Exhaustion Worse After gluten-free

[moosemalibu]

I am newly diagnosed - last week in fact. And I am more exhausted this week, especially the past 2 days than any other time prior. I don't know if that means resources are going to healing but I'm just physically exhausted. Maybe my emotional distress is manifesting physically too. I don't know. Anyone else experience this?

[notme]

yes, ma'am, i sure did - you sound like you are going through withdrawal.  the good news is:  you must be doing a good job of keeping yourself gluten-free, so your body is 'missing' it.  for me, it felt like the flu.  it knocked me on my butt (right into the bed lolz) for a couple of weeks but then it went away.  i started feeling a little better each day.  take it easy on yourself (and i think healing makes you tired, too, and i still get a little tired when i eat dairy - it's like it takes all my body's energy to digest it sometimes - it's a little better all the time, though!)  get a bunch of rest, drink alot of water, i took very hot showers and they seemed to help.  mostly rest, though, and try not to be so cranky - it's the gluten making it's last stand lolz  - hang in there!  

[moosemalibu]

Wow - withdrawel symptoms. That I never expected. Is there anything else that I should expect? Thanksf or validating me!

[notme]

yeah, it was kind of a shocker to me too!  i would expect you will go through grieving, too - that was a surprise, too.  it *is* a big life change (the bell you can't un-ring, so to speak....  ) so, it's normal to mourn your 'old' lifestyle/to miss your comfort foods/to get used to the *never* word....  but, as you go along, and merge your 'old' life with your 'new' one, it's pretty good.  i thought i had one foot in the grave when i was dx'd, now i feel younger than i have felt in a very long while.  and it keeps getting better (i had lots of damage, i would guess i'm STILL healing) i continue to see improvements.  even things one would never associate with the dreaded gluten     take it one day at a time -on this forum, you're among (probably) the biggest group of people in one place who understand that it's not 'just a diet'    rest up, you'll feel better soon  

 

ps - i can now do 2 (TWO) things in one day - i never believed i would ever have the energy to go to, say, a ball game and a picnic in the same day.  i used to couldn't  

[notme]

oh, yeah, and if you drink alcohol, be aware that your tolerance may change.  i am more of a 'cheap date' now, lolz, and if i drink chardonnay, i better have bail $$$  

[w8in4dave]

OMG Yea I am 3 months in and I had some gluten free Mac and cheese yesterday .... It hit me like a rock!! Right away !! , , then this morning Ohhh geeze!! Not good! , and boom a feather could of hit me and I'd of been knocked down .. It took me a while to figure it out but dang gone it!! I will try to remember not to eat gluten free mac and cheese for what ever time they say.. Thats all I did and boom hit me like a rick! Arrrrggg!! Still paying for it ! pffttt!! 

[kareng]

Just a thought. People who are healing something tend to need more sleep and maybe a little extra food. Combined with the fact that you may not be eating the same nutrients, fiber, etc.....you have a reason to be tired.

[answerseeker]

OMG Yea I am 3 months in and I had some gluten free Mac and cheese yesterday .... It hit me like a rock!! Right away !! , , then this morning Ohhh geeze!! Not good! , and boom a feather could of hit me and I'd of been knocked down .. It took me a while to figure it out but dang gone it!! I will try to remember not to eat gluten free mac and cheese for what ever time they say.. Thats all I did and boom hit me like a rick! Arrrrggg!! Still paying for it ! pffttt!!

