Healing Process?

[wendstress]

Found out I was + for celiac on 12/31/08. My TTG AIG was 90 units (Normal is <10).

I went gluten-free (admittedly clumisily at first) and felt and immediate burst in strenght, mental clarity, etc.

Since then, I've had lots of ups and downs...... I went to the Dr. in the first place because I had chronic diarrhea. That has gotten a *little* better, but I still have days where I go to the bathroom 3-5 times.

So my question is: What to expect during the healing process? What will happen to my body, and how long until I feel consistently better?

I admit I am feeling pretty frustrated - I've been working so hard at this and still have so many ups and downs.

Another, unrelated, question.... I have terrible breath that no amount of brushing, scraping, or Listerene can cure. Can this be related to Celiac? Or I was reading something about Candida? Can Candida and Celiac sort of go together?

[Mother of Jibril]

Ups and downs are common for the first few months. Part of this is because your body is healing, but it also takes time to figure out all the possible sources of contamination. For example... it took me more than three months (and a very itchy rash) to realize just how risky it was for me to eat at restaurants, even if I wasn't eating any obvious forms of gluten. I just read a post yesterday about a restaurant where they soak the potatoes in pasta water (!!!). I never would have thought to ask about something like that.

Also... after a while, some people find that other food(s) are causing some of the same symptoms. The most common culprits are dairy, corn, soy, eggs, nuts, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, etc...) and grains/carbs in general. I had to stop eating 95% of processed foods because I'm intolerant to corn. It not always convenient, but I feel a lot better! If you want to maximize your healing, the best way is to eat a very simple diet (meat, veggies, fruit)... skip the dairy for a while and don't try to replace all your favorite gluten foods with gluten-free versions. I realize this is not easy! If you just can't give up dairy right now, don't worry about it. You have time to figure out what your body needs. The most important thing is to get gluten out of your diet 100%.

On the candida issue... yes, it does seem to be a problem for a lot of people with celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance. There are lots of threads about this if you search. Bad breath is related too (although there are other things than can cause it, so it's best to ask your doctor and/or your dentist). It's amazing how many parts of your body can be affected by gluten intolerance.