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

How Long To "clean" System After No More Gluten

yathnk

Recommended Posts

yathnk Newbie
yathnk
Posted

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.........

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


JoshB Apprentice
JoshB
Posted

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 Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

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 Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

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 Newbie
yathnk
Posted
  • Author

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. Rookie
Jessica N.
Posted

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 Newbie
Jp629
Posted

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

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


yathnk Newbie
yathnk
Posted
  • Author

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 Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

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 Newbie
TracyandLyss
Posted

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 Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

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 Apprentice
JoshB
Posted

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 Newbie
TracyandLyss
Posted

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.

  • 4 months later...
Jp629 Newbie
Jp629
Posted

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......

  • 6 years later...
drfeelgood Newbie
drfeelgood
Posted

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 Grand Master
kareng
Posted
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.  :D

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 Newbie
drfeelgood
Posted

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

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,857
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LowellFrancis
    Newest Member
    LowellFrancis
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rogol72
      Ibuprofen

      By Rogol72 · Posted

      Some interesting articles regarding the use of Zinc Carnosine to help heal gastric ulcers, gastritis and intestinal permeability. I would consult a medical professional about it's use. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpgasthep0778 https://www.rupahealth.com/post/clinical-applications-of-zinc-carnosine---evidence-review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146259/ https://www.fallbrookmedicalcenter.com/zinc-l-carnosine-benefits-dosage-and-safety/
    • Jillian83
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By Jillian83 · Posted

      He is. Which makes everything even more difficult. I’m not a believer in “staying for the kids” but I have nowhere to go and it’s not just me, it’s me plus my babies. We live in a beautiful place, lots of land in the country and me and the kids love the place we’ve called home for their entire lives. But Im seeing that he’ll never change, that my kids deserve a happy healthy Momma, and that staying in this as is will be the early death of me. Then I look at the scars covering my entire body…this disease and the chronic stress I’ve been enduring for years that tell me I’m no longer beautiful and no one will ever look at me with interest again. I try self care, try to give myself grace so I can just start loving myself enough to gain strength but the slightest sparkle in my eye and skip in my step attracts his wrath and it all comes crashing ten fold. Life is just absolutely railing me from every single direction leaving me wanting to wave that white flag bc I don’t feel like there’s much hope no matter what happens. 
    • trents
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By trents · Posted

      Is this man the father of your children?
    • Jillian83
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By Jillian83 · Posted

