how long to test gluten
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how long to test gluten
My first post. My current bout is going on four months, I think that is the longest ever with breaks usually lasting 8 or more months over the last 4 or 5 years. I've finally decided to try going gluten free but after one week nothing has changed. How long should I test the gluten free diet? My only symptom is and has ever been watery stool and does not interfere with normal daily life too much. Thank you.
Re: how long to test gluten
Hi,
Welcome to the group. The half-life of antibodies to most foods that cause us to react range from 5 to 6 days. The half-life of gluten (anti-gladin antibodies), by contrast, is 120 days. Therefore, it usually takes us at least 4 to 6 weeks before we can see any benefits From avoiding gluten, and this is assuming that even tiny trace amounts are avoided. Avoiding other foods that are causing us to react, normally results in improvements in less than a week. But those improvements won't even show up until we get enough of the gluten out of our system to get the antibody level down to where the immune system stops focusing on gluten, and begins to notice our other food sensitivities. Please note that we have to avoid all of the foods that are causing us to react (at the same time), or we may not stop reacting.
Good luck with your trial. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the group. The half-life of antibodies to most foods that cause us to react range from 5 to 6 days. The half-life of gluten (anti-gladin antibodies), by contrast, is 120 days. Therefore, it usually takes us at least 4 to 6 weeks before we can see any benefits From avoiding gluten, and this is assuming that even tiny trace amounts are avoided. Avoiding other foods that are causing us to react, normally results in improvements in less than a week. But those improvements won't even show up until we get enough of the gluten out of our system to get the antibody level down to where the immune system stops focusing on gluten, and begins to notice our other food sensitivities. Please note that we have to avoid all of the foods that are causing us to react (at the same time), or we may not stop reacting.
Good luck with your trial. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Re: how long to test gluten
Thank you Tex. It's been 10 days of NO gluten and no change at all. My only symptom continues, watery to semi solid stools, some days with much more frequency than others. But mostly it does not impact my daily life, some days though are a pain in the butt so to speak. I'm reluctant to continue with gluten free but think I'll give it at least 4 more days. I enjoy green tea everyday but only one caffinated tea bag along with decaf tea bags and also have not tried no red wine but since both have a lot of tannins thinking to go there next.
Re: how long to test gluten
Based on the experiences most of us have, if you're not willing to try the gluten-free diet for at least 6 weeks, you're not likely to have any success controlling your symptoms. This disease doesn't develop overnight, and it can't be put into remission overnight, either, unless you want to take powerful drugs for the rest of your life. But since this is a lifetime disease, once it develops, most medications eventually stop working for us, and we eventually have few, or no choices left. Resolving the symptoms by stopping the inflammation with diet changes, requires patience, and perseverance, but it works for about 98% of us, which is a much better efficacy rate than most medications.
Most of us are lucky, in a sense, in that our symptoms are so bad that we absolutely have to do something to get our lives back. If your symptoms are not debilitating, I can see how you might be willing to put up with them. I have to admit that if my symptoms hadn't been so bad that I didn't feel that I could survive that way, I probably never would have gone to a doctor in the first place, myself. But I had already lost so much weight, strength, and endurance, that it didn't seem likely that I will be around much longer if I didn't do something about it. Incentives like that will prompt anyone to do something, unless they're tired of living.
And back in those days, budesonide was not available, so my gastroenterologist told me that there was nothing else he could do for me, after I finished the last test that he ordered. So 20 years ago, I had to find my own solution. That's when I discovered that gluten was the source of all my food sensitivities. I've been in remission for over 17 years now.
Anyway, whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best. But if you're anything like most of us, your symptoms will eventually become so bad, and so persistent, that you will be motivated to do whatever it takes to get the disease into remission. We have many members, of this board who join, read a few posts, and decide that they don't wish to stop eating gluten, so they go their merry way for about 5 years, then come back, pleading for help. But of course after all those years of accumulating damage, getting the disease under control at that point is typically much more difficult, although usually doable.
