How Well Do You Feel Gluten Free?

[dhiltonlittle]

As long as there is no gluten in your diet do you generally feel ok or do you still experience symptoms?

[psawyer]

My symptoms are long gone, but it took a few months on the gluten-free diet to accomplish that. I feel fine now.

[Ahorsesoul]

If all the hidden gluten out of my diet I am fine. For me, any tiny bit sets my body off. I thought I was doing great with a mixed kitchen. My dh only had his bread and wrapped snack in his own cabinet. But I've seen improvement in myself since my dh went gluten free and now the whole house is gluten free.

[frogholler]

As long as there is no gluten in your diet do you generally feel ok or do you still experience symptoms?

I went on a gluten free diet around 5 days ago and noticed positive changes within the first 24 hours. The first major change was the fact that I was no longer having coughing spells with a lot of mucous.Every morning, I would start coughing and produce a lot of mucous within minutes after getting up. That all stopped. Last Sat. night, I went to a friend's house for a pasta dinner and within minutes after consuming just a small amount of pasta and a few bites of garlic bread, my stomach literally blew up and the waist band of my slacks felt very tight. That's when I decided to go gluten free to see if I felt any different. I am a blood type O and knew I wasn't suppose to have wheat but never realized how important that fact was. I also had no energy and had to force myself to do any chores around the house. Now I feel more energized. My Dr. had some blood work done and I got the results today. The tests showed that I had Celiac disease and my intestines have already been damaged due to my diet but hopefully, if I'm careful and stick to the gluten free diet, I will overcome any other intestinal problems I have been coping with for awhile.

[tmbarke]

As long as there is no gluten in your diet do you generally feel ok or do you still experience symptoms?

I feel like a new woman that has her own mind! Except when I crave a BKburger!

[tarnalberry]

Well, many of us have other (sometimes related, sometimes unrelated) issues going on. I would say "I feel fine" but compared to others I know without other medical issues (particularly fibro, chronic migraines, and hypermobility (but not Ehler's Danlos)), I would never say I feel "great", but it's a relative term anyway. I certainly can still get an upset stomach or intestinal tract from some foods that aren't gluten. But that's a more complicated example. Learning to separate gluten-issues from other issues is an important thing to do.

[Reba32]

After going gluten free, I feel 100% better, but not 100%. If you follow.

I think after years of being malnourished and muscle wasting and whatnot, I will never be "normal". However, I feel soooooooooooooooo much better without gluten in my diet (and it was pretty much within 24 hours of going gluten free that I noticed a difference) that there is not a snowball's chance in hell that I would ever deliberately eat something that contained gluten!

[masterjen]

I've been gluten-free for a month after being confirmed as having Celiac. I feel worse, not better, as I have rib discomfort, headaches, migraines and muscle weakness that I never had before being gluten-free.

[MRM]

i could say the same as Reba32, 100% better but not 100%. i was excited this morning that i felt like blow drying my hair and brushing my teeth. a month or two ago i would have just sat back down and probably fallen asleep. i think i need to pull a few more things from my diet but everyday is better then the last.

[Shannonlass]

I feel better in ways but it's hard to tell really as I had a 6 month run of hell prior to diagnosis. I moved to the Middle East at the end of last July. I had been suffering with nausea when eating/after eating for 3+ years but things deteriorated badly. I began to throw up as well. Then in mid november I got the most awful diarrhoea which continued for almost a month. I lost at least a stone weight. A parasite called giardia was apparently responsible (though they never got a positive test.) I was fine for 3 weeks then mid January the diarrhoea came back again. Lasted for a couple of weeks.In the meantime the nausea/vomitting had disappeared completely which was bizarre but meant I could eat normally for the first time in 6 months. My doctor referred me to a consultant and he was the one who diagnosed celiacs disease almost 5 weeks ago. I still suffer from bloating and flatulence but am hoping it will go away soon. I'm trying my best with the diet and for the most part coping well. I'm hoping to see more improvements soon.

[serenajane]

I have been gluten free about 6 weeks now. After the first 2 weeks the fog lifted (eyes would feel heavy felt like I was looking at the world through a haze)

I felt less bloat at first. I am still making the frequent trips to the lavatory. I am still not fully absorbing the nutrients I should be. I have also gained a little weight not real happy about that. I am going to talk to my doc about seeing a nutritionist to help me balance the new way of eating.

Bottom line I am not going to cheat on purpose either I have excepted that this is what I need to do and thats what I must do. Now if the risk wasn't life threatening I can't say the same would be true. I am not a fan of a colostomy bag so I will be a good girl and follow the diet.

The good news is there are a lot of very talented and creative people that are working hard so that people in our situation don't have to feel left out.

marys gone crackers are my new favorite crackers

[ciavyn]

WHEN I haven't accidentally glutened myself, I feel GREAT! Really, really good, with very few GI issues. Unfortunately, it takes me about three weeks to get over being glutened. But I really do feel 100% better...I guess I'm lucky that way.

[meatslayer]

Learned I was Celiac one month ago. Gluten free for that month... feel so much better, it's crazy. Maybe not 100% but I'm not on the toilet 10 times a day, I'm getting nutrients from my food again.

People like to moan and make misery out of their situations here, I say move on deal with it. I don't miss any thing, it made me sick. Moved on.....

[jackay]

I feel a lot better but still have insomnia, muscle pain, headaches and gas which I feel are from intestine candida and other food intolerances. The anxiety is gone and believe me that was extreme. The depression is better and I no longer have diarrhea so in some ways I am way better.

I know when I accidentally get glutened because I get diarrhea and depression that lasts for up to four days.

[Lgood22573]

I feel absolutely fabulous. I am guessing, exactly like a "normal" person without illness feels like.

[jackay]

I feel absolutely fabulous. I am guessing, exactly like a "normal" person without illness feels like.

I hope to get to that point some day.