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Does Anyone Have Recovery Tips?

fringfring

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fringfring Rookie
fringfring
Posted

Hi. I was diagnosed celiac in august. I have been strictly gluten free checkin' the tea bags, everything but-

I have terrible

allergies to everything

the runs and constipation cycle

leaky gut

adrenal fatigue

and I'm a young thing!! college age!

I take approx 21376123 different vitamins, go to bed early, drink filtered water, refrain from dairy, alcohol, eggs, non-organic things, processed foods, sweets, dragons, excessive consumption of the same things, overeating, you name I'm doing it!

Any tricks to faster recovery? I can stand this set back, I am an artist!

Ahkgh!

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MELINE Enthusiast
MELINE
Posted

wow!!! there is one thing you are missing!!! patience.....

I think you think that it is more easy than it really is. You were sick for how long before your diagnosis? I bet it was more than 4 months. And it is only 4 months since you started your treatment. Your body is not a robot. I wish there were "time vitamins"......but there are not. You have to be patient and give your body the time it needs to heal. You will meet people here that are on the diet for 1 or more years and still have symptoms. it is a journey, not a short walk. But you will feel ok at the end, and you will see it was worth it. You will learn many things about yourself as time will go by. And you must expect some ups and downs. Of course everyone is different, and you might be one of these people who get well faster than others. but if you are not, you must learn to live with it.

maybe you are taking TOO many supplements?? have you checked them? have you called the manufacturers to double check that they are gluten free? have you checked your cosmetics? but even if you do EVERYTHING PERFECT it is still too early to be completely healthy. Believe me this site would keep each member for just few weeks if it was so fast!! just be patient!! :)

I must admit you sound like you are well informed about the diet. so keep it that way, and I am sure you will be completely ok I just don't know when this is going to happen..

gfpaperdoll Rookie
gfpaperdoll
Posted

Oh I am so sorry that you are not better yet. Dealing with allergies has been a lifelong hobby of mine. It is always a challenge. & yep, the way they change can drive you crazy. My allergies did get much much better when I went gluten-free.

If you are getting cross contamination or just getting glutened from something, we can help you better identify it, if you can give up some idea of your living arrangements & exactly what you are eating & the who & the where it is being cooked.

the tiny little details of the diet are difficult to master. It takes about 3 months to get the idea, another 3 months to correct those mistakes & at about the end of the first year you should be getting the hang of it and feeling much better. You slid into year two getting better by the day!!!

frec Contributor
frec
Posted

The only good thing I can say is at least you caught the disease early, before you caused even more damage (read the bios on this website--whew). Because you are relatively young you will heal faster, especially because you are doing so many good things. As my naturopath said, what other disease forces you to eat all the right things and thus reduces your risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc? Of course I nearly punched him--easy for him to say, he can eat pizza any time he wants! But he's right.

It does take time. I hope you are on probiotics? They help with constipation and diarrhea and with gut healing.

This site has tons of information and lots of nice (and smart) people. I hope you feel better soon.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

BioK helped me.

wschmucks Contributor
wschmucks
Posted

Hello!

I am 7 weeks Gluten Free... and have wondered the same thing. I think that the first thing is getting the hang of it. I was able to have a 100% gluten free thanksgiving (I cooked everything myself), but then was glutened by a digestive enzyme. I would recommend only taking 1 multi-vitamin and then maybe an Iorn supplement (you want a timed release pill like Slow FE, it is gluten free). Keep it simple so its harder to mess up. The only other 2 things I have heard help are wine (the anti-oxidants are absorbed in the intestines instead of the stomach, so then get right in there) and then some people say Okra pills *might help but definetly dont hurt. Oh-- and Dairy products slow recovery, so I would stay clear of Dairy for about 2-6 months.

I have stared having 1 glass of red wine with dinner and am trying to find okra pills. And as already posted-- patience i think it going to be key to healing and more importantly staying optimistic. That is the part I am really struggling with as well. Lets work together on that part ;-)

  • 2 weeks later...
dawn p Newbie
dawn p
Posted
Hello!

I am 7 weeks Gluten Free... and have wondered the same thing. I think that the first thing is getting the hang of it. I was able to have a 100% gluten free thanksgiving (I cooked everything myself), but then was glutened by a digestive enzyme. I would recommend only taking 1 multi-vitamin and then maybe an Iorn supplement (you want a timed release pill like Slow FE, it is gluten free). Keep it simple so its harder to mess up. The only other 2 things I have heard help are wine (the anti-oxidants are absorbed in the intestines instead of the stomach, so then get right in there) and then some people say Okra pills *might help but definetly dont hurt. Oh-- and Dairy products slow recovery, so I would stay clear of Dairy for about 2-6 months.

