When going Gluten Free, how long did it take to feel 100% well again?

by Paul
(Victoria)

I am 35 years old and was diagnosed with Coeliac Desease about 6 months ago. Over the last 15 years I've always had issues eating various food types and never thought much of it. I've always felt a little on edge and looking back on the last few years I've been suffereing from Anexity realted problems. I've always been consious of my heart beat all the time and while playing sports, golf and football I've had to stop a few times due to a panic attack type of situation, not a nice feeling. I tried beta blockers for a while worst mistake ever they made me feel 100 worse and it was hell coming off them, it took me about 3 months to get off them. Think strongly before taking them!!

It took me about two years of tests with doctors, heart specialists, blood tests to get to the bottom of the issue. All the test came back 'there's nothing wrong with you' until finally one day I ended up in hospital not being able to get out of bed for about a week, without my heart racing and feeling dizzy. The only thing they could find was low Vitamin D levels. Being a golfer I am outside alot so that didn't make sense!! I started taking a Vit D booster to help.

I have a few food alergies, nuts and shell fish so I started investigating and by talking to a lady at the golf club I heard about Gluten intollerance so I started cutting out Gluten and I started feeling slightly better, that was about a year ago. In the early days I didn't understand exactly what contained Gluten so I wasn't very good at it!! Finally I asked the doctor to conduct a blood test, first I had the Gene test as I wasn't eating much gluten, that came back as positive which means I have a 40% chance of actually having the disease, so I had then start eating Gluten again, so for the next three months I ate three slices of bread and one day I had a pizza, 30 mins later my stomach was in knotts and for the next week I felt horrible again!! I was on to some thing! I went back to the docs after 3 months and had the IGA blood test and my levels were very high which prooved Gluten was the issue. That was back in December 2010, so for the last 6 months I have been totally GF, well as best I can.

Good news is I am feeling much better back to 80% health I would say, however I still have dizzy days normally in the morning. I know it can take 1 - 2 years to fully recover but my question is. Do you ever fully recover and feel 100% again. I would love to hear from some other people and understand how they feel with this disease.

One other point I should note, when I was eating Gluten my resting heart rate (first thing in the morning when waking up was about 72 bpm now I am off the Gluten it has dropped to about 60bpm, which is amazing really, I no longer get the constant feeling of my heart beating, such a relief. I do still get some anxiety feelings, but alot let, that is probably due my head! and having that feeling for so long its going to take some time for that to heal!

Anyway thats enough from me. Just though I would share my story.

PJ.