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

Wonderful Things About Eating Gluten Free

UKGail

Recommended Posts

UKGail Rookie
UKGail
Posted

Many of us are using the board to for support in adjusting to a gluten free diet and for help in figuring out problems which seem to accompany the diagnosis. I thought perhaps it might cheer everyone up to take a moment to think about something, whether big or small, which helps make all the hard work worthwhile.

For me, and as I sit here typing at my keyboard, I keep marvelling about my nails (yes it is a personal vanity moment...) After 6 weeks gluten free I now have long nails which are strong and are not breaking, splitting or peeling. As someone who is used to curling up her hands to hide short, tatty nails, this is a complete novelty! I think I might even treat myself to a manicure to celebrate.

Has anyone else any happy moments they would like to share?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


BabsV Enthusiast
BabsV
Posted

As of today I am 8 weeks gluten free and am enjoying the fact that my abdominal pain issues (which were almost debilitating) are drastically improved, my energy levels are increasing and my brain fog is clearing. All this means I can function at an almost 'normal' level of activity...going to the grocery store or walking the dog no longer kills me for the rest of the day. IT IS AWESOME! :)

Jnkmp8 Newbie
Jnkmp8
Posted

Hi

What a fab idea--- after months of DH& gastro problems, by body is pretty much in recovery on a superficial level... I have long strong nails for the first time too!!! Woohoo-- just becareful of manicure products!!! Jessica are apparently gluten-free-- enjoy! Xx

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

I am quite happy that the noxious gas problems are all gone :D

Jnkmp8 Newbie
Jnkmp8
Posted

Lol I bet everyone else is too--- if it's anything like mine was!!! 

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

At 5 yrs? gluten-free, I am greatful that my kiddo(13) finally gets to have a mom(after 10 yrs of being sick) with more energy to keep up with him and ability to be more fully present.

wheeleezdryver Community Regular
wheeleezdryver
Posted

At just over 1 year gluten-free, I am thankful that:

I can eat dairy with no problem.

I almost never have cold sores any more.

The rashes on my arms and hands are almost completely gone, especially during the summer sun exposure time... (not DH, I believe, but most defniately gluten related!).

I almost never have bladder pain any more.

I don't walk into walls--- unless I'm REALLY tired (ataxia)

I get to eat all the gluten-free goodies i want, especailly KinniToos! :)

Chronic constipation is getting better :)

still waiting for the lines in my nails and my fructose issues to go away, but I'm so glad to be so much better that I was a year ago!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


AVR1962 Collaborator
AVR1962
Posted

At 5 yrs? gluten-free, I am greatful that my kiddo(13) finally gets to have a mom(after 10 yrs of being sick) with more energy to keep up with him and ability to be more fully present.

I think this is great and I understand exactly what you are saying.

AVR1962 Collaborator
AVR1962
Posted

At 5 months gluten-free I have noticed my skin tone has improved! I have more energy and ambition! I have been back to exercising now for a week.....walking, lifting weights and short jogs.....feels awesome to be able to do once again. I am actually hearing myself laugh again which is wonderful! It almost feels like I am just beginning to enjoy life, a new life!!

Cinderella64 Newbie
Cinderella64
Posted

At just over 1 year gluten-free, I am thankful that:

I can eat dairy with no problem.

I almost never have cold sores any more.

The rashes on my arms and hands are almost completely gone, especially during the summer sun exposure time... (not DH, I believe, but most defniately gluten related!).

I almost never have bladder pain any more.

I don't walk into walls--- unless I'm REALLY tired (ataxia)

I get to eat all the gluten-free goodies i want, especailly KinniToos! :)

Chronic constipation is getting better :)

still waiting for the lines in my nails and my fructose issues to go away, but I'm so glad to be so much better that I was a year ago!

Hi,

I have bladder pains too, since few weeks, but no inflammation and I have lines in my thumb nails since myna years- are this also the symptoms of GI?

I'm happy that my stomach problems are gone only after 10 days on a diet! No gases anymore, no bloated belly, no pains after every meal, almost no heart burn anymore and I feel slightly stronger, having more energy. I started again with yoga and with walking, which is so good!

I wish that my mental problems will get better too and that my libido returns...