      Hi, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis after years of suffering without answers. I lost my mind. I lost my job. I lost so much time. I lost Me. Conventional doctors are opulent come near me and the one who did sat across the room, misdiagnosed me, pumped me full of steroids which collapsed my entire hip for 6 months. So without answers I began my holistic journey. Fast forward a couple of years and still struggling with a mysterious whole body itchy, crawling “skin hell”, perfect teeth now deteriorating, thick hair now thinning rapidly and no more than a day or 2 at most relief….An acquaintance opened up a functional medicine practice. Cash only, I found a way. Within a month tests clearly showing my off the charts gluten allergy/sensitivity as well as the depletion of vital nutrients due to leaky gut and intestinal damage. dermatitis herpetiformis was more than likely what I was experiencing with my skin. I was happy. I thought this is easy, eat healthy Whole Foods, follow the diet restrictions and I finally get to heal and feel confident and like myself again very soon! 😔 Supplements are very pricey but I got them and began my healing. Which leads to the other major issue: not working, stay at home Mom of young kids, entirely financially dependent on my man of 7 plus years. He’s never been supportive of anything I’ve ever done or been thru. He controls everything. I’m not given much money ever at a time and when he does leave money it’s only enough to possibly get gas. His excuse is that I’ll spend it on other things. So my “allowance” is inconsistent and has conditions. He withholds money from me as punishment for anything he wants. Since being diagnosed, he’s gained a new control tactic to use as punishment. He now is in control of when I get to eat. He asked for proof of my diagnosis and diet bc he said I made it up just to be able to eat expensive organic foods. Then after I sent him my file from my doctor he then said she wasn’t a real doctor. 😡. I go days upon days starving, sometimes breaking down and eating things I shouldn’t bc I’m so sick then I pay horribly while he gets annoyed and angry bc I’m not keeping up with all the duties I’m supposed to be doing. His abuse turns full on when I’m down and it’s in these desperate times when I need his support and care the most that I’m punished with silence, being starved, ignored, belittled. He will create more of a mess just bc I’m unable to get up and clean so that when I am better, I’m so overwhelmed with chores to catch up that the stress causes me to go right back into a flare from hell and the cycle repeats. I’m punished for being sick. I’m belittled for starving and asking for healthy clean water. I’m purposely left out of his life. He won’t even tell me he’s going to the grocery or to get dinner bc he doesn’t want me to ask him for anything. I have no one. I have nothing. Im not better. My supplements ran out and I desperately need Vitamin D3 and a methylated B complex at the very minimal just to function….he stares at me blankly…no, a slight smirk, no words. He’s happiest when im miserable and I am miserable.  this is so long and im condensing as much as I can but this situation is so complicated and disgusting. And it’s currently my life. The “IT” girl, the healthy, beautiful, perfect skin, perfect teeth, thick and curly locks for days, creative and talented IT girl….now I won’t even leave this house bc Im ashamed of what this has dont to my body, my skin. Im disgusted. The stress is keeping me from healing and I think he knows that and that’s why he continues to keep me in that state. He doesn’t want me confident or successful. He doesn’t want me healed and healthy bc then how would he put the blame of all his problems on me? This journey has been hell and I’ve been in Hell before. I’ve been killed by an ex, I’ve been raped, robbed, held hostage, abused beyond nightmares but the cruelty I’ve experienced from him bc of this disease is the coldest I’ve ever experienced. I’ve wanted to give up. Starving and in tears, desperate…I found a local food pantry in our small town so I reached out just saying I had Celiac and was on hard times. This woman is blessing me daily with prepared gluten free meals, donations, educational info, people who know this disease and how they manage life and the blessings just keep coming. But it’s overwhelming and I feel like I don’t deserve it at all. He just glared and I know he’s going to sabotage it somehow. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I’m so broken and just want peace and healing. 
    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      @Colleen H   I am just curious,  when you were tested for coeliac disease, did the doctors find out if you had any deficiencies? Sometimes muscle pain can be caused by certain deficiencies, for example, magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.   Might be worth looking into having some more tests.  Pins and needles can be neuropathy, again caused by deficiencies, such as iron and B12,  which can be reversed if these deficiencies are addressed. In the UK where I live we are usually only tested for iron, B12 and vitamin D deficiencies at diagnosis.   I was very iron anemic and supplementation made a big difference.  B12 was low normal, but in other countries the UK's low normal would be considered a deficiency.  My vitamin D was low normal, and I've been supplementing ever since (when I remember to take it!) My pins and needles definitely started to improve when my known deficiencies were addressed.  My nutritionist also gave me a broad spectrum supplement which really helped, because I suspect I wasn't just deficient in what I mention above but in many other vitamins and minerals.  But a word of warning, don't take iron unless blood tests reveal you actually need it, and if you are taking it your levels must be regularly monitored because too much can make you ill.  (And if you are currently taking iron, that might actually be making your stomach sore - it did mine, so my GP changed my iron supplementation to a gentler form, ferrous gluconate). Lastly, have you been trying to take anything to lessen the pain in your gut?  I get a sore stomach periodically, usually when I've had too much rich food, or when I have had to take an aspirin or certain antibiotics, or after glutening.  When this happens, I take for just a few days a small daily dose of OTC omeprazole.  I also follow a reflux or gastritis diet. There are lots online but the common denominators to these diets is you need to cut out caffeine, alcohol, rich, spicy, acidic food etc and eat small regularly spaced meals.   When I get a sore stomach, I also find it helpful to drink lots of water.  I also find hot water with a few slices of ginger very soothing to sip, or camomile tea.  A wedge pillow at night is good for reflux. Also,  best not to eat a meal 2-3 hours before going to bed. If the stomach pain is getting worse, though, it would be wise to see the doctor again. I hope some of this helps. Cristiana    
×
×
  • 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.