Newly Diagnosed, Need Some Feedback!

[Danio]

Hey everyone!

My name is Danielle. I am 22 years old and just had the biopsy done to comfirm Celiac disease....I have a couple questions for you guys...Every since i was 2 I must have had Celiac and they just didn't know. I have always had the big stomach and skinny everywhere else....I was wondering...now that I know that I have Celiac and am gluten free (unless I slip unknowingly) when will my stomach go away? Will I ever have a flat stomach again!? I look like I am pregnant! I have been sucking it in for years and years, I look like I have a beer belly and used to get made fun of in Junior high school...Please tell me this will go away....

[glutenfreeinminnesota]

Mine went away...until I have my period or get glutened.

[11475]

Mine went away too. It took only a few weeks of being on a gluten free diet, but I guess it might take a different amount of time for every individual.

[Danio]

Well mine has been this way for years.....I have been gluten free for a little over a month and I havent seen any changes...

I guess it could take longer since I have 20 years of damage....maybe?

[GFinDC]

It can take a varying amount of time, and there is no fixed amount of time anyone can give you. Each of us is different. Some steps that might help are:

Avoid all sugar (feeds bad bacteria that make gas)

Avoid all dairy (many celiacs have lactose intolerance at first)

Take a dairy-free pro-biotic sometimes.

Avoid all processed foods to start. (This makes it simpler to avoid gluten CC).

Maybe try a betaine HCL once a week. (creates extra stomach acid and can help with unwanted bacteria in the stomach.

Try a peppermint tea or Altoids peppermints to relieve stomach gas (makes belching it out easier)

Consider you may have other food intolerances at work if it doesn't resolve on a strictly gluten-free diet in 3 months.

[badlass]

I'm also new to all of this (including the board, which my wonderful older sister found for me over the weekend!) and am VERY relieved to hear that the tummy can go away! I've struggled with mine for years and it's caused me a lot of heartache, especially since I have anorexia nervosa. my baby belly has always been the bane of my existence and have had people think I was pregnant! I can't wait until this tummy goes back to normal, maybe then my paranoia about people staring at my baby belly will go away and I can get on with my life - as superficial as that sounds, I'm sorry!

[eatmeat4good]

I too am skinny with a big belly. I find the more protein I eat, the less belly I have. Protein is very healing for us Celiacs. I eat carbs like potatoes and rice very sparingly. Shocked to find I have less belly at 47 with only 7 months gluten free than I have had in my entire life. Also starting to feel stomach muscles growing and I ain't even doin any crunches!

[Danio]

That is what I have been trying to stick to. Since I have lactose intolerance along with Celiac....meat, fruits and veggies is all I should be eating anyway...just really hard diet to follow.

Then, just a couple months ago I had to get YET ANOTHER biopsy done on my stomach due to it being inflamed which I think was caused by gluten....not really sure....but they told me that my bipsy was almost identical to the last one 6 months ago...that means it hasn't healed at all!! What am I doing wrong and what am I missing!? Ugh....

[Danio]

Also...another question....does being a celiac, give you a bigger chance of being soy intolerant also? Or just lactose?

[GFinDC]

Hi Danio,

Good to see you back after 6 months! I hope things are going well for you. Sounds kinda like they aren't going perfect though.

Did you get your test results from the first biopsy and the 2nd? Not that I am a doctor at all, but you might learn something by studying them yourself and comparing the difference. Celiac is a "do it yourself" kind of disease, you can't count on doctors to "fix" you. There are no pills or surgeries or what-not that make it go away. What makes it better is sticking to a 100% gluten free diet, and finding any secondary food intolerances that might appear in your body. Nutrionists who are celiac savy may give you a starting point but that is all. Most of the work to figure out what is safe for you to eat is up to you.

You are not alone though as the people on this forum are in the same boat and have walked the same path. So stick around and read and ask questions and learn from our mistakes.

As far as other food intolerances go, yes, there are many that can crop up. But you might be the rare case that has none also. Only you can determine that, by testing your own body. You have to live in it, so you might as well learn something about it.

Anyway, welcome back and don't be afraid to ask questions and learn with the rest of us. Celiac can be beneficial if you learn how to take care of your body better.