Will Damage Already Done Heal

[matt4444]

Will the digestive system damage done before I was diagnosed and went gluten-free heal? Also, how long does it take of being gluten-free to start feeling better?

Thanks

[tarnalberry]

The answer to both questions depends upon how long you have been an undiagnosed celiac (so how long it was between when it was triggered and when you went gluten-free), how old you are now, and how quickly you heal.

In the vast majority of cases, the damage will eventually heal if you remain strictly gluten-free for the rest of your life - and most of the time the damage will reverse itself in 6-24 months or so.

As for how long it takes to feel better, it varies GREATLY. Some of us start to feel better in a few days, for others it requires a few months.

[matt4444]

I've been undiagnosed and rapidly consuming gluten (tons of cheeseburgers) for all 15 years of my life. I have been gluten-free for about 2 days although I may have accidently eaten some chocolate cake (hidden in chocolate mousse) today. It really worries me how people say just a tiny bit of gluten can cause damage. Does that mean that if you make a mistake once in a while you wont get better?

Thanks

[KaitiUSA]

Well, if you have frequent accidents then its just the same as not following the diet. You need to be strictly no gluten.

Everyone has accidents and yes the damage will heal-but not if that happens frequently.

For some people to feel better it may take a few weeks..for others it takes months. Took me 8 months to get back to normal but I felt better after the 3rd month. However, if you cheat and have accidents alot then they will be longer.

[rmmadden]

I repeat what the others have said......It varies from person-to-person depending upon what amount of damage you have and how well you stay away from Gluten. I have been gluten-free for 8-months but I didn't really see any improvement until after the 5th month. I'm still not without accidents or days where I feel lousy but I guess that's just par for the course when you have celiac disease.

All you can do is try your best and let time heal you. Best of luck!

Cleveland Bob

[tarnalberry]

Does that mean that if you make a mistake once in a while you wont get better?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Accidents" or cheating as infrequently as once a month is - as far as the risk of negative outcomes - nearly equivalent to not treating celiac disease at all. So yes, it is vital that you don't get gluten that frequently.

[Jnkmnky]

Accidents increase the risk of your developing the other nasty auto-immune diseases. Please do you absolute best to remain gluten free if you have celiac disease. Being gluten free and avoiding foods that contain gluten isn't nearly as bad as having lupus or R.A. and having to take pain medications that can also harm other organs in your body. Think about the gift of Celiac Disease. You are in control with this disease.

[matt4444]

Thanks. What was that about a mistake once a month is like not treating it at all? Any opinions on that? Cuz that seems to make no sense. Also, what are some good gluten-free cookbooks and stores with gluten-free items?

[jenvan]

Matt-

What Kaiti said can actually be true. "Splurging" on gluten or having an accident, even a miniscule amount, can damage and wipe out the villi that have healed and returned in your intestines. Let's say its then another few weeks or a month before you have another accident. Once again, some or potentially all of those healed villi are wiped out again. This keeps the levels on inflammation up in your intestines, which keeps the immune system up too---and keeps your rates of developing other autoimmune diseases, cancer etc. high as well. Not something to screw around with. And if you are like most people, it may take you several weeks or a month to start feeling better after the accident. But please don't let your 'symptoms' manipulate your actions on this matter. There is no in-between for this diet. Hope that explanation helps a bit...

Good stores to get gluten-free foods at:

Wild oats, whole foods, trader joes...and many mainline groceries are getting gluten-free foods too--walmart has started defining whether their brand of foods are gluten-free or not. there are also a ton of online stores as well. you can find links to some of them on this site.

[KaitiUSA]

Thanks. What was that about a mistake once a month is like not treating it at all? Any opinions on that? Cuz that seems to make no sense. Also, what are some good gluten-free cookbooks and stores with gluten-free items?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Accidents that happen as frequently as once a month is just like not following the diet because you keep causing damage and it takes some time to heal. So if you keep having gluten then your never letting that damage heal. Doesn't matter if its just a little bit either, it will still cause damage. As Jen said, there is no in between is all or none. You really need to be dedicated to the diet though because if you don't follow it then it will kill you after a while...it's not something to mess around with.

[matt4444]

Thanks,

Not quite as reassuring as I hoped it would be lol. But it helps me realize how serious this is.

Matt

[nogluten-]

Will the digestive system damage done before I was diagnosed and went gluten-free heal? Also, how long does it take of being gluten-free to start feeling better?

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It took me about three months of being gluten free,dairy free,soy free, etc. before I felt any better, but I was still terribly underweight and exhausted for about a year and a half. Only recently did my doctor do a capsule endoscopy and discover that I also have Crohn's Disease,which is another illness you might want to read up on if you haven't already. My doctor said Crohn's can be missed without a camera endoscopy, so I suggest that anyone with continuing symptoms after going gluten-free have this test done. Good luck and take care, everyone.

[matt4444]

Well, thanks. I've been gluten-free for about a month now and am feeling tons better! I'm also getting used to not being able to eat cheeseburgers and pizza.

[psawyer]

You don't have to give up on cheeseburgers or pizza. Okay, you can't just walk into McDonalds or Domino's and eat what they have, but there are gluten-free pizza crusts and hamburger rolls available (or you can make your own).

I'm in the Toronto area, and get gluten-free hamburger buns online from glutino.com and get gluten-free pizza crusts from Sterk's Bakery at a local store. Glutino also has pizza crusts, I just happen to prefer Sterk's. AFAIK Sterk's is only available in the Toronto area--Mr. Sterk operates out of his home between Hamilton and Niagara Falls.

Of course, in the early stages of recovery, many celiacs have difficulty with lactose which could impact these foods due to the cheese content.

[celiac3270]

Try the Foods by George pizza.

Oh, and don't be intimidated by the once-a-month thing. It's true, but be aware that at the start, you'll mess up at least once or twice. So it's normal if you mess up in the first month or two. It's just in long-term treatment, you've got to be strict.

Welcome!

[~~~AnnaBelle~~~]

Everything depends on your time, but for me by the time I stopped eating gluten and my digestive system cleared out I felt oh so much betterm\, but everthing takes time, and depends somewhat on how bad you are and how old you are too. I'm 16 and I have sever celiacs it will take me a long time to be fully cured, and everytime i CHEAT and get sick it can set me back for so many years! :-( Thats why gluten sucks SO MUCH! :-S AHH!!!

~~~AnnaBelle~~~

[Kassie]

i started feeling bettet in a few months ( i have been gluten-free for about 9 months) i have to say when i first started i did cheat intentionally, but i paid for it. when i retook my blood test it was still high 6 months later, my doctor said it should have been back to normal by them. but now i am strict about what i eat to make sure it is gluten-free. also my name is kassie and i am 15, feel free to e-mail me with any questions or just to talk my address is twin_kassie2@hotmail.com (i have a twin sister)

[Ursa Major]

Matt, since you're only 15, as long as you really are diligent with the diet, you should recover fully (which doesn't mean not having celiac disease any more). The older you are when diagnosed, the less chance of all the damage being reversible.

[rachael128]

Hey Matt,

I have a solution to your pizza problem. I found a rly good gluten free pizza by Amy's, you can find it at Whole Foods. Hope that helps.

Good luck with everything

[KaitiUSA]

You should be able to recover fully but u need to be diligent with your diet because if you cheat then your damage will not be healed. I have found good pizza and found a good way to make pizza too.