How Long Before You Felt Better?

[anerissara]

HI! Ok, I have no idea if I did that poll right, guess I'll see when I post it!

Just wondering how long it takes before you feel like yourself again. It doesn't have to be 100% better, just better most of the time. I felt so good the first 3 weeks I was sure I'd be totally better by now, but it's been 2 months and I still go up and down and although most of the other symptoms are better I'm still getting D and still have one spot of rash that hasn't quite cleared up. Thanks!

Oh, oops! I guess if you're on the gluten-free diet and don't feel better, you could just respond to the post and write in how long it's been and that you're still not better.

Thanks!

[darlindeb25]

the poll worked----and i think you will get answers all over the place----some people feel so much better after just a few days--i do feel that it has a lot to do with your frame of mind--some people see the glass as half full and some as half empty---the half empty thinkers take longer to convince----when i went gluten-free and little minute change was terrific to me----i wanted my life back--i wanted to go wherever i wanted whenever i wanted and celiacs had taken that right away from me---i found it very difficult somedays and even impossible at times to drive 25 miles to work---25 miles seemed like the other end of the state to me and could set panic in that youwould not believe---now--i live 800 miles away from that job and i love to travel--i still have rough days sometimes, but they are few and far apart----gluten free gave me back life and its so good------ deb

[celiac3270]

I put 9-12 months, but if this is for research or something, don't use my number . I just took much longer cause I had another problem which gave me terrible, but celiac-like symptoms. So for all I know, I could have lost my celiac symptoms in two weeks and then my malrotation caused the problem for the remaining months. I know that in reality, it should have been under six months for me, because I had an endoscopy about six months in and it said that my villi had grown back 100%--and some people feel better before their villi have grown back--people shouldn't still feel sick once they're completely healed--which is why I started getting tested for other problems.

[flagbabyds]

SORRY I don't remember because I was so little but I think it will be interesting

[plantime]

It took a few weeks for all of the junk to clear my system, and I am still healing, but I felt SO MUCH BETTER!!! within a month of starting the diet! My sister felt better two weeks after starting the diet, but she doesn't want to give up bread and pasta, so she goes back on gluten, and has to start all over again. As for me, one crumb of bread is not worth all that pain and misery.

[Carriefaith]

I can't vote because I still don't feel better

[rmmadden]

Great question! I will be interested to see the results as everyone is different.

I didn't vote because I am still healing. I have been gluten-free for the past 3-months and have noticed that I am feeling a bit better (everytime I say that something happens to set me back ) these past 3-weeks or so. Anyways, all anyone can do is to take each day as it comes and hope that eventually you will be feeling consistently better somewhere down the road.

Best Of Luck To Everyone.

Cleveland Bob

[KaitiUSA]

I got better in about 3 months. I still experienced some symptoms but in 3 months I was feeling a lot better. Of course even now whenever I accidentally have gluten I feel bad for about 2 weeks. It took me longer then that to really get back to 100% though. That was a long process.

[lshaffer1]

I feel better after only 2 weeks. Better is relative. I only have diarrhea 1x every few days...when I used to have hourly BMs. I feel like nutrition is actually getting back into my body.

[anerissara]

Better is relative. I only have diarrhea 1x every few days...when I used to have hourly BMs. I feel like nutrition is actually getting back into my body.

Yes...This is my experience too. I feel so much better, but after 2 months gluten-free I am having D once a day (usually) instead of several times. I have also had 4 pretty normal bms! That's 4 more than I'd had in the last year, so I guess that's good!

However I do notice now that if I get some wheat in accidentally....wow! I'm *really* sick. Much worse than before!

[Maggie1956]

I've put 1-3 months. I started on the gluten-free diet last December and in a lot of ways I am feeling a bit better. Still have a long way to go though.

It's a good Poll.

[Guest gillian502]

I've been gluten-free for about 18 months now, and have come to accept that with a life-threatening auto-immune disease, sadly, a person isn't ever really going to be 100%. At least that's been my experience. I am much better, but still unable to work or really get on with life as I previously knew it. I have a few other health probs, too, though, so that factors in as well. As far as the celiac disease, I'd say I'm about 75% better, and have stopped waiting for that "100%" day.

[lotusgem]

I started to feel better almost immediately, as far as the bloating, gas and cramps. After two weeks, though, major changes were coming about; things that I never dreamed were related to Celiac disease. Such as: my skin...I had always lamented that it wasn't very healthy looking or feeling. But after just two weeks on the diet it became soft and smooth. Also, I had been going through agony every morning, having to drag myself out of bed because I had widespread muscular back pain that stayed with me all day long. One day, I realized that the pain had TOTALLY vanished, and it has not come back! Also, no more constipation. I'm even starting to gain a little weight. I feel very sorry for the people that have been on the diet but still feel sick. It doesn't seem fair.

I wish for them wellness and happiness!

[anerissara]

That's exactly how I felt! Within a week or so, no more bloating or gas. The first thing I noticed after that was mood...I wasn't anxious, which had been bad enough to wake me up at night. I hadn't realized how moody I had been until I felt better! Then, my skin cleared up! People keep saying I look healthier. I would never have connected celiac disease and back pain, and didn't notice that the pain was gone at first (I had lower back pain, too)...but boy when I got glutened and it came back I sure noticed! It's good to know that someone else had that experience.

[lotusgem]

Dear Anerissara,

thank you so much for your post, because now, I too know that someone else had this experience. Also, during the 7 months that I have been gluten-free, I've had 2 accidents, and both times my reaction was, like yours, worse than before. So this is also something I had wondered about; it's interesting to compare notes!