Symptoms Worse After Starting The Diet?

[Raeanne]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm new to the forum and new to all of this... A quick synopsis: a friend recently told me I should look into gluten intolerance as a potential source of my strange symptoms, and lent me the book 'Life After Bread' by Dr. Eydi Bauer. I read the book and was shocked at how many symptoms I've experienced in my life: continued digestive distress diagnosed as IBS, irregular periods and endometriosis, eczema, depression, fatigue, bloating. But the kicker was that I never knew joint pain, swelling and arthritis had a connection to gluten. I've been struggling with a knee trauma that wouldn't heal, and after continued rounds of PT kept swelling and has caused all kinds of structural and alignment issues/pain in my body. In the past couple months, I've suddenly developed a swollen, painful right knuckle and wrist pain. An MRI in my knee revealed arthritis (I'm only 32) and my rheumatologist and all of the tests say it's not rheumatoid, thankfully, but something strange is going on.

 

Thanks to my friend's advice, I am now investigating diet as the culprit. I just ordered my Enterolab tests and started eating a gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and egg-free diet 10 days ago. I'm also vegetarian (eat fish occasionally) so the diet has been a real challenge. Fortunately I like to cook and have already been cutting down on gluten over the past couple years anyway, so it has been manageable. I'm pretty sure that I have been 100% gluten free, but I have not yet fully cut out products (like bulk foods, nuts, etc.) that may have been processed in the same facility as gluten products. 

 

Anyway, to get to my question... It has been less than 2 weeks, and I have noticed an increase in my symptoms. I've been pretty bloated, had constipation last week (fortunately seems to have subsided), but what's most scary is that I've started experiencing numbness in my fingers and thumb on my left hand. It happens in the morning and takes about 10 minutes to go away, then pops up a little during the day. I looked it up, and read that neuropathy also has a connection with gluten/celiac. Is it possible that my diet is triggering this and other symptoms to intensify? 

 

I also am not yet seeing a significant, consistent impact on the arthritic pain in the morning (fingers and wrists). My knee, however, seems to be less inflamed.

 

I am wondering if it's normal for symptoms to appear and get more intense during the withdrawal process? Since most of my symptoms are not digestive, it is unclear if it's diet-related. I've read that it takes at least 30 days for the diet to really take effect, so perhaps I'm just being impatient... but any advice or input would be very much appreciated!

 

Thank you!

Raeanne

[shadowicewolf]

You are probably going through gluten withdrawl.

[Scarletgrrrl]

If you want to get properly diagnosed for gluten sensitivity/celiac you actually need to continue eating gluten. When you do give up gluten, it will take a while for your body to recover. If you are highly sensitive to gluten you will have to be careful of cross-contamination. I have replaced my old toaster, but haven't had a chance to buy new wooden spoons. My symptoms flared up last night just from using a wooden spoon which has been used with foods which have gluten in them.

[1desperateladysaved]

My bloating went wild after I went gluten free.  I looked 5 months pregnant at 3 weeks gluten free.  That is when I asked the MD, "What on Earth."  Other symptoms that were difficult were fatigue and brain fog.  As time went on, I had higher highs and some disappointing lows, but the lowest lows seemed to be followed by the highest highs.  Hang on.  I don't know what patterns you will find, but I expect they will bring better health to you.  You surely have a positive reaction to a gluten free diet.  I am counting any reaction, good or bad to be a "good one."

 

Get well.  Be tested, if you need to as soon as possible..

 

D

[Raeanne]

If you want to get properly diagnosed for gluten sensitivity/celiac you actually need to continue eating gluten. When you do give up gluten, it will take a while for your body to recover. If you are highly sensitive to gluten you will have to be careful of cross-contamination. I have replaced my old toaster, but haven't had a chance to buy new wooden spoons. My symptoms flared up last night just from using a wooden spoon which has been used with foods which have gluten in them.

 

Thanks for the tips, Scarletgrrrl. I am ordering tests from Enterolab, however, and their website explains that you can eat a gluten-free diet while being tested so long as you haven't been gluten-free for a significant amount of time, as in 6 months or more. It's a stool test, hence the difference, so I'm not worried about it.

 

I had no idea about the wooden spoons, though! Crazy!

[Raeanne]

My bloating went wild after I went gluten free.  I looked 5 months pregnant at 3 weeks gluten free.  That is when I asked the MD, "What on Earth."  Other symptoms that were difficult were fatigue and brain fog.  As time went on, I had higher highs and some disappointing lows, but the lowest lows seemed to be followed by the highest highs.  Hang on.  I don't know what patterns you will find, but I expect they will bring better health to you.  You surely have a positive reaction to a gluten free diet.  I am counting any reaction, good or bad to be a "good one."

 

Get well.  Be tested, if you need to as soon as possible..

 

D

 

Thanks for your input, D. I am glad I'm not the only one suffering with the bloating, fatigue and brain fog. Fortunately it seems to already be improving. I'm sorry to hear about your "lowest lows" though... they were purely caused by the diet alone? I'm hoping I don't experience that same effect.

[kareng]

Enterolab's "Do it yourself lab tests" cannot diagnosis Celiac disease.  Why don't you want to get a legitimate diagnosis?  One you could use if you are ever hospitalized or as a reason to get your kids tested?

 

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[Raeanne]

Enterolab's "Do it yourself lab tests" cannot diagnosis Celiac disease.  Why don't you want to get a legitimate diagnosis?  One you could use if you are ever hospitalized or as a reason to get your kids tested?

 

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Yes, I am aware of this. I had a "legitimate" blood test 3 years ago that came out normal, and so it wasn't until recently that I even considered gluten could be part of my problem. I am fairly sure I don't have celiac, and I don't have or plan on having kids. I really just want to know if I have intolerance, sensitivity, or the genes for any of those so that's what I've ordered. I don't even have a doctor that's in on this -- I"m doing it all on my own.