How Long Does It Take..

[ROSSMAN]

November 9th I got a call from the doctor telling me I have tested positive for Celiac disease. From that point I have been eating a strick wheat free diet with no dairy because I am lactose intolerant.

It has been 6 days of no gluten but I am still having stomach pains. Some days it dosent hurt as much, some days it hurts for hours. The best way to describe the pain is like someone is squeezing my stomach.

How long until I can experience some relief? Is this common?

[psawyer]

Welcome to the board!

Time to recover varies greatly from individual. It depends very much on the extent to which your body has been damaged. In my own case, the symptoms began easing in a few days, but full recovery from symptoms took about three months.

You say that your diet is wheat-free. That is necessary, but not sufficient. You must also avoid barley and rye to be gluten-free, and many must also avoid oats. Barley hides in lots of places you would not expect it, usually as "malt flavoring."

If your villi are damaged, your ability to produce lactase, the enzyme requited to digest lactose, is compromised. For many of us, the lactose-intolerance goes away when the villi heal.

[frustrated09]

It's not always what you eat but what you touch and products you use on your body. I am self-diagnosed intolerant but I have changed toothpaste, deoderant, shampoo, hand lotion, vitamins. The day after i went off gluten i had 6 hours pure energy. it was the same when i went off soy a couple days ago. i actually had energy at work today. you might think about doing an elimination diet to figure out what might be still bothering you.

Marsha

[tunibell]

I was diagnosed (via endoscopy/biopsy) in May 2009, and I can honestly say it took a full two weeks before I felt any better, and two months before I felt much better. I had the same sensation, by the way - it felt like someone was clenching my stomach in their fist. This was the symptom that drove me to the doctors (all five of them) in the first place.

Hang in there - I actually think my first two weeks off gluten were the worst of the entire experience. I remember feeling like my torso was on fire.

[GFinDC]

Hi Rossman,

The time does vary for getting better. A lot of it depends on how well you eliminate gluten from your diet. A good way to start is to avoid processed foods and eat a simple whole foods diet. Rice and veggies, meats, basic single ingredient foods rather than factory produced foods.

Some of us also have other food intolerances besides gluten. So keep that in mind as you may run into it also. An elimination diet would be a good way to detect other food intolerances. If you are still having trouble after 6 months it would be something to consider.