Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Free Pulling A Bait And Switch

kimann79

Recommended Posts

kimann79 Apprentice
kimann79
Posted

I'm a bit frustrated. I've been gluten free for about 2.5 weeks. Within days of starting I began to have normal BM's for the first time in years. That lasted about three or four days and now I'm am severely constipated- worse than before! I'm tempted to make a loaf of whole wheat bread to see if it helps me go to the bathroom. I wonder if it is because:

A. I don't have a problem with gluten (even though initially I showed some pretty significant improvements)

B. I'm not getting enough fiber now. I eat a whole foods diet- full of produce and whole grains (now limited to quionoa, millet, gluten-free oats, amaranthe etc.) but I'm used to eating baked goods made with freshly milled whole wheat flour.

A lot of the gluten-free baked goods I've been making have a lot of arrowroot and tapioca starch in them (I stay away from corn starch) and those things have NO fiber and very little nutritive value.

My appetite has diminished significantly and I've begun skipping meals (which I've never done before!)

I wonder if that is because I'm so constipated.

I'm not sure what to do.

Any advice?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

Try prunes or dried figs. Hope it works.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

I'm a bit frustrated. I've been gluten free for about 2.5 weeks. Within days of starting I began to have normal BM's for the first time in years. That lasted about three or four days and now I'm am severely constipated- worse than before! I'm tempted to make a loaf of whole wheat bread to see if it helps me go to the bathroom. I wonder if it is because:

A. I don't have a problem with gluten (even though initially I showed some pretty significant improvements)

B. I'm not getting enough fiber now. I eat a whole foods diet- full of produce and whole grains (now limited to quionoa, millet, gluten-free oats, amaranthe etc.) but I'm used to eating baked goods made with freshly milled whole wheat flour.

A lot of the gluten-free baked goods I've been making have a lot of arrowroot and tapioca starch in them (I stay away from corn starch) and those things have NO fiber and very little nutritive value.

My appetite has diminished significantly and I've begun skipping meals (which I've never done before!)

I wonder if that is because I'm so constipated.

I'm not sure what to do.

Any advice?

Most of the fiber a person needs to go to the bathroom regularly can be obtained in fruits and veggies. I'm not big into grains no matter what the gluten content and derive my fiber from large salads and fruit for snacking. The other major component to going normally is water. Very simple yet something most people forget. If you drink diet soda or ice tea/coffee, that will constipate you. Only water will give you the necessary ratio, along with the fiber, for producing normal bowel habits. If the color of your urine is darker yellow or you have trouble having BM's, then you may be dehydrated and need to drink more. The formula for water consumption is half your body weight, in ounces. Try that and see if it helps! ;)

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

I'd recommend skipping the starchy gluten-free breads for now. Also, just because the oats are certified gluten-free, doesn't mean you're able to tolerate them. Some folks can, while others cannot. Try eliminating those for awhile too. If you want a bread recipe higher in fiber, you may wish to try the one I posted here.

However, many nutritional deficiencies often show up during the initial stages of healing. You may therefore find it helpful to take some supplements. Magnesium is not only a common deficiency amongst those with Celiac, but the lack of this nutrient is characterized by constipation, among other things. The usual suggestion is to start with about 400mg, and increase the dosage by 200mg every few days, until you find a level that you're comfortable with. Too much will result in loose stools.

kimann79 Apprentice
kimann79
Posted
  • Author

Hmmm...I only drink water and raw milk- sometimes herbal tea. I'm not dehydrated. No caffeine. I've been making all my own gluten free breads from scratch- so no processed foods. Lots of veggies and fruits (I used to be vegan and I eat a huge salad at least once a day.)

I already take magnesium for a heart murmur and it's never once helped the constipation. I took major doses when I was on iron supplements and it still didn't help. I really need to start taking the iron again but I've stopped because I thought it was making things worse. However my ferritin levels are really low so I need to take care of that.

I'll give up the oats (though I've only had them once since going gluten-free) and the starches and see what happens.

It's frustrating when you eat a really clean diet and still have problems with this.

I have friends that eat like crap (chicken nuggets and processed cereal) and never deal with this.

