Gluten Free & Still Having Gi Troubles

[BrookeT]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with celiac 5 months ago and have been strictly gluten free and eliminated dairy as well, although I have it occasionally in processed foods. (I don't drink milk or eat cheese but I sometimes eat a lactose free organic plain yogurt.) All my supplements say they are gluten free on the bottles and I am careful about toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, lipstick, etc. Do I have to worry about cooking oils such as olive oil & canola oils being cross-contaminated? Oils & spices are the only things I can come up with as question marks. I had Marsh 3 severe damage so I know my healing will probably take longer than most. I have had some improvements with my anxiety, bloating, pain & fatigue, but I still have diarrhea/loose stools & constant stomach noises (rumbling, gurgling, etc.) which I've had since before diagnosis and it has not subsided. It gets worse right before my period. I have not lost any weight, which is amazing to me. Has anyone else with celiac experienced ongoing diarrhea after being gluten free? I feel like I will never have a normal b.m. again. Is it just going to take more time?

Any insight would be appreciated.

[Holly4]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with celiac 5 months ago and have been strictly gluten free and eliminated dairy as well, although I have it occasionally in processed foods. (I don't drink milk or eat cheese but I sometimes eat a lactose free organic plain yogurt.) All my supplements say they are gluten free on the bottles and I am careful about toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, lipstick, etc. Do I have to worry about cooking oils such as olive oil & canola oils being cross-contaminated? Oils & spices are the only things I can come up with as question marks. I had Marsh 3 severe damage so I know my healing will probably take longer than most. I have had some improvements with my anxiety, bloating, pain & fatigue, but I still have diarrhea/loose stools & constant stomach noises (rumbling, gurgling, etc.) which I've had since before diagnosis and it has not subsided. It gets worse right before my period. I have not lost any weight, which is amazing to me. Has anyone else with celiac experienced ongoing diarrhea after being gluten free? I feel like I will never have a normal b.m. again. Is it just going to take more time?

Any insight would be appreciated.

I just learned about Candida and wonder if you may have a yeast problem?

[willabec]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with celiac 5 months ago and have been strictly gluten free and eliminated dairy as well, although I have it occasionally in processed foods. (I don't drink milk or eat cheese but I sometimes eat a lactose free organic plain yogurt.) All my supplements say they are gluten free on the bottles and I am careful about toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, lipstick, etc. Do I have to worry about cooking oils such as olive oil & canola oils being cross-contaminated? Oils & spices are the only things I can come up with as question marks. I had Marsh 3 severe damage so I know my healing will probably take longer than most. I have had some improvements with my anxiety, bloating, pain & fatigue, but I still have diarrhea/loose stools & constant stomach noises (rumbling, gurgling, etc.) which I've had since before diagnosis and it has not subsided. It gets worse right before my period. I have not lost any weight, which is amazing to me. Has anyone else with celiac experienced ongoing diarrhea after being gluten free? I feel like I will never have a normal b.m. again. Is it just going to take more time?

Any insight would be appreciated.

i have been gluten-free for 9 years and recently just got diagnosed with microscopic colitis b/c of ongoing bowel issues for the past 1-2 years. i can't remember that far back and how long it took me to get back to normal after going gluten free. i have just been focused on the past 2 years and my issues now. so, maybe it may take your body a little longer to get back to how it was before or see if microscopic colitis could be your culprit.

[ravenwoodglass]

You may want to try dropping the dairy and the processed for a bit and seeing if that helps. Go with whole naturally gluten free foods. Do you take any meds at all? If you do check with the maker to be sure they are safe. You mention that your supplements say gluten free on the bottle, do be sure to read all the ingredients as some will say gluten free but still have barley or wheat grass in them. Be strict about cross contamination and if you have a signifiacant other and they eat gluten make sure they brush their teeth well before you kiss.

I hope your feeling better soon and do have your doctor check for other issues that may be going on. A repeat of your diagnostic blood work may be helpful in telling you if you have gluten sneaking in somewhere. It may not be down to normal levels yet but the antibodies should be down at least a bit if you don't have gluten sneaking in.

[Gemini]

i have been gluten-free for 9 years and recently just got diagnosed with microscopic colitis b/c of ongoing bowel issues for the past 1-2 years. i can't remember that far back and how long it took me to get back to normal after going gluten free. i have just been focused on the past 2 years and my issues now. so, maybe it may take your body a little longer to get back to how it was before or see if microscopic colitis could be your culprit.

This is very good advice. Many Celiacs are being diagnosed with microscopic colitis when their symptoms fail to respond to the gluten-free diet. It isn't always about gluten.

I also had severe damage.....all the villi were pretty much gone. I did respond really well to a strict gluten-free diet yet I don't screen for topical products other than lipstick. If you are following a strict gluten-free diet, then you should heal enough that the diarrhea should stop fairly quickly. If it doesn't, then I agree that you should be tested for colitis because it's becoming increasingly common, like Celiac.

[BrookeT]

I have just figured that one out, as you mentioned, that some companies say their product is gluten free but they have wheat grass or barley in them. I definitely pay close attention to labels now!

I am pretty strict about avoiding cross-contamination in my house.

I am not taking any meds. The only things in my diet that I question are cooking oils and spices. Do I need to be concerned with the possibility of cross-contamination with those?

I probably should have a followup blood panel run to see if my #'s came down.

Thanks for the advice!

You may want to try dropping the dairy and the processed for a bit and seeing if that helps. Go with whole naturally gluten free foods. Do you take any meds at all? If you do check with the maker to be sure they are safe. You mention that your supplements say gluten free on the bottle, do be sure to read all the ingredients as some will say gluten free but still have barley or wheat grass in them. Be strict about cross contamination and if you have a signifiacant other and they eat gluten make sure they brush their teeth well before you kiss.

I hope your feeling better soon and do have your doctor check for other issues that may be going on. A repeat of your diagnostic blood work may be helpful in telling you if you have gluten sneaking in somewhere. It may not be down to normal levels yet but the antibodies should be down at least a bit if you don't have gluten sneaking in.