Gluten free - how long to see a difference?

[anna*]

I'ven been gluten free for a few days, to see if it will help my gut. How long do you think it will take before I should see any difference in symptoms? I've heard estimates from 2 weeks to 6 months! Don't think I'd do it for six months without ANY improvement - gluten free is expensive!

[Buntybear]

Sorry had a sick bug 

I don't know the answer so bumping for you x

[Shiv52]

I think 4-6 weeks is the normal range but you should see symptoms decreasing or positive changes before that.

[Katet]

If I eat more than trace amounts of Gluten (ie the may contain traces, which I can get away with) it takes me about 10 days to feel it is out of my system... but I seriously think it took a good 3-4 months before I really felt it had made a difference.

I'm now 2years into "avoid, but not 100% eliminate" Gluten & last night I was thinking that 2 years ago I was on antihistamines all the time & I couldn't even find the packet, for DH who has hayfever, as it is that long since I've needed antihistamines. That said I didn't remove Gluten for Gut issues, I removed it for sinusitis issues, although must say as a side effect, I do know I have had stomach pains after wheat based foods when I do go "yum caramel slice, I'll have some"

[anna*]

Woh. 3-4 months is a long time yo.

I think I can give it a month. It's expensive, and I'm already losing weight just because I can't think of things to eat!! LOL That is OK in the short term but probably not longer term. Maybe once I'm a month in I'll feel like I can do another few weeks. Been a couple of weeks. I do miss bread. And all those pastry/cookie/yummy treats. Kids and DH had pizza for tea, I had an egg and veggies LOL. YES WOE IS ME!!

[Buntybear]

We had GF pizza with Olly the other day and it wasn't too bad actually. From Sainsburys frozen section. You can get a great garlic pizza bread too. Not saying they are cheap though 

Pasta you can sub easily enough. We eat a lot of potatos in various guises and rice alongside the GF pasta they are our regular carbs now. I really try where I can for us all to eat the same meals.

You can easily make/buy GF biscuits etc these days  When I was GF and DF BFing Olly I would make a lush rocky road with GF biscuits, plain choc and DF butter - sorted out any sweet tooth cravings I had  I will pm you a fab GF pastry recipe. I make jam tarts with Olly and they are lush too

It is early days for you, it is always hard. I would fill your fridge with things you can eat as eggs and veg does not sound like a balanced meal xxx

[anna*]

Yeh the GF pasta I have is actually really nice. The Dove's Farm brown rice one (can't stomach the corn based ones, they smell bad!).

Oh I had some potato too. Protein carbs fibre. It was OK, just not as nice as their pizza! Last week I had GF pizza and it was *OK* just a lot like eating cake.

Although if it does sort out  my guts I'll be happy to never eat gluten again. Just don't have a lot of faith atm, that's all. Feels like it'll be sods law and I'll do a month with no change.

[Buntybear]

Feels like it'll be sods law and I'll do a month with no change.

At least you will know though. That has got to be better than the not knowing you are facing at the moment. It is a cause eliminated.

[C&B&E]

Not sure if you have an Aldi near you Anna, but they have started selling gluten free bread and it is much cheaper than our coop. 

[anna*]

I need to get into the habit of getting in enough stuff. I rely A LOT on our corner shop (obviously nothing gluten free there) and our small local co-op (nothing there either). I'm really not a baker - I mean I do once in a while but only as an activity with the kids not actually for stuff to eat! Maybe that's what I have to do. Discover a super good gluten free bread recipe that will do in the bread maker.

[Buntybear]

Hi Anna, how are you feeling? seeing any difference?

[anna*]

I don't know. Possibly. Maybe. Tentativelypossibly?? I'll report back in another week. Thanks sooooo much for sending me that book you are a sweetheart

[Buntybear]

That's OK. Hope it has inspired you a bit. Fingers crossed for another week then. x

[Katet]

Anna have you looked a Fructose as the issue, only occurred to me recently when I was talking with a friend, she tried, all sorts of elimination diet & the one common food she kind of kept in was apple & not much improved & then someone said try cutting out fruit & Fructose & WOW the change.  Gluten is the "trendy" cause these days (bumping Dairy out), but from the stuff I've read, Fructose is up there too.