15 replies to this topic

[I hate gluten!]

Since going gluten free, I started having swollen hands when I wake up. After an hour or so they are better, they are not swollen huge. I use to get this when I had to much salt. I guess you can say they are more sore than swollen. Just curious if anyone else had this.

[MLB]

I get this too, it's not horrible or anything but i notice it every morning. It usually goes away 15 min or so after getting up. I had it before i went gluten free and going gluten-free has not changed it.

[ohsotired]

I had this too, right after going gluten free. For me it lasted a month or two, and I haven't noticed it since (only been gluten free for about 5 months or so).

For me it was hands first, then my feet started doing it too, but to a lesser degree than my hands.
My hands were just swollen enough that my skin felt tight, and my joints hurt.
My doc tested for a bunch of other auto immune stuff and everything was "normal" .

No idea why it was happening, but I haven't had it for quite a while. Hope yours just goes away too. I thought I was crazy - and I think maybe my doc did too, because I could never show her. The swelling always went away within 30 minutes of getting up and moving.

[I hate gluten!]

Thank god I am not crazy! It is swollen just enough for my ring not to come off but like everyone says it goes away. My doc says it can be a sign of Lupus though. But I do not trust him very much anyway. I told him to please run any test he thought I needed. (Plus a big list of blood test I gave him) I figured I rather get all the test ran at once versus wasting my time with multiple trips and co pays. You should see the list of stuff I had him run. He thinks Im nuts. He told me I was depressed and wanted to start me on antidepressants. WHATEVER. I changed my diet and now I actually feel good, swollen hands and all. Thanks for the replies, its good to know I am not crazy, well.... that crazy.

[RiceGuy]

I also had swollen hands and feet for awhile, and read it can happen from poor digestion of proteins. So I reduced protein intake, and it went away. I've since been able to increase the amount of protein back up to normal without a problem. The swelling coincided with the ravenous appetite, and both seemed to have diminished at the same time, though slowly, over several months.

[cavernio]

Old post, but this is one of my current concerns too.
I've had tingling and swelling in my hands and feet for a few years now, and it's worse in the morning often, but it still stays all day long.
I'm going to call my doctor today to try and get to the bottom of it. I'm still worried about my kidneys, even moreso when I read about eating less salt and less protein as things that helped others.
I'm pretty sure I've got neuropathy as well, b12 can help these problems, and at the very least I've got various 'carpal tunnel' type pressure points multiple parts of my arms and in my ankles, but I wouldn't think that tingling and pain from that would be up to as much variation from day to day as I get.

I suppose diabetes is a possibility too, I haven't been tested for that in over a year now, and even if I didn't have it before I guess it doesn't mean I don't have it now, even though these are symptoms I've had for awhile.

Anyone else who has gotten this to go away/gotten an explanation as to why?

[dilettantesteph]

I get swollen hands from accidental glutening.

[nvsmom]

I've had that in the summer ever since I was pg with my youngest, 5 years ago. I thought it was heat related. hmm

[Kamma]

I used to have badly swollen legs, hands and my left side of my face would sag. (Yikes! - I thought stroke!)

Gluten would do it but it didn't disappear until I totally eliminated all salt, msg, processed foods and reduced my intake of protein. All I eat now for animal protein is fish.

[cavernio]

I stopped eating corn a couple days ago in hopes of this getting better, since I often don't feel too well after I eat nachos or popcorn or tortillas. But that could also be a salt issue. It's too soon to tell yet if that's helping me or not, since it varies so much regardless. But I'm going to stick corn free for awhile now.

If eating less protein does help it, then wouldn't that indicate kidney problems? What else could be the issue with protein? I guess I have been eating more meat since being diagnosed, since meat seems to be chockfull of nutrients.

I do know that last time I fasted, on day 3 my engagement ring was much looser and I was full of energy. (This is the reason why I think corn or something else I'm eating is still making me sick, because I know I have felt better just not eating.) I don't remember if there was any difference in the tingling though.

It definitely has been hot lately, so there I suppose there's a chance it will go away now that I'm gluten-free when fall hits.

It's worse if I'm active the day before too. It makes me think of what people with arthritis say maybe, except it's definitely not just the joints, almost feels like inter-joint.

If it is just gluten...ahh, it's going to be tough figuring out where I'm getting it from.

If I do get the standard gluten reaction to corn I suppose I have to not just avoid corn but make sure I don't get even trace amounts of corn too, huh?

[Kamma]

If your corn source was popcorn, tortilla's and nacho's, cavernio, I would suspect the salt and msg content of those products. All of them, excepting the popcorn which would only have salt, would have high amounts of salt and msg.

Regarding the meats, what kind are you eating? Processed meats or are you cooking them yourself? Any kind of sandwich meats, sausage type meats or anything with a coating on it would contain high amounts of salt and msg. It can be hidden as well. I was buying frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts which only listed three ingredients: chicken and 'flavourings'. When I called up the company to ask what was in the 'flavourings', they said it was carageenan. Hah! That's a natural source of MSG!!!!!

So, MSG can be hidden under alot of names. If you're interested in charting that in your food intake you should check out this website:

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/

[PennyH]

Since going gluten free, I started having swollen hands when I wake up. After an hour or so they are better, they are not swollen huge. I use to get this when I had to much salt. I guess you can say they are more sore than swollen. Just curious if anyone else had this.

When I wake up I can't even move my fingers they are so stiff and painful. It takes a few minutes to slowly limber them up. They are mostly pain free for the rest of the day but by the end of the day they are sore again. I've had this for almost a year and it's the same after 6 weeks of gluten-free diet. I have very painful feet as well. I'm looking for answers, too!

[cavernio]

I try to eat only local organic meat for personal ethical reasons. That said, I'm sure it has a lot of salt in it, and the sandwich meat I eat I could easily see having MSG, although I would doubt the sausages do. I do like my sausages and sandwich meat. The sandwich meat is just such a nice, fast, easy, grain free, sugar free snack :-(

The tortillas were made from masa harina with lime and corn flour, and the popcorn isn't the bagged, seasoned already stuff (blech), and the nachos are plain corn chips with corn and sea salt and I had been making my own salsa for them. (Well, before going dairy free I would put cheese on them too.)
I do think I may have an MSG issue though regardless.


Thinking about you being pregnant and getting it, I don't know exactly when I started having the hurting hands and feet specifically, outside of the pressure-on-the-nerve type problems, but I do know that when I tried birth control pills for the first time a few years back was when my bloating got really awful, and I think the stiff, tingling, sore hands and feet came not long after that.
Hormonal changes can really screw things up, somehow. I have a cousin who had a growth in her brain that became cancerous only when she became pregnant, and the doctors warned her about it too, so it wasn't just coincidence.

Oh well, if I find anything interesting or new out I'll post again.

[Kamma]

I know, I know...I love sandwich meats too. As well as any kind of dried sausage. That was a huge let down when I knew I had to stop eating them.

But, I do feel great!

Do keep an eye on the msg thing and keep us posted. I'd be interested to see if it's part of the swollen limbs issue.

[BlueJean]

I have the same problem. Still trying to figure out what is causing it. At my worst, my hands, feet and eyes are swollen every morning. I'm starting to think its salt. Eating gluten free can be challenging and sometimes you choose not so healthy alternatives, at least I do, like chips or processed gluten free foods, which might be high in salt. I always used to blow up big time after eating chinese, but then Chinese food has all three baddies. Right now I'm being very good in the gluten department, but its still not cutting the mustard. I think I need to cut back on salt and possibly look for sources of MSG too. Please let us know if you figure it out.