Still not losing

[David Lightfoot]

I was diagnosed with celiac discease 3 weeks ago. I barely eat hardly anything, but when I do I still bloat. Even when I drink water or eat an boiled egg. I'm kinda afraid to eat and still not losing weight. I'm not a large person, it's my stomach is bloating and I'm not use to it. I've went from being a 34 waist to a 38 not cool. I really don't know what to do. My doctor gave me Creon to help with the bloating. It helps a little. It is frustrating.

[trents]

David, welcome!

Are you still allowing gluten into your diet from wheat, barley or rye products? You state you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease but you do not say if you are yet eating gluten free.

Learning how gluten is hidden in pre-packaged foods, supplements and medications even is a real educational process. It can be disguised in terminology such as "modified food starch" or just "starch" and can happen with cross contamination in production. Hence, you buy something at the store and the ingredient label does not list wheat, barely or rye as purposeful ingredients but it may say, "produced on equipment that also produces food items containing wheat and tree nuts" or something like that. Or, you order a burger patty at a fast food joint without the bun. But was the burger cooked on the same grill that breaded chicken or fish pattys were? Or, were those fries cooked in the same oil as breaded chicken nuggets? Did you know that most canned soups (even tomato) contain wheat starch as a thickener and that most soy sauces contain wheat?

It's not just a matter of cutting down on gluten through eliminating the "big" sources of gluten such as bread and pasta. Gluten must be totally eliminated from your diet. For some celiacs, an amount of gluten equivalent to a quarter grain of rice is all it takes to elicit an inflammatory reaction in the gut.

Having said all that, it is also true that it takes time for your gut to heal even after eliminating all gluten from your diet. The villi that line your small bowel have been damaged and so you are not digesting your food properly yet which may account for the bloating and weight loss. But if the swelling doesn't improve in a several weeks and you have been totally gluten free then I would see a GI doc for follow-up to make sure something else is not going on.

[Scott Adams]

I had temporary food intolerance issues after my diagnosis that included chicken eggs (I could eat duck eggs), tomatoes, corn, and dairy/cow's milk (I could each sheep's milk). These went away about two years after I began a gluten-free diet, but I discovered them by keeping a food diary. I recommend that you do this for a while to find foods that may be causing you issues.

[DJFL77I]

there's no way you can gain weight by hardly eating anything

[David Lightfoot]

I haven't eaten any fast foods or anything thing with gluten sinse I was diagnosed. My stomach is what is still bloating and is the problem area. I'm afraid to eat anything. My doctor told me I could eat eggs and rice. I stop eating bread all together and I don't touch wheat , oaks or barley products. My thing is why is it that I am still bloating even after I drink water? I'm not a huge person it's just my stomach. I get full to quick and I barely eat much at all. My question is why is it my doctor can't really do anything. He put me on something called Creon to stop the bloating supposedly and it helps a little. Plus I have other issues going on as well. I didn't have a big swilling in my stomach until 2 months ago. I was 34 and I am a 38 waist and I don't eat big at all even before the diet. That had my wife very concerned, because she watched before her eyes it happened .

[DJFL77I]

 My thing is why is it that I am still bloating even after I drink water?  I get full to quick and I barely eat much at all. 

because your gut is f'ed up and still needs to heal...

Did you have an endoscopy done?  Do you have gastritis too ?  What you're describing sounds exactly like Gastritis..   bloating after eating anthing

 

[GFinDC]

Hi David,

It may help to switch to a whole foods diet for a few months.  Stop eating all processed foods and eat whole foods like meats, veggies, nuts, eggs, and fruit.  Also stop all dairy and cut way back on carbs.  Carbs like rice are converted to sugar in the gut and feed bacteria that make gas.  The sugars should be digested by the gut enzymes and absorbed, but when the gut is damaged this may not happen.  So bacteria get a big dose of sugar and reproduce and make gas in your gut.  It's pretty common that untreated celiacs are lactose intolerant also.

Another thing to consider is kissing your wife after meals.  She needs to brush her teeth before any smooching goes on.  Little sources of cross contamination can add up to trouble.

[David Lightfoot]

  On 8/11/2020 at 11:42 AM, DJFL77I said:

 My thing is why is it that I am still bloating even after I drink water?  I get full to quick and I barely eat much at all. 

because your gut is f'ed up and still needs to heal...

Did you have an endoscopy done?  Do you have gastritis too ?  What you're describing sounds exactly like Gastritis..   bloating after eating anthing

 

Expand Quote  

I've been to my primary care doctor. She wrote me a prescription for gastritis and I feel a ton better and I am not bloating up after I eat. I've been eating gluten free and I feel great now.

[DJFL77I]

Is the prescription gluten free

[David Lightfoot]

  On 8/23/2020 at 1:23 PM, DJFL77I said:

Is the prescription gluten free

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It must be , because It did nothing but help me out. I even lost some weight behind it. Glory be to God the most high.