I have stared having 1 glass of red wine with dinner and am trying to find okra pills. And as already posted-- patience i think it going to be key to healing and more importantly staying optimistic. That is the part I am really struggling with as well. Lets work together on that part ;-)

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Amber M Explorer
Amber M
Posted
Hello!

I am 7 weeks Gluten Free... and have wondered the same thing. I think that the first thing is getting the hang of it. I was able to have a 100% gluten free thanksgiving (I cooked everything myself), but then was glutened by a digestive enzyme. I would recommend only taking 1 multi-vitamin and then maybe an Iorn supplement (you want a timed release pill like Slow FE, it is gluten free). Keep it simple so its harder to mess up. The only other 2 things I have heard help are wine (the anti-oxidants are absorbed in the intestines instead of the stomach, so then get right in there) and then some people say Okra pills *might help but definetly dont hurt. Oh-- and Dairy products slow recovery, so I would stay clear of Dairy for about 2-6 months.

I have stared having 1 glass of red wine with dinner and am trying to find okra pills. And as already posted-- patience i think it going to be key to healing and more importantly staying optimistic. That is the part I am really struggling with as well. Lets work together on that part ;-)

I use "Digest" Enzymes from Enzymedica. I know I checked them out, but now I am questioning it. Please tell me they weren't them! Thanks

AliB Enthusiast
AliB
Posted

Many don't get better on gluten-free.

Whilst some health issues may improve, many don't and sometimes even get worse. Many of us actually have issues with rogue bacteria, yeasts and even in some cases parasites.

I can see by the evidence of the Leaky Gut that Candida is very likely an issue for you and may well be accompanied by other pathogens. The yeasts and other bacteria digest and feed on carbs - particularly undigested ones - that a damaged gut will provide them with a copious amount of.

gluten-free foods are typically much higher in carbs than even gluten foods and that will often actually in the long run make things worse. The carbs just keep the damage going.

some of us have been struggling with this problem for years - but some of us also have finally found a remedy.

It is the Specific Carb Diet - it works by cutting out the long-chain carbs that do the damage - we can still get carbs from plenty of fruit and veg but they are good carbs that feed us instead of the bugs.

To be getting your health back after 35 years in my case is a wonderful thing. I am also taking herbs and vitamins/minerals that are good anti-bacterials which also helps.

You may have radically restricted your diet but if you are still eating something that is triggering the reactions - it is a fruitless exercise.

If you would like to know more - please check out the SCD thread in the 'Other Food Intolerances' section and have a look at 'breaking the vicious cycle' and 'Pecanbread' websites.

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

      By trents · Posted

      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when gluten is consumed, it triggers an autoimmune reaction in this area which, of course, generates inflammation. The antibodies connected with this inflammation is what the celiac blood tests are designed to detect but this inflammation, over time, wears down the finger-like projections of the villous lining. Of course, when this proceeds for an extended period of time, greatly reduces the absorption efficiency of the villous lining and often results in many and various nutrient deficiency-related health issues. Classic examples would be osteoporosis and iron deficiency. But there are many more. Low D3 levels is a well-known celiac-caused nutritional deficiency. So is low B12. All the B vitamins in fact. Magnesium, zinc, etc.  Celiac disease can also cause liver inflammation. You mention elevated ALP levels. Elevated liver enzymes over a period of 13 years was what led to my celiac diagnosis. Within three months of going gluten free my liver enzymes normalized. I had elevated AST and ALT. The development of sensitivities to other food proteins is very common in the celiac population. Most common cross reactive foods are dairy and oats but eggs, soy and corn are also relatively common offenders. Lactose intolerance is also common in the celiac population because of damage to the SB lining.  Eggs when they are scrambled or fried give me a gut ache. But when I poach them, they do not. The steam and heat of poaching causes a hydrolysis process that alters the protein in the egg. They don't bother me in baked goods either so I assume the same process is at work. I bought a plastic poacher on Amazon to make poaching very easy. All this to say that many of the issues you describe could be caused by celiac disease. 
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

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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
    • trents
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By trents · Posted

      The biopsy looks for damage to the mucosal lining of the small bowel from the inflammation caused by celiac disease when gluten is ingested. Once you remove gluten from the diet, inflammation subsides and the mucosal lining begins to heal. 
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