have been stored up and whenpeople loose weight seems to get released? (or at least this has been the simplest explanation)...

[Fiddle-Faddle]

If you think he might have had a stomach virus, he should eat only rice, bananas, and plain broiled chicken and drink water (NO COFFEE!) until his tummy settles. I have often seen parents feed their NON-celiac kids normal meals way too soon after a tummy bug, and the kids can't keep it down, or have major diarrhea, and end up in the ER dehydrated. The same can happen with adults.

If this doesn't clear up on the above diet in a day or 2, I would call the doctor--but I would make it clear that I wasn't looking for a prescription, but for the cause of the problem. He might have some kind of intestinal bacterial infection, or even food poisoning.

[FoxersArtist]

No kidding?!? I am gluten free. We both have celiac. Not a crumb of gluten in our cupboards and we have been changing ouyt animals diets too.

Andy is a pretty big guy, well over his weight range and has beem losing weight being gluten free. Now that you mention it, the faster he loses weight, the more sick he seems to be. I'll keep this theory in mind should his elimination diet not help with the sickness and try not to panic. As far as risks...yes but not with gluten. He had a stress related eating fest last week where he scarfed down snickers bars and Mountain Dew. He had been getting progressively more sick before the slip up, but I told him that this kind of eating surely made it a lot worse. Thanks for your help

-Anna

Well, other than having a wonderful wife who is doing 101% what can we say ?

Are you gluten-free? It will reduce risks.... has he started taking more risks?

Has he lost weight? I have seen cases where gluten seems to have been stored up and whenpeople loose weight seems to get released? (or at least this has been the simplest explanation)...

[Rya]

This is not a pleasant topic, but is anything coming out of either end discolored? Green, white, or light tan are colors of concern - usually mean malabsorption, dark red and bright red are worrisome too. It does sound like he just has a bug. I feel that I'm recommending this a lot lately, but Pedialyte or watered down Gatorade is great for replenishing lost fluid and electrolytes.

Hang in there! It sounds like you're on the right track.

[FoxersArtist]

The bathroom trips have been increasing in frequency over the past 6 weeks from once every other week to once a week to twice a week to every other day to every day to multiple times a day - which doesn't seem like a bug to me. Either way, I have been trying to push fluids on him. Losing fluid no matter the reason is never good. As far as the colors, he says no odd colors. Just greasy looking runs or soft stools that float.

-Anna

This is not a pleasant topic, but is anything coming out of either end discolored? Green, white, or light tan are colors of concern - usually mean malabsorption, dark red and bright red are worrisome too. It does sound like he just has a bug. I feel that I'm recommending this a lot lately, but Pedialyte or watered down Gatorade is great for replenishing lost fluid and electrolytes.

Hang in there! It sounds like you're on the right track.

[Lisa]

I was well into my gluten free diet by four to six months, when started having issues again.

I concluded that dairy was my issues. I went very dairy light for a month or two and then added it back. I have no further issues.

Sometimes, a gluten response has a very loud voice and when you take gluten away, other smaller voices can be heard.

You are wise to go back to the simple.

BTW, if that is your child in your avatar, he/she is stunningly beautiful!

[gfp]

The bathroom trips have been increasing in frequency over the past 6 weeks from once every other week to once a week to twice a week to every other day to every day to multiple times a day - which doesn't seem like a bug to me. Either way, I have been trying to push fluids on him. Losing fluid no matter the reason is never good. As far as the colors, he says no odd colors. Just greasy looking runs or soft stools that float.

-Anna

Either 6 weeks is too long for a bug or he has a bad one ....

Either way it should be simple to check the stool for an infection ....

I have a friend who gets seizures from gluten and got herself into a state of fasting ... but everytime she did she still got seizures.

I also noticed this effect on myself (not seizures but glutening) but I lost a LOT of weight last year ...

So it's just a personal theory ... but I think for celiacs our body might do what we know it does for many toxins... surround them in cellulite and hide em away... (guy's do get cellulite its just more hidden)...

This could be a good thing in the long term but just for peace of mind perhaps I'd see a Dr. and test for parasites?

If my theory is correct he would be producing antibodies as the gluten is released...

[gfpaperdoll]

I cannot tolerate any processed gluten free items, like gluten-free pasta, crackers, cereal, bread that kind of stuff. Are you cooking with any new flours like tapioca? some people like me cannot tolerate tapioca.

I agree with another poster that he should also be dairy & soy free at this time.

I also cannot eat brown rice. Everyone is different, but I would start with cutting out all grains - exccpt maybe corn. Of course corn may be the one that is making him sick...

are you using any of your old glutened non stick pans & iron skillets, cutting boards? He might be more sensitive than you are...

also, want to add that if he is losing weight that he maybe needs to be eating more between meals, mini healthy snacks like pieces of cold chicken or rolled up lunch meat with a cooked veggie, or a fruit & nuts. just more plain food - nothing processed...

[JNBunnie1]

I was well into my gluten free diet by four to six months, when started having issues again.

I concluded that dairy was my issues. I went very dairy light for a month or two and then added it back. I have no further issues.

Sometimes, a gluten response has a very loud voice and when you take gluten away, other smaller voices can be heard.

You are wise to go back to the simple.

BTW, if that is your child in your avatar, he/she is stunningly beautiful!

I was going to suggest this as well, I become lactose intolerant for a few weeks after being glutened, and had a few months where I went without dairy while recovering initially. Is he having a lot of painful cramping in his stomach and/or gas during these episodes? That would argue for the dairy issue.

And ditto on the beautiful baby.

[AndrewNYC]

After almost 4 months of being gluten free, hubby has recently started having sever digestive problems and is running to the bathroom after every meal. I have never seen him so sick. We have decided to put him on a diet of only meats, some veggies, some fruits and rice to see what he is allergic to by slowly adding one thing back into his diet at a time. He started his new diet mid afternoon today and I know it'll take a while for his stomach to settle down but I was wondering if anyone has any other advice for the poor guy. Thanks!

-Anna

Consider fructose intolerance. If that is the problem then he would still react to veggies, fruits, and very possibly rice.