Reaction To Going Gluten Free

[jasonD2]

SO finally got my mom to go gluten-free and she is doing it but she works in the entertainment biz, is always on the go and is also 65 so adhering to a strict gluten-free diet may not be an option for her. she does not have any of the celiac genes, so it is most likely just an intolerance since her stool antibodies were slightly elevated. She has been on the diet for a few days and she has complained that her stomach feels off...at first she was very constipated but now she cant stop going and feels crampy. could this be a reaction to the diet? if so how can she manage these symptoms while her body adjusts to being w/o gluten?

[cassP]

has she changed her diet in other ways??? ie: when i first went on atkins years ago- i totally added way too much dairy in to my eating. and this last july when i totally went 100% gluten free- for about a month i ate way too many gluten free TREATS... little bloated and put on weight.

??

[burdee]

SO finally got my mom to go gluten-free and she is doing it but she works in the entertainment biz, is always on the go and is also 65 so adhering to a strict gluten-free diet may not be an option for her. she does not have any of the celiac genes, so it is most likely just an intolerance since her stool antibodies were slightly elevated. She has been on the diet for a few days and she has complained that her stomach feels off...at first she was very constipated but now she cant stop going and feels crampy. could this be a reaction to the diet? if so how can she manage these symptoms while her body adjusts to being w/o gluten?

First of all, age is no excuse for not adhering to a strict gluten-free diet. I'm 63 and abstain from gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, cane sugar, vanilla and nutmeg (7 restrictions). I consider gluten the easiest restriction to maintain, because so many gluten free substitutions are available. Also there are many naturally gluten free foods (all vegies, fruits, dairy, meats, beans, nuts, etc.). Your mom just needs to avoid processed foods and learn to read labels. She also needs to understand the risks of continuing to eat gluten, when she has gluten intolerance. She may not get gastrointestinal damage, but continued gluten consumption can increase her risk of almost any other autoimmune disease.

Secondly, going from constipated to frequent stools sounds like a good thing to me, because I suffered chronic constipation before my celiac disease dx. However, regularity is very dependant on intestinal health and diet. So any dietary or lifestyle improvement can affect regularity. Nevertheless, probiotics can prevent both constipation and diarrhea by providing the good bacteria, which keeps motility more 'balanced'. So encourage your mom to take a good probiotic product.

[Mari]

There was a message about gluten withdrawal - some links below:

Celiac Notes: Opiate Withdrawal from Gluten and Casein ...

these symptoms should reinforce the need to exclude gluten from your diet. These are common symptoms of withdrawal of detoxification from gluten-derived opioid and brain ...

www.corepsychblog.com/2007/08/24/celiac-notes-opiate-withdrawal-from-gluten-and-casein