Celiac Disease Support Group

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder of the digestive system that occurs in genetically-predisposed individuals. It is characterised by damage or flattening to all or part of the villi lining the small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients. This damage is caused by eating anything with gluten (gliadin), a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley...

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When do you start to feel better?

belledujour
belledujour
I recently tested positive for celiacs in my blood and now waiting on my endoscopy for the biopsy to diagnose me. Ive been so sick for a while, constant cramping, vomiting, pain, diarrhea. I was wondering how long till you start feeling better on a gluten free diet. I still have a while till I can start a g free diet
nanny1611
nanny1611
Hi, belledujour, and welcome to this group. Everyone is a little different in their response to a GF diet. Many people have immediate relief (like within a week), but for others it takes a while longer, possibly because they have other food intolerances. It is not uncommon for CD to be accompanied by a dairy, corn, or soy intolerance. According to reports, it usually takes 6-12 months for the intestines to heal, but sometimes up to 18 months. And a glutening can set back a person's intestinal healing as much as 2-3 months. The important thing is that the intestines will begin to heal as soon as you begin your GF lifestyle.

The fact that your blood work was positive, I would suggest that you begin to make plans for eating GF in the near future. Setting up meal plans and cleaning out gluten foods from your pantry, etc., will help make the transition easier. Whenever I began eating GF, I started simply, i.e., meat, potatoes or rice, veggies, and fruit. Once I was comfortable with that, I started collecting GF dessert recipes online. Pinterest is a great resource. If you have a Pinterest account, check out my account for "thousands" of recipes (literally)--Davida M. Schwartz.

Many people are very negative about a GF lifestyle, but I'm not. Eating GF has left me open to trying new foods, such as quinoa, sorghum flour, spaghetti squash, etc. While I do miss gluten-laden donuts, I'm filling the void with other goodies. In fact, I'm always trying new recipes and have found many that I love. And there are many more GF products available than there were in 2008 whenever I became GF. Walmart's "Great Value" brand of mac-n-cheese is my favorite. There is life after removing gluten from your diet, and it's an improved life. Best wishes to you.