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1 Week gluten-free Down But Felt Sick The Last 2 Days? Normal?


ScarlettsMommy

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ScarlettsMommy Explorer

The only symptom I ever had with celiac the last 2 years is a constant feeling of having the stomach flu. I always felt sick. i would have good days or even good weeks sometimes. Anyways, today makes 1 week of eating gluten-free and the last 2 days I have felt not full out sick, but somewhat sick to my stomach (the same feeling i always had before) I was upset and crying, asking why am i feeling like this again? I have not cheated with the way Ive been eating. Does it take a while to not be sick anymore, or should I not still be feeling sick after a week? Thanks


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saintmaybe Collaborator

The only symptom I ever had with celiac the last 2 years is a constant feeling of having the stomach flu. I always felt sick. i would have good days or even good weeks sometimes. Anyways, today makes 1 week of eating gluten-free and the last 2 days I have felt not full out sick, but somewhat sick to my stomach (the same feeling i always had before) I was upset and crying, asking why am i feeling like this again? I have not cheated with the way Ive been eating. Does it take a while to not be sick anymore, or should I not still be feeling sick after a week? Thanks

My chiro put it best- in any course of healing, you will experience peaks and valleys. The peak days are when you feel great, the valleys are when you feel terrible. What you want to pay attention to is the overall course of your healing which should have a generally improving trend. A week gluten free, I'm sorry to say, isn't much. You're still almost certainly going to be experiencing a lot of valley days, as opposed to peak days.

You need time to rebuild your intestinal tract, to improve your stamina, to learn more about what it means to be gluten free. Expecting an overnight cure is unrealistic. There are lots of people on here who's healing is still improving years after their diagnosis. Just...be patient with yourself.

And don't take lightly the issue of cross contamination. Even if you're trying to be careful, totally well intentioned, if you're eating out or relying on a lot of prepared foods, you are still running a high risk of getting sick. Food prep workers lie, homemade ingredient labels are extremely fallible. You have to be very careful. And you're right....it's not fair, but it is what it is.

Metoo Enthusiast

I felt sick for 4 days after 1-2 weeks, severly nauseated. Then that was it. I also stopped eating gluten free oatmeal too the 2nd week and that helped alot also!

Darn210 Enthusiast

yep . . . too early . . . lots of ups and downs in the beginning while you are both healing and learning the ropes.

My daughter was mostly better within a few weeks or so but she still had bad days every now and then for about 10 months. Every time she had a bad day, I would investigate what she had been eating, looking for a source of gluten/contamination or possibly an additional intolerance. I could never find anything conclusive. In hindsight, I think she was just having the "peaks and valleys" previously mentioned. That doesn't mean that when you do have a bad day that you shouldn't take a look at what/where you've eaten.

ScarlettsMommy Explorer

thank you for the reassurance. My main fear is that after eating gluten free i would still be sick and the dr's would be stumped again. I just need to get better not for me but for my family cuz i couldnt hold a job being so sick and i want to get working again...but i wanted to make sure i was better first before committing to a job and this just scared me.

ChristineWas Rookie

I just finished my first gluten-free week and I have continued to feel very sick all week, but I still feel hopeful. My main encouragement has been that it is only one week and healing takes time.

I totally understand feeling the need to get back to work but feeling apprehension about diving in before you are able. I first went on sick leave almost a year ago before I realized I was really too sick and just needed to quit. Our finances are tight and I want to do my part, but you're right... it would be unwise to go back too soon.

BabsV Enthusiast

I'm 4 months post-diagnosis and in the last week I've finally started having more good days than bad days. The first 3 months were really tough because I was being so careful (not even eating gluten-free replacement foods) and still had days where I felt awful. I am far from 100% but when I compare how I felt just prior to diagnosis to now I can see how I really am improving. Take it day by day and have patience. This is funny coming from me because I am notorious for not being very patient. Apparently this is a life lesson I need to learn!


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