How did you feel better after stopping gluten?

[Clara9]

What of your symptoms disappeared?

[Margareta3]

I gave up gluten about 1 year ago. It made no difference whatsoever to my symptoms. I did not eat much gluten though, mostly organic rye bread once a week or so.

[Clare1971 in reply to Margareta3]

I was so ill 10 months ago and it was all because of gluten, it really did wreck my stomach . I wasn’t absorbing my medication /thyroxine . I was diagnosed with coeliac and now on a gluten free diet I feel so much better, no diarrhoea no stomach cramps and no dizzy and sore head . Need to test me anti bodies again as they were in the thousands. Also trying to go dairy free .

[Elston in reply to Clare1971]

Hi when you say light headed did you ever pass out? And did you have a low pulse or no? .

[Clare1971 in reply to Elston]

Never noticed a low pulse . Never passed out . Just felt absolutely awful and lots so much weight in weeks .

[Hidden]

I did notice that going gluten free helped my bowels a little, but otherwise didn't make much difference. Lately I've been very poorly, so I've been just eating what I can tolerate and that's been a lot of toast. I'm feeling much better, although I've just had a slight increase in my meds which has likely contributed also to feeling better. I know there is some thought that gluten may affect antibodies, but my experience is that they fluctuate a lot and it seems to be independent of what I eat, and also independent of how ill I am.

[Elston in reply to Hidden]

Can anyone please tell me what these antibodies are responsible for? I'm fuzzy headed most days but I try not to eat gluton or yeast as I fall asleep and become low mood

[jezebel69 in reply to Elston]

Hi Elston - Most people with underactive thyroid have an auto immune disease called Hashimotos which means your body is attacking your thyroid. Quite a lot of those sufferers have found that avoiding gluten (it must be completely - not cutting down) can affect the number of these antibodies. Hope this helps

[Geniler]

It made a huge difference! Less inflammation so less joint pain, no migraines and fewer stomach issues. I also gave up dairy and sugar so I’m basically vegetables, some fruit mainly berries,apples and mango and meat and fish almost nothing processed. Read Wheat Belly by Dr Bill Davis. Grains are are problem for people with thyroid disfunction.

[Hidden in reply to Geniler]

Hi Genifer. Your reply resonated as this is the diet I am trying to follow. I've tried to simplify my food choices. It's frustrating when so much 'health advice' encourages us to eat a wide variety of foods. My gut feeling is that our ancestors and people in other parts of the world (I'm in the US) eat what they have and what grows locally. And not so many choices. When I was trying to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegs it seems like I spent more money and food spoiled quicker with more waste. I've come up with a strange way to choose my foods. I have an imaginary island in my head where only certain fruits and vegetables grow with access to a few meat and fish choices. If it isn't available on my island I don't buy it. I have no proof but I'm beginning to believe too many choices (in many things) just confuses us and often makes our lives harder than they have to be. I'm trying to "Keep Things Simple." I do have an avocado tree on my island.LOL What basic vegetables do you stick to? Thanks, irina

[Geniler in reply to Hidden]

My food choices are pretty simple. Veggies include spinach, rocket, basil, tomatoes, avocados, micro greens like alfalfa and broccoli sprouts and sunflower and pumpkin seeds, asparagus, mushrooms and peppers. Lots of colour. Fruit I stick to berries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries strawberries and mango. I buy wild salmon, and the occasional steak or lamb shanks and chicken. organic wherever possible. I don’t eat any of those gluten free products like biscuits or bread. I’m so well that I’m happy to not eat food that I know will make me sick. I’ve also discovered intermittent fasting and have lost 9kgs so far this year! I sleep so well after years of insomnia.

[Geniler in reply to Hidden]

Oh I forgot to mention - I have a glass of freshly juiced celery every morning as it is amazing for restoring a healthy gut.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

PS I have also started the intermittent fasting. I try to not eat before 10am and stop eating by 6 or 7. Not always 100% on this yet though.

[Geniler in reply to Hidden]

Intermittent fasting is the only way to successfully loose weight!

