Is It Too Late For Recovery

[suebright]

HI I'm 57 & after learning all about celiac disease I realise I've had symptoms all my life. After 5 weeks gluten free my tummy is feeling much better & the digestion is working well for the first time. My question is

: even at this age after only just discovering the problem will the long list of other symtoms improve or is it too late?

The symptoms are: severe headaches, occular migraine, difficult breathing, dizziness, extreme temperature variations, extreme sensitivity to light sound & motion, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, bad muscle pain in back & neck, chest pain, tremours, cold hands & feet, sense of unreality & disconnection.

Much has improved with the new diet so I will continue it anyway, but I would like to hear from others who have realised they were celiac at this stage in their life. Thanks.

[ravenwoodglass]

I have had celiac since I was around 6 years old. I was finally diagnosed at age 48. 6 months before I was diagnosed I was in such bad shape, and had been for so many years, that my daughter came to me one morning in tears and told me the family would understand if I committed suicide. Like you I had doubts I would ever recover. My recovery from the daily and nightly attacks of excrutiating diarrhea were over fairly soon after diagnosis. The migraines were gone for good also within a short time. The other issues took a bit longer. Within 6 months though I could walk again without the canes that had been a part of my life for years. 2 years later doctors found I had reflexes again, I had lost those in childhood. My brain fuction returned to close to normal within a few months also.

I still have a couple neuro issues but they are mild, ataxia and mild memory issues. But now 8 years later I am healthier than I remember being for any part of my life.

Noone can guarentee that you will recover to a point where it was like you never had celiac to begin with but in time you will heal.

Be patient with your body. Do get you vitamin and mineral levels checked and supplement with a good for sure gluten free supplement what you need to supplement. Hint, barley and wheat grass are thought to be gluten free but many of us do react to them so avoid supplements that contain those. Also be sure to check all your meds, if you take any, for gluten with your pharmacist or the maker. If you take generics check at each refill.

Read as much as you can here and take care to avoid cross contamination.

I hope you recover quickly but we do usually have some ups and downs at first. Ask any questions you need to and do feel free to vent your frustrations. Most of us have been there and we are a pretty understanding bunch of folks.

[Ahorsesoul]

I was in my 50s when going gluten free. It's never too late!!!!!

[Takala]

I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to get rid of many of those symptoms, as long as you went to truly gluten free. Takes awhile. You might have other food sensitivities or allergies in addition to the gluten, the most common are reactions to soy and dairy. You also have a lot of the symptoms I was getting from an over the counter anti acid medication taken for heartburn.

I went off grains in my mid forties and am in my mid fifties now, back on many foods I gave up initially, as my body re adapted after removing the real culprit, which was gluten.

[knittingmonkey]

HI I'm 57 & after learning all about celiac disease I realise I've had symptoms all my life...

Much has improved with the new diet so I will continue it anyway, but I would like to hear from others who have realised they were celiac at this stage in their life. Thanks.

I'm 53, diagnosed celiac on 4/30, after at least five years of discomfort. I'm grateful it seems we found the problem and am working diligently om healing. Have embraced the Gluten-free lifestyle

[suebright]

I have had celiac since I was around 6 years old. I was finally diagnosed at age 48. 6 months before I was diagnosed I was in such bad shape, and had been for so many years, that my daughter came to me one morning in tears and told me the family would understand if I committed suicide. Like you I had doubts I would ever recover.

thanks so much for your reply, I'm greatly encouraged. Should I go the route of a nutritionist to check vitamin &

mineral levels or GP

[ravenwoodglass]

Your GP can check those levels. If you are not knowledgeable about nutrition do make an appointment with a nutritionist, if you ask the doctor for a referral it should be covered under your insurance. Do not however think the nutritionist will be able to give much info on being gluten free, some are knowledgeable but many are not. Your in the right place here to learn about the lifestyle as there is alot more than just food involved.

[jerseyangel]

It's never too late--I was 49 when diagnosed 5 years ago. It took longer for me to get to a point where I have more good days than bad, but compared to how I was before is like night and day. I had symptoms from the age of about 29 that got much worse after a bout with the flu in late 2003.

Best of luck--and welcome

[T.H.]

I agree with everyone: it's definitely not too late! But the adult diagnosis definitely presents its own challenges

My father was diagnosed at about 56. He had some issues improve, and some it was too late for. He'd already had both hips replaced, and some of his joints are permanently injured from what his body has been through. Other problems have healed.

However, he didn't do too much research, and his doctor did not check him for vitamin levels or other issues like osteoporosis. It is 8 years later, and now he is having new health problems appear. He's having to go find a new doctor who will look at him again and see what may have been missed, or not have healed, that should have been taken care of when he was first diagnosed.

