Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Recovery Is So Up And Down. Anyone Else Struggle With This?


MissBonnie

Recommended Posts

MissBonnie Apprentice

i was hospitalized 4 months ago and this is how i found out im celiac. since then i have good days and bad. i just wonder when the bad days will go and i will have only good days. has anyone else been sick for this long? and if so what was the recovery like? im getting really depressed being tied to my bed constantly. any positive thoughts or encouragment would be much appreciated thanks. im 22 if that helps anyone


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



viviendoparajesus Apprentice

i have also had ups and downs since my diagnosis several months ago. i think part of the problem for me is they keep finding other intolerances and allergies, so i cannot figure out what to eat. it is made worse by not having clear reactions where i can connect symptoms to problem foods. i am still in the recovery and healing process so your question is one of mine too. fortunately, i have not been so sick to be tied to my bed, but in some ways at least then people might understand i am sick versus now i look fine but feel anything but fine. i am also in my twenties. at least we are younger when we got diagnosed i think that should help in our healing and we will have many years to enjoy this knowledge and make choices for health instead of unknowingly eating something that is harming us. best wishes!

rosetapper23 Explorer

Unfortunately, the journey is different for all of us. It took 18 months on a VERY strict gluten-free diet for me to feel "better." However, cross-contamination occurred from time to time, which caused me to have to receive intravenous iron on a weekly basis (which I have since overcome), receive B12 shots (still getting), and suffer numerous setbacks (e.g., two fractured feet from deficiencies that caused problems with my tendons and ligaments, breast cancer, etc.). Everyone heals at a different rate, and there can definitely be ups and downs because of cross-contamination, so all you can do is try your best to adhere to the diet. Even so, it will take time to heal....

Kim69 Apprentice

Hi miss Bonnie. You may recall that I am 14 months gluten-free and am still having abdominal pain, morning nausea and fatigue. I haven't stopped trying to find out what else is wrong with me, in addition to Coeliac. Last week I saw a new gastroenterologist and he suggested I may have IBS and fibromyalgia.

I suggest that you look for other food intolerances, visit other specialists and keep searching. I am sitting in a room having a breath test today-to see if I have SIBO and last week I had heaps of blood tests. My Dr said that not to place too much hope on a diagnosis since some autoimmune diseases don't show up on blood tests for years.

I am really sorry you feel so bad. Don't give up - keep hassling your Drs to keep an eye on your vit and mineral levels. In the meantime keep up your healthy gluten-free diet. Perhaps keep a food diary?

Thanks for your post. Please let us know how your recovery goes.

ladymiss Rookie

hi miss bonnie, i've been wondering about you since i read a previous post. i don't want to say anything that seems to disregard how tough the day to day can be. it sounds hard. please try to hang in there!

i do want to say, try to infuse your day with things that you love and enjoy and make you laugh. laughter is good medicine as they say.... give yourself some small things.....flowers, sketching, looking at beautiful art in books...or whatever it is you love. things that elevate the spirit. do something that is gratifying. doing something small but nice for someone else can help you be 'away' from your struggles for a small amount of time. maybe writing letters for Amnesty International or some other nonprofit/charity group who needs many, small actions. these could be done at your own pace while resting at home.

where i live, there are a lot of mountain bikers and i like one of their analogies for staying on the course and not wiping out, "look where you want to go". it's incredibly simple....but reminds one to pay attention and focused in order to not get distracted and stay in control (of what can be controlled). Maybe we can remain focused on those things that keep us in better spirits, in between the bouts of YUCK!

all the best to you! hang in there!

dilettantesteph Collaborator

It took me a long time too. I had to be on a very gluten free diet too. You might be a super sensitive celiac like I am. Keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel. That can help you figure out cross contamination problems and possible food allergies.

Are you using a kitchen shared with gluten eaters? Can you make your own kitchen with a dorm fridge and microwave? Can you cut out processed foods and stick to produce and meat?

I hope you feel better soon.

