My daughter was diagnosed with gluten intolerance...and this is our first week on a gluten free diet. We are already casein free. It seems that for the past week....although she was having occasional gi problems before - it's gotten much worse. Is there a detox period? Is it getting worse before better? I'm not positive that I have every hidden source out since I'm still learning....but why is it getting worse??? Thanks for any suggestions.

Helga White

I don't remember where I read the article, but in answer to "after damage by gluten/milk, how long before the villi and microvilli grow back?", the answer was "6 months to a year". In my personal case, the "D" persisted for at least a month, and then gradually got better. It all depends on how much damage was done, and probably also what triggered the reaction. Don't forget, gluten hides in many places.

This was an extremely painful diet for me for the first 3 to 4 months I was on it. I was so much worse, I'm surprised I stuck with it. Looking back, it was a combination of factors that made that time so hard for me, including gastritis that was eventually treated with a PPI medication, and the fact that I now believe I was detoxing. I also had abnormal levels of hunger for many months after first going gluten-free, which eventually went away after an adjustment period and learning to add more protein and foods that filled me. I would say it's a myth that everybody feels better right away...I know that for me, my body still doesn't really love being gluten-free, and it's been over a year. But it's not the torture it once was.