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Gluten Free Diet And Relief Of Chronic Joint Pain

schicker45

By schicker45
in Sports and Fitness

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schicker45 Newbie
schicker45
Posted

Hi,

I was diagnosed at the end of August and have started the gluten free diet on August 18th (about 2 months on the diet). I had thyroid cancer which may or may not be related to my celiac disease other then that my worst problems have been fatigue and joint pain. Since starting the diet I have experienced a huge improvement for the fatigue but the joint pain is still be unbareable. I take a steady dose of Lodene (anti-inflamatory) help manage the pain. I love playing hockey and the continued pain is very discourageing. I'm trying to be patient and and stay positive. If you have had a similiar experience to mine, how long did it take for your joint pain to improve?

Thanks,

Steve

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dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

My joint pain improved - went away, but it took a long while. I can't remember exactly how long anymore. It's been two years now. Hang in there.

Wolicki Enthusiast
Wolicki
Posted

I had chronic joint pain, to the pornt wheres ometimes it hurt too much to get out of bed. I had immediate improvement(within a couple of days). iT's much better now at 4 months gluten-free, but it still hurts some. A contact sport like Hockey can really put a lot of pressure on your joints. Perhaps you could do something else for a bit til you improve more?

Shess0816 Apprentice
Shess0816
Posted
Hi,

I was diagnosed at the end of August and have started the gluten free diet on August 18th (about 2 months on the diet). I had thyroid cancer which may or may not be related to my celiac disease other then that my worst problems have been fatigue and joint pain. Since starting the diet I have experienced a huge improvement for the fatigue but the joint pain is still be unbareable. I take a steady dose of Lodene (anti-inflamatory) help manage the pain. I love playing hockey and the continued pain is very discourageing. I'm trying to be patient and and stay positive. If you have had a similiar experience to mine, how long did it take for your joint pain to improve?

Thanks,

Steve

Hello. I used to have horrible joint pain all the time. It was almost to the point sometimes where I could hardly walk or use my hands to do anything because it just hurt so bad to put any pressure at all on them. I would just lay awake in bed a lot of nights just crying because my knees and shoulders and wrists and fingers and ankles hurt so bad. I know exactly how you feel with that. After starting the gluten free diet (March 2009) I did notice a little improvement almost within a week. Then it kind of plateued and I was still experiencing a lot of pain probably 5 days a week or so. Now that I've been on the gluten free diet for almost 8 months now, I would say I only have one of those extreme pain episodes maybe once a month, if that. I haven't had one for over a month now. The last one I had was because I accidently glutened myself. Just so you know, though, the couple times I have accidently ingested gluten since going gluten free, the first three things I notice with my reaction to the gluten is 1) headache 2) brain fog 3) my joints start aching...(then comes all the fun stomach pain and other issues....). But, it DEFINITELY got better for me. It took months of diligently following the gluten free diet, but I can clearly tell a difference. Hopefully you start noticing also!

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis react not only to gluten but to dairy: Open Original Shared Link

In addition, many celiacs find that their intestines do not heal until they stop consuming dairy as well as gluten. Apparently, the casein (the protein in dairy products) irritate the damaged villi (which are supposed to produce lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose, the sugar in milk), and then the damaged villi don't heal.

schicker45 Newbie
schicker45
Posted
  • Author
Hello. I used to have horrible joint pain all the time. It was almost to the point sometimes where I could hardly walk or use my hands to do anything because it just hurt so bad to put any pressure at all on them. I would just lay awake in bed a lot of nights just crying because my knees and shoulders and wrists and fingers and ankles hurt so bad. I know exactly how you feel with that. After starting the gluten free diet (March 2009) I did notice a little improvement almost within a week. Then it kind of plateued and I was still experiencing a lot of pain probably 5 days a week or so. Now that I've been on the gluten free diet for almost 8 months now, I would say I only have one of those extreme pain episodes maybe once a month, if that. I haven't had one for over a month now. The last one I had was because I accidently glutened myself. Just so you know, though, the couple times I have accidently ingested gluten since going gluten free, the first three things I notice with my reaction to the gluten is 1) headache 2) brain fog 3) my joints start aching...(then comes all the fun stomach pain and other issues....). But, it DEFINITELY got better for me. It took months of diligently following the gluten free diet, but I can clearly tell a difference. Hopefully you start noticing also!

Thanks... For giving me an idea of what to expect. Hopefully, my body reacts similiarly to yours as if it's another 3-4 months the end is in sight.

Swimmr Contributor
Swimmr
Posted
Hi,

I was diagnosed at the end of August and have started the gluten free diet on August 18th (about 2 months on the diet). I had thyroid cancer which may or may not be related to my celiac disease other then that my worst problems have been fatigue and joint pain. Since starting the diet I have experienced a huge improvement for the fatigue but the joint pain is still be unbareable. I take a steady dose of Lodene (anti-inflamatory) help manage the pain. I love playing hockey and the continued pain is very discourageing. I'm trying to be patient and and stay positive. If you have had a similiar experience to mine, how long did it take for your joint pain to improve?

Thanks,

Steve

I recently posted on a similar subject.

Started in 08 with an unexplained pain ON my knee, or rather on the bone it seemed. Very weird and was gone the next day.

Then the next one was my elbow.

Next it was my right hip just like 4 months ago and appeared overnight and so intense I fell to the floor when I got out of bed and cried. I could put NO pressure at all on my right leg all day long. I don't cry from pain unless I'm really hurt. I took an anti-inflammatory which made the constant pains subside...the only pain I would feel is if I had to walk or lay or move my leg.

Then I had it in my neck. It hurt SOOOO bad.

Then again in my hip. I was thinking it was migratory arthritis which is arthritis that literally migrates from one joint to the next. But since I have been MORE careful in my food intake I've had no more painful joint issues.

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GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

So Steve, do still have your thyroid? I have a few thyroid issues and earlier this year found my joints were aching/sore. I ended up taking thyroid pills and my sore joints got a better after a little while. Hypothyroid can cause joint pain per the Mayo Clinic dudes:

Open Original Shared Link

schicker45 Newbie
schicker45
Posted
  • Author
So Steve, do still have your thyroid? I have a few thyroid issues and earlier this year found my joints were aching/sore. I ended up taking thyroid pills and my sore joints got a better after a little while. Hypothyroid can cause joint pain per the Mayo Clinic dudes:

Open Original Shared Link

Thyroid gland has been completely removed... Don't think it's thyroid related.

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