Quick Question - I have been scoped...

[Chad Sines 69]

I have been reading these forums for a bit and decided to finally post.

I have had GI issues since 14 (37 now). I had my gallbladder out about 5 years ago. Gained lots of weight, going from ideal to weighty. My GI doc suggested I might have celiac quite a while ago, but I am not sure if I ever got the results of the test. Last year I started getting dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, sensitivity to light. At first I suspected allergies/sinuses and then anxiety because I would get anxious when I had to go out. After a year of really rough struggling, sometimes hurling after I ate certain foods (*cough gluten stuff) and trying different stuff, I just happened to recall what the GI doc said about celiac a few years ago. I figured it was worth a try and in two days I stopped vomiting and by the end of the first week, I was 90% better. This was about 2-3 months ago. Since then I have been very good for the most part usually only eating gluten as an oops or testing a food. I do feel it the next day with levels of nausea depending on the amount. Corn does get me bad. Fritos made me sick as did corn tortillas and salsa style corn chips.

Whether it is celiac or gluten issues is really not critical to me right now. Stopping the gluten has been a game changer for me and I have no issue removing it permanently.

Here is my question. I do have sinus/allergy issues, thick sinus snot, bloody snot (sorry for the graphic). Is it possible this is related or just another condition?

I do have recurring, what I would call whooziness and the fatigue is rough. Both of these could be from allergies as well but I am in another part of the country that does not have my main allergens and I am on Allegra.

If these symptoms are possibly gluten-related, how long does it take for those to go away when avoiding gluten faithfully? Are there any supplements I should be taken to help assist my body in recovering?

Also, as far as dieting goes, it seems I was healthiest and strongest on Atkins but cannot do that high fat due to no gallbladder. Has anyone had success with south beach since it avoids many main gluten items just with what it eliminates.

Thanks for your advice.

[Debbie B in MD 9]

Once you completely eliminate the gluten, you will begin to feel even better. The problem is that just a bit starts reactions. As far as the sinus stuff, it cold be related to dairy. Many celiacs are lactose intolerant until their intestines heal. Congestion issues are often responses to dairy. I don't know that you really need to name your diet, but you might want to check out markedailyapple.com or robbwolf.com for ideas about eating lean meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Good stuff and lots of good recipes. I hope you feel better quickly and I am so glad to hear what great progress you have made so far.