Another thing that we never did was look at anyone else in the family. Now we know the statistics: of people 1 degree separated (sibling, parent, or child) from a celiac positive person, 1 in 22 will also be positive. I started getting sick myself last year, got tested, and I came back positive. It started a round of testing, and my brother and daughter came back positive as well, with my son having symptoms that improved on a gluten free diet, even though he tested negative. Many of us have discovered food allergies, as well, that we have to adjust to now, as well (that is not uncommon for celiacs).

Asking around the family, we've found cousins who have had gut issues for years with no diagnosis that are now getting tested, too.

Here's wishing you well and hoping all of your symptoms improve!

HI I'm 57 & after learning all about celiac disease I realise I've had symptoms all my life. After 5 weeks gluten free my tummy is feeling much better & the digestion is working well for the first time. My question is

: even at this age after only just discovering the problem will the long list of other symtoms improve or is it too late?

The symptoms are: severe headaches, occular migraine, difficult breathing, dizziness, extreme temperature variations, extreme sensitivity to light sound & motion, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, bad muscle pain in back & neck, chest pain, tremours, cold hands & feet, sense of unreality & disconnection.

Much has improved with the new diet so I will continue it anyway, but I would like to hear from others who have realised they were celiac at this stage in their life. Thanks.

[sandsurfgirl]

HI I'm 57 & after learning all about celiac disease I realise I've had symptoms all my life. After 5 weeks gluten free my tummy is feeling much better & the digestion is working well for the first time. My question is

: even at this age after only just discovering the problem will the long list of other symtoms improve or is it too late?

The symptoms are: severe headaches, occular migraine, difficult breathing, dizziness, extreme temperature variations, extreme sensitivity to light sound & motion, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, bad muscle pain in back & neck, chest pain, tremours, cold hands & feet, sense of unreality & disconnection.

Much has improved with the new diet so I will continue it anyway, but I would like to hear from others who have realised they were celiac at this stage in their life. Thanks.

I was diagnosed at 40 after having it my whole life. I was VERY sick with much more than just gastro symptoms. I improved little bits each week gluten free but did not have a completely symptom free day until I was 5 months gluten free. I'm 6 months into it now and feeling great!!!! Don't give up and don't lose hope. Be diligent and get the gluten out of your life, even in your shampoo and soap.

My dizziness was made worse because I had electrolyte imbalances. I had to drink Gatorade daily for awhile and lots of water. I still do some days. People give me a ration about Gatorade being crap, but every natural electrolyte supplement I tried gave me horrible D and made me feel worse. Salt is not electrolytes so don't try to just add salt to something.

[Ahorsesoul]

My dizziness was made worse because I had electrolyte imbalances. I had to drink Gatorade daily for awhile and lots of water. I still do some days. People give me a ration about Gatorade being crap, but every natural electrolyte supplement I tried gave me horrible D and made me feel worse. Salt is not electrolytes so don't try to just add salt to something.

I agree with the salt statement. A Mayo Clinic specialist told my Dad to drink Gatorade to get rid of his heart arrhythmia. Dad won't do it but I do and presto my funny heart beats and flutters are gone. Such a simple solution.

[Mari]

I guess I'm the oldest so far, diag. at 70 but I read a message from a woman's daughter who was 86! and doing better. I'd had celiac disease all my life and after more than 4 years gluten-free and dairy free I'm returning to health tho it's been slow progress. Problems with diet and allergy I partly solved by using the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and since I usually use alternative and herbal remedies, I've done various types of cleanses and they were a great help in the 25 years when I was getting worse and had no idea that I had a problem with gluten. I'm going to be 74 this fall and think that I'm going to be able to enjoy some of those golden years that people talk about.

[wildflwr43]

I'm 67 and was just diagnosed after a lifetime of misdiagnoses. It's never too late. I was so run down I ended up with a 4-day stay in the hospital, during which time I had a battery of tests. The EGD uncovered the small intestine damage (flattened villi). I am now living gluten-free and slowly regaining my health. Keep at it....!!

[gf-soph]

My grandmother, 84, went gluten free a couple of months ago. Although she is not celiac (negative blood tests & biopsy) she had GI problems all her life, as well as bowel cancer in her 50s, and osteoporosis. I was unsure if she would see much benefit as it is likely it has been a problem for her all her life, she was a fussy eater as a child as so many foods made her feel unwell.

Within a couple of days her digestive system felt better than it had in years, and within a couple of weeks she looked a decade younger. She was happier, enjoying her food for the first time in years, had less back pain - even her eyes were brighter! She accidentally glutened herself recently, and she had lots of stomach pain, a flare up of bad back pain, and had trouble breathing the other night - luckily it was just terrible indigestion. Even subtle things like being less suspicious of people, and there is far less clutter in her house (she is a bit of a hoarder).

So no, it is not too late! Of course it is possible that some things may not resolve, but there is a good chance that with a nutritious diet and appropriate supplements, you may feel better than you can imagine!