[AnnaSo in reply to Hidden]

Hi Irina! I very much agree. I myself follow a mantra: ‘don’t eat anything your grandma wouldn’t eat (have access to)’ - with industrialisation of food in the 50 came illness and obesity, there is no debating it. In fact I buy only raw ingredients and make stuff myself. Can’t pronounce what’s written in the ingredients list? Probably shouldn’t go in anyone’s belly.

[Hidden in reply to AnnaSo]

Good advice. A member posted something I copied sometime ago. If memory serves it was Marz. She said. "If it doesn't grow don't eat it."

[AnnaSo in reply to Hidden]

I like that 😄

[Elston in reply to Geniler]

Is gluton free porridge ok? What about the seeds in the gluton free bread?

[Geniler in reply to Elston]

I avoid all gluten free food too. It’s not just the gluten that’s the problem but most grains have loads of glysophate in them from industrialised farming. It’s deadly.

[Hidden in reply to Elston]

Could be 'iffy'. I've come to believe-at least here in the states-that when the big food corporations remove food ingredients what they replace it with is often worse. It becomes a fake processed food. Oats are what I call an 'on the fence'food. They are supposed to be gluten-free in themselves but frequently they are processed in a factory that also processes gluten so cross-contamination becomes an issue. Sometime I think we can't win!

[endomad]

Huge difference but you have to be scrupulous, even tiny amount triggers me. Same as geniler inflammation and joints radical improvement. IBS gone, yaaay almost flat belly, I lost weight, have more energy and concentration. I knew bread had sleepy effect on me, if stressed I would eat loads of toast and feel calm n sleepy=addiction. No more puffy swollen fingers.

I will say withdrawal off gluten was horrid for me I had headaches and irritable for over a week. Occasionally I slip usually dinner at friends and the effect is swift, 20 mins after eating gluten I am on toilet with nasty cramps and diarrhoea.

For it to be successful I think you have to cut out all the junk and processed stuff including added sugars so it's not worth doing it unless fully committed. Xxx

[Hidden in reply to endomad]

Similar to my symptoms plus bloating and holding fluid. Also, when I slip-even in a small way, it seems to take a minimum of 2-3 days to recover. Slips are getting further apart as the gut symptoms are just not worth it anymore.

[Elston in reply to endomad]

Did it effect your eyes at all ?

[endomad in reply to Elston]

My thyroid was removed and like other tt people my eyesight is not as good since so gluten free prob won't improve my sight but they are not as dry as they were since gluten free. X

[janey1234]

I never realised I had a problem with gluten until I joined this site and was advised to give it up due to Hashimotos. After 2 weeks my husband politely said 'you don't fart anymore '...I didn't realise that I did every morning upon wakening and a lot during the day. I also noticed a change in what I had considered 'my' normal bowel movements (apologies if you're eating 😁).

I am now fart free and have neatly packaged, non-scented poops.

If I have been 'glutened' accidently, the ol' trumping returns as do the unpleasant bowel motions. Looking back I consumed continuous amounts of gluten in diet.

My daughter has been gluten free for 8 months now, having felt ill after gluteny foods, and it has made a HUGE difference to her too. Coeliac tests came back negative but we are definetly sensitive.

I wish you well

[Hidden in reply to janey1234]

Thanks for addressing the elephant in the room-which is common for many of us with gluten problems. At least for me. And you did it in a gracious and humorous way. Thanks.😊 irina PS gold star to your husband for being so polite.

[janey1234 in reply to Hidden]

Thinking about it more...I did once go, years ago, to my GP as I always felt bloated and sometimes looked pregnant and I mentioned noticing it after eating bread. Needless to say, I was sent on my way thinking I was an aging fool.

Clearly gluten had been affecting me for years. I will never go back ☺

[Hidden in reply to janey1234]

So many doctors don't believe diet helps anything.

[Foxtrot89]

Stomach pain, bloating and plantar fasciitis!

[Hidden in reply to Foxtrot89]

Plantar fasciitis is interesting.Maybe if one has a leaky gut from gluten Vitamins like D, B12 and others that maintain good nerve health are not absorbed. Just a guess.

[CornishChick]

I gave up gluten and apart from better bowels, it hasn’t helped any of my other symptoms. It would be easier giving it up if I had more benefit, I’ll continie gf though.

