eers03

Thanks for the tips. I am quite sensitive to caffeine so I don't drink any caffeine containing beverages after noon. I also am drinking my normal 120 ounces of water a day

 

I am 10 days into my gluten free and I am hoping the withdrawal symptoms go away in the next couple of days, the exhaustion is almost more than I can bear and the moodiness is horrid!! As for my restless sleep my dr explained this is because I am not absorbing any amino acids so I can't make neurotransmitters essential for sleep (this was confirmed with a NT test where I had like nothing other than a stress NT, can't remember the name of it. Sheesh I am not even producing cortisol anymore bc of my malnutrition).

 

 

Is it normal to be scared out of your mind that you are getting small amounts of gluten unknowingly while you are initially gluten free? I am petrified right now, but I know that if that were the case my withdrawal symptoms would most likely cease and I would get to start from square one all over again. 

 

I am hoping to feel better soon, right now I feel like absolute garbage and am not a happy camper. Thank you all once again for your support. 

It is absolutely normal to be paranoid about getting glutened!  Especially early on.  I have relaxed a little because I can only do so much.  I'm going to slip here or there and I just have to make sure to do my best not to let my guard down and consume it on accident.  I had a particularly difficult sleeping early on as well.  I'm not exactly a sound sleeper yet but its much improved.  It takes a LONG time.  You'll get there though.

I would stop taking the energy drink immediately until discussing the symptoms you mentioned above with your healthcare provider.  If he doesn't seem concerned, I would consider a second opinion on that one.  Energy drinks are not evaluated for safety in relevant clinical trials.  They have no contraindication labeling or drug to drug interaction labeling.  5 Hour has been linked to 13 deaths in the US.  Monster I believe is 11.  There are better ways to get sugar without all of the caffeine that comes with these drinks.

Heart irregularities are not something to be unsure of when you are consuming energy drinks.

Welcome to the forum!  You are in the right place.  I can't tell you how much reading what these gluten warriors post has helped me out in my daily life.

1. Bone Pain--I've had this too.  In my ribs, my collarbone, my wrists, my femur, all at some point or another.  Like you, I thought I had cancer.  I've been gluten-free about 6 months and most of that pain has gone away.  Still have some crop up here and there but overall is much resolved.  I take 2,000 IU's of Vitamin D every morning and most practitioners I have spoke with have been comfortable with it.  The Vitamin D acts as a bridge that allows calcium to cross and attach to bone in order to increase your bone density.  My Vitamin D was 30.  

2. Weight gain--I gained weight and then lost a bunch of weight before diagnosis.  I've been thin all my life, gained 10-15 pounds at one point, and then shedded lbs all the way down to 137lbs.  I started eating 3,000 gluten-free calories per day to get it back up and I'm sitting around 162 right now.  From my learnings, some people have trouble gaining weight for obvious reasons and then some people have issues losing or keeping it off.  If you are trying to lose it.  Lessen your caffeine intake, increase your water intake, reduce your gluten-free carb intake, increase your protein intake--ALL IN MODERATION.  Don't get all fired up and take such a diet to extremes and don't expect instant results!  If you are still working out, be careful not to carb starve yourself.  WATER, WATER, WATER.  The protein will make you feel fuller, the water will help your body get rid of wastes and toxins, the carbs are what your body tries to pull from first for energy and if there isn't much of it there to be had it will draw from fat reserves and muscle thereby reducing your weight.  MODERATION.  Carbs can be good, your brain needs them and so do you to get though a work out but track them and get your daily value.

3. Restless Sleep--Please forgive me for saying this...  Reduce your caffeine intake.  It sounds crazy trick your body.  If you drink coffee switch to a half-caff blend.  So in the morning you still feel like you are getting your coffee but the caffeine will be half.  The first couple days you'll feel the difference but after that, you will adjust.  Don't do your workouts late in the evening and if you lay around eating before bed it will make you sleep light anyhow.  This one will take time to make better but it will.  You're stressed about all these new sensations, aches, foods, norms, and it will occassionally keep you up at night.  Come to peace with your new lifestyle, don't be scared of some of the new aches, many of them will go away on their own when you least expect it.  Mine did.

4.  Extreme fatigue--Read number 3.  It certainly will not solve it but will get you headed on a better trajectory.  I went through this as well.  My issue was too much stress, too much caffeine during the day, and some anxiety/depression.  It's natural.  I made it through it.  I do not recommend over the counter sleep aids.  I did take a little melatonin at a low dose for no longer than probably a week when my sleeplessness was it its work.  Its over the counter but I made my doctor approve it and I recommend you do the same.

As for alcohol, caffeine, and not getting enough food/water...  These can all affect your bone density adversely.  Limit the caffeine.  As for the alcohol, your liver is probably already trying to repair itself and your body.  When you consume alcohol it has to work overtime on breaking down that alcohol which leaves it less time to heal itself, your body, and you.  Water helps it do its job.  Water will help reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins in your blood that cause inflammation.  

You're going to have some trial and error.  Find what works for you.  Don't walk around all day freaked out about your health like I did.  Eat gluten free, enjoy your day, enjoy your friends, thank God that you figured this thing out, and you'll do great!

PS--these are all things that worked for me.  To be safe you should run it all by your dietician or doctor to make sure it matches up with your needs.

WOW!  Last week I did the exact same thing with the exact same food!  I was working in a part of my territory that offers little of nothing to eat for our diet.  I was in a gas station and grabbed a bag of "Old Wisconsin" beef sticks.  I'd looked this brand up before and everything checked out.  I grabbed a different flavor this time.  Took my first bite and thought "man this is good!"  So instinctively I flip the bag around to read the ingredients when all of a sudden...

Off the top rope....

"contains wheat"--SLAM!!!!

I hadn't swallowed yet.  Grabbed the "One Stop" bag and spit it into the bag.  At the stoplight.  In front of others.  Everyone must have thought I was getting sick but no, just another day!!!  Shook it off, grabbed a can of nuts and rolled on.  #wheatsucks

Maybe Rick Perry has celiac. No wheat, barley, or... ummmm... emmm? What's that next one?

@Pegleg84 and Adalaide--Nicely done you two!