Gluten free but feel awful!

[annabhaird]

Went completely gluten this past week, feel awful, fatigue worse, bad tempered, no patience, constipated. Is this normal and will I feel better soon? Anna

[puncturedbicycle]

Is it possible you've been substituting gf products that don't suit you? I was unable to get on w anything w xantham gum in it as it made my whole gut grind to a halt. You may need to add more fibrous food (green veg etc) to compensate for the loss of whole grains (if you ate whole grain wheat products you've now lost the fibre in those).

When I was untreated and hypo I used to rely on carbs for energy (not on purpose, more that I craved carbs when tired), so if you've cut carbs by cutting out grains you may have a period of adjustment.

[annabhaird in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Thanks for that information. I eat a small amount of veg daily, but I eat a wide variety of fruit daily plus meats and rice or potatoes.

I am not on any treatment yet though my bloods show Hashi.

I take l variety of vitamins and minerals as recommended here. Such a great site, I was so lucky you find it! Anna

[puncturedbicycle in reply to annabhaird]

Ok, if you're untreated you may just be wrestling w the usual uat gut issues, maybe they're getting worse if your Hashi's is getting worse.

If you increase your green veg intake (a good guideline is to cover 2/3 of the plate w green veg) you are likely to see things getting better. Make sure you're also well-hydrated. Drinking a lot of water should help your gut work more smoothly. You can also add flax seeds (soaked or unsoaked) to your food or take a spoonful daily.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. It can be pretty awful if you're not being treated.

[humanbean]

I felt absolutely diabolical when I first went gluten-free - like I had dreadful flu. It wore off.

Some people react to coming off gluten as if they were giving up an addictive substance, and I was one of those people.

One thing I realise when I look back on that time is that I cut out foods with gluten and didn't substitute enough non-gluten food. I lost 7lbs the first week due to practically starving myself.

It was worth it in the end because I get benefits from not eating gluten.

[humanbean]

You would benefit from joining this community on HU - the Gluten Free Guerrillas :

healthunlocked.com/glutenfr...

[Barrister]

When my husband first went gluten free, he looked, and felt, as though he was dieing! He used to cycle 7 miles to work at that time but he couldn't put one foot in front of the other. But within a few weeks he felt amazing ( he is gluten intolerant, no thyroid issues). He said he hadn't realised how ill he had been feeling until suddenly he felt better because the way he had been feeling had crept up on him and had become normal for him. So give it a little time. Clemmie

[Josiesmum]

Apparently the withdrawal effects usually wear off after about a week. Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of plant fibre to replace the fibre you're not getting from wheat. Would be really helpful for others if you could report back in a week or so and let us know how you're getting on.

[annabhaird in reply to Josiesmum]

Thanks everyone for all your great advice! I feel more hopeful now about going gluten free.

[Phoenix605]

I went gluten free this summer, It was fairly horrible and took about a month before I stopped climbing the walls completely but I had a poor diet fairly heavily reliant on white bread due to eating at my desk at work.

The symptoms were reminiscent of the withrawal of giving up a heavy coffee or sugar habit, and were very similar to what you describe. Stick with it, your body will adjust and much as I hate to admit it (because I do miss fresh crusty bread) I do feel much better for doing it.

[annabhaird in reply to Phoenix605]

Thank you Phoenix, I had already cut out most breads and gluten products over the past 6 months, ie was using gluten free porridge oats etc, maybe once a week i might have a biscuit at work, so hard to say no when they are right in front of you, anyway stopped everything last week. I'm encouraged by your experience and results. Anna

[Phoenix605 in reply to annabhaird]

If in a few weeks you are still having problems it may be worth trying grain free not just gluten free. Other grains have proteins which are very similar to gluten and some people react as if they are having gluten. Just cut them all out til you feel well then try reintroducing one at a time to figure out what works for you. It is also possible to have a wheat intolerance, I cant tolerate gluten free pasta etc and infact the only grain I can have in moderation is brown rice - anything else gives me serious acid reflux in my sleep (fear of acid burn in the sinuses does help in biscuit avoidance tho!) I do seem to be able to get away with 'trace' amounts just not where grain is a substantial ingredient so it is not as difficult as you might imagine. I had always put the reflx down to being rather overweight so killed two birds with one stone 🤗🤗

[dang]

It took me about 2 - 3 MONTHS of being gluten free before I started feeling the advantages of it gluten takes many many months to work itself out of you system. Stick to it