Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Success Story!

GF avenger

Recommended Posts

GF avenger Apprentice
GF avenger
Posted

Hiya gang.

Thought I'd return with 9 or so months later with my gluten-free success story, partly in hopes of bolstering those who are struggling with some aspect of their diagnosis (or lack of), and also just to celebrate feeling so much better!

Looking back now I can see so many more things that were wrong with my poor body, beyond the expected digestive upset:

My teeth were falling apart - 3 years after symptoms began, I had 5 cavities. Never in the 28 years previous had I had any! I am a devoted brusher and flosser, so I think malnutrition did it.

I had a strange, small, rash-like lesions on my arms. Not diagnosed, but suspicious, don't you think? All gone now!

When I'd scrape my legs on things like boats, the scrapes would take 5 weeks to heal, and get infected multiple times. Just two weeks ago, I stubbed my toe almost badly enough to need stitches, and it completely healed in a week.

My blood sugar yo-yoed all over the place, and I'd bonk before during after any workout. Now I am even-steven. (Though I've learned to eat lots of small meals.)

I was reactive to every food. Dairy made me, well... gassy, and eggs made me drunk. Some fruits put me to sleep, and we all know what gluten does... Still off the gluten of course, but I can eat EVERYTHING else. Hurray!

Brain fog made reading and studying absolutely impossible, and most conversations inadvertently hilarious, for most of the last 5 years. No longer a problem! w00t!

Fatigue fatigue fatigue. Strangely, this peaked in months 6-8 of being gluten free. Fortunately, I was off work at the time. Now I'm back to teaching at a community college, and am slowly adding more activity back in. Thank God.

I was beginning to wonder if I was menopausal at 30. No longer.

Ah! I have always been super skinny, and found it impossible to gain weight. Now I have a very pleasant layer of fluff. :rolleyes:

I'd get horribly sick at least twice a year. I did not get sick ONCE this entire winter. Take that, avian bovine flying pig flu!

When I do get accidentally glutened, I seem to recover much faster.

My poor bladder took most of the hit from gluten, and it's doing much better now, thank you.

I'm so much less of a irritable, depressed wacko than I once was! I sorta feel like I'm coming back to myself, bit by bit, day by day.

Hang in there, all you newbies!! It can be a long journey of learning to be gluten free, and perhaps tracking down additional diagnoses, but you will feel better!

Those of you who have similar stories - would you mind posting them if you have the time? I think we'd all like to hear of other happy endings...

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


samcarter Contributor
samcarter
Posted

I can so relate to the healing faster! I fell hard on one knee (tripped over a branch while running to a kid with a bad scrape as well) and scraped it hard, tore off several layers of skin. Normally this would have taken weeks to heal, but it's healing so fast I can practically feel the skin regenerating. No kidding!

I used to fall a lot. Not tripping over things, just my own feet. I would land with my feet on their sides, rather than the bottoms, and would fall. I used to have huge bruises all up and down my legs, just from casually bumping into things. No more! I suspect I had ataxia throughout childhood, but it was brushed off as me just being clumsy. I don't drop things nearly as often, and I feel more balanced. No more vertigo on staircases.

Bastet Newbie
Bastet
Posted

Thank you for coming back to report your success. I was diagnosed on May 12, so I am really new to this. I was also very surprised because I never noticed any gastro distress after eating foods with gluten. However, the brain fog, anxiety, fatigue, and dental problems, all ring true. I look forward to my own success story when I can once again read and comprehend or ride my bike, etc. Thank you!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I think the most remarkable thing for me is the disappearance of UTI's. The two years prior to going gluten free I had an almost constant UTI; I would treat with antibiotics and still not test clear, and on and on it went. I was so tired of antibiotics. I finally discovered cranberry tablets and they helped some.

But now, GONE!! Haven't had a sign of one in over a year, and no more cranberry tablets either.

It's funny, my mother was plagued by them (and by GI issues), and both sisters; my gluten free sister no longer gets them, but my gluten eating sister still has the plague (and a lot of celiac symptoms she chooses to ignore) :(

shirleyujest Contributor
shirleyujest
Posted

As a newbie, I definitely appreciate hearing of your success and your humorous recounting of it. Good for you, you did the hard work and now reap the reward. God bless!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,901
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    tessycork47
    Newest Member
    tessycork47
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Judy M! Yes, he definitely needs to continue eating gluten until the day of the endoscopy. Not sure why the GI doc advised otherwise but it was a bum steer.  Celiac disease has a genetic component but also an "epigenetic" component. Let me explain. There are two main genes that have been identified as providing the "potential" to develop "active" celiac disease. We know them as HLA-DQ 2.5 (aka, HLA-DQ 2) and HLA-DQ8. Without one or both of these genes it is highly unlikely that a person will develop celiac disease at some point in their life. About 40% of the general population carry one or both of these two genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. Thus, possessing the genetic potential for celiac disease is far less than deterministic. Most who have the potential never develop the disease. In order for the potential to develop celiac disease to turn into active celiac disease, some triggering stress event or events must "turn on" the latent genes. This triggering stress event can be a viral infection, some other medical event, or even prolonged psychological/emotional trauma. This part of the equation is difficult to quantify but this is the epigenetic dimension of the disease. Epigenetics has to do with the influence that environmental factors and things not coded into the DNA itself have to do in "turning on" susceptible genes. And this is why celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition (not a food allergy) that causes inflammation in the lining of the small bowel. The ingestion of gluten causes the body to attack the cells of this lining which, over time, damages and destroys them, impairing the body's ability to absorb nutrients since this is the part of the intestinal track responsible for nutrient absorption and also causing numerous other food sensitivities such as dairy/lactose intolerance. There is another gluten-related disorder known as NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just, "gluten sensitivity") that is not autoimmune in nature and which does not damage the small bowel lining. However, NCGS shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It is also much more common than celiac disease. There is no test for NCGS so, because they share common symptoms, celiac disease must first be ruled out through formal testing for celiac disease. This is where your husband is right now. It should also be said that some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease. I hope this helps.
    • Judy M
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By Judy M · Posted

      My husband has had lactose intolerance for his entire life (he's 68 yo).  So, he's used to gastro issues. But for the past year he's been experiencing bouts of diarrhea that last for hours.  He finally went to his gastroenterologist ... several blood tests ruled out other maladies, but his celiac results are suspect.  He is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks.  He was told to eat "gluten free" until the tests!!!  I, and he know nothing about this "diet" much less how to navigate his in daily life!! The more I read, the more my head is spinning.  So I guess I have 2 questions.  First, I read on this website that prior to testing, eat gluten so as not to compromise the testing!  Is that true? His primary care doctor told him to eat gluten free prior to testing!  I'm so confused.  Second, I read that celiac disease is genetic or caused by other ways such as surgery.  No family history but Gall bladder removal 7 years ago, maybe?  But how in God's name does something like this crop up and now is so awful he can't go a day without worrying.  He still works in Manhattan and considers himself lucky if he gets there without incident!  Advice from those who know would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Scott Adams
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten free beer ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.