Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Migraines And Going Gluten Free


helennaomi

Recommended Posts

helennaomi Newbie

Hello everyone, I really need your help. I have been getting debilitating migraines for years. The left side of my face will go numb, I can't speak without slurring, and sometimes my face sags, and my left arm and hand go numb. I have been going to a neurologist who sent me to a sleep specialist. They said I had narcolepsy, based on no symptoms other than my brainwaves while sleeping. The neurologist suggested that I go gluten free and see what happens. I have been gluten free 6 weeks ago. 1 week in, I stopped having migraines and then went 23 days without one. That is unheard of in my world. Then about 30 days in I tried gluten again and got the worst migraine ever. The neurologist said I was allergic to gluten and not to eat it anymore. I have had a migraine every day since and I don't know how to make it stop. I haven't been eating gluten, but I am not sure about cross-contamination. I am not doing anything I didn't do the first 30 days. One of the weeks I have had a migraine I was on my period, but it has come and gone and still my migraine is here. I am so miserable. I was wondering if I should go get all new stuff for my kitchen. Or if I am doing something else with shampoo or makeup. I am just at a loss and I am hoping someone else has had the same issue. The first 30 days were a life changers and now I am not sure what happened. Thank you in advance.

 


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



moosemalibu Collaborator

I don't know if this happens to everyone - but it happened to me. I went gluten-free for about a month just like you did. Then I did a gluten challenge for diagnostic purposes for 3 weeks. Now I am one week out and I am getting headaches pretty much every day since I stopped eating gluten this time around. I think it's normal withdrawal from gluten. Perhaps it is more difficult the second time around than the first... I hope you feel better soon!

cyclinglady Grand Master

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

 

I hope you feel better soon!  Check out the above link that will take you to a thread within this forum.  It contains tips about going gluten free and covers cross contamination.  

 

I never got migraines, but I know that each time I've been accidentally glutened -- my symptoms return stronger and last longer!  For some it can take three weeks to recover from a glutening!  

mamaw Community Regular

Hello everyone, I really need your help. I have been getting debilitating migraines for years. The left side of my face will go numb, I can't speak without slurring, and sometimes my face sags, and my left arm and hand go numb. I have been going to a neurologist who sent me to a sleep specialist. They said I had narcolepsy, based on no symptoms other than my brainwaves while sleeping. The neurologist suggested that I go gluten free and see what happens. I have been gluten free 6 weeks ago. 1 week in, I stopped having migraines and then went 23 days without one. That is unheard of in my world. Then about 30 days in I tried gluten again and got the worst migraine ever. The neurologist said I was allergic to gluten and not to eat it anymore. I have had a migraine every day since and I don't know how to make it stop. I haven't been eating gluten, but I am not sure about cross-contamination. I am not doing anything I didn't do the first 30 days. One of the weeks I have had a migraine I was on my period, but it has come and gone and still my migraine is here. I am so miserable. I was wondering if I should go get all new stuff for my kitchen. Or if I am doing something else with shampoo or makeup. I am just at a loss and I am hoping someone else has had the same issue. The first 30 days were a life changers and now I am not sure what happened. Thank you in advance.

Hello

I  have  been a  migraine  sufferer most  of  my life... Ten  years ago  when I went  gluten-free  the  migraines  lessened  , now  I get  them  when the  weather  changes...always  bad, no lights, noise, lots  of pressure  (head exploding), shakiness, vomiting...they  can  last  for  an  hour  or  for  several days...I tried  the  migraine  meds  but  didn't  help  & I felt  like a  space  cadet...for  years  Excedrin was  my  help but  docs  yelled about  me  taking  it  too much  &  too often but  when  you have a migraine  you have  a migraine! So  a  doc  suggested  I  drink coffee when I  feel one  coming  on  or  just  drink coffee each  day. It took me  a  good  while to learn to drink  coffee .And  I will say no other caffeine would  help ie: coke, pepsi...a person told  me  warm coke  fixed  them  so I tried  warmed  coke , YUCK , vomiting  for  an  hour  after...After  I  went  through menopause  the  migraines  have gotten better  except  for the  darn  weather  changes....Now  I  try to  eat  protein, very hot  then very cold  on my  neck & head for 10-15 minutes  each, banana popsicles  until  my  throat  feels  frozen  & I'm  shivering cold....rest peace  & quiet...

