Any Help Is Appreciated :(

[jay88]

Hi everyone recently been diagonosed with celiac disease (22 years old) ive been gluten free for 8 days but im not happy with my improvement is this normal.

before i was diagnosed

Chronic Insomnia

Erectile Dysfunction

Stammer

stomach pains

Severe constant headaches

Brain Fog

Fatigue

This is how my recovery is going

Chronic Insomnia (no improvement)

ED (first day off gluten fine since then no improvement)

Stammer ( 100% gone )

stomach pains (no improvement)

Headaches ( come and go not as bad)

Brain Fog ( 80% better)

fatigue (70% better)

Can anyone tell me their timescales on recovery thanks please reply x

[sahm-i-am]

Hi Jay88,

I'm glad some of your symptoms are improving - at least that is something. But it will take longer to heal. I have been gluten free for 5 months and am slowly getting my energy back just this past month. My 11 year old daughter has been gluten-free for just a couple of months and she was feeling better (no D, no stomach pains) within a few weeks. So, everyone is different. Hang in there - it took a while for gluten to do the damage, it may take a while to heal.

Wendi

[bincongo]

Hi everyone recently been diagonosed with celiac disease (22 years old) ive been gluten free for 8 days but im not happy with my improvement is this normal.

before i was diagnosed

Chronic Insomnia

Erectile Dysfunction

Stammer

stomach pains

Severe constant headaches

Brain Fog

Fatigue

This is how my recovery is going

Chronic Insomnia (no improvement)

ED (first day off gluten fine since then no improvement)

Stammer ( 100% gone )

stomach pains (no improvement)

Headaches ( come and go not as bad)

Brain Fog ( 80% better)

fatigue (70% better)

Can anyone tell me their timescales on recovery thanks please reply x

I wish I had the answer. I am 2 1/2 months gluten free and I have good days and bad days but the good days seem to be more frequent now. It can depend on how much damage your intestine has and if you are still being exposed to gluten although you may not know it. If your doctor hasn't checked for thyroid problems you may want that done. My insomnia has not gone away but I am still hopeful. They say 6 months to a year is about the shortest time to heal.

[jackay]

I also have chronic insomnia. It has been 10 months that I have been gluten free and very strict about cross contamination. I was getting more sleep but never developed a sleep pattern. I range anywhere from no sleep to a full night of sleep, although a full night is rare.

I got sick about a week and a half ago and figure it was from gluten. Normally, I only have the effects for 24 hours. this time it lasted over a week. My anxiety and insomnia are back full force. I started taking an antidepressant again Friday night and got some significant sleep that first night. The next night I didn't get much sleep and last night no sleep again.

I have used this antidepressant in the past because it is suppose to help with sleep. It always works the first night and that's about it. I'm seeing a psych nurse tomorrow to talk over medication with her. I am getting too run down from lack of sleep.

[bluebonnet]

for me, my chronic insomnia has taken months before i saw improvement. its by no means cured but i have noticed a significant difference. on that note, i also notice if i accidentally eat gluten that my nights will consist of mostly tossing and turning and no matter how tired i am i will only get a few hours of restless sleep. i seriously do not understand how i functioned all these years on the amount of sleep i got. i think for most people insomnia just takes longer to improve. oh and i got some helpful tips about b vitamins and sleep so find those links and check them out. have you had your b levels checked? best wishes ... sleep will improve, it just may take longer than you want!

[kareng]

did they blood test for iron, vit d, vit B 12? Nutritional deficiencies can cause a lot of problems and a long time without supplements (vitamin pills) to get back to normal.

[mbrookes]

For the sleep, you might try melatonin (OTC) It has really helped me. Just be sure the brand you buy is gluten free.

[jackay]

For the sleep, you might try melatonin (OTC) It has really helped me. Just be sure the brand you buy is gluten free.

I don't know if it would work for Jay88 but melatonin doesn't seem to work for me.

I tried 3 and 6 mg. doses. Still no sleep pattern. My doctor doesn't want me to take any more than 6 mg. With melatonin, some nights I get fairly decent sleep with waking only once, some nights awake every hour, some nights awake every two hours, some nights I get to sleep easily and then wake up in an hour or two and can't get back to sleep, some nights don't fall asleep until very late into the night and other nights I don't sleep at all. It is the same without supplementing with melatonin.

I think the nights I get fairly decent sleep is that the human body needs sleep. After getting so sleep deprived, it finally crashes. Back in December I slept for nine hours one night. I thought I was finally recovering and sleep was turning around. It was just a fluke and only happened that one night. It was heavenly though.

[GFinDC]

Sleep, what do you need that for? I have had my share of sleep problems too.

If I eat dairy I can't sleep. If I eat food colorings I can't sleep. If I watch scary movies I don't want to sleep.

Lots of us have other food intolerances beyond gluten. You may need to experiment a while to find if any other food intolerances are affecting your sleep.

By the way, 8 days is a nice start on the gluten-free diet, but you most likely have a lot to learn still. Avoiding processed foods may help you, and also avoiding soy and dairy.

[lucia]

My insomnia only cleared up in response to herbs I received from my acupuncturist. (Herbs are also available through a Chinese herbalist.) I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I couldn't find any relief. It was awful. I feel for you.

[jackay]

My insomnia only cleared up in response to herbs I received from my acupuncturist. (Herbs are also available through a Chinese herbalist.) I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I couldn't find any relief. It was awful. I feel for you.

lucia,

I tried herbs and didn't get anywhere with them either. I just can't seem to get on the right track. It is a viscious cycle with insomnia and anxiety for me. One feeds off the other

[txplowgirl]

My insomnia and anxiety went away after I got rid of the gluten, dairy, and soy and started taking 5 mg of melatonin and 100 mg of 5-HTP together. Now, I get about 7 hours a night straight. This is a big improvement over waking up every couple of hours and then staying awake for an hour at a time every single night since I was 8 years old.

[srall]

8 days in I was seriously in the detox stage. I started feeling better after 2 weeks. 7 months in I still have good days and bad days. If my diet is very pure and full of whole foods, lots of protein and veggies, I feel at my optimum. Good luck. Give it time.

[jay88]

Thank you everyone for all for the wonderful replies!

I will take all the advice given to me on board and persue my quest for optimum health because we all deserve it!

I wish everyone a speedy and full recovery

thank you again

[rdunbar]

Hi, for insomnia, i understand vitamin D3, calcium and magnesium supplementation is supposed to help, besides most people w/ celiac tend to be deficient in these anyway, so you probably can't go wrong.

also, making sure your bedroom is totally, and i mean totally dark really helps.

[GFinDC]

Thank you everyone for all for the wonderful replies!

I will take all the advice given to me on board and persue my quest for optimum health because we all deserve it!

I wish everyone a speedy and full recovery

thank you again

You are welcome! Hang around, if we are full of anything it is free advice! Cheap at half the price.

[lucia]

lucia,

I tried herbs and didn't get anywhere with them either. I just can't seem to get on the right track. It is a viscious cycle with insomnia and anxiety for me. One feeds off the other

Jackay,

Sometimes people try prepackaged herbs, but that's not what I mean. I actually received specific herbs that were put together for my condition (as determined by my acupuncturist). The Chinese herbalist will talk to a person about her condition and read her pulse and tongue, and only then prescribe herbs.

It felt like such a miracle that I just want to share.

Lucia