Started Gluten Free Diet, Having Bloating!

[cbnanny]

Hello all my name is Christy, I have gluten intolerance, which I have just discovered. My mother has Celiac and has been gluten free for eight years, after she was diagnosed she had me tested (when I was a teen) for allergies and that's when we discovered my allergies yet the doc didn't run a Celiac test on me, which I did not/do not understand! At first I was diagnosed with allergies to wheat, lactose intollerance and the other typical grains and it seemed every food out there. I was also having Tyroid issues, and great swings of weight gain and loss. So I was put on an allergen free diet and Thyroid med's.

Soon I was taken off Tyroid med's due to heart pulpataions and started taking Kelp instead. This diet helped at first in my twenties but then I started to gain weight again in my mid twenties and felt very sick, tired and started having cronic sinus and upper respitory infections. This has continued throughout the last 8 years of my adult life.

Now at 33 I have just discovered that Celiac is Hereditary and that I probably have had it all my life but with just allergy tests completed it was never discovered because no one new to test me even with all the signs I have read on numerous sites and now books. This last year and a half has been really tough on me physically, stressors; new jobs, gotten married, moved across the country etc. I was doing well for awhile and then I started getting really sick, yet couldn't figure out what was going on. My doctor thought it was hormones and I have to say when I started birth control my body defiently changed in it's reactions to foods and my reactions to gluten foods seemed to increase. Now a couple of years later I am very frustrated and am going Gluten free. I have been gluten free for about two weeks now and was fine the first week, yet now in the second week I have been very bloated with diarea, pain in my lower area and have felt very tired and drained. Is this common, a friend told me your probably just "detoxing" but I want to make sure. I have been very careful ingiving away all gluten containing food from my kitchen and replaced all foods with gluten free labeled products and have only been eating those. I also have stayed on my lactose free diet, eating soy products. I also an taking a powder vitamin fizzy pack called Emergen "C" to help if I am malnutritioned. I am just so frustrated, I don't have the "gluten Reactions" to the new food's I'm eating, yet differnt ones and I feel like my stomach is huge, my loose pants are even tight and I feel streched and bloated all the time. It's better in the morning and worse as the day goes on.

Sorry to write a book, I'd appreciate any help. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on in this body of mine!

Thanks,

Christy

[Mango04]

Hi, welcome. This is just my opinion:

Although it is possible that you're detoxing, two weeks is a very short time to be gluten-free. It can take a while for your body to heal. It's also possible that you're now reacting differently to foods such as soy and the highly concentrated emergen-c packets. Vitamins can be a good idea, but such high doses of vitamin c can irritate the stomach, especially when you're newly gluten-free. Maybe eliminate soy and the emergen-c, just for now, and stick with foods that are bland and easy to digest (just for a little while). As your intestines continue heal you might be able to slowly add additional foods back into your diet.

I'm sure others will pop in with better scientific explanations and some more adivce.

[Canadian Karen]

Hi!

Yes, the gluten is still filtering out of your system, but you also have to keep in mind that some people notice results almost immediately, others don't notice any improvement for months, it all depends on the amount of damage done to your system already and whether or not you are getting hidden gluten from somewhere (using your old toaster still, licking envelopes/stamps, gluten in lotions, medications, etc. etc.).

I am the self-proclaimed queen of diarrhea/bloating, etc. The next time you get that feeling, try to do some postural positioning to relieve it. What I do is lay down on the floor, first on my left side for five minutes, then on my back for five minutes, then on my right side for five minutes and then on my tummy for five minutes. When you are laying on your side, make sure you have the bottom leg straight out and the top leg's knee pulled up (kind of like your sleeping position). Try to stretch the abdomen out straight as much as possible in each position. What this does is it "works it's way through your system" by doing the different positions. I know it helps me tremendously.....

Well, just wanted to say welcome, and post away!

Hugs.

Karen

[cbnanny]

Thanks all, I really appreciate your insights! Maybe I'm pushing to hard too soon, it's just so frustrating to have all this bloating, which I have never had before to this extreem. I do swell, get very nauseaded, sometimes break out with things that look like hives all over my chest and neck area, have an instant headache and am very tired after eating gluten, yet have never had bloating like this. Goodness I've felt like I'm going to pop half the time this week! My husband has been so sweet to rub my lower back, help me stretch (much like what you described) and I will release for a bit (this is sooo gross to talk about but then like a balloon inflating, I start again! AGH!

