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How To Know If I've Eliminated All Gluten?

jackay

By jackay
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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jackay Enthusiast
jackay
Posted

My D has lessened but not gone away. I know I've eliminated all gluten from my diet but there is a chance of cross contamination from others. I'm being very careful with preparing foods, washing hands, etc.

Since it takes a while for the stomach to heal, how do I know I'm doing enough? I do think the fact that the D has lessened is a good sign. Until it goes away completely, I will continue to wonder.

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Wolicki Enthusiast
Wolicki
Posted

have you given up dairy? That is frequently a problem.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Dairy is often recommended to eliminate for a time. It can later be reintroduced.

Keep a food diary.

Depending on the amount of damage you have and dedication to the diet, will determine your healing time. Sometimes full healing can take up to two years.

jackay Enthusiast
jackay
Posted
  • Author

I also eliminated dairy, soy, and eggs about six months ago after saliva testing came back positive. About a month ago I eliminated all nuts and corn. A few days ago I added back peanuts that I shelled myself. The D didn't get any worse. Then I added back walnuts, almonds and filberts that I shelled myself. Again the D didn't get worse. Possibly the preshelled nuts I bought in the past were cross contaminated.

Today I tried kefir, which is a probiotic drink. I tried it a while back at my doctors suggested and it made the D worse. If it definitely makes the D worse tomorrow, I will discontinue it. If there is no change, I will continue drinking a small amount daily until it is gone and then take another break from dairy.

I had no appetitie for a year and now all I want to do is eat. I have put on a few pounds which is definitely good. With this appetite, I now want the forbidden foods which I had no problem avoiding up til now. I still don't crave the gluten though.

I started taking L-Glutamine about a week ago. I wonder if that is giving me the appetitie. I hope it makes the healing go faster.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I don't think that you can know that you have eliminated all gluten unless you grow everything that you eat, and your farm is far away from gluten grain fields. Even then you would have to be careful about fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and mulches.

You do best avoiding processed foods and washing everything else well.

JillianLindsay Enthusiast
JillianLindsay
Posted

I agree, we never know 100% for sure, we all just do our very best and are as cautious as possible. After being gluten-free for 6-9 months your DR should re-check (if you had a celiac panel pre-diagnosis) your ttg levels to see if they have gone down. If they have, that is a good indication that you are sticking to the diet. If they go up or stay the same, then it is time to re-evaluate and find out where the gluten is coming from.

Good luck :)

byoung20415 Newbie
byoung20415
Posted
My D has lessened but not gone away. I know I've eliminated all gluten from my diet but there is a chance of cross contamination from others. I'm being very careful with preparing foods, washing hands, etc.

Since it takes a while for the stomach to heal, how do I know I'm doing enough? I do think the fact that the D has lessened is a good sign. Until it goes away completely, I will continue to wonder.

I believe you can be 'glutened' by more than just the food you eat. I suggest that you try to eliminate gluten from your soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies and everything else, too. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

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jackay Enthusiast
jackay
Posted
  • Author

I am really trying hard to eliminate gluten from everything. I think of more things every day that I may be missing. I've spent lots of time researching online and calling companies for the gluten status of their products.

Only those with gluten intolerance can understand how this is necessary.

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    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      So, you had both and endoscopy with biopsy and a colonoscopy. That helps me understand what you were trying to communicate. No, no! It never occurred to me that you were trying to mislead me. It's just that we get a lot of posters on the forum who are misinformed about what celiac disease is and how it is diagnosed so I need some clarification from you which you were so gracious to give.
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      By barb simkin · Posted

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    • barb simkin
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      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      @barb simkin, are you sure the chocolate products are gluten-free and not "manufactured on equipment that also handles wheat products and tree nuts", i.e., cross-contamination? And what kind of alcoholic beverages are we talking about? Most beers are made from gluten-containing grains. Just checking.
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