[JustWeave]

I was diagnosed as gluten sensitive and started the GF diet on 3/26/07. I was hoping to feel like Wonder Woman by now but I'm not. How long did it take for you to feel better? The thing that ticks me off the most right now is fatigue. Oh and this right side only raynaud's!

Brrrr, WeaveHerr

[darlindeb25]

Be patient and definitely make sure you have eliminated all gluten, including in your shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. Anything that can get on your hands, can get on your food--when you rinse shampoo in the shower, it can get in your mouth.

Some feel better right away, some take time. Your body has to rid itself of all the gluten toxins.

Feel better!

[jccgf]

Hi WeaveHerr,

Everyone is different. Some people feel better almost instantly. I've heard of others who say it was almost a year before they felt well, and some continue to have problems beyond then... but anyone who fails to show improvement by 6-12 months should probably be considering the possibility of additional co-existing problems.

We knew we were on the right track with my daughter within the first week. Her explosive diarrhea dropped from about 6 times a day down to once or twice a day within a week...with much less cramping and gas. It took about six months before we began to see formed stools. Her stomach aches and neurological symptoms showed improvement within the first month. Rashes, general health, asthma... all improved slowly over time...some into the second year.

As mentioned, it is extremely important to get every little speck of gluten out, and that can take some time to get a handle on. You need to consider possible sources of cross contamination... including sharing a kitchen with others eating gluten (cutting boards, toasters), contaminated margarine and other condiments, etc. If you think you need more help in that area, just say so... because we can offer more tips and resources.

As many as 50% of those with gluten sensitivity also have casein sensitivity, and sometimes other food sensitivity as well.

Some people have underlying vitamin deficiency which also needs to be addressed, that can be the cause of remaining symptoms. Try googling fish oil and Raynaud's together... you might be one to especially benefit from boosting your essential fatty acids. You can check the vitamin deficiency forum for more on that.

Hang in there, and keep reading and asking questions.

Cara

[KimS]

I am the local Total Elimination Diet advocate.

The reason: because usually people with damaged guts are sensitive to more than one issue.

Example: my son also reacted to all grain, nightshades and the lily family... and until we did a total elimination diet, he did not heal as quickly as he should have. Five years later, he now consumes these items in limited quanitities and is doing quite well. We can generally tell by behaviour if he goes over his 'amount'.

So, I will refer you to this thread as we use the chicken soup fast to also cut our 'cold and virus time' down to 3 days (tops): http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...t=chicken+soup

Using this method, you should notice a difference within 4 days... some people have taken as long as two weeks but that seems unusually long.

[loisba]

I noticed a difference within just a few days when I went gluten free. I found a sharp reduction in the symptoms of gas, distension, cramps, diarrhea, and that painful urge. Plus the fatigue for me had also been a big issue, since I also have MG, which has it's own fatigue. I found that within just a few days, I was back to my "normal" level of fatigue.
Stick with it, it will improve with time. I bet that if you really compare your symptoms now with your pre-GF ones, you'll notice you have had some improvement, even though it might be very tiny.