KiwiBrit Rookie
KiwiBrit
Posted

Im almost 6 weeks gluten-free. I can finally DRIVE!!! The dizzyness is gone.

:)

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I have a brain. I have stamina.

I DON'T HAVE A RASH!!!!!!

My hair stopped falling out.

I don't have headaches, migraines.

I don't feel like I'm stroking the furry wall anymore!

kendon0015 Rookie
kendon0015
Posted

My nails are not peeling anymore....after 6 months gluten free.

Sarah P Rookie
Sarah P
Posted

I am only a week totally gluten free. I still have pain, but my acne is cleared up! I have had the worst skin my whole life. At 30 I really thought I shouldn't have it anymore, and guess what I don't. Wooohooo!

Jenniferxgfx Contributor
Jenniferxgfx
Posted

First and foremost, I have my BRAIN back. I feel like sleeping beauty woke up... Like the last several years were a blur. I am a scientist again!

And vainly: I have great hair and nails and skin! A lifetime of really bad skin, hair like straw that won't grow, and nails that won't grow-- and now they all feel foreign. It's nice and they're all lovely, but I feel like sleeping beauty who woke up in a new body!

But I can't talk about my brain enough. It's so nice to think straight again and have a little better grasp on the world around me. I love thinking! Lol

espresso261 Rookie
espresso261
Posted

Pre-diagnosis, I only consumed large amounts of gluten when i was outside of my normal routine (the weekend, vacations, holidays, out to eat for special occasions). During the week, i ate "healthy" which really only included gluten from my cereal or hidden forms (never had pasta, sandwiches, cake etc). after years of feeling horrible after going out or traveling or being at my parents for holidays, i started avoiding social situations all together. or planning them way in advance and in isolated times (ie "i'm going on a date on saturday, so i can't go out to eat or do anything else involving being outside my healthy food routine on friday or at all the week before). i thought it was salt or just that it was normal for my body to not tolerate "unhealthy" food. it was depressing not participating in social events and always having to come up with excuses of why i couldn't do things (knowing that "i'll be bloated, not fit in my clothes, exhausted and have severe body aches after" is not the excuse people like to hear when they invite you out...since i didn't know for sure what it was, i assumed the symptoms were my imagination).

its so nice knowing that the symptoms were not in my imagination and that i don't have to avoid social situations anymore, i just have to avoid gluten! (and although i know salt is not good for you, i'm ecstatic that i can actually have salty foods or put salt on foods sometimes now. i avoided it for 10 years!)

wheeleezdryver Community Regular
wheeleezdryver
Posted

Hi,

I have bladder pains too, since few weeks, but no inflammation and I have lines in my thumb nails since myna years- are this also the symptoms of GI?

I'm happy that my stomach problems are gone only after 10 days on a diet! No gases anymore, no bloated belly, no pains after every meal, almost no heart burn anymore and I feel slightly stronger, having more energy. I started again with yoga and with walking, which is so good!

I wish that my mental problems will get better too and that my libido returns...

i'm not the greatest one to explain this, but yes, booth bladder issues and nail problems can be indicators of GI issues/ celiac/ other health issues. (if anyone else can explain this better than me, feel free to do so!)

Most of what i've learned, I learned from reading this forum over the last 1 1/2 years.

When theres gut damage, like celiac, there are microscopic holes in the gut-- well, things get through those holes, and go throughout the rest of the body, and sometimes cause damage to other organs, like the bladder.

A lot of autoimmune diseases are interrelated (including Interstitial Cystitis, aka PainFul bladder Syndrome)And can be related to Celiac Disease/ gluten intolerance.

and sometimes, nail issues can be an indicator of an issue going on elsewhere in the body. Like thyroid problems or malabsorption.

cahill Collaborator
cahill
Posted

One of the wonderful things about eating gluten free;

When a coworker that knows I am gluten free "forgets" and offers me a Krispy Kream doughnut and I am not even tempted .I say no thank you and the look on his face is priceless and then he "remembers" and we have a good laugh. :lol:

What is wonderful about that is 2 years ago it would have not been possible. :D It would have been a traumatic and painful experience.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,548
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Lunaluv
    Newest Member
    Lunaluv
    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

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.