Im New To This Forum

[Erin2146]

Hello, I am just writing to introduce myself, I am recently going through all of the same symptoms i am reading about on this post and have just begun gluten free since yesterday. Hopefully this will be the answer to my distended rock hard stomache and frequent bathroom trips. Can anyone give me an idea on how long it takes for some symptoms to alleviate? Any books that are helpful?

Thank you!

[rosetapper23]

Welcome to the Forum! How long for symptoms to disappear? That's a tricky question, and we'll all answer it differently. For me, the gas, bloating, and cramps disappeared immediately; however, the diarrhea resolved very slowly. After six months, it was better, but I still had soft stools for another year. Perhaps if I had taken L-Glutamine from the beginning, my gut would have healed faster. As for the nutritional deficiencies, they took longer. I ended up having to have intravenous iron because it took years for that part of my gut to heal. With the help of liquid vitamins/minerals, I would say that I was lot better after a year. I have to stress, though, that I NEVER ate at restaurants during the first 18 months, and I ate only fresh food--nothing processed--so that I could be sure that I wouldn't get any gluten contamination.

As for books, my favorite is, "Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic," by Dr. Peter Green. If, after you've been gluten free for while, you decide to remain gluten free, you might wish to look into support groups in your area. It's great to hook up with other people who have gluten issues, and there are usually opportunities to get together for gluten-free potlucks, group restaurant meals, and workshops. There are a number of conferences that are also presented in different parts of the country on a regular basis on celiac and gluten sensitivity. If you live near Florida, the Gluten Intolerance Group is having their annual conference there this year in June. There's also going to be a conference held at Stanford University in late spring. I believe there's a calendar year on celiac.com that lists these types of events--they're VERY helpful.