Lot's Of Questions Very New To This .

[Bob4962]

Hi all,

I have been diagnosed as wheat/cereal/Gluten intolerant and have been off all gluten for four weeks. I am experiencing a LOT of burping anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hours after eating. Also experiencing unsteadiness and difficulty walking and no energy also tightness on the right side of my chest and lower neck. Sorry it all sounds like a big pain but if anyone can shed some light it would be greatly appreciated. How long before I feel any signs of improvement ???

Thanks in advance and have a great day.

Bob

[ciamarie]

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the forums. After 4 weeks, you should be feeling somewhat better I'd suspect.

Were you having those same issues before going gluten-free? Or are these new issues? Plus, it's possible that you're dealing with CC (cross-contamination). More details on whether you're in a gluten-free environment at work or home, and whether you are eating more processed foods vs whole single-ingredient foods would be helpful to help pinpoint possible issues.

[Bob4962]

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the forums. After 4 weeks, you should be feeling somewhat better I'd suspect.

Were you having those same issues before going gluten-free? Or are these new issues? Plus, it's possible that you're dealing with CC (cross-contamination). More details on whether you're in a gluten-free environment at work or home, and whether you are eating more processed foods vs whole single-ingredient foods would be helpful to help pinpoint possible issues.

Hi Thanks for responding,

Before it was identified that I was intolerant (to Gluten) I did have a lot of pain in my lower abdomen for about a year, after many visits to doctors and specialists, my Naturopath identified the intoloerance four weeks ago. I also experienced many periods of wobblieness and axiety.

[GFinDC]

Hi Bob,

Time to heal is quite variable, and recovery can be an up and down process. Some things that may help are:

Stick to whole foods

Avoid processed foods.

Avoid sugar

Avoid dairy and soy.

Avoid cc (cross contamination)

Check every label even vitamins and medicines.

Take proboitics

Try some Betaine HCL a couple times a week before a meal.

Try some peppermint tea or Altoids peppermints for gas in the stomach.

Take digestive enzymes before meals.

Clean all your pots and pans and utensils or replace as needed.

Avoid feeding pets gluten containing food.

If things don't improve after 6 months on the gluten-free diet consider an elimination diet.

Check out the FAQ for lots of info.

Keep reading and posting on celiac com!

Ok, not a simple or easy list really, so don't feel bad if you can't do all these things just perfect when you are new to the gluten-free diet. It is a big learning curve for many people. I am one of the slower ones I think because it took me 4.5 years to get smart about my intolerances. Lots of ups and downs along the way too. And i am still learning today. By this time I should have gotten a degree or something!

Celiac com FAQ

[Bob4962]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, A lot to learn. Have you experienced anxiety and unbalance with your intolerance. Have you tried acupuncture to help ?

Bob

[GFinDC]

I haven't tried accupuncture. I know some people seem to like it though.

I have had balance problems at times. I am not sure if it is from fatigue or something else though.

There is plenty to learn, that for sure. That's one reason I think it is better to start with a whole foods diet and avoid processed foods. The labels on whole foods are very simple to read, versus deciphering long lists of chemicals and goobledy gook on processed foods to be sure they aren't forms of gluten. It is just simpler. A chicken is a chicken. And a potato is a potato, those are the kinds of labels I like.

I had to adjust to the diet like everyone. At first it seemed there was nothing I could eat. But after a while I learned to cook more things from scratch and got n the habit of doing that instead of popping a frozen dinner in the microwave. And I learned to make candy myself so I wouldn't feel deprived from not being able to buy dairy free and soy free candy. That was actually pretty fun. Now I can make sugar free candy for that matter. Very cool stuff.

[GFinDC]

Check out the threads

on breakfast ideas

or dinner ideas

or even Open Original Shared Link

safe Halloween candy

And a recipe area for lots of great things to eat.

[Bob4962]

Good Morning,

Thanks again for the information I will look check out all the information. I notice that you recommend to stop dairy products do most people with Wheat & Gluten intolerance have Lactose issues ? I am trying Metagenics Metagest for the stomach and SISU Super B complex for the anxiety. Hope they work it,s only been three days.

Bob

[Bubba's Mom]

Good Morning,

Thanks again for the information I will look check out all the information. I notice that you recommend to stop dairy products do most people with Wheat & Gluten intolerance have Lactose issues ? I am trying Metagenics Metagest for the stomach and SISU Super B complex for the anxiety. Hope they work it,s only been three days.

Bob

I'll jump in and answer that one..

If you have damage to the tips of your villi from gluten..you won't b able to digest lactose. The enzyme needed for the break down of that comes from the very tips of the villi. It's just a good idea to stay away from dairy at first because of that. Yogurt and aged cheeses don't have the lactose because it's processed out.

It seems like a lot of us have trouble with dairy and soy, at least at first, while we're healing.

The balance issues you're having could be from gluten, but are a symptom that could be from another food intolerance?

It's a good idea to start a food log. Write down everything you eat..and note any symptoms you have. Many food related symptoms have a delayed reaction, making it harder to figure out what bothered you. Having a way to go back and put pieces of the puzzle together is very helpful.

If you find a particular food that bothers you, it means you should avoid it for a while as you are healing. You may be able to add it back to your diet later? Our digestive systems are kind of quirky like that.

If you get neurological symptoms from gluten, they can take time to resolve. A month or more is not unusual. Be sure that you've changed your toothbrush, and have looked for any other sources of CC. Even very small doses of gluten can be enough to keep that balance issue in effect.

It's very frustrating, I know, because I get it too.

I found adding a good quality coconut oil (2-3T daily) seems to help with that symptom. It feeds the brain just like glucose does, but is healthy for you. It helps heal the intestine, and raises your good cholesterol levels too. You may want to give it a try?

I add it to my morning coffee, put it on veggies instead of butter, and it's great for browning meats or frying things.

[GFinDC]

Darn it, I missed the lunch thread.

The what's for lunch thread..

Bubba's Mom is right, the lactose sugar in cow's milk is often a problem for people at first. Basically it is lactose intolerance, which can cause bloating, D, gas. And it can go away, although it doesn't go away for all people.

3 days is good start. Pretty soon it will be a couple weeks and then a month, and then 2 etc. f you are like me you will probably make some mistakes along the way. That's ok, just go right back to eating gluten-free and keep learning as you go. Food habits can be hard to break and with gluten in so many processed foods it is easy to makes mistakes. At least it as for me.

You may find your glutening symptoms get worse or more noticeable after a while being gluten-free. That is fairly common too, and is not something to be real concerned about. One nice thing about a whole foods diet is it's much easier to avoid cross contamination and mistakes in label reading.

It may help to keep lots of fruit around at first to so you have something easy to grab and eat. Some of us do a lot of cooking on the weekends and then freeze portions for reheating through the week.

HGFDTY (Happy gluten-free day to you)!