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Does It Ever Get Better


Maddiemo

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Maddiemo Rookie

Does being gluten intolerance ever get better? If you stop eating any gluten for a long time can you get back to it one day or is this for ever?


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mommida Enthusiast

Forever.

gena Newbie

Does being gluten intolerance ever get better? If you stop eating any gluten for a long time can you get back to it one day or is this for ever?

You do have to stick with this diet forever but it does get better! You will start to see improvements in everything, even things you thought had nothing to do with your gluten allergy! Once you learn how to make the foods you like without gluten you wont really feel like your missing out at all and you will not care that you cant go back to gluten!

luvs2eat Collaborator

AND as more people learn about us and our issues, new and better breads and things like that will come out and restaurants will "GET" it and we'll be able to do lots more stuff!

ciavyn Contributor

It does get better! Once you start feeling better, you will realize how much easier this is. I don't even want the junk food I used to eat before. I love feeling healthier, not having GI issues...I don't think I realized how much I enjoyed it until I got glutened! After three weeks of misery, I am finally back to feeling like me again. It's fantastic!

StacyA Enthusiast

Yes, it does get better. If you've been sick a long time, it may take awhile to feel better - but it's worth it. Otherwise, if you eat gluten, you'll continue the damage.

Eating gluten-free is hard and it stinks - but intestinal damage and your body attacking itself is a really bad thing.

I wasn't sick for years and years. My celiac's was only triggered last summer. Every symptom I had back then is gone - except for some diarrhea - but I think it takes awhile for the GI system to even out. I had severe abdominal pain, fatigue (I was NOT running on all my pistons), low back pain, irritabililty, and very light periods (which means something was starting to go wrong with my reproductive system - which is not good). All those symptoms are gone now. Gluten-free works. Hang in there.

Mskedi Newbie

It's almost ridiculous how much better it gets. If I weren't experiencing it myself, I wouldn't believe it.

The diet is forever, but there's no way I'd go back. Things are less and less tempting all the time, too. I don't feel like I'm missing anything.


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VickiLynn Newbie

It absolutely does get better! Do not give up or give in. After your body is completely healed and you are feeling like a different person you won't want to go back to all the foods that made you sick. I've been gluten free for 15 years. It took 6 years to figure it out. My diagnosis was what saved me from malnutrition. My brother was just diagnosed after only 4 weeks of symptoms. It is so much easier living gluten free in today's world, although not easy for the beginner. Try to keep a positive attitude and you will see that as each day goes by you get healthier and feel so much better. Hang in there!

kaki-clam Enthusiast

as someone who has recently gone through the "hard part" I am finally here to give encouragement to someone who is where I was 5 months ago. This is the first time in five freaking months that I have actually felt like my old self again. I never thought i would get here. post after post of complaining and symptoms and help from everyone on this site helped me get to where i am today....so, even though i never, ever, in one million years, thought i would be saying this.....IT TRULY DOES GET BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!

Canadian Girl Apprentice

I've been gluten free for about a month, and it's getting way easier to deal with making gluten free stuff to eat. But lately I've been absolutely exhausted. I'll sleep in until 11 somedays, then get up and do what I need to do, then by 9 pm i'm just wiped. Sooo tired. I work shifts, and the nights shifts are a killer, I feel like I will fall asleep at any moment sometimes. There are still days when I feel a little bloated or maybe just too full.. sometimes i can't tell.. so how long until all the symptoms clear? like 5 months??? :s at least there's hope!

juppygirl Newbie

It does take time - 6 months for me but then I get cross contaminated accidentally and ill again. Realised how bad I must have been feeling most of the time and wonder how i got thru.

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      That’s a really insightful observation about antibody testing and the gluten challenge! You’re absolutely right that antibody levels can remain elevated for months or even years after going gluten-free, especially if there’s ongoing cross-contamination or occasional slip-ups. The immune system doesn’t reset overnight—it can take time for antibodies like tTG-IgA to normalize, which is why many doctors recommend waiting at least 6–12 months of strict gluten-free eating before retesting. For someone who’s been gluten-free for less than two years or hasn’t been meticulous about avoiding cross-contact, there’s absolutely a chance they’d still test positive, since even small amounts of gluten can keep antibodies elevated. This is partly why the gluten challenge (where you eat gluten before testing) exists—it’s designed to provoke a measurable immune response in people who’ve been gluten-free long enough for antibodies to drop. But you raise a great point: the challenge isn’t perfect, and false negatives can happen if the timing or amount of gluten isn’t sufficient to trigger a strong antibody response. This is why diagnosis often combines antibody tests with other tools like genetic testing or endoscopy. Your question highlights just how nuanced celiac testing can be! For people with celiac disease hidden gluten in their diets is the main cause of elevated Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies (tTG-IgA), but there are other conditions, including cow's milk/casein intolerance, that can also cause this, and here is an article about the other possible causes:      
    • Betsy Crum
      Thank you for your response! I have considered starting a food diary in the past, I suppose this is as good a time as any to start.  
    • Betsy Crum
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      While spices, lentils, beans and chickpeas are naturally gluten-free, the main concern with any brand is cross-contamination during processing and packaging. Since Suraj doesn't appear to certify their products as gluten-free or use dedicated gluten-free facilities, there is some risk of trace gluten exposure, especially with their corn flour which could be milled on shared equipment with gluten-containing grains. For absolute safety, I'd recommend looking for brands that are certified gluten-free by organizations like GFCO - good options include McCormick for spices, TruRoots or Bob's Red Mill for lentils and beans, and Anthony's for corn flour. That said, if you need to use Suraj products, be sure to carefully check labels for any wheat warnings, thoroughly rinse lentils and beans before cooking, and consider contacting the manufacturer directly to ask about their gluten testing protocols. Many in our community have found that investing in certified gluten-free brands gives them greater peace of mind and helps avoid accidental gluten exposure, especially for higher-risk items like flours.
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