 

now  to being  safe  & gluten-free.....

there is  a newbie  post on here to help...Any pot,pans, utensils, cutting  board, toaster, plastic  items  , Teflon that  are  scratched needs to be  replaced. If  you have  stainless  then they are okay unless  they  were  gorged  to  make  deep scratches...

if  you have  others  who  are not gluten-free in your  house  get  your  own jars  of  peanut butter, jelly, mustard  &  things  that others  will be dipping into  . Or  else  train them  to  use  a spoon  to  dip into the  jar  & never  put  the spoon near  wheat bread ...

You  can only  sick ill from  gluten  if   its  gets  to  your intestinal  tract so  per say shampoo  wouldn't  make  you sick unless  you  ate  some. lipstick is  one  I  would  watch tho  as  we  do  lick our  lips  & ingest  lipstick...

Some  super  sensitive  people do  react  to  things with gluten  on their  skin  but  it is  not  intestinal  woes  but maybe  hives, itchy  skin, rashes & such  ....

As a  founder  of  a support group I  suggest  to  start out  with  things that  are  naturally gluten-free  ie: plain meats, fish, veggies, fruits.  season your  own  .. Use  nothing  that  is  marinated, seasoned,  breaded, rubs, or  dusted unless  it  stated  gluten-free  on the  label..

Its  also good  to  stay  away  from process gluten-free  foods to give  yourself a  chance  to heal & feel better. Think  clean  eating, more healthier  anyway...

 

hth

blessings

 

mamaw

helennaomi Newbie

Thank you sooooooo much everyone.