Tex
Most of us are lucky, in a sense, in that our symptoms are so bad that we absolutely have to do something to get our lives back. If your symptoms are not debilitating, I can see how you might be willing to put up with them. I have to admit that if my symptoms hadn't been so bad that I didn't feel that I could survive that way, I probably never would have gone to a doctor in the first place, myself. But I had already lost so much weight, strength, and endurance, that it didn't seem likely that I will be around much longer if I didn't do something about it. Incentives like that will prompt anyone to do something, unless they're tired of living.
And back in those days, budesonide was not available, so my gastroenterologist told me that there was nothing else he could do for me, after I finished the last test that he ordered. So 20 years ago, I had to find my own solution. That's when I discovered that gluten was the source of all my food sensitivities. I've been in remission for over 17 years now.
Anyway, whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best. But if you're anything like most of us, your symptoms will eventually become so bad, and so persistent, that you will be motivated to do whatever it takes to get the disease into remission. We have many members, of this board who join, read a few posts, and decide that they don't wish to stop eating gluten, so they go their merry way for about 5 years, then come back, pleading for help. But of course after all those years of accumulating damage, getting the disease under control at that point is typically much more difficult, although usually doable.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Re: how long to test gluten
Are you aware that your problem might be bile acid malabsorption (BAM)? Medical research shows that 40% of persistent diarrhea cases that are refractive to normal treatments, including MC patients, are due to BAM. Typically, if doctors prescribe colestyramine to MC patients, they prescribe it too early, before patients have adjusted their diet to eliminate gluten for at least 6 weeks. Consequently, colestyramine rarely works for MC patients under those conditions. But after years of following the proper diet changes, If remission is not achieved, BAM is often the problem, and experimenting to find the proper dose of colestyramine can often be used to control the diarrhea.
Most members here, whose refractive diarrhea is due to BAM, find that they get the best results using the Sandoz brand of colestyramine. Most other brands will not work for us, for some unknown reason. But even with the Sandoz brand, we have to experiment until we find the correct dose that gives control without causing constipation.
Tex
Most members here, whose refractive diarrhea is due to BAM, find that they get the best results using the Sandoz brand of colestyramine. Most other brands will not work for us, for some unknown reason. But even with the Sandoz brand, we have to experiment until we find the correct dose that gives control without causing constipation.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Re: how long to test gluten
I have been gluten free for several years but I do eat gf breads. Toast in the morning and sandwich mid-day. I also have not had dairy in years, nightshade or high oxalate foods. because of food sensitivities.
Like you I was suffering from watery diarrhea....two days ago I stoped eating my gf bread thinking that the other grains in the bread may have been too much for my body to handle. Voila!!!! the D stopped...
If you are eating any other grains it might worth stopping them and see if that helps...
Hope you feel better soon........
Like you I was suffering from watery diarrhea....two days ago I stoped eating my gf bread thinking that the other grains in the bread may have been too much for my body to handle. Voila!!!! the D stopped...
If you are eating any other grains it might worth stopping them and see if that helps...
Hope you feel better soon........
Diagnosed with CC, Hashimoto Thyroid, Costochondritis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. Cannot eat gluten, dairy, nightshades, and high oxalate veggies.
Re: how long to test gluten
Look at the label. Virtually all commercially produced gluten-free bread contains a list of ingredients that's so long that it's a miracle that anyone can tolerate gluten free bread. The problem is usually not in the grain itself, but in the mixture of all those ingredients, many of which are known triggers for some of us. Any product that contains more than five ingredients, no matter how safe Those ingredients appear to be individually,should be either avoided, or treated as a product that is highly likely to cause many of us to react.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Re: how long to test gluten
Morning Tex and all, I eliminated my gf bread and grains except rice and everything has started to improve greatly, I do miss my bread because it has a wonderful taste and makes great toast :( But I do not miss the watery D that I as having for weeks! I hope to find a bread eventually that my system can handle...but that is a long time off.
