Does Gluten Effect Get Stronger?

[River Faerie]

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?

[Green Eyes]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!

[kbtoyssni]

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.