:angry:

kimann79 Apprentice
kimann79
Posted
  • Author

I'd recommend skipping the starchy gluten-free breads for now. Also, just because the oats are certified gluten-free, doesn't mean you're able to tolerate them. Some folks can, while others cannot. Try eliminating those for awhile too. If you want a bread recipe higher in fiber, you may wish to try the one I posted here.

However, many nutritional deficiencies often show up during the initial stages of healing. You may therefore find it helpful to take some supplements. Magnesium is not only a common deficiency amongst those with Celiac, but the lack of this nutrient is characterized by constipation, among other things. The usual suggestion is to start with about 400mg, and increase the dosage by 200mg every few days, until you find a level that you're comfortable with. Too much will result in loose stools.

I'm going to try your bread recipe out. I really like that it uses no starches and is high in fiber. If that doesn't work I'm considering going grain free altogether and seeing if that helps.

knittingmonkey Newbie
knittingmonkey
Posted

...I already take magnesium for a heart murmur and it's never once helped the constipation...

Magnesium should be taken in a 2/1 ratio with calcium. Most supplements are at best 1/1. It's also every difficult to absorb by the body, especially when stomach acids aren't optimal. My personal choice for magnesium supplementation is topical "Magnesium Gel with Seaweed" from health-and-wisdom.com. It's a simple magnesium chloride, which is much more absorbable for the boday than magnesium sulphate (epsom salts).

I brush my teeth with it and they are less transluscent now, like the enamel is becomng denser. I dress my hair with it and it's becoming thicker. I rub it in my spasmatic muscles and they relax, I paint my toenails with it and toenail fungus has disappeared, I put about an ounce is my foot bath and I sleep like a baby. It's an excellent facial treatment, like as a moisturizer, and it's (ahem) the most superior personal lubricant on the planet. Since I started supplementation I have never experienced constipation.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


torimuse Rookie
torimuse
Posted

This happened to me. I was gluten free for 2 weeks, was on the verge of feeling better, then BAM, back to what it was before. Granted, I also reacted to milk just after symptoms started coming back. Maybe you have a secondary intolerance for milk or soy?

Everyone's different, but I went and stuck it out, chalking it up to Gluten Withdrawal and some other intolerance. Your body can become addicted to gluten, so when it gets removed, you just don't feel well for a while. It takes people different amounts of time to get over it, but I'm about a week in from that and I feel like I'm getting better again. Good luck to you on feeling better soon!

bridgetm Enthusiast
bridgetm
Posted

Same story here. I felt great for about two weeks, then stalled out. I cut dairy and felt great for another 2 weeks. Stalled again. Then I cut soy. That was about 2 months ago. For the past few weeks, the inflammation has been slowly increasing again so I'm in the process of cutting some forms of fructose and artificial sugars. My BMs are slowly balancing out again. My diet is constantly changing; I think it's driving my family crazy... but I feel better :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      5

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply. Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct. Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy. Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all. There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes. The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy...
    3. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      8

      Related issues

      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped. It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition. Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here. Malnutrition...
    4. NanceK
      - NanceK replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well. I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given...
    5. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      5

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals. Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D. By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease. You got it from your mom or dad. Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,294
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    laurallee
    Newest Member
    laurallee
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply.   Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct.   Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two, following my diagnosis - I pinned everything on coeliac disease, but it turns out I wasn't always right!  Dizziness, lightheaded - I was eventually diagnosed with cervical dizziness (worth googling, could be your issue too, also if you have neck pain?)  A few months after diagnosis I put my neck out slightly carrying my seven-year-old above my head, and never assigned any relevance to it as the pain at the time was severe but so short-lived that I'd forgotten the connection. Jaw pain - stress. Tinnitus - I think stress, but perhaps exacerbated by iron/vitamin deficiencies. Painful ribs and sacroiliac joints - no idea, bloating made the pain worse. It got really bad but then got better. Irregular heart rate - could be a coincidence but my sister (not a coeliac) and I both developed this temporarily after our second Astra Zeneca covid jabs.   Subsequent Pfizer jabs didn't affect us. Brain fog - a big thing for people with certain autoimmune issues but in my case I think possibly worse when my iron or B12 are low, but I have no proof of this. Insomnia - stress, menopause. So basically, it isn't always gluten.  It might be worth having your vitamins and mineral levels checked, and if you have deficiencies speak to your Dr about how better to address them?    
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
      Related issues

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      My only proof

      By NanceK · Posted

      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.