My bread was Schär Deli Style Bread. Ingredients: water, corn starch, sour dough (water, rice flour) buckwheat flour, rice flour, psyllium seed husks (vegetable fiber), rice starch, caramelized sugar cane syrup, sunflower oil, soy protein, modified cellulose, sugar yeast, apple juice concentrate, salt, citric acid, tartaric acid. en
I can see now that buckwheat flour, psyllium seed husks and sugar cane syrup and soy protein could all be a problem for my CC flairs :(.
I have been aware of multiple food sensitivities over the last 30 years, I cannot eat any nightshades, gluten, or foods high in oxalates. This history of gut problems finally came to a head this past year with extensive bought of watery D, exhaustion, increase in psoriatic psoriasis symptoms among other autoimmune issues listed in my introduction post.
With the CC diagnosis via colonoscopy and biopsy I had one more autoimmune issue to contend with. After finding Tex's book and this group I realized I had to get much more diligent with my foods if I would have any chance of healing and stop the relapses that were coming closer and closer together. I stoped all grains...even my gluten free bread and all sugars....this changed everything! I am so happy to say that the D has stopped within 2 days after eliminating these final two components. So far my digestion is good and my energy level has improved greatly! I hope that my CC can now find a healing balance and I can eventually expand my diet carefully. I owe this new knowledge of my CC and how to feel better to Tex, his book and the information on this group. All the best to everyone, Laura
My bread was Schär Deli Style Bread. Ingredients: water, corn starch, sour dough (water, rice flour) buckwheat flour, rice flour, psyllium seed husks (vegetable fiber), rice starch, caramelized sugar cane syrup, sunflower oil, soy protein, modified cellulose, sugar yeast, apple juice concentrate, salt, citric acid, tartaric acid. en
I can see now that buckwheat flour, psyllium seed husks and sugar cane syrup and soy protein could all be a problem for my CC flairs :(.
I have been aware of multiple food sensitivities over the last 30 years, I cannot eat any nightshades, gluten, or foods high in oxalates. This history of gut problems finally came to a head this past year with extensive bought of watery D, exhaustion, increase in psoriatic psoriasis symptoms among other autoimmune issues listed in my introduction post.
With the CC diagnosis via colonoscopy and biopsy I had one more autoimmune issue to contend with. After finding Tex's book and this group I realized I had to get much more diligent with my foods if I would have any chance of healing and stop the relapses that were coming closer and closer together. I stoped all grains...even my gluten free bread and all sugars....this changed everything! I am so happy to say that the D has stopped within 2 days after eliminating these final two components. So far my digestion is good and my energy level has improved greatly! I hope that my CC can now find a healing balance and I can eventually expand my diet carefully. I owe this new knowledge of my CC and how to feel better to Tex, his book and the information on this group. All the best to everyone, Laura
Diagnosed with CC, Hashimoto Thyroid, Costochondritis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. Cannot eat gluten, dairy, nightshades, and high oxalate veggies.
Re: how long to test gluten
Great! Thanks for the update, and I hope your condition continues to improve.
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Gabes-Apg
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Re: how long to test gluten
the bread you mentioned is one of the reasons that we encourage people to avoid processed food items or anything with more than 3 ingredients in the early stages of healing.
Gluten free products may have other ingredients that are not ideal for MC'ers
Gluten free products may have other ingredients that are not ideal for MC'ers
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Re: how long to test gluten
Morning Games,
I understand that the bread I was loving was not loving me...some of the ingredients were also high in oxalates which have trouble with. I clearly see now that I was not making a wise choice
Hopeful healing,
Laura
I understand that the bread I was loving was not loving me...some of the ingredients were also high in oxalates which have trouble with. I clearly see now that I was not making a wise choice
Hopeful healing,
Laura
Diagnosed with CC, Hashimoto Thyroid, Costochondritis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. Cannot eat gluten, dairy, nightshades, and high oxalate veggies.