NoGlutenCooties Contributor

Just wanted to mention that I've only had a few migraines in my life and used to get them once in awhile when I was highschool.  Then a few weeks after going gluten-free I started to get headaches in the morning that felt as if they wanted to turn into migraines, although they didn't.  I finally figured out that I was having a reaction to my multi-vitamin - I think maybe because it has iron it in.  I had been taking it with breakfast, which for me is a glass of whey protein.  While I was eating gluten, it never bothered me.  Now that I'm gluten-free I have to wait until lunch to take my multi-vitamin so that I'm taking it with a substantial amount of solid food.  I think I'm actually absorbing more of the multi-vitamin now, especially the iron, and I'm actually absorbing enough of it now that I have to take it with food.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,176
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Ceekay
    Newest Member
    Ceekay
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jane878
      By the time I was 5 I had my first auto0immune disorder, Migraine headaches, with auras to blind me, and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. I was 5 years old, and my stepfather would have pizza night, milling his own flour, making thick cheesy gluten pizza, that I would eat and the next day, I would have serious migraines, and my mother & stepfather did nothing about my medical problems. When I was 17 in my first year at college, I was diagnosed with my 2nd known auto-immune disorder, Meniere's disease. I was a elite athlete, a swimmer, and soccer player. And once again my parents didn't think anything of understanding why I had a disorder only older people get. Now after my mother passed from Alzheimer's disease she also suffered with living with gluten. She had a rash for 30 years that nobody could diagnose. She was itchy for 45 years total. My brother had a encapsulated virus explodes in his spleen and when this happened his entire intestines were covered with adhesions, scar tissue and he almost lost his life. He has 5 daughters, and when I finally was diagnosed after being pregnant and my body went into a cytokine storm, I lost my chance to have children, I ended up having Hashimoto's disease, Degenerative Disc disease, and my body started to shut down during my first trimester. I am 6ft tall and got down to 119lbs. My husband and I went to a special immunologist in Terrace, California. They took 17 vials of blood as we flew there for a day and returned home that evening. In 3 weeks, we had the answer, I have Celiac disease. Once this was known, only my father and husband made efforts to change their way of feeding me. At the family cabin, my stepfather & mother were more worried that I would ruin Thanksgiving Dinner. It wasn't until one of my cousins was diagnosed with Celiac disease. They finally looked into getting Gluten Free flour and taking measures to limit "gluten" in meals. He did nothing but ask for me to pay for my own food and wi-fi when I came to the cabin to stay after our house burned down. When he informed my mother, they proceeding to get into a physical fight and she ended up with a black eye. The is just more trauma for me. Sam had no interest in telling the truth about what he wanted. He lied to my mother that he had asked my husband if I could pay for "food" when he asked Geoffrey if I had money to pay for my wi-fi. My mother hates when he spends so much time on the computer so he lied and said I could pay for my own food. I will remind you I weighed 119lbs at this time. (At 6ft) that is a very sick looking person. Neither parent was worried about my weight, they just fought about how cheap my stepfather was. As my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. He had her sign over the will to a trust and added his children. He had no testimonial capacity at the time, so she signed without proper papers. Making this Trust null and void. When I gave my brother my childhood home, my mother stated I would be getting an equal part of inheritance to the house on Race. It currently worth 2.0 million $. I got nothing, and my stepfather has since disowned me b/c of my claim and he knows that my mother would never have left it uneven between my biological brother and myself. She sat me and my husband down, as we lived at the Race Street house and treated and took care of it as our own. My brother took over b/c he was going through a horrific divorce and needed a home so he could get a better custody deal with his soon to be ex-wife who was a Assist DA for Denver. She used the girls against him, and he & I were the primary caregivers. We, Judd and I spent the most time with them pre the divorce. Once Judd moved into the house, he threw all of my mother, grandmother and my family heirlooms out to the Goodwill. Nobody told my mother about this as she was going through cancer treatment and had Alzheimer's disease in her mother and her sister. My stepfather and biological brother took advantage of this matter, as I called a "family council" that my brother just never could make it to at the last moment. All of the furnishing, kitchen ware, everything was in the house my brother just moved into. He had had 2 weddings, I chose to elope b/c my stepfather ruined my brother's first wedding by talking about his relationship with my brother in front of my dad and his entire family, insulting him and having my grandfather leave the ceremony. It was a disaster. My stepfather just plays dumb and blames my father for the slight. I was the only child not to have a wedding. So, my mother and stepfather never had to pay for a thing. My mother had had an agreement with my father he'd pay for college and all medical issues with their kids, myself and Judd. So truly my mother never had to pay for anything big for me in her entire life. I am looking for anyone that has had a similar story, where they grew up in a household that had a baker that regularly milled flour and ate gluten. What happened to you? DId you suffer from different auto-immune diseases b/c of living with a baker using "gluten" Please let me know. I have been looking into legal ways to get my stepfather to give me what my mother had promised, and he erased. Thank you for listening to my story. Jane Donnelly  
    • trents
      Possibly gluten withdrawal. Lot's of info on the internet about it. Somewhat controversial but apparently gluten plugs into the same neuro sensors as opiates do and some people get a similar type withdrawal as they do when quitting opiates. Another issue is that gluten-free facsimile flours are not fortified with vitamins and minerals as is wheat flour (in the U.S. at least) so when the switch is made to gluten-free facsimile foods, especially if a lot of processed gluten-free foods are being used as substitutes, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can result. There is also the possibility that she has picked up a virus or some but that is totally unrelated to going gluten-free.
    • Sheila mellors
      I asked about the new fruit and nut one and the Dietician said yes I could eat it safely. Hooe this helps
    • Heatherisle
      Daughter has started gluten free diet this week as per gastroenterologists suggestion. However says she feels more tired and like she’s been hit by a train. I suggested it could be the change to gluten free or just stress from the endoscopy last week catching up with her. Just wondering if feeling more tired is a normal reaction at this stage. I suppose it’s possible some gluten might have been present without realising. Have tried to reassure her it’s not going to resolve symptoms overnight
    • DAR girl
      Looking for help sourcing gluten-free products that do not contain potato or corn derived ingredients. I have other autoimmune conditions (Psoriatic Arthritis and Sjogrens) so I’m looking for prepared foods as I have fatigue and cannot devote a lot of time to baking my own treats. 
×
×
  • Create New...