MissBonnie Apprentice

thank you for all the replys. its just hard when you're literally stuck in bed from nausea every sinngle day and if you get a day without it then you have unbearable pain or headaches from stretching your neck in bed. it sucks thats all there is to it. if i didnt have yoiu guys on here id be completely alone. i cant do this anymore. im fed up. :( having a bad day...


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,353
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    ace14219
    Newest Member
    ace14219
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Lkg5
      Thank’s for addressing the issue of mushrooms.  I was under the impression that only wild mushrooms were gluten-free.  Have been avoiding cultivated mushrooms for years. Also, the issue of smoked food was informative.  In France last year, where there is hardly any prepared take-out food that is gluten-free, I tried smoked chicken.  Major mistake!
    • catnapt
      my IGG is 815 IGA 203  but tTG-Iga is   <0.4!!!!!!!!!!!!!   oh my god- 13 days of agony and the test is negative?  I don't even know what to do next. There zero doubt in my mind that I have an issue with wheat and probably more so with gluten as symptoms are dramatically worse the more gluten a product has   I am going to write up the history of my issues for the past few years and start a food/symptom diary to bring with me to the GI doctor in March.   I googled like crazy to try to find out what other things might cause these symptoms and the only thing that truly fits besides celiac is NCGS   but I guess there are some other things I maybe should be tested for ...? like SIBO?   I will continue to eliminate any foods that cause me distress (as I have been doing for the past couple of years) and try to keep a record. Can anyone recommend an app or some form or something that would simplify this? I have a very full and busy life and taking the time to write out each symptom name in full would be tedious and time consuming- some sort of page with columns to check off would be ideal. I am not at all tech savvy so that's not something I can make myself ... I'm hoping there's some thing out there that I can just download and print out   do I give up on testing for celiac with such a low number? I am 70 yrs old I have been almost completely off gluten for the most part for about 2 yrs. I had a meal of vital wheat gluten vegan roast,  rolls and stuffing made from home baked bread and an apple pie- and had the worst pain and gas and bloating and odd rumblings in my gut etc - almost went to the ER it was so bad. I was thinking, since I'm spilling a lot of calcium in my urine, that perhaps this was a kidney stone (never had one before but there's always that first time, right?)    Saw my endo on Jan 20th and after hearing the story about the symptoms from eating that holiday meal, she suggested doing a gluten challenge. She said 2 weeks was fine- she said stopping it in the middle if symptoms got bad was fine- In the meantime I'd read that 2 weeks was not enough- called and argued with the nurse about this, but ultimately decided to stop the gluten on the 13th day and get the test done because I was in too much pain and almost suicidal and knew I could not continue.   so.............. that's where I am now I have had no bread since Sunday. I did have some rolled oats today and had some gas and bloating afterwards I did have some wheat germ in a smoothie on Tuesday and had a stomach ache later that night.   but overall I feel so much better! all the joint pain is gone! the nausea is gone. The stomach pain and gas and bloating are going away. Still a bit gassy but no more of that horrible odor. wow, that would clear a room if I was out in public!  I see a GI nurse March 4th  I hope she'll be able to help sort this out! can you think of what my next steps might be?
    • par18
      Thanks for the reply. 
    • Scott Adams
      What you’re describing is actually very common, and unfortunately the timing of the biopsy likely explains the confusion. Yes, it is absolutely possible for the small intestine to heal enough in three months on a strict gluten-free diet to produce a normal or near-normal biopsy, especially when damage was mild to begin with. In contrast, celiac antibodies can stay elevated for many months or even years after gluten removal, so persistently high antibody levels alongside the celiac genes and clear nutrient deficiencies strongly point to celiac disease, even if you don’t feel symptoms. Many people with celiac are asymptomatic but still develop iron and vitamin deficiencies and silent intestinal damage. The lack of immediate symptoms makes it harder emotionally, but it doesn’t mean gluten isn’t harming you. Most specialists would consider this a case of celiac disease with a false-negative biopsy due to early healing rather than “something else,” and staying consistently gluten-free is what protects you long-term—even when your body doesn’t protest right away.
    • Scott Adams
      Yes, I meant if you had celiac disease but went gluten-free before screening, your results would end up false-negative. As @trents mentioned, this can also happen when a total IGA test isn't done.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.