What does the gluten-free Mac n cheese do to you? Is it the cheese or the fact that its processed? Month 1 for me was just whole foods but then I started introducing gluten-free packaged foods and bam! Almost right back where I was except the pain. My husband noticed I am more "sluggish" after eating gluten-free foods and I get bloated too

[w8in4dave]

What does the gluten-free Mac n cheese do to you? Is it the cheese or the fact that its processed? Month 1 for me was just whole foods but then I started introducing gluten-free packaged foods and bam! Almost right back where I was except the pain. My husband noticed I am more "sluggish" after eating gluten-free foods and I get bloated too

I think it is because of the lactose , I can only guess , Other than that I have noooo Idea!! I have been so very careful and checking everything. I have had some Gluten free noodles, but this is the 1st time I have had a Gluten free Mac and cheese product It was by "Annes" I believe. had a lil bunny on it. But I have been Lactose Free and Gluten Free for 3 months and it didn't dawn on me till today what it "MIGHT" of been ... because alot of Celiacs need to be Lactose free . for a while anyway? Not sure how long/

[answerseeker]

Yeah I haven't been as careful with the lactose as I should be. It's so hard to give up so much

[1desperateladysaved]

_{Give yourself some downtime whenever you can.  Your body really is working hard.}

 

_D

[moosemalibu]

I probably need to be taking in more calories than I am currently right now. I take in roughly 1400-1600 calories and I strength train 5x/week for an hour to hour and a half. I cut the cardio completely as I am too exhausted to do it.  I'm probably doing too much. But I enjoy the training aspect too much to completely cut it for now. I don't lift heavy anymore, just light to moderate weight and high reps. 

 

I agree with everyone about the lactose intolerance - it's probably the worst part of this whole adaptation for me. I love cottage cheese and greek yogurt. I cut it out but I miss it terribly.

[moosemalibu]

oh, yeah, and if you drink alcohol, be aware that your tolerance may change.  i am more of a 'cheap date' now, lolz, and if i drink chardonnay, i better have bail $$$  

I definitely don't have a tolerance for alcohol at all just because I've abstained for almost a year as it is. Adding this to it I think I'd have a sip and be just silly. haha

[w8in4dave]

Wow!! You work out alot!! I don't know how you have the energy!! I try and go for a walk every day. Sometimes it is exhausting!! I cannot  even think about working out!! I am glad someone has some energy!! But really I don't know how you do it!! 

[moosemalibu]

Yeah... I love it. I would love to compete in body building so I have that added enthusiasm that most people don't have. But I have felt the energy just ooze out of me and this week especially has been hard. My workouts last an hour max and I am just spent.

[eers03]

You need more calories.  If you are strength training and only consuming 1400-1600 calories, that is most likely not adequate.  If you are Celiac, you are not absorbing everything you need from a nutrient perspective already, then you burn the rest up on exercise...  Additionally, have you drastically reduced your carb intake?  Hopefully not if you are active.  You'll need those carbs.  I inadvertently cut my carbs drastically.  When I went gluten free, I mistakenly was eating an Atkins-esque diet without meaning to.  I didn't know the right way to cut out gluten and ended up not getting carbs.  I eventually started experiencing Ketosis.  Bad stuff.  I dropped to 137 lbs and I'm 5'11.

 

I started eating 2800-3000 calories per day and stopped working out altogether to get my weight up.  7-8 months later, I'm checking in at 172 and have finally started biking and went for a run last night.  Anyhow, when my caloric intake was down along with my weight, I was tired, anxious, and depressed.

 

You may not be in the same boat as I was but you are working out much harder than I was and you aren't getting enough calories in my opinion but then again, I don't know what your fitness/health goals are...

[moosemalibu]

Thanks for your reply Eers. I eat about 120-160 grams of carbs per day so I know I'm not going to the ketotic route. I figured I was probably too low on the calorie scale as everything is just going right through me with the D and all. I posed this question to my doctor via online message and she has not gotten back to me yet. I don't want to drastically increase my calories at once (plus I'm not that hungry - hitting my goal for the day is difficult right now). I'll likely increase it by 100 calories or so a week and get to a happy place. I don't think I'd ever give up working out. It's therapy for me.

 

My goal is to compete in bodybuilding at some point so I'd like not to gain a lot right now as I'm trying to do a cut but I realize that may not be feasible right now in my life. Sigh.