[hairyfairy]

No.

[cgauthie]

I stopped one year ago. I lost 15 lbs over the year an reduced body fat. Overall thyroid health was reversed and antibodies significantly reduced. Feel great overall.

[Treepie]

We are all different ,for some it makes no difference for others it is a major difference. Some have chronic conditions which are non thyroid related which necessitate being gluten free. Others are gluten free because of fashion as some are vegans following entertainment stars.

During the last week a large food manufacturer Finsbury Foods bought a profitable gluten free manufacturer and it was noted that sales of gluten free products were soaring way beyond those who need to be gluten free for medical reasons.

[penny]

I have cut down on gluten but am not really allergic to the stuff. I thought I’d give it a try to see if it affected my constant all-body pain (tolerable); it hasn’t. I have noticed that I’ve lost some tummy fat and about 6lbs in weight, which is great. I’m cutting back on refined sugars as well and I think that these are more of a problem health-wise than gluten. As I love baking (and eating) I do not wish to cut out all gluten as I’m not allergic to it, as far as I can tell. I made a cheese sauce using cornflour the other day and it was unsweetened custard as far as I was concerned; the difference in the texture and taste between cornflour and a roux was quite distinctive.

[Lovecake in reply to penny]

Try Doves gluten free plain flour for making your cheese sauce. I use Doves for my gf baking. In fact I prefer my gf pancakes, cupcakes and pastry.

[penny in reply to Lovecake]

I do substitute Doves’ gf flour but I find it too gritty. As I do not react to gluten I now just use flour as I did before, usually spelt.

[Lovecake in reply to penny]

Fair enough. I agree it’s rubbish for a crumble. So I just go without or make pastry, which is rare. Also gf alternatives are full of corn and taste like cardboard. All a pain in the stomach if you ask me 🤨

[penny in reply to Lovecake]

I agree that gf alternatives are not a patch on the ‘real’ thing. I find that cakes, etc., can be ok if I only use part gf flour. My husband is slightly wheat intolerant so I do cut back on the normal flour a bit. I’m currently experimenting with sourdough bread to find the best recipe. I read that the natural yeasts partially digest the gluten in sourdough, the longer it is left and more sour it becomes the less gluten.

[Joanne82]

If we don’t have a difference are we ok to eat gluten? I haven’t noticed a big difference but I’m scared to eat it in case it makes the hashi’s worse in some way?!

[spongecat]

I went gluten free and lost a lot of bloating and my terrible wind problem resolved (cats and hubby delighted!).

Did a Blue Horizon thyroid check as I do every year and my antibodies were down to normal levels.

However if I do accidentally "glute" myself I usually get itchy hives on the underside of my forearms that stays for a week or two.

I also take l-glutamine around 4-5 times a week to help the "leaky gut" and eat homemade sauerkraut and kefir water to heal and repopulate the microbiome in the gut and take inulin which is a soluble fibre that the little healthy bacteria like to feed on...got to keep the little guys happy

I don't eat a lot of the supermarket gluten free stuff because I don't eat bread, pasta, cakes, starchy foods only very occasionally because I eat Low carb/high fat ...it's the only way to control weight gain for me.

So yes I do feel better going gluten free and my antibody tests showed this.

[Hidden in reply to spongecat]

Very happy for the kitties! 😊

[credgrave]

I have been GF and dairy free for the last year and it makes a big difference for me. Inflamation down , joint pain down, acid reflex gone, bloated stomach much better and my recurrent 100 day cough has gone all together. I am actually afraid to risk either again. If you are tracking symptoms, these were about 50% of mine. NDT took out another 25% and I am working on suppliments now. Its a personal journey for everyone.

Best of luck.

[Elston in reply to credgrave]

Hi what is NDT ?? Thanks

[credgrave in reply to Elston]

NDT is Natural Desicated Thyroid. Its what they used to take before the synthetic kind. You may have heard of Armour or Efra. Put it in the search engin above. I get mine by perscription (not NHS). If you ask I believe its possible to get it in other ways but I dont know about that.

[Angel_of_the_North]

No asthma, no migraine. But also no Hashis.

