I'm New To This...

[marietomates]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this site and have found it thus far very helpful. I'm going to try not to write an essay here - but...

I pretty much figured out something was not right with my digestive system/stomach/bowels etc awhile ago - maybe 2 years ago. I'm afraid of Doctors and Hospitals so I don't go unless I have to. Which is why I haven't been yet. I'm 23 years old and 2 weeks ago I changed my diet and went gluten free. Wow. I feel different. I feel different...it's as if a veil has been lifted from my eyes. So before I started this I was having stomach pains, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, really inconsistent looking stools (without being more graphic).

Then I found this website.

One of the symptoms is depression?! For the last 2 years I've been struggling with depression and I haven't seen anyone about it and even mentioned it to my parents several times but never got any help. I don't feel like that now....it's only been 2 weeks...am I tricking myself into believing that not eating gluten is making me happier or have any of you experienced this?

With each day that passes that I don't eat gluten I feel better. I'm eating less quantity of food and it's not on purpose I just don't feel as hungry. I feel lighter, I feel healthier, I feel HAPPIER. Truly I am amazed and even if later I find out I'm not a Celiac why would I go back to eating gluten when I feel SO much better body and mind?

My bowel movements are not really back to 'normal' or what a normal persons should look like but they're much much closer now. I don't have as much trouble trying to go, it doesn't take as long. It's easier.

I read here that if you have celiac disease your immune system attacks your bowel or small intestine and I guess I'm concerned that I've had this longer and I might have waited too long and now I could have cancer or growths or something like that. (Again, afraid of docs and hospitals - i had T.E.N. when i was young)

All advice/help/response much appreciated.

Best,

Marie

[The Fluffy Assassin]

I read here that if you have celiac disease your immune system attacks your bowel or small intestine and I guess I'm concerned that I've had this longer and I might have waited too long and now I could have cancer or growths or something like that. (Again, afraid of docs and hospitals - i had T.E.N. when i was young)

All advice/help/response much appreciated.

Best,

Marie

Your small intestine will heal most of the way in a few days or weeks and completely in a year or two. You're so young that the odds of developing cancer or growths due to celiac disease is very low so long as you stay off gluten. I'm twice your age and have been gluten-free for less than two years; I would be at quite high risk. But you should be fine.

[ravenwoodglass]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this site and have found it thus far very helpful. I'm going to try not to write an essay here - but...

I pretty much figured out something was not right with my digestive system/stomach/bowels etc awhile ago - maybe 2 years ago. I'm afraid of Doctors and Hospitals so I don't go unless I have to. Which is why I haven't been yet. I'm 23 years old and 2 weeks ago I changed my diet and went gluten free. Wow. I feel different. I feel different...it's as if a veil has been lifted from my eyes. So before I started this I was having stomach pains, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, really inconsistent looking stools (without being more graphic).

Then I found this website.

One of the symptoms is depression?! For the last 2 years I've been struggling with depression and I haven't seen anyone about it and even mentioned it to my parents several times but never got any help. I don't feel like that now....it's only been 2 weeks...am I tricking myself into believing that not eating gluten is making me happier or have any of you experienced this?

With each day that passes that I don't eat gluten I feel better. I'm eating less quantity of food and it's not on purpose I just don't feel as hungry. I feel lighter, I feel healthier, I feel HAPPIER. Truly I am amazed and even if later I find out I'm not a Celiac why would I go back to eating gluten when I feel SO much better body and mind?

My bowel movements are not really back to 'normal' or what a normal persons should look like but they're much much closer now. I don't have as much trouble trying to go, it doesn't take as long. It's easier.

I read here that if you have celiac disease your immune system attacks your bowel or small intestine and I guess I'm concerned that I've had this longer and I might have waited too long and now I could have cancer or growths or something like that. (Again, afraid of docs and hospitals - i had T.E.N. when i was young)

All advice/help/response much appreciated.

Best,

Marie

Well it took 45 years to get me diagnosed and I never got cancer from it. Research says that after 5 years gluten free your chances of having a celiac related cancer are the same as the rest of the population. I wouldn't worry about the cancer aspect if I were you.

It is amazing how much of a difference the diet makes in folks who need to be on it. It is IMHO the best diagnostic there is. You do need to know that if you want to get a doctor defined diagnosis that you need to get back on gluten pronto and make an appointment. You do not however have to be diagnosed to continue with the diet unless you choose to or you need to for you to stay strict on it.

In my opinion it can be helpful at first to delete dairy and soy from your diet until things get back to normal. Some of us do seem to have reactions to one or both of those. Once you are back to feeling well then add them back in, one at a time, for a week. If you still symptom free then just stay gluten-free, if you react then drop the item you reacted to again.

There is quite a bit to learn when you are first gluten free so do read as many posts as you can and eat as little processed food as possible while you are healing.