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Does Gluten Effect Get Stronger?

River Faerie

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River Faerie Apprentice
River Faerie
Posted

Hi,

I am a newbie, and have a ton of questions. I am on week three of 100% gluten free diet, so that I can go back for blood work to have the diagnosis confirmed. I had the tummy probe and biospsy already... My diet is telling me that I don't really need to be stuck in the arm again, but whatever! I do feel better although the first few weeks were really hard...I actually felt worse for a few days after I cut the gluten out! Now it seems that my body is leveling out, although I feel like I have to eat small meals frequently or I face energy crashes. So, here's the deal; I am doing pretty well staying focused and not cheating. A few times I have really suffered when I didn't catch a certain ingredient.

My husband is a fire fighter/paramedic, and although wonderfully supportive most of the time, he sees brains spilled on pavement etc., so my constant attention to this new lifestyle is driving him nuts! My condition is internal, so he doesn't seem to see it as life threatening, which it has the potential to be. Here's my question: After eliminating gluten from the body, do the effects of eating it increase over time? He thinks that wouldn't really happen in the body physiologically. Basically, his opinion is that the effect of the allergy will be the same. I think that I feel worse now if I do eat it. Is that because I always felt bad before, so the hurting was always there? Now that I basically feel good, would that make the pain feel stronger? Does the effect of gluten get stronger over time?

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Green Eyes Rookie
Green Eyes
Posted

I don't have answers to your questions, more like I'm going to jump on the band wagon.

I have a theory because I can't seem to get answers to those questions. From what I have read, after you have gone gluten free the symptoms will get worse over time when you do get 'glutened." I am be totally wrong in my theory - but I believe it is because your body is healing itself and getting stronger. After the body has had time to heal it can fight the gluten even harder.

No medical insight in that only an opinion - anyone want to laugh at me or think that might be a possibility?

Jennifer

Krystens mummy Enthusiast
Krystens mummy
Posted

Like Green eyes I don't have the answers just experience.

I have been gluten free for six weeks

When I was eating gluten I was eating it every day and only getting symptoms every two weeks or so.

Four weeks after going gluten free I slipped up and ate the equivelent of half a teaspoon of flour.

I was sick for a week with the same symptoms as before.

before I could eat two weeks of gluten three times a day, now after going gluten free I get just as severe reaction if not more severe on just a little bit

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Here's my question: After eliminating gluten from the body, do the effects of eating it increase over time? He thinks that wouldn't really happen in the body physiologically. Basically, his opinion is that the effect of the allergy will be the same.

Well, tell him to start smoking and slowly build up to 100 a day...

Then he can give up....

After 3 months tell him to sit and smoke 100 cigarettes in a day ???

Or he could just look at it this way! ;)

The body gets used to dealing with the toxin, just like a heavy drinker or smoker.

Someone who takes heroine everyday can take enough to kill 5 normal people....

Gluten is an exorphin, that is it binds tot he same recepters as opiates like heroine.

I don't seriously expect him to start smoking.... I do think he should consider looking at it from your perspective as both a gluten junkie and someone who's body became accustomed to dealing with it.

Rya Newbie
Rya
Posted

My doctor told me this when I was diagnosed:

You can choose to eat a gluten diet (ugh, why??!!) and experience the same low level reaction all the time.

or

You can choose to eat a gluten free diet. If you do, each time you are exposed to gluten your reaction will become more severe, just like an allergy.

Hope that helps.

IMWalt Contributor
IMWalt
Posted

Yep. The longer I am gluten-free, the worse my reaction is when I eat some. Before, I would have D every couple days, sometimes not for weeks. Now, when I get gluttoned, I'll have bad D the next day, and then upset stomach and loose stools for 3-5 days. I kept thinking that maybe I could cheat once in a while and deal with the symptoms I used to have, but now I really try not to, because the effects are not pleasant.

Walt

River Faerie Apprentice
River Faerie
Posted
  • Author

Thanks you guys for all of the help. It's really tough. It sounds like it is the same for me... I have felt pretty crappy for a long time. Not all of the time, but definately enough to notice and seek change. Now I don't always feel better even though I feel like I give so much up. Just how much rice and potatoes can a girl eat?! This gluten free diet is so dang hard though! I think you are right. I am not the type to do anything in extremes so I am struggling... It's good to know I am not alone, although I wish I was so you wouldn't have to suffer through it too!

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kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I've found my reaction has lessened. I guess it depends on the person. I've always felt it was because my immune system is better able to deal with this toxin now that it's not constantly overloaded.

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    • trents
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
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