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

Lack Of Energy And Constipation.....still....

raea2002

By raea2002
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

raea2002 Apprentice
raea2002
Posted

I've been gluten free for about a month or more now and my constipation has not gotten any better. Also need a boost in energy. Got a b12 injection last week by dr but is not helping. Ive gotten some energy back but not as much as I had hoped. Any suggestions? If you recommend any product can you tell me the name.

Thanks bunches!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


saintmaybe Collaborator
saintmaybe
Posted

I recommend FRS energy drink, sold at GNC and some supermarkets. I'm not financially affiliated with them in any way, lest you think this is a plug. I just swear by it. I'll have one at lunch if I'm havin a tough day energy wise and it gives me a really relaxed energy for the second half of the day. It was originally developed for athletes and cancer patients on chemotherapy. It has bioavailable b vitamins and quercetins. It really helped when i was incredibly sick last fall. :)

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

Did you get your thyroid checked? :blink:

I feel much better with Biotin vitamin supplementation.

kitgordon Explorer
kitgordon
Posted

A month is not long enough for most people to feel completely better, so it may just take more time, but have you had your thyroid checked? Hypothyroid can cause constipation and lack of energy, and often goes hand in hand with celiac.

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I had bm changes for at least 6 months. One day c, next day fine, then something totally undefinable - and this was after chronic c for years.

Hypothyroidism will cause c. Many people have both issues, but I wouldn't panic about c yet.

Try digestive enzymes and probiotics.

And lay off sugar, I found that gives me c too.

Get yiur vitamin levels checked and supplament as needed. The exhaustion is normal. Just give it time.

raea2002 Apprentice
raea2002
Posted
  • Author

Sorry, yes I've had my thyroid and a couple other vit.

raea2002 Apprentice
raea2002
Posted
  • Author

Thanks all! You have all been great!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lady Eowyn Apprentice
Lady Eowyn
Posted

Hi there

Know how you feel.

Canned prunes in apple juice seem to help me. Also some nuts daily and or course, water. Hot water seems best.

Hi Prickly - never thought of sugar being a cause but now you mention it .....

Also I think soya also gets me.

TeknoLen Rookie
TeknoLen
Posted

Gut problems can goof up your magnesium level also. You might consider supplementing. I take 450 mg twice a day.

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted

I found I needed to supplement 2000mg D3 daily to get my energy back up (and this was with testing w/ moderate normal levels of D). My doc started me with 1000mg and upped that about a month later.

WendyK Newbie
WendyK
Posted

Seven months ago I went to my Doctor and said I wanted her to take what ever blood test she needed because I wanted to make sure feeling so bad for years was because of menopause. I blamed every symptom on this change starting at 42 years old. I couldn't take it any more. Once the tests came back, I discovered I had hypothyroidism and was given a perscription. I am not a complainer (that is why it took me so long to have a simple blood test done)but I really did not want to go on medication so I immediately went to a nutrionalist. She tested me for food sensitivies and I came up with so many I was in total shock! Gluten, dairy, crab, shrimp, tuna, peanuts, soy, popcorn, apples, bananas and many more. She put me on many suppliments (I was only taking calcium at the time and no perscription medicines). Not having a clue that the things I was eating really had a negative impact on me from a digistive perspective, I blindly followed her advice. I was very strict with the "hope" I would feel better. Most people were not supportive of my change in diet and didn't believe anything this doctor had to say. I am strong person so I really didn't care what they thought as they were not feeling what my body was feeling. None the less, it is a very hard transition. I had experienced major fatigue, tingling in hands and feet, extreme brain fog (where I felt I could barely keep up with work), hot flashes that would make we want to faint, dry skin, brittle nails, hot/cold intolerance, etc. I did not take the medication and hoped the diet change would make the difference. It took two full months on extreme effort before I could say I felt better. Some people are so lucky they can feel a change within a few weeks. Three month into the diet change I had another blood test and, unfortunately, there was no change with my thyroid reading at all but I felt so much better that I felt the diet change was too important for me to abandon. I have since gone on the medication. Between the diet change, nutritional suppliments and I'm sure the medication, I feel like a real person again with periods of very high engery. I know I am still on my path to healing and still don't like the diet restctions, however, I won't go back to my old ways since I feel so good. I am sure for the rest of my life I will depend on a nutritionalist to ensure I am staying on track. Now I am at the point where almost every receipe can be made using substitutes and the majority of them leave me with a feeling that I am not being deprived and usually very satified. It just takes more effort. The hardest part is the realisation that this change does not happen over night. It took me a long time to get to the point where I felt so bad and it will time to get back to where I need to be but what is the alternative? I am so much happier now with much less anxiety. Stick to it. It's worth it.

mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

You want your B-12 to be around 1100 usually. I take weekly injections.I started out with tablets, then to monthly injections now weekly...plus check Vit D,Thyroid testing not just TSH... A1C, Glucose calicum for starters.

Miralax & mineral oil are good to have on hand for the Big C, not habit forming if natural things like prunes warmed or juice are not working, Also drink plenty of PURE water not city water...

You have just started on the gluten-free journey it takes alot of time. Remember you are taking away something your body has dealth with for years wheat & gluten so the body needs to learn to adjust to a new plan..

Also other foods may be troubling you ie: dairy, soy , etc....

ncallier Newbie
ncallier
Posted

SI had experienced major fatigue, tingling in hands and feet, extreme brain fog (where I felt I could barely keep up with work), hot flashes that would make we want to faint, dry skin, brittle nails, hot/cold intolerance, etc. I did not take the medication and hoped the diet change would make the difference. It took two full months on extreme effort before I could say I felt better.

Your symptoms are so much like mine! I have only recently been diagnosed and have only been gluten free for a little over 2 months. While my gi problems have improved, the others have not. I just had my first blood work done yesterday. I am wondering if some of these symptoms will be from thyroid problems. I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired!!

kendick Newbie
kendick
Posted

You want your B-12 to be around 1100 usually. I take weekly injections.I started out with tablets, then to monthly injections now weekly...plus check Vit D,Thyroid testing not just TSH... A1C, Glucose calicum for starters.

Miralax & mineral oil are good to have on hand for the Big C, not habit forming if natural things like prunes warmed or juice are not working, Also drink plenty of PURE water not city water...

You have just started on the gluten-free journey it takes alot of time. Remember you are taking away something your body has dealth with for years wheat & gluten so the body needs to learn to adjust to a new plan..

Also other foods may be troubling you ie: dairy, soy , etc....

How do the injections work for you? I just took my first one today. I too will do them once a week. Id sure like to feel better. Im just recovering from cancer and getting my energy back would be the final part of my journey !!

pondy Contributor
pondy
Posted

Here's what helps me with "C" :

MiraLax - 17g twice daily as needed

Senna tablets - 1 tab twice daily as needed. *I would start with one or the other, just once a day.* My "C" is chronic, hence the larger doses...

Also, probiotics like Culturelle seem to help. As others have mentioned, try avoiding soy, dairy & sugar. Good luck to you!

Debra Adkins Newbie
Debra Adkins
Posted

I have been gluten-free for 1 month now, was doing really. I was starting to feel alot better and was so excited that I was feeling myself again. Then this past week I feel like I'm back to square one, my nervous, brian fog, tiredness all this feeling came back. I am sticking to my diet and everything. I just don't understand...Sooo upset I just don't understand. Any advice?

raea2002 Apprentice
raea2002
Posted
  • Author

Taking B12, a good multivitamin with a probiotic, watching what I eat and taking it a day at a time. Hope this helps. I hit a slump about then too and started the above and I feel much better. Hang in there.

Bubba's Mom Enthusiast
Bubba's Mom
Posted

I have been gluten-free for 1 month now, was doing really. I was starting to feel alot better and was so excited that I was feeling myself again. Then this past week I feel like I'm back to square one, my nervous, brian fog, tiredness all this feeling came back. I am sticking to my diet and everything. I just don't understand...Sooo upset I just don't understand. Any advice?

It's normal to have a variety of odd symptoms as you heal and adjust to the new diet. Be sure you aren't getting any trace gluten. Even a very tiny amount can get your system raging.