[DJFL77I]

Don't take it for granted that it is.. what's it called?

[trents]

Yes, what exactly is the medicine the PPC prescribed for you?

[jenpen55]

I'm totally new to the celiac diagnosis (only since May), but my doctor told me to expect to gain between 5-20 pounds as I "get healthy".  I agree it's not cool, but if it means I'm healthy I'll take it.  They also told me if you get a crumb it's just as bad as having the whole sub sandwich, so just be careful you aren't getting any cross contamination.  Be patient and stick with it.  Some days I'm ready to run for the hills, but I'm told it gets better after about 4 months.  

[DJFL77I]

  On 8/23/2020 at 10:31 PM, jenpen55 said:

I'm totally new to the celiac diagnosis (only since May),

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 I was diagnosed in June..   we should be best friends.  Misery loves company 

[David Lightfoot]

  On 8/23/2020 at 2:18 PM, trents said:

Yes, what exactly is the medicine the PPC prescribed for you?

Expand Quote  

Omeprazole DR 20mg 

[trents]

David, just beware that long term use of a Proton Pump Inhibitor (aka, PPI) like Omeprazole may have negative consequences for healing with regard to your Celiac Disease. Once your gastritis is totally under control and you are confident you are eating gluten-free then please talk to your doctor about getting off the PPI. And you may have to titrate down gradually if you've been on it for weeks or months. There are a host of potential negative consequences for long term PPI use. You will be at higher risk for gut infections, bone demineralization, kidney disease, dementia, and a host of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The way a PPI works is to cause your gut to produce less stomach acid so your food isn't being broken down as well. We recently have learned that PPIs can contribute to small bowel villi blunting which is what we Celiacs are trying to reverse by eating gluten free. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3947159/

Let me encourage you to research the health risks of long term PPI therapy.

Over the past about four months I have weaned myself off of Omeprazole which I had taken for 18 years or so. It can be very hard to do but I think I'm over the hump now. If you have been on that med for a good amount of time and try to get off of it you get a big time rebound of stomach acid production which can be painful and difficult to manage until things begin to normalize. And if you have a hiatal hernia that prevents your lower esophagial sphincter from closing properly you may need to be on some kind of stomach acid reducer the rest of your life. Alternatives to PPI therapy are conventional antacids such as Tums and H2 blockers like Pepcid AC which have fewer health risks but may not work as well.

Edited August 25, 2020 by trents

[DJFL77I]

Ah well.. there goes my idea of taking something to help my gastritis 😣

[DJFL77I]

Magnesium is good for gastritis right?

[trents]

Not saying you shouldn't take a PPI for gastritis. Just saying don't take it long term unless you have to. Gastritis carries it's own dangers like peptic ulcers. I haven't heard that magnesium is good for gastritis but it can help with other issues, including constipation.

[DJFL77I]

I was diagnosed with superficial gastritis when I had my endoscopy in early May..  I sometimes get a little blood in reflux.. had it yesterday after eating.. I felt my stomach bothering me after eating ...

  the Dr said he saw nothing after endoscopy..  no blood anywhere.. no ulcers.. Only mild gastritis..  and said not take any medication for it.. 

I have a new GI Dr I'm supposed to see on Oct 14...  I might have another endoscopy just to be sure I guess?

I also had a CT scan in early April which saw nothing wrong.. 

[trents]

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/esophageal-varices/symptoms-causes/syc-20351538#:~:text=Esophageal varices are enlarged veins,throat and stomach (esophagus).

I would not let them dismiss that bloody reflux. 

[DJFL77I]

Wouldn't they see that on a CT scan?

Blood is a symptom of gastritis though.. 

And the ct scan saw nothing wrong with liver.. also had lots of tests related to liver and all came back negative 

[trents]

Yes, it can be. I think you need to do whatever it takes to get your gastritis under control. Even if that means taking a PPI for a period of time. Avoid spicy foods, tomatoes, citrus, chocolate, coffee (especially coffee and all caffeinated beverages) and whatever foods are triggers for you. After eating, avoid activities that cause you to have to bend over at the waist. Elevate the head of your bead to at least 15 degrees. After you get the gastritis under control, you can start adding things back in to see what you can tolerate. Right now, your gut from top to bottom is inflamed and unhappy and it may react to a lot of things that it wouldn't normally react to.

Strangely, I find that one food that really helps my reflux is light popcorn. And it's a healthy snack unless, that is, you have an allergy or intolerance to corn.

[DJFL77I]

What brand pop corn do u have... 

Did you have gastritis too

[trents]

Safeway Signature Select Lite Butter. But I doubt the brand makes any difference. Yes, I have been having some gastritis since going off my PPI recently and the popcorn seems to help with that. I think it works because of it's soft, fluffy absorbent texture.