How Long To "clean" System After No More Gluten

[yathnk]

I have not been dianosed with Celiac Disease (yet) but the Dr. strongly suggested that I go gluten free considering the problems I've been having (for as long I as I can remember). I was born lactose intollerant and I have recently discovered the gluten problems. I have had a blood test it came back negative the Dr. has not yet suggested further testing at this time. I have been extremely carefull on the foods/drinks i've had for 2 weeks now and the last 2-3 days I have had a bad stomach. How long does it take for your system to "clean" out once you have stopped eating gluten? Can there still be some residual effects? Feeling quite discouraged that maybe there is something else going on and not gluten.........

[JoshB]

It can take a very long time.

I'm sure that someone will be along to say otherwise, but the blood test should be pretty accurate. Your issue is very likely something else. You can certainly keep gluten free to see if it helps, but I wouldn't give up looking into alternatives either.

[Marilyn R]

Some people clear up soon. Others take quite awhile. It took me 18 months, but I developed other food issues along the way. Wish you well!

[eatmeat4good]

If you tested negative it doesn't mean you are not Celiac.

It means you are one of the 30% who don't test positive.

If you cleaned your kitchen out from all the gluten products, that alone can account for enough gluten to keep you sick for two weeks. It takes a while to heal. The antibodies can stay a long time. And even if you don't have antibodies or Celiac, you could still be gluten intolerant. People with gluten intolerance can be as sick as people with Celiac.

I'd give it at least 3 months to be sure you gave it a good strict try.

Trace gluten is always suspect, but the other thing to be aware of is the secondary intolerances of Soy, Dairy, Nightshades, Corn, Fructose, and there are others. Don't give up yet. It is a roller coaster ride for the first few months. Another thing that may be happening is withdrawal symptoms from gluten. Even if you are eating perfectly gluten free, your body can still be reacting from the years of onslaught of gluten and you are now detoxing.

I wouldn't put too much weight on the negative blood test. You wouldn't want to miss the boat if you are gluten intolerant.

[yathnk]

If you tested negative it doesn't mean you are not Celiac.

It means you are one of the 30% who don't test positive.

If you cleaned your kitchen out from all the gluten products, that alone can account for enough gluten to keep you sick for two weeks. It takes a while to heal. The antibodies can stay a long time. And even if you don't have antibodies or Celiac, you could still be gluten intolerant. People with gluten intolerance can be as sick as people with Celiac.

I'd give it at least 3 months to be sure you gave it a good strict try.

Trace gluten is always suspect, but the other thing to be aware of is the secondary intolerances of Soy, Dairy, Nightshades, Corn, Fructose, and there are others. Don't give up yet. It is a roller coaster ride for the first few months. Another thing that may be happening is withdrawal symptoms from gluten. Even if you are eating perfectly gluten free, your body can still be reacting from the years of onslaught of gluten and you are now detoxing.

I wouldn't put too much weight on the negative blood test. You wouldn't want to miss the boat if you are gluten intolerant.

Thanks for all your comments - is there some way to "cleanse" the system? What's weird to me is that in the morning I'm fine it seems that early afternoon between 1-3 is when I start to get what I have come to call a stomach attack and it carries through the evening. Any suggestions......

[Jessica N.]

Thanks for all your comments - is there some way to "cleanse" the system? What's weird to me is that in the morning I'm fine it seems that early afternoon between 1-3 is when I start to get what I have come to call a stomach attack and it carries through the evening. Any suggestions......

I wish I had an answer to this myself. I have been gluten-free for 2 full days now (working on day 3) and I'm just so nervous that this won't be the answer and I won't figure out what is causing my issues. I use to be just like you, great in the am and then increase in the pm. For a while it eventually started in the morning and I didn't have any part of my day without issues. My biggest issue is the bloating, I feel like a pregnant person almost after every time I eat something! I notice when I am home on my day off I can eat very small meals/snacks and that makes me feel better. Part of my bloating issue may come from the fact that I don't have his luxury and either have the choice of eating a little too much in a short amount of time...or eating a little and being hungry bc my jobs don't allow for eating if you aren't on a break. Good luck!

[Jp629]

Some people clear up soon. Others take quite awhile. It took me 18 months, but I developed other food issues along the way. Wish you well!

May I ask......? What other food issues arose? I just started gluten-free and I was also told to watch mybsugar intake......

Thank you

JP

[yathnk]

I wish I had an answer to this myself. I have been gluten-free for 2 full days now (working on day 3) and I'm just so nervous that this won't be the answer and I won't figure out what is causing my issues. I use to be just like you, great in the am and then increase in the pm. For a while it eventually started in the morning and I didn't have any part of my day without issues. My biggest issue is the bloating, I feel like a pregnant person almost after every time I eat something! I notice when I am home on my day off I can eat very small meals/snacks and that makes me feel better. Part of my bloating issue may come from the fact that I don't have his luxury and either have the choice of eating a little too much in a short amount of time...or eating a little and being hungry bc my jobs don't allow for eating if you aren't on a break. Good luck!

