How Long Till It Gets Better?

[llj012564]

I have been gluten-free since Feb04 . My question is how long does it take to really start to feel like my old self again . I have been sick for several years now and was finally diagnosed with cialiacs in Feb. I lost so much weight I thought I had cancer or something. My really big problem now seems to be my weight . I was heavy b4 so I wasnt bothered by it, but now it has been months and my intestines dont seem to be getting any better. I eat a ton of food but am still losing weight. Anyone have any ideas. I also have lactose, egg,nut,and yeast allergy.

[celiac3270]

Try not to fret....it can take over a year to get better. I've been gluten-free since February, too, and I still have symptoms -- and I've been really paranoid about the diet and have been tested in many different ways for other problems. It takes time.

[Carriefaith]

I've done some research on this since I am wondering the same thing (I've been gluten-free for just over 7 months and still not better). I know how discouraging it is.

There are a number of things that could be wrong if a celiac continues to have problems on the gluten-free diet:

1. There could still be gluten in your diet (unlikely if you're very careful about cross-contamination and reading ingredients).

2. You could have another intolerance or allergy.

3. You could have another health related problem in addition to celiac.

4. It takes some people longer to heal than others (Which can be frustrating, especially if you've been so faithful to the diet and not seeing improvements).

5. And there's also something called refractory celiac (which we hope no one EVER gets) where celiacs do not respond to the gluten-free diet. This is rare though.

[SofiEmiMom]

It took about 1 year for me to feel really good. I also discovered a few months in to going gluten-free that I am intolerant to casein and soy as well. I still have days where I'm really tired. But I feel the best I have in my entire life.

[tarnalberry]

Are you sure you're eating enough as well? If food was making you sick before, you may have gotten into the habit of not enough calories. You might try a food journal (you can use Open Original Shared Link to do it online), to see if you're getting enough calories. Eating plenty of nutrient and calorie dense foods (avocados, plenty of oil on your salads, etc.) may help there.

(Of course, all of this comes after what everyone else said about other intolerances and giving it plenty of time.)