A little help please

I hate to admit I am finding things tough at the moment.

How long does it take to notice a real difference in symptoms after starting a gluten free diet?

I know that there probably isn't a clear cut answer to this but I am interested in finding out from my fellow Coeliacs how long it took you to notice a big difference and to feel well again after removing gluten from your diet.

I am now in week 5 of my gluten free lifestyle and I admit that during the past 2 or 3 weeks I had noticed a slight improvement in my symptoms e.g. I was not quite as tired as I have been feeling for months and months, but nevertheless still tired.

However, I am currently going through what can only be described as a bad spell and to save me from despair I thought I would turn to my blog and fellow bloggers for some advice. I have been feeling really ill for the past 5 days, the tiredness is back with a vengeance, and it seems like my symptoms are back to being as bad as they have ever been, despite noticing a small improvement in my symptoms initially. I don't think I have slipped up and eaten some gluten without knowing, as I have been so careful. But I really don't know what else could be wrong. Hence, my frustration! Any ideas?

I know I need to be patient and these things take time but if I am doing something wrong, I want to change that. Is it normal to have good and bad days whilst getting used to the gluten free diet? Am I doing something wrong? Or am I just jumping the gun a bit and expecting too much in the first few weeks?

 I recently read a suggestion online that you should change your toothbrush when you go gluten free even if it doesn't need changing yet just in case there is any gluten lurking in there. This is something I never even thought about but I have immediately thrown out the toothbrush and got a new one. I have brought a new chopping board so that I don't contaminate my bread with my husband's (gluten) bread. I no longer use our toaster and use the grill instead if I want toast. Despite being in to my 5th week of my gluten-free diet I am not really finding much improvement in my symptoms. And as far as I am aware I have been doing all I can to ensure that I don't have any gluten. I've read that some people can notice a difference in a matter of days, others it's a few weeks but then for some it could take up to a year for the gut to fully heal itself. I know I need to be patient but it's so tough! I want to feel better right away and I want to make all the sacrifices and changes to my diet seem worth it.

Anybody else have any other tips to help speed up my recovery or is it just a case of time? I would love to hear from you too if you are also struggling.

Thanks

Week 3 Observations

I have now completed 3 weeks of my new gluten-free lifestyle. And what have I noticed? Have I noticed any difference yet? Here are my observations so far...

• I have lost a shed load of weight! Particularly from my bottom half. And now none of my trousers/jeans fit! I was quite slim before but now I look skeletal and there is no way that I would ever choose to lose weight by dieting so this is out of my control. My ribs and hip bones and collarbone are also more visible. I want to know, is it normal to lose so much weight in such a short space of time on a gluten-free diet? I haven't actually weighed myself yet to see exactly how much weight I have lost but it is really obvious to me (and now others) that I have lost the weight. 

• I have found that I am not as hungry as I used to be in between meals and don't need to snack as much (this can only be a good thing, surely?)

• I get full a lot quicker when eating a meal and my portion sizes have therefore got smaller as a result. (Again not necessarily a bad thing).

• I am also craving sweet things. I never used to be a sweet or dessert person, I always craved savoury foods like crisps and bread but now I am the complete opposite and only want sweet foods. I am discovering a whole new taste sensation that I never knew I possessed. Maybe this is because a lot of gluten-free products do contain quite a lot of sugar, I don't know, but it's definitely something new to me.

Now I know everybody is different but I am keen to hear other people's experiences in the first few weeks of going gluten-free. Is this normal? Do let me know.

I am also quite disappointed that I haven't really noticed a big change yet in my symptoms, for example, the tiredness and exhaustion, but I know these things take time. I am finally seeing a dietician next week so I am hoping that they will be able to give me some proper help.

That's all for now!

E



The beginning...

So, I have just been given the news by my doctor that I have Coeliac Disease. Coeliac Disease? That sounds rather scary so I think I will refer to myself as "being a Coeliac" from now on rather than having a disease. Yes, that sounds much better.

I am a little new to "blogging" so please bear with me but since being diagnosed I wanted to put down a few of my thoughts about my "Coeliac journey" and what it's like turning gluten-free. I also hope this will be a place where fellow Coeliacs can share tips and recipes, find out about what gluten-free products supermarkets have to offer and recommend great restaurants that cater well for Coeliacs all over the UK (but particularly in Staffordshire where I'm based).

It was a big shock when my consultant told me I was a Coeliac and I have many questions going around my head but I am already looking forward to feeling better, eating much healthier and starting my gluten-free diet. Bring it on!

Emma