Stomach Pain Celiac Diet

[flaca247]

My mother has been diagnosed with celiac disease and started a gluten-free diet last week. She has had gas and burning gastrointestinal pain since. Has anyone else had this experience? Is it a normal reaction and if so, how long does it take for the pain to subside?

[rinne]

Hi.

Sorry to hear your mother is not feeling well.

Is there any possibility of cross contamination? Does she have a new cutting board, wooden spoons, toaster, sieve.....shampoos, creams....? Medications, vitamins?

What is her diet like now?

Was she very ill before her diagnosis?

Does she have any other health problems?

So many variables!

[flaca247]

Yes, she has been ill. Over a decade of progressively worsening symptoms, the most recent of which was myoclonus so bad it looked like she was having a grand mal seizure every night (it's not seizures). She had stomach bloating before with certain foods, but now has bloating, burning pain after every meal since going gluten free last week. Her myoclonus is getting better each day, though, so far. Since writing this, I've read the forum and see that others have had similar reactions to the diet that cleared after a few weeks. So I'll tell her to tough it out!! Thank you for the informative forum!

[rinne]

I asked just because it is so much harder when someone has been ill for a long time.

Her symptoms sound a little like mine at the worst point, burning from my sternum throughout my whole digestive tract, I felt like I had swallowed shattered glass, and intense pain. I lost a lot of weight very quickly, no appetite and constant nausea.

I found a simple diet worked best for me, chicken broth with carrots, bananas. Avoiding dairy may be helpful for a time, once we are ill our villi often can't absorb dairy.

Has she had her vitamin and mineral levels checked? Celiacs are often deficient in B12 and Vitamin D, others too but those are the main ones.

I think it is wonderful that you are here looking to help her, enjoy the forum. It is a great one.