Thanks for letting me share about things like this!

Christy

[Canadian Karen]

Thanks all, I really appreciate your insights! Maybe I'm pushing to hard too soon, it's just so frustrating to have all this bloating, which I have never had before to this extreem. I do swell, get very nauseaded, sometimes break out with things that look like hives all over my chest and neck area, have an instant headache and am very tired after eating gluten, yet have never had bloating like this. Goodness I've felt like I'm going to pop half the time this week! My husband has been so sweet to rub my lower back, help me stretch (much like what you described) and I will release for a bit (this is sooo gross to talk about but then like a balloon inflating, I start again! AGH!

Thanks for letting me share about things like this!

Christy

Hey Christy, you'd be surprised the amount of "colourful" threads there are discussing poop! We don't shy away from poop discussions in any way, shape or form. In fact, we usually describe the way, shape and form!

[cbnanny]

Thanks, good to know! I feel like I'm talking to my grandmother's friends at her retirement center as they always seem to want to know if "I've been regular!!!!" It's so crazy that the women in my family have had this for so long (Celiac) yet no one really talked about it, or said hey, you should get tested! Well it's good to know I can share these things and know I'm not just going crazy! : )

Thanks again and please; I will openly take any advise as I am reading all I can get my eye's on, online and in books about Celiac!

Is it common to also feel very tired no matter how much rest you are getting when you first start the diet? Should I consider a stomach ease tea, or cleansing tea? I am soo exhausted, I almost had to go home sick from work on Monday and I haven't missed a full day's work in year's within my career.

Thanks All!

Christy

[Felidae]

Is it common to also feel very tired no matter how much rest you are getting when you first start the diet? Should I consider a stomach ease tea, or cleansing tea? I am soo exhausted, I almost had to go home sick from work on Monday and I haven't missed a full day's work in year's within my career.

Christy

If you are going to have special teas, read the ingredients carefully to ensure that there is no gluten. I was tired in the beginning of going gluten-free. It takes time for your body to adjust. You may want to keep a food diary for a while to see if other foods are bothering you while your system is healing. I was having diarrhea in the beginning and had to eliminate dairy temporarily. This site is very helpful and I'm sure you'll find lots of support and help here.

[Nancym]

Thanks all, I really appreciate your insights! Maybe I'm pushing to hard too soon, it's just so frustrating to have all this bloating, which I have never had before to this extreem. I do swell, get very nauseaded, sometimes break out with things that look like hives all over my chest and neck area, have an instant headache and am very tired after eating gluten, yet have never had bloating like this. Goodness I've felt like I'm going to pop half the time this week! My husband has been so sweet to rub my lower back, help me stretch (much like what you described) and I will release for a bit (this is sooo gross to talk about but then like a balloon inflating, I start again! AGH!

Thanks for letting me share about things like this!

Christy

If you're eating gluten free replacement products I'm wondering if you've added something to your diet you don't tolerate well? Some of those things are made with "bean" flours and we all know what beans can do to your gut. You might also be sensitive to soy and you're eating it in larger quantities.

Also vit. C in large doses will give you abdominal issues. Are you eating anything with sugar alcohols? Xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, malitol (anything ending in -ol)? Those can cause the symptoms you're describing. You have to be very careful with the size of the dose you get of those.

It sounds like you're quick to try natural remedies and that's fine, but you could be compounding your problems. You really want to make as few changes slowly and deliberately because when you change too many things at once you add a lot of confounding variables so how do you know which one caused the problem?

If I were you I'd back off a lot of the new foods you added, concentrate on stuff you've always eaten like fruits, veggies, meats, fish, etc. Then slowly add in new stuff and take note of anything that makes you react badly.

[BRUMI1968]

Hi. I've been bloated since I was about 2. It is finally better these days, but took a while...AND did get worse temporarily when i quit gluten. Here are some of my suggestions:

to relieve it a bit:

stick your butt in the air - either on an exercise ball by just laying on it and aiming your butt as high as you can, or by laying on the floor with your knees under you with butt in air. If the bloat is GAS, the gas wants to rise up. This helps quite a bit. Just laying down in the fetal position also helps, but it makes it even more effective if your butt is higher than the rest of you.

small meals. If I eat too much, i bloat.