That's how I was before I stopped eating all gluten, it was an all day all night everyday problem. I finally decided to stop all gluten & dairy products. It has been just over 2 weeks and I was great after the 1st week......but the end of last week I started having problems again and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have not had either.....VERRRYYY frustrating.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks for all your comments - is there some way to "cleanse" the system? What's weird to me is that in the morning I'm fine it seems that early afternoon between 1-3 is when I start to get what I have come to call a stomach attack and it carries through the evening. Any suggestions......

What are you eating? You should be going with whole unprocessed food as much as you possibly can. Make sure you have done what you need to do in your kitchen to keep you safe like a new toaster for gluten free bread and replacing wooden cutting boards and utensils, not sharing butter, nut butters and condiments with gluten eaters. It can take some time to heal and many of us find we need to drop dairy at first.

[TracyandLyss]

I was wondering the same thing, Although we have no apparent issues my daughter and I were both tested and are both positive. When Lyss went gluten-free we noticed a difference in her sugar number within a day or two, I am just beginning my totally gluten-free lifestyle and I don't know how I will know that my body is improving! By the looks of the pics taken during my endoscopy I must have had this for a long time!!

[lovegrov]

Bottom line on your main question is that nobody can tell you how long it will take your system to "clear" if you have celiac or gluten intolerance. It IS safe to say that two weeks is not long enough for anybody, and it's also safe to say that in two weeks you haven't completely learned the diet and haven't completely cleared all possible sources of gluten.

richard

[JoshB]

Tracy, children usually heal in a few months. Adults, though, take anywhere from a year to "forever". Or at least that's what used to be thought; my GI tells me that they have excellent success with prednisone in those cases. This is why they'll want to do an endoscopy now, and then a followup in a year or two.

You're lucky to be symptom free, but you really should be just as careful. The upset stomach is bad, but the real worry is bone loss and cancer.

I was trying l-glutamine for a bit to try to speed things up. Some people swear by it, and hospitals use it to help you recover from intestinal surgery. I didn't really notice a difference, but then I'm not sure I would have even if it was working well. We really need studies in this area.

[TracyandLyss]

Thanks Josh, I don't proclaim to have cleared everything out of my cabinets, but in the past month we have given boxes of food to food kitchens and friends. Now that we have eaten all the fritos and turkey burgers we can stand, I need to re learn how to cook. I am trying to be careful even though we are A symptomatic, but I think it will be hard to know if we are missing anything by cross contamination or trace amounts. I am committed to this lifestyle I just wish there was a more definative way for someone like me to be sure I am doing it right. I hate to learn something wrong just to find out that one little thing was off and everything I am doing is in vain.

[Jp629]

May I ask......? What other food issues arose? I just started gluten-free and I was also told to watch mybsugar intake......

Thank you

JP

Update....! After 3 1/2 months of Gluten-Free....I tested "negative" for the TG antibodies....next step is endoscopy on 3 months to check villi... Only issue now is I gained 12 pounds and my A1C is up again......

[drfeelgood]

it depends , ok Gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease , is a auto immune disease, this means the same immune system attacks the Gut (intestines) so depending the amount of gluten you ave consumed and the length of time that you were exposed to the contamination , plus your genetics and how strict you are with your gluten free diet , I would say around 6 to 8 months. flaxseed in an empty stomach in the morning is excellent to repair the intestine, you have to pour it in a glass of water wait for 20 minutes to take effect and drink it. Remeber no coffee and no milk as well , both are inflammatory substances    , sleep 8 hours lower ur stress levels as well

[kareng]

49 minutes ago, drfeelgood said:

it depends , ok Gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease , is a auto immune disease, this means the same immune system attacks the Gut (intestines) so depending the amount of gluten you ave consumed and the length of time that you were exposed to the contamination , plus your genetics and how strict you are with your gluten free diet , I would say around 6 to 8 months. flaxseed in an empty stomach in the morning is excellent to repair the intestine, you have to pour it in a glass of water wait for 20 minutes to take effect and drink it. Remeber no coffee and no milk as well , both are inflammatory substances    , sleep 8 hours lower ur stress levels as well

I hope that in the 6+ years since this person posted - the gluten and any other food, has worked its way thru the GI tract.  

Gluten, just like any other food, will leave the body in a few days - maybe a week if you are really constipated.  It does not hide in the blood or the intestine.  The antibodies,  in Celiac disease,  are another matter.  Even gluten-free, our bodies may still make them and it can take months for them to disappear when measured by a Celiac blood test. 

[drfeelgood]

6 years and the thread still appears in internet searches so someone someday might read this as well