Is It True Anyone Going Off Gluten Will Get Sick If They Try To Eat It Again?

[Omma]

I've been gluten-free for 9 months now and I'm getting more and more sensitive.(And feeling better).My husband just told me today he has no intention of going gluten free with me, even though he has to be SO careful, because he doesn't want to "mess up his system". He says a friends gastrointologist (or whatever the intestinal dr.s are called)told him EVERYONE who goes gluten-free will have problems going back on!

Has anyone heard of this? Is there a chance that just simply going off of it I'm now extremely sensitive? I find this very hard to believe, but since I don't have my own dr. to ask, I'll ask it here.

[mushroom]

If you do not have an intolerance to gluten, you can stop and start eating it at will with no symptomatology. If you develop symptoms when you resume eating gluten, it means that gluten is a problem for you on some level and you should probably avoid it. Why does your husband have to be careful about "messing up his system"? Just because of what that ignorant doctor said? If you are gluten sensitive, you WILL have problems when you resume eating gluten, probably worse than they were before, because your body was so happy to get rid of the gluten it will be upset when it returns Again, a person who is not gluten sensitive/celiac can stop and start gluten at will.

[revenant]

Good answer by mushroom but I want to also add that there is a type of celiac disease or gluten intolerance known as "silent" celiac, or gluten intolerance, this is where it does damage to your intestines/physical body, increases cancer risk, or other problems depending on the person, but the person does not feel a difference.

[BeFree]

I don't know where your husband's friend got that information, but it just plain doesn't make sense to say that "everyone" would react in the exact same way to eating or not eating any certain food. Everyone's body is different.

[kareng]

Think if it like is. You don't eat watermelon all year round. You just eat it in the summer, when it's good. You haven't eaten it for 7 months and now you do, you're fine. Unless you have a problem or an allergy to watermelon or you eat too much at once, it doesn't matter that you haven't eaten it in months.

There are lots of foods people only eat once or twice a year. Maybe lobster on your anniversary. Pumpkin pie at Thanskgiving. See? If we apply that doctor's reasoning to all food, it dorsn't make sense.

Now, if hub hasn't eaten gluten in a month and he suddenly has 6 pieces of whole wheat bread in a day, he might have too much fiber.

Sounds like hub just doesn't want to be completely gluten-free at home and he's trying to find a reason that doesn't make him look selfish.

[Omma]

Thanks for all the responses. I think maybe you're right about him just not wanting to go gluten-free and now he's got a good "reason". He's a firm believer that the kind of food you eat (junk versus healthy) doesn't really make that much difference. (He doesn't eat very good and is very healthy...so far)Good health is more a state of mind. Since I'm still experiencing some health issues he's not convinced gluten has been the culprit even though I suspect I've had gluten issues since age 11 and I'm now 56. That's a lot of years of damage done and a lot of healing that needs to take place.

So, I guess we'll just continue to do what we do (separate everything)and I'll continue to get better!

[Darn210]

Just wanted to add that I have done a gluten free trial diet. I have had joint issues. My daughter was diagnosed about 5 years ago. I was screened way back then but my tests came back negative. I know some people have false negatives. I know some people are gluten intolerant so will always(unless they come up with some other test) come back negative but symptomatic. So I tried gluten free for six months to see if it helped with my joints. I had no problems going off of gluten and I had no problems going back on gluten . . . and I saw no difference in my joint issues.

[kareng]

My hub has his bread, crackers, etc. But there's no reason to cook 2 meals. He eats my gluten-free pasta. If I make cornbread, I don't make 2, I just make the gluten-free one. I do sometimes get the rolls in a can for them to eat with soup. Many meals are just gluten-free naturally. BBQ chicken, potatoes & green beans don't have gluten. Chili doesn't need flour in it. If you need to thicken it, corn starch or corn torillas work better. Tacos don't have gluten (just watch the taco or chili seasonings sometimes have four as a filler to make the packet look fuller,)

He can eat at work whatever he wants if he is going out for lunch or pick up a muffin on the way.

[love2travel]

Good answer by mushroom but I want to also add that there is a type of celiac disease or gluten intolerance known as "silent" celiac, or gluten intolerance, this is where it does damage to your intestines/physical body, increases cancer risk, or other problems depending on the person, but the person does not feel a difference.

Yep - that's me! After my bloodwork I was told to go off gluten which I did for four months. Then I had to go back on for the biopsies which I wanted (as I was in denial and did not believe the bloodwork). When I went back on gluten for four months absolutely nothing happened. I did not get sick or anything. At that point I was so certain I did not have celiac but the biopsies told me otherwise. So, the gluten-free diet was difficult for me at first because I had no real motivation to do it. However, I have been super strict for about 11 months now.

[Jestgar]

).My husband just told me today he has no intention of going gluten free with me, even though he has to be SO careful, because he doesn't want to "mess up his system". He says a friends gastrointologist (or whatever the intestinal dr.s are called)told him EVERYONE who goes gluten-free will have problems going back on!

Has anyone heard of this? Is there a chance that just simply going off of it I'm now extremely sensitive? I find this very hard to believe, but since I don't have my own dr. to ask, I'll ask it here.

My bro and his wife did a hard core elimination diet to try to determine if some food was causing his headaches. They went down to brown rice and chicken and added foods back slowly, monitoring all reactions. Neither of them had any problems removing gluten, or adding it back.

My mom did a gluten-free trial for her heartburn - again, no difference removing it, or adding it back.