How Long After gluten-free Would Symptoms Ease Or Clear?

[trillium]

Running out of options. Have been off and on sick in my stomach since I was a kid. Really bad cramps that would send me either a) running to the bathroom or running to the nurses office. It was the bathroom it was almost certainly diarrhea, if it was cramps and gas, it was almost certainly a bout of constipation. I told my parents about it when I was a kid and it was shrugged off. Tried again as a 20-something (when I finally got insurance), and it was shrugged off as hormonal (was in the process of switching birth control). Now mid-30s I am sick of being sick all of the time. I don't remember WHAT it's like to have normal bathroom habits and no stomach pain or cramping. So I finally broke down and tried primary care Dr #3 - who sent me to a GI.

So far, blood work and stool study have all come back as normal (including the blood work to test for celiacs). I have no "allergy" that showed up on a blood test, except a minor reaction to cockroaches (really?). Saw my GI again yesterday and have an endoscopy and colonoscopy scheduled on the same day the first week of March. At this point, batting 1000, scoring 0 in trying to figure out what is causing my symptoms.

FIrst recommendation (for diet) was to remove lactose from my diet. So trying Lactaid for milk, no cheese, etc. to see if that works. This started yesterday.

But I am curious, how long does it take for symptoms to ease after starting to eat gluten free? This last go round started in late Nov and at this point I feel trapped in my house as I don't know if I eat I'll either keel over in pain from stomach cramps or have to run to the bathroom and setup shop. My reaction can happen anytime I eat, so the Dr is working on IBS assumption right now, but I'm at wits end.

Thanks in advance

-Donna

[birdie22]

So you went gluten-free back in November? When was the blood test for celiac done? If it was done after you ditched the gluten that could be the reason for the negative test. You also need to be consuming gluten in order for your endoscopy to show celiac related damage.

ETA: I am not diagnosed but suspect gluten sensitivity. I've also been gluten-free since November and still experience some symptoms though somewhat milder.

[trillium]

Haven't done gluten free at all yet as in Jan have just started the round of testing and symptoms gathering. The only thing I have started as of yesterday was lactose free (at Drs req) to try and ease of eliminate symptoms.

[birdie22]

Ah, I misread your post...it was your latest bout of symptoms that started in Nov.

As I said in my PP I've been gluten-free since November and still have symptoms. Many on these boards have indicated that it took 4-6mo, and sometimes longer, to see drastic improvement. With gut damage needing to heal, issues with cross contamination, the occasional misstep with gluten foods (there's such a learning curve sometimes), other food intolerance, etc all may make it harder for someone to respond to being gluten-free as soon as they hoped.