How long did it take for you to feel improvement in your symptoms after going GF?

[roobarb]

I'm sure this is can be different for everyone, but would be interested to read your experiences.

Many thanks. X

[Mia1057]

I would say about a year in total

[roobarb in reply to Mia1057]

Thanks Mia, that's a lot longer than I imagined. Were your symptoms severe?

[Mia1057 in reply to roobarb]

I don't know, the problem is that to really heal yourself you have to start by being very careful. I started by using only naturally gluten free foods no free from etc. plus I found at the start I had a problem with dairy foods so had to cut those out. As I reintroduced GF breads and pasta etc, I found out that I could not even tolerate the 20 ppm in codex foods. So I had to restart. However, I don't think I am that unusual as my doc said it took years to completely damage your villi and they don't grow back overnight plus many find once they cut gluten from their diet that being glutened is much worse than your original symptoms.

[Hidden]

Hi Roobarb this came up recently so please see:

healthunlocked.com/glutenfr...

I felt better and knew that my diet was working for me after around 10 weeks. Like Mia I ate naturally gf foods at first and then when I introduced codex wheat I became anaemic again so have kept to naturally gf foods and feel great for it.

[roobarb in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Jerry. This question must come up a lot! I will use the search to check up on past responses in future. X

[Hidden in reply to roobarb]

Hu Roobarb, I just thought that the other replies might interest you, my reply was quite long winded as I drift off at tangents and I didn't want to just cut and paste it LOL. And yup the same questions come up time and time again but that's good because each time there are new members and newbies. This is also a very relevant and pertinent question for obvious reasons, so you ask away.

I'm also really glad that you are being positive so good for you.

[HiveMind]

3 days. Seriously. Never looked back.

[myrab]

about 6 weeks to get over some of the lesser symptoms and continuing to improve monthly.

[Ginsing]

I have found a tremedous improvement in just one week and I hope there is more to follow

[MaryDB]

Still "not right" after two and a half years but was diagnosed at 71 so although had had no symptoms until I fell downstairs at 68 (!) possibly had a lot of damage! Found after more than a year that suddenly I couldn't tolerate dairy. Am now so-so, a lot better than I was. Also have problems with divertilar disease and they think I have IBS as well so may not have problems with the coeliac at all!! (not much help)

[barny]

about 12months i was 67 when diagnosed and now carnt tolarate bannanas or strawberrys coffie and yogets make me feel bloated but other wise better

[freelancer]

I found out I had a problem with gluten when I went off it accidentally as part of a low-carb diet and my fatigue symptoms dramatically cleared within a few days - it really was like an overnight cure. I started eating it again later for a (negative) coeliac test then gave it up for good almost two years ago.

The second time round it's been much more gradual, but I noticed points where there seemed to be a big step forward in how I felt - about four or five months in I stopped having to manage my tiredness and there was a later point where I suddenly felt as if everything came back into focus, if that makes any sense. But as it's gone on I've also got more and more sensitive - the vitamin pills I bought six months in I couldn't eat four months later as I'd become sensitive to maltodextrin in between, and I developed lactose intolerance about 18 months in.

[size6]

I started feeling better in 2wks that was 3yrs ago.

I feel great now as long as I keep to a gluten free diet.

I went 20yrs thinking I was IBS.

But it's different for everyone.

Hope this helps.

[JodiQ in reply to size6]

my whole life as well diagnosed with ibs, and now diverticula, i'm thinking that gluten intolerance causes these spasms, left untreaded by consuming the wrong foods, you might end up w/diverticula, because from every thing I've read they really have no answer to what causes ibs or diverticula, they guess not enough fiber in your diet, well i'm guessing too, what do you think?

[mimms]

I started to feel better after 3 days and I said this to my daughter and she told me that I had stopped grimacing with pain so even someone else could see the difference in 3 short days

[DartmoorGuerrilla]

For me, massive improvement in 3 days, then gradual small further improvements for 5-6 months.

My partner has gone "GF when at home" to support me and has noticed improvements in his health too, to the extent he now feels the effects of gluten when eating out and has decided to go more or less completely GF. (I think there will still be the odd doughnut when he passes the Co-Op... and somebody has to eat any non-GF chocolate we might be given...)

We've both lost weight too!

[normacus]

Improvement in symptoms quite quickly, about a month but understand it can take up to two years for gut to completely heal. The strangest thing though is that all my life I had suffered from acute motion sickness and within weeks of going GF I have never EVER been carsick, seasick or had any sort of motion sickness!!!! I even lost my job after 19 years with company because I couldn't travel by public transport when office moved 12 miles away (I always walked or cycled to office) Has anybody else had this experience?

[Hidden]

2 and a half years before villi improved. Diagnosed at 60

[GlutenfreeGranny]

I was diagnosed at 62. Like other people, I felt an almost immediate improvement. I am on B12 injections and calcium and iron supplements and now, 6 months later, have more energy and feel more balanced. I have regained the weight I lost before diagnosis. I prepare most of my food from scratch, and tend to stick to naturally GF foods rather than Freefrom items, although I eat a little GF bread. However, I am much more sensitive to gluten than before diagnosis - I feel really poorly for several days if I am accidentally glutened.

[lizzycoop]

My symptoms were atypical. In the months leading up to diagnosis I struggled with anemia and fatigue like most but by the time I was diagnosed I was house bound and often bed bound. I had a limp and lag in the left leg, a speech impediment and no skill to care for myself. I couldn't even make a simple decision like do you want a drink. This was the gluten invading my brain. These symptoms began to revert within weeks of GF and by three months were completely gone. I had some minor bowel problems which improved in the first week. I had chronic migraines (7-10 /week even on drugs ) for 20 years. My migraines, without drugs, are 1-2 per month. I just celebrate my 6 months GLUTEN FREE lifestyle. I have been advised to remain on dietary supplements for a year. I am vegan and don't eat anything without nutritional value.

I wish you and all our members as much success as I now have.

lizzie

[deglutenous]

Hi Roobarb,

Diagnosed 18 months ago it was about 12 months before I had healed enough to be able to start adding corn products back in to my diet. I was having really bad reactions (coeliac type symptoms) to anything containing corn/maize flour, polenta, corn flakes etc. I would also say that I had trouble tolerating large amounts of dairy but that wasn't so hard to manage. Once I worked out to avoid all those products I was feeling a lot better. It also took 1 year before my iron levels were back to normal. I recently had my follow up endoscopy though and that came back looking like I had never had coeliac disease so I am one of the lucky ones. I followed the diet and everything else fell into place.

You may have a lot of questions on your road to recovery, please take a look at my website deglutenous.com. It might be able to answer some for you.

Thanks,

deglutenous

[urbangirl]

It took me a few days but the most significant change was that the fibromyalgia disappeared within a week. I was able to run upstairs again! I felt so good and stopped feelings so tired.

[NorthLeedsJohnny]

Literally around 5 days!

[Strawb]

3 days - mine was almost instant and I kept feeling significant improvements every day for around 3 months then had a massive energy crash which I've sruggled on and off with ever since.

I'm convinced that the lack of energy is as a result of gaining weight!

[pretender]

The GF diet did nothing for me, to many derivatives and then derivitives were changed to another ingredient which trigger an allergy attack. A lot better not going GF but eating foods not from a gluten source, or will bring on an allergy attack.