[avocadolover]

Hi,

Well I feel like i have bowel movements more often and my stomach and generally my whole body is on the slim side. I eat gluten and my gut swells up and I feel really bloated.

I continue to drink beer and I don't know if it's the alcohol or fermentation happening but it usually doesn't make me feel bad. Now, the other day I had delicious pastries and I did feel really bloated and generally very lethargic.

[Elston in reply to avocadolover]

I cut out yeast too as for me It makes me tired and causes my tummy to swell as much as gluton.i also used to get alot of thrush with yeast overgrowth.

[SmallBlueThing]

It may not be the gluten that's a problem...

vox.com/2017/11/21/16643816...

[dtate2016]

Lowered blood pressure - no longer need blood pressure medication.

[Longinthetooth]

Hi all

I use arrowroot to thicken stocks, etc which is gluten-free. Waitrose sell it, as I think Sainsbury's does, but I buy a large bag from Amazon at a reasonable price which lasts for ages & you use less to thicken than flour or cornflour. Just a little tip.

[dtate2016]

PS. One more thing I forgot: The sticky film on my teeth when I woke up in the morning - that’s gone. not really sure if it’s because of gluten being removed which I only removed wheat gluten - I don’t seem to have a problem with the other glutens. But I also removed fluoridated toothpaste. Began to brush my teeth with baking soda and salt. Now I wake up in the morning with more or less clean teeth. Whereas before I had this wretched sticky film. The sticky film would come back embarrassingly so from time to time during the day no matter how many times I brush my teeth with toothpaste that contained fluoride. I’ve also began to rinse my mouth if you will, with coconut oil. ( I can’t tell you how glad I am that I no longer have to deal with this horribly socially unacceptable problem - almost as bad as passing wind in public!)

Perhaps a combination of both wheat gluten free and fluoride free? But my gut feeling (pardon the pun!) is that the wheat gluten removal was the major contributor to the disappearance of the sticky film. Maybe others have had the same experience?

[Hidden in reply to dtate2016]

Several years ago my Indian dentist told me about 'oil pulling' (swishing my mouth with oil first thing in the morning.) It has made a positive difference in how my mouth feels, how my teeth look and I believe my overall oral health. He also suggested brushing with baking soda and sea salt and gargling with salt. So I have been doing this since then and have no mouth or teeth problems at 74. I have my own teeth with no partials, caps, or crowns. I also floss daily but sometimes miss a day. I have all my teeth except for 2 upper back teeth he pulled because of old cracked crowns that were beyond repair. I don't even own toothpaste anymore. Once earlier this year I used some hospital toothpaste as I was in overnight and didn't have my baking soda etc. My mouth felt horrible-very dry and stuck together, and my teeth were sticky. Some doctors I have told don't believe this is good mouth care but it works for me. And God knows what's in some of these toothpaste formulas that 'whiten and brighten.' I also use coconut oil. I started with sesame oil but it seems the coconut oil helps whiten teeth. Something worth mentioning: If anyone tries this with coconut oil please spit in the trashcan or a plastic bag and discard. Coconut oil hardens at room temperature and if you spit down the sink drain you will eventually have plumbing problems like you never thought possible!

[MissFG]

Such a difference going gluten free for me! I had such bad stomach problems so went gluten and grain free - then reintroduced rice occasionally after 3 months.

I also take probiotics which helped settle my stomach. Now my intolerances have improved as well as my gut issues.

My family members also struggle with gluten and my grandad died of stomach and intestinal cancer. Everyone always says he had IBS but I think he was actually coeliac or intolerant to gluten as this caused his cancer.

I think it’s also has a strong genetic link either way our digestive system is not designed to tolerate gluten and I believe should be avoided to primitive overall good health especially when suffering with any autoimmune disease like hashimotos

[Hidden in reply to MissFG]

I also read somewhere that our wheat is very different that the wheat used for centuries. It's been very genetically modified over the last hundred years or so and is no longer the :Staff of Life" and we can't digest it well. Just anecdotal info but sounds reasonable.

[Hidden]

A little off-topic maybe but has anyone with lower leg lymphedema been helped by going gluten-free?