# gluten-free diet



## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I've been gluten-free for just over 2 months now, and after about 2 weeks my IBS-D symptoms were reduced by about 80-90%, if not more. And to date they remain gone. No more soft/abnormal stool, no more cramping, no more incomplete evacuation, no more post-prandial bloating, no more flatulence. Nothing. Removing gluten from my diet was the _only_ thing that I changed. I still eat dairy, I still eat junk food occasionally (as long as it's gluten-free like potato chips or chocolate),I still drink alcohol (but no more beer, which always bothered me anyway). I have also had two other issues that I would not have connected with diet clear up after going gluten-free(one bothersome external hemmorrhoid which is no longer bothering me AT ALL, and a skin issue that I was experiencing).The real challenge (literally) will be on October 9th, when I reintroduce gluten into my diet for a period of one week. If IBS symptoms return, then I'm staying gluten-free permanently. I would urge anyone who is frustrated, at wit's end, or has seemingly tried everything they can think of to give the gluten-free diet a shot and see if it helps. You need to do it for one month minimum to really be able to tell though.


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## TrishaR (Oct 3, 2011)

faze action said:


> I've been gluten-free for just over 2 months now, and after about 2 weeks my IBS-D symptoms were reduced by about 80-90%, if not more. And to date they remain gone. No more soft/abnormal stool, no more cramping, no more incomplete evacuation, no more post-prandial bloating, no more flatulence. Nothing. Removing gluten from my diet was the _only_ thing that I changed. I still eat dairy, I still eat junk food occasionally (as long as it's gluten-free like potato chips or chocolate),I still drink alcohol (but no more beer, which always bothered me anyway). I have also had two other issues that I would not have connected with diet clear up after going gluten-free(one bothersome external hemmorrhoid which is no longer bothering me AT ALL, and a skin issue that I was experiencing).The real challenge (literally) will be on October 9th, when I reintroduce gluten into my diet for a period of one week. If IBS symptoms return, then I'm staying gluten-free permanently. I would urge anyone who is frustrated, at wit's end, or has seemingly tried everything they can think of to give the gluten-free diet a shot and see if it helps. You need to do it for one month minimum to really be able to tell though.


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## TrishaR (Oct 3, 2011)

Thanks for the update. I'll be interested to hear how the reintroduction goes. Good luck! Do you have any good books or sources for gluten-free diets? I'd like to try as well.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

The best info to start is probably http://www.celiac.com/I basically just surfed the net and read up on it to get started. If you try I've read a number of places that it's best to go GF for at least two months, and then challenge yourself for about a week with gluten to see if a reaction or relapse in symptoms occurs. If you get no symptom relief in a month or two, then either gluten is not a problem for you or there is "hidden" gluten in your diet somewhere.


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## Tummy Problem Girl (Aug 20, 2007)

Good Luck! I can't wait to hear what the results are. I have thought about going Gluten free but I have already eliminated so much: dairy, red meat, dark meat, fried foods.


faze action said:


> I've been gluten-free for just over 2 months now, and after about 2 weeks my IBS-D symptoms were reduced by about 80-90%, if not more. And to date they remain gone. No more soft/abnormal stool, no more cramping, no more incomplete evacuation, no more post-prandial bloating, no more flatulence. Nothing. Removing gluten from my diet was the _only_ thing that I changed. I still eat dairy, I still eat junk food occasionally (as long as it's gluten-free like potato chips or chocolate),I still drink alcohol (but no more beer, which always bothered me anyway). I have also had two other issues that I would not have connected with diet clear up after going gluten-free(one bothersome external hemmorrhoid which is no longer bothering me AT ALL, and a skin issue that I was experiencing).The real challenge (literally) will be on October 9th, when I reintroduce gluten into my diet for a period of one week. If IBS symptoms return, then I'm staying gluten-free permanently. I would urge anyone who is frustrated, at wit's end, or has seemingly tried everything they can think of to give the gluten-free diet a shot and see if it helps. You need to do it for one month minimum to really be able to tell though.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Tummy Problem Girl said:


> Good Luck! I can't wait to hear what the results are. I have thought about going Gluten free but I have already eliminated so much: dairy, red meat, dark meat, fried foods.


I think I updated in the other thread I started, but the result was that after a week of eating gluten most of my IBS-D symptoms were at least partially back (as well as the skin issue I had). By the end of 7 days I had painful abdominal cramps (that was around Oct. 15 and I was literally doubled over in pain) and I reverted back to gluten-free. All my symptoms disappeared again, but it took a good 7-10 days for them to resolve. Last week I accidentally ate gluten in something and I had cramping that night, so I know for sure that gluten is a problem. So far I'm still IBS-free as long as I stay gluten-free.


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## catarific (Oct 6, 2010)

I had been gluten free for about a year with no lessening of my IBS-D symptoms. All tests were negative for celiac disease, lactose intolerance, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, colon cancer, etc). My doctor thought I might have bile salt diarrhea and I was given Welchol which finally relieved the diarrhea (having taken the medication for about 8 to 9 months). I no longer have the persisent IBS-D anymore and I am no longer on the medication. But what I diligently do now is watch what I eat - staying away from high fructose foods, limiting starch intake, staying away from foods with high fat content and avoiding junk foods (potatoe chips, pretzels, taco chips). I no longer seem to have any malabsorbtion issues and finally have gained back 9 lbs (having lost 30 due to the IBS-D).


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## Christa Jones (Nov 9, 2011)

I know, my friend has also avoided all wheat, barley and rye and all such foods having gluten. He has also stopped taking food items which have probability of having gluten like soups, sausages, processed meats such as slices of ham, ready meals, crisps and potato chips, though he loved these items a lot. It is very pathetic, and I feel really sad for him.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

That's fantastic that a gluten free diet is helping your IBS-D. The same occurred for me when I began eating gluten free. It didn't cure me though, but made life typically much easier than before And with that said, I seem to be having a bad spell the last could days. Might have to try gluten free and dairy and beef free for a month or more and see what happens. I just need to keep experimenting! A sight that might be of additional resource is Wheat Belly. It's about people that went gluten/wheat free reporting their experiences. Lots of people reporting that IBS symptoms have cleared up once removing wheat from their diet. http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/


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