Watch for dairy. i can't remember if you said you eat it.

another possibility for the bloat is a yeast issue. If you are feeding the yeast a lot (or even irritating the yeast, as I used to do with garlic), they may cause bloating. Cut back on any sugar you're eating, and consider going grain-free for a while. I know it sounds like a huge deal, and it is a bit tough, especially in winter, but it is what finally got me a bit better.

Other things that get people: tapioca, nightshades (potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers (but not black pepper), and tobacco), DAIRY, soy, corn

I feel for you. Especially if this is new. I realized just how "normal" it was for me when I hand't had it in a while and then got it again. I thought I was just going to die. How did I live like that every day for thirty-five years?

Take care. If I think of anything else, I'll surely report it. and Welcome.

-Sherri

[spunky]

For the first three or four months gluten free, I had much less diarrhea than I'd been having while on gluten, but tons more gas.

Also, check your package of EmergenceC...some flavors do say "Contains Wheat" on the back of the package!!!!

[Looking for answers]

I also have stayed on my lactose free diet, eating soy products.

Two suggestions: I would cut out Soy, at least for a while. It makes me bloat really, really bad. Also note that some Soy milk, including Silk, I believe, contains trace amounts of gluten. I use Almond milk instead.

Also, you should probably start taking a probiotic--it was key in getting my bloating under control. My GI suggested accidolphlus (sp?), and, specifically, the cheapest ones Trader Joe's sells--although most will do, I'm sure.

Hope you feel better, and flatter, soon!

[bluejeangirl]

At the health food store I go to they would throw in samples in the bag when I checked out. One sample was a packet of emergen C super energy booster which contained 1,000 mg of vit. c and 7 mineral ascorbates. I almost mixed it up when I thought I'd read the ingred. and sure enough it said it contained wheat. Whew I was so close. You might call or check that out with the company if they're putting it in one product they might be doing it in others.

Gail

[cbnanny]

Thank-you all soooo much! I haven't been on since I posted last as I have had company staying at my house. You were all right on in many ways. I called my Mom and found out she had the same reaction when she started going Gluten Free eight years ago, because so many acid's were building up in her digestive tract from eating only fruits, vege's, meats, beans, and rice and corn. She immediately asked what I had replaced my grains with. I am already dairy free and use Soy Live culture yogurts but Almond Milk for all other milk like needs.

I haven't replaced my breads with much since getting rid of any Gluten items because I couldn't find a product I liked the taste and texture of besides Tradder Joe's gluten free rice pasta's (I can't stand textures that are grainy, I have a gag reflex to them, that I've had since I was a baby.) Thier rice pasta is fantastic, tastes like the real stuff, although it's been a long time because I haven't had wheat for years just everything else I didn't know I wasn't supossed to eat till now. Anyways I talked with several Celiac's and they told me I had to get the PH balance, balanced in my body to get rid of the bloating, gas and be able to eliminate approapiately again. So this is what they told me to do and let me tell I was desperate it was up to them or I was going to have to go to the doctor I was in so much pain.

They told me to take Apple Cider vinegar about an inch and a half in the bottom of a cup and down it with lots of water three times in a day and then to go purchase an Asodophilous (my spelling is horrible) which was a live an active one that was gluten free and dairy free, in the fridge in the vitamin section of a health food store. I went to Wild Oats and the gal there in the vitamin section was very familar with Celiac and she gave me the right asodolphilous and told me to take three daily for a two week period and that then I may want to consider an enzyme to take after the two weeks to help my food digest better before it reaches my intestine, especially with it trying to heal over time it will lessen the stress on my digestive tract.

I have to admid I could only get the apple cider vinegar down once, but it worked!!! The asodolphilous worked and is still working also. I have worn my jeans for the last two days I haven't been able to wear in a week! I feel so much better! Also you are soooo correct on the Emergen "C", some contain wheat and some do not. This gal took me through and showed me what I could take within the pakages and what I could not. Thier Strawberry one with the most vitamins in it, which is usually a couple of dollars more than the others is gluten free, several of the others have it. Yet this ones best anyways because it has the most B's and Folic Acid, plus other vitamins, such as A, K, etc.

I appreciate all your suggestions and thank-you for helping me with checking items that I didn't register as possible gluten carries!

Christy