HELP Recovering!

[Susan921]

Hi there.

Im 23 y.o. Weigh a very scary 84 pounds. Very scary and have been worried sick.

Been diagnosed for 3 months and gluten free since diagnosis.

Been eating alot of fruit, vegetables, rice, chicken, sweet foods, I drink alot of milk. I eat constantly throughout the day and at night.

I havent gained a single pound in weight.

I know it takes a while but how long for my villi to recover and grow again? I am told it is the worst case, flattened villi and this would take some time as its years worth of damage. I just cant digest the fact that I am not gaining weight where people are finding it hard to control the weight. I wish I had the option!!

Please help....

[ostrich]

You came to the right place Susan! The amount of time it takes for a person to see any results varies. Some feel better (and their weight starts shifting) in a few weeks. For others it can take a year or more. Don't worry, you're doing the right thing.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[cruelshoes]

Susan - have you seen a dietician? You need to make sure you are taking in enough calories to build yourself up. Have your symptoms improved? If not, you may have some other intollerances that need to be dealth with before you will see any weight gain.

BTW - when I was diagnosed, I had total villous atrophy. I had another endoscopy 6 months after being GF, and the doctor said there had been a 30% improvement. So yes, it does take a while to get built back up.
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

[cultureslayer]

3 words: gluten free bread

I can't eat it because of the calories, unless I wanna buy new jeans. At up to 150 calories a slice, that's a 300 calorie sandwich before you even started! Then add peanut butter and nutella (my favorite combo, except for maybe nutella and honey) and you are at 500 to 600 calories without thinking about it.

Yeah, I looked at my diet and realized why I was gaining weight after going GF. Now I eat less bread and it's helped.
_________________
Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

[gfrach]

Hi Susan,

I would ditch the milk if you can. Milk protein (casein) is very similar to gluten and many people are sensitive to it. Soy is the same. Rice milk, lots of smoothies and shakes made with rice milk could help. Also, you may want to add in some rice protein to the rice milk and some fat, too. Here's one rice protein available: http://store.nutribiotic.com/pgi-Product%20Spec?0160, It comes in vanilla and berry, too.

Here's a link for helping children gain weight http://www.specialfoods.com/weight.html I know you're not a child, but the same principles should apply. It's a very interesting program. I wish I was more motivated to implement it with my son (9.5 and weighs just under 50 lbs).

Good luck!

Rach

[lorka]

Hi Susan
I was diagnosed at age 22 and got down to 78lbs. I was horrified, and extremely ill (I'm 5'8'').
Are you eating balanced meals and good fats, too?

[ostrich]

[cultureslayer]