Recently off gluten.. withdrawl or bug?

[GenaG]

I came off gluten on Monday afternoon after being told I have coeliac. I went cold turkey. Even cleaned out cupboards and have own shelf in fridge. I had hear you feel worse before you get better but boy Oh boy.... has anyone else had gluten withdrawl. ? I am so convinced this is what I have but hubby said it's a bug and withdrawl Is nonsense. It started feeling washed out where I shook just going up stairs. Which having iron at 6.4 does not help. Headache sweats very watery stools muscle spasms and cramp. I am totally exhausted but my brain strangely feels cleaner. I think I am almost coming tho it now but would really love to know if anyone else experienced anything like this

Thanks

Gena

[Hidden]

Hi Gena, apparently the protein in wheat stimulates the opiate receptors in our brain hence the very real feelings of withdrawal.

Here's a link about this:

wheatbellyblog.com/2013/09/...

Another thing to bear in mind is your immune system has been firing off at every meal and you have not been absorbing nutrients from your food and now you have eliminated the toxin (gluten) your body is readjusting and it takes time for the villi to recover and many coeliac are temporarily intolerant to lactose and benefit from going lactose free or benefit from using lacto free milk which has the enzyme lactate added to help break down the lactose. You might also benefit from a mildly bland diet eating easy to digest foods and eating small meals just like you would after a stomach upset.

And I hope that you feel better soon and when your villi recovers you will reap the benefits...

[Jazzw]

Yup, it's real. It's actually a good sign, if you can bring yourself to think of it that way!

It might also be ketosis "flu" - how much carbohydrate are you eating? What's a daily menu now look like for you?

[abibunny]

Yes it's definitely withdrawal and it's common too. It's a bit like when you've done an extreme cleanse and you get a whole load of nasty side effects afterwards (have a look at this: detoxandbodycleanse.com/det.... Don't worry it will start to ease off. Drink plenty of fluids and eat light clean meals. Nothing spicy or acidic or too fatty. Your body with stabilise and you'll come out the other side feeling loads better honestly! It's worth it! If you're interested I have just started writing a blog about gluten & dairy free living coz I have Hashimotos and IBS, I'm writing about my health symptoms and lots of different easy recipes: gdfree.wordpress.com Check it out and good luck with feeling better x

[Hidden in reply to abibunny]

Hi I am new to this forum . I went gf last week I also feel awful / can't think straight it's like my thoughts are mixed up . Trembling inside hot flashes could this be withdrawal also . I am hashi . Sick of feeling ill waiting to see rheumy for symtoms if fibro/me . Can you shed some light on this I would greatly appreciate any info 😊

[abibunny in reply to Hidden]

Oh dear poor you I sympathise and empathise in fact. I get hot flushes, the shakes, nausea etc too but for me it's related to reactive hypoglycaemia. If I eat too much sugar or too heavy a meal I will suffer these kind of symptoms so badly they wake me up at night. On the other hand yes it could be a bit to do with gluten withdrawal, sort of the same deal if you went sugar free. Your body needs time to adjust and you need to get rid of any toxins that have been stirred up by eliminating. Take it easy, rest up, sleep as much as you can and eat light and clean. Also drink lots of water. If you're still feeling this way in a week or so I would recommend doing a food diary to check if there are any foods triggering your symptoms in particular. Good luck and I hope u feel better soon. Take a look at my blog when you're feeling better for some easy gf recipe ideas and don't hesitate to msg me again x

[Hidden in reply to abibunny]

Oh thank you so much for your reply I will take on board your advice I've never considered the internal tremors / heat from foods thanks again I will check out your blog as I'm out of ideas already 😁

[GenaG in reply to Hidden]

Hi. I have been gf now for 2 weeks today and I now feel much better. It has taken me 12 days to start feeling better. I had tremors headache upset tummy and brain was wobbly. I also suffered with FMS and this is a very complex condition as no two people are the same. I think it could be withdrawl and maybe a little buggy kicking about there. Don't give up on gf. It's the best thing I ever did. I have lost 1.4 stone and all the oedema I have has gone. I feel more energetic and healthier than I have in years. Let me know how it goes xxxx I wish u the best

[Hidden in reply to GenaG]

Thank you I will keep you posted on how I go . Hopefully I will feel great also thanks again for your kind reply 😊

[Ruthi]

Well done you, GenaG!

You know you may find your FMS goes once your system is fully clean. In my experience its one of those diagnoses that actually mean the doctors can't work it out.

[humanbean]

I got withdrawal when I went gluten-free. I can't remember how long it lasted but I do remember I felt like I had really bad flu.

With respect to low iron, I had that while I was eating gluten. When I went g-f my ferritin (iron stores) shot up quite quickly. I don't have to supplement any more which is a miracle for me. Fingers crossed it works for you too.