I also recommend getting a hydrogen breath test for SIBO if this continues. If you have SIBO you could get reactions from the toxins they emit as they consume your food.

celiac10+ Newbie
celiac10+
Posted

I have been gluten-free for 1 month now, was doing really. I was starting to feel alot better and was so excited that I was feeling myself again. Then this past week I feel like I'm back to square one, my nervous, brian fog, tiredness all this feeling came back. I am sticking to my diet and everything. I just don't understand...Sooo upset I just don't understand. Any advice?

This is very common. When I first went gluten free I felt better immediately, then started feeling crummy again a short time later. For many it can take atleast a year for the gut to heal (depending on the amount of damage). Also, simply removing the gluten is a great first step, however to actually heal the gut you need a solid supplementation regimen- Vitamin D, EPA/DHA, colostrum, B vitamins, probiotics, and a healthy diet are all recommended for gut healing. In addition, ginger is great for settling the stomach and is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Aloe vera is also great and helps with regularity. Magnesium also helps with regularity and anxiety. Make sure you are taking high quality supplements and not just buying them at the local WalMart as this will make a huge difference in the quality of your supplements.

Hope this helps. :)

cavernio Enthusiast
cavernio
Posted

I was gluten-free for almost 3 months and I didn't notice much change. Well, I did have a couple screw ups, or likely screw ups, and I think I should have laid off dairy, not just lactose.

Since going back to gluten for biopsy, I notice now that I am more bloated and peripheral nerves feel so bad they hurt sometimes again. Unfortunately, my energy and ability to concentrate haven't changed.

I'm giving myself 6 months to start feeling better in this regard, at least, before I start to worry that there's other issues they haven't found yet. Some people won't even have fully healed intestines after a couple years. Plus, you know you won't be getting proper nutrition UNTIL they're healed too, and then you still will probably need to build up nutrients and vitamins again. This stuff takes time.

Ahh, you say this week you've been bad. Are you sure it's not simply pms? Perhaps you never noticed pms symtpoms before because you already felt bad.

(I don't mean to say 'only' pms as if what you're experiencing is 'only' so bad, but rather that pms is a usual thing many women, including me, experience, that it's not some unknown thing making you ill)

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I was gluten-free for almost 3 months and I didn't notice much change. Well, I did have a couple screw ups, or likely screw ups, and I think I should have laid off dairy, not just lactose.

Since going back to gluten for biopsy, I notice now that I am more bloated and peripheral nerves feel so bad they hurt sometimes again. Unfortunately, my energy and ability to concentrate haven't changed.

I'm giving myself 6 months to start feeling better in this regard, at least, before I start to worry that there's other issues they haven't found yet. Some people won't even have fully healed intestines after a couple years. Plus, you know you won't be getting proper nutrition UNTIL they're healed too, and then you still will probably need to build up nutrients and vitamins again. This stuff takes time.

Ahh, you say this week you've been bad. Are you sure it's not simply pms? Perhaps you never noticed pms symtpoms before because you already felt bad.

(I don't mean to say 'only' pms as if what you're experiencing is 'only' so bad, but rather that pms is a usual thing many women, including me, experience, that it's not some unknown thing making you ill)

FYI it took me closer to 9 months to have neuro stuff really settle. And that was after supplementing, retesting, then upping supplaments again.

And when I got glutened last week - I got stomach cramps, acid, and weird muscle cramps and the twitch in my eye came back - but this time in my cheek.

So, give it time and if you get glutened it won't set you back to zero but it can sure bring it back in a flash.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,948
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Stephanie94
    Newest Member
    Stephanie94
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jacki Espo
      Covid caused reoccurrence of DH without eating gluten

      By Jacki Espo · Posted

      This happened to me as well. What’s weirder is that within a couple hours of taking paxlovid it subsided. I thought maybe I got glutened but after reading your post not so sure. 
    • Mari
      New Celiac Mama in My 30s

