Since going gluten free, my stools have changed dramatically, any advice?

[jointpain]

Before, my stools were either very loose, hard or often both in the same visit. Now they seem to be consistently small hard and numerous, more like what a sheep deposits, if you know what a sheeps faeces look like? I realise the gluten was upsetting my gut, but I did go every day even though it was often messy. Now I don't get the pain and tenderness in my bowels and I am putting on weight, but I seem to be suffering from a sort of constipation, is there any foods that will help me, my gut seems to be so efficient now that all water is being removed from my waste before It passes out.

I haven't started to try anything containing lactose yet, as I became lactose intolerant probably due to the CD (taken 38 years to discover)

I hope this is a relevant request/question

[Penel]

Constipation can be a problem for a lot of us. Remembering to drink enough water seems to help! This is a link to some past posts.

healthunlocked.com/search/C...

Hope you can sort it out.

[pretender]

You need to check on the ingredients of the food you are eating. Gluten however small the amount may be the cause of constipation. If your stool become light in colour that has been a sign for years of active CD. The GF diet does not suit all Coeliacs because of the ingredients in the free from or prescribed foods.

[poing]

Rabbit droppings, my doctor calls them.

Before I went GF, I was terribly constipated and going GF sorted it out. But then things got slowly worse over a period of a few years to the point that I was doing rabbit droppings again.

I can't only blame the gluten, although eliminating gluten and cross contamination is really important because even small amounts trigger gut symptoms now. Gluten causes me problems with bile release and fat digestion, and that slows everything right down.

The other part of the story is fibre. Wheat contains various kinds of fibre and some of them are actually beneficial for your gut bacteria. Replacement gluten free foods do not score so highly on beneficial kinds of fibre. I found a study once which showed that people's gut bacteria deteriorated on replacement GF foods.

Obviously I don't want to eat wheat. So instead I have also increased the amount of vegetables in my diet and it's helping a lot. Root vegetables, beans and lentils seem to be particularly helpful, but I also have plenty of stuff like green beans, courgette and so on. I've read about resistant starch, and the foods that help me most seem to be highest in resistant starch, which is a kind of soluble fibre.

There are over the counter medications too, but I think that's just patching over the problem, not dealing with it. When necessary I use magnesium citrate. That soothed my gut during a really bad patch.

[cas4u2]

Hi there Ive suffered the same issues as you and just couldnt get a happy medium. I have low wheat allergy and intolerant to oats, barley and rye, sugars or anything ending in 'ose' had to be avoided. also chlorine, tap water, aspirin..the list goes on. After lots of events including bowel cancer, chemo and diabetes..my system has been up and down. Ive just completed a Nutritionist Course so I can personally understand what MY body needs to make it work satisfactorily and everday I include Linseed/flaxseed in my diet...just sprinke over cereals etc and I take a supplement called 'Healthy Bowel' from the Liver Doctor online...the site is amazing and recommended by my own GP surgery! Check her out on liverdoctor.com Sandra Cabot is her name! I also have a small banana daily, few grapes, teaspoon of cinnamon and spoonful of honey and gluten free diet and lactofree milk. I also drink a lot more water now and eat vegetables..especially sprouts and broccoli ....and enjoying the learning process. I have just been taken off my Diabetic medication after 3 years as I have my Diabtetes under control..which was an excellent result and a shock!! Think there may be something in the Cinnamon stabilizing sugars! feel free to ask any other quiestions and good luck x

[Hidden]

You may want to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). For some people just removing gluten is not enough. You may have to deal with yeast and other pathogen overgrowth and the best way is to remove starchy food from your diet. Buying a masticating juicer and drinking fresh GREEN vegetable juices twice a day will aid your GI tract to heal. The chlorophyll is important for gut healing. Are you taking any supplements to address gut inflammation? You may want to try Curcumin and L-Glutamine. You are on the healing path, but it is a long (and rewarding) journey.

[Tiggykanga]

Lol I have long wanted to comment on this very subject but thought maybe not..........! Sheep's poo is the ideal description! But since I have stopped taking iron tablets it seems to have sorted itself out, mostly anyway