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How Long Did It Take You To Feel Better?

Jessica N.

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Jessica N. Rookie
Jessica N.
Posted

Hi all! I have been gluten-free for about a week now...still experiencing some bloating and C. I think the bloating is getting better though, my dr said it could take a while before I started noticing results and improvements so I was just curious when did you all start to feel better? What was the first time to improve?

And I have heard a few people say they discovered other in tolerances along the way. I did a dairy-free for a week a while back and it didn't help much but I have noticed after lunch I still bloat a little bit and recover (unlike what use to happen which was bloating for the rest of the day!)I'm considering next week going dairy-free as well.

Any input/opinions are appreciated! It is nice to know I am not alone!

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bny06 Apprentice
bny06
Posted

Hello! i'm new to this all too! I'm 3 weeks in to what I think is gluten free, though i'm sure i'm making mistakes! I feel like just the past few days I have noticed some improvement in my stomach symptoms... maaaybe.. my muscle weakness overall has maybe improved a touch, but I still feel weak all over, and just overall a little less "crummy" than I did a couple of weeks ago.. I also just want to suddenly feel back like my old self already! I didn't realize it could take so long! I'm curious how long it took others as well!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

It can take a bit of time to feel better once you go gluten free. Your thoughts on dropping dairy for a bit is good as it is hard for us to digest until we have healed. Go with as much whole unprocessed food as you can to heal the fastest. Fresh meats, chicken, fish with rice, potatos, beans, veggies and fruits should be the main part of your diet. Do be sure you are doing what you need to at home to be safe. Don't bake with flour for others, replace scratched non-stick pans, your toaster, wooden cutting boards and utensils and try to avoid restaurants for a while.

The time to heal can vary a lot. For me I saw a great improvement with the D within a week but I was on an extremely restricted diet. My other issues took much longer to resolve but I was very far advanced as far as damage goes with multiple systems affected. Some feel better within a couple of weeks and others can take quite a bit longer. Some folks will have a withdrawl which can make us quite moody but that usually resolves fairly quickly. Hopefully you will be feeling much better soon but don't get discouraged if it takes some time. Do also have your vitamin and mineral levels checked as we often are low in D, iron, the B's, calcium etc. I hope your feeling better soon.

Jessica N. Rookie
Jessica N.
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your advice :) I struggle with eating fresh whole foods because of my schedule. I didn't plan too well this week and was out of town last weekend (how difficult!) so I have been relying on frozen gluten-free entrees as the main course of my meals. I plan to do some baking/planning/crockpot recipe searching so I can eat more whole foods next week.

I have been trying to wash every bowl, knife, anything before I use it to eat (my roommate is not gluten-free) and I can't afford to buy new cookware right now so I am doing the best I can with what I have!

Thanks!! :)

lemontree1 Rookie
lemontree1
Posted

As far as Dairy goes, it took me several weeks before I noticed a difference. The difference for me was an absence of menstrual cramps. I used to get bad cramps every month. No dairy= no cramping. Now when I have dairy, I cramp almost immediately. Well, all except cheese. For some reason cheese doesn't make me react. I think it is because cheese has less lactose, but I'm not sure if that is the reasoning.

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    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
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