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Tiffany. Thank you for writing your dituation and  circumstancesin such detail and so well writte, too. I particularly noticed what you wrote about brain for and feeling like your brain is swelling and I know from my own experiences that's how it feel and your brain really does swell and you get migraines.    Way back when I was in my 20s I read a book by 2 MD allergist and they described their patient who came in complaining that her brain, inside her cranium, was swelling  and it happened when she smelled a certain chemical she used in her home. She kept coming back and insisting her brain actually swelled in her head. The Drs couldn't explain this problem so they, with her permission, performed an operation where they made a small opening through her cranium, exposed her to the chemical then watched as she brain did swell into the opening. The DRs were amazed but then were able to advise her to avoid chemicals that made her brain swell. I remember that because I occasionally had brain fog then but it was not a serious problem. I also realized that I was becoming more sensitive to chemicals I used in my work in medical laboratories. By my mid forties the brain fog and chemicals forced me to leave my  profession and move to a rural area with little pollution. I did not have migraines. I was told a little later that I had a more porous blood brain barrier than other people. Chemicals in the air would go up into my sinused and leak through the blood brain barrier into my brain. We have 2 arteries  in our neck that carry blood with the nutrients and oxygen into the brain. To remove the fluids and used blood from the brain there are only capillaries and no large veins to carry it away so all those fluids ooze out much more slowly than they came in and since the small capillaries can't take care of extra fluid it results in swelling in the face, especially around the eyes. My blood flow into my brain is different from most other people as I have an arterial ischema, adefectiveartery on one side.   I have to go forward about 20 or more years when I learned that I had glaucoma, an eye problem that causes blindness and more years until I learned I had celiac disease.  The eye Dr described my glaucoma as a very slow loss of vision that I wouldn't  notice until had noticeable loss of sight.  I could have my eye pressure checked regularly or it would be best to have the cataracts removed from both eyes. I kept putting off the surgery then just overnight lost most of the vision in my left eye. I thought at the I had been exposed to some chemical and found out a little later the person who livedbehind me was using some chemicals to build kayaks in a shed behind my house. I did not realize the signifance  of this until I started having appointments with a Dr. in a new building. New buildings give me brain fog, loss of balance and other problems I know about this time I experienced visual disturbances very similar to those experienced by people with migraines. I looked further online and read that people with glaucoma can suffer rapid loss of sight if they have silent migraines (no headache). The remedy for migraines is to identify and avoid the triggers. I already know most of my triggers - aromatic chemicals, some cleaning materials, gasoline and exhaust and mold toxins. I am very careful about using cleaning agents using mostly borax and baking powder. Anything that has any fragrance or smell I avoid. There is one brand of dishwashing detergent that I can use and several brands of  scouring powder. I hope you find some of this helpful and useful. I have not seen any evidence that Celiac Disease is involved with migraines or glaucoma. Please come back if you have questions or if what I wrote doesn't make senseto you. We sometimes haveto learn by experience and finding out why we have some problems. Take care.       The report did not mention migraines. 
    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Jmartes71 That is so much like my story! You probably know where Laytonville is and that's where I was living just before my 60th birthday when the new Dr. suggested I could have Celiacs. I didn't go on a gluten challange diet before having the Celiac panel blood test drawn. The results came back as equivical as one antibody level was very high but another, tissue transaminasewas normal. Itdid show I was  allergic to cows milk and I think hot peppers. I immediately went gluten free but did not go in for an endoscopy. I found an online lab online that would do the test to show if I had a main celiac gene (enterolab.com). The report came back that I had inherited a main celiac gene, DQ8, from one parent and a D!6 from the other parent. That combination is knows to sym[tons of celiac worse than just inheriting one main celiac gene. With my version of celiac disease I was mostly constipated but after going gluten-free I would have diarrhea the few times I was glutened either by cross contamination or eating some food containing gluten. I have stayed gluten-free for almost 20 years now and knew within a few days that it was right for me although my recovery has been slow.   When I go to see a  medical provide and tell them I have celiacs they don't believe me. The same when I tell them that I carry a main celiac gene, the DQ8. It is only when I tell them that I get diarrhea after eating gluten that they realize that I might have celiac disease. Then they will order th Vitamin B12 and D3 that I need to monitor as my B12 levels can go down very fast if I'm not taking enough of it. Medical providers haven't been much help in my recovery. They are not well trained in this problem. I really hope this helps ypu. Take care.      
    • knitty kitty
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Fascinating.
    • DebJ14
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By DebJ14 · Posted

×
×
  • 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.