Muscle Twitching

[Lady Barbara]

Hi everyone out there. I've been scouring the Internet for information regarding tingling and muscle twitching, which I am experiencing mainly in my calf muscles. I have recently (a couple of months) started a gluten free diet and was starting to feel better after a horrible 3 week detox when I just wanted to crawl into a corner and die. I had been ill on and off for about 18 months with what the doctors told me was probably viral illnesses. I kept going back to my GP and after many investigations I was basically told I was bowel obsessed!! So, having lost all faith in GP's, I went to see a naturopath which was where I discovered that I had a high intolerance to gluten, plus lactose and several other foods. So, having started to feel better after the detox episode, I inadvertently ate gluten in the form of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate Easter rabbit. I had been able to have a bit of chocolate occasionally with no problem but it wasn't until I visited the Ferrero Rocher website that I discovered that all their chocolate contains gluten - beware. After eating this, my legs began tingling and then the twitching started. My legs are also very achey which does not feel like the regular aches and pains when my lower back plays up. This has now been ngoing on for over 2 weeks and I am getting very anxious as to just how much longer I will have these horrible symptoms. I have felt pretty rough in myself too, fatigue, upset stomach, etc., but these issues are starting to mprove. I am guessing that I have just injured my intestines again after they had started to heal and that I am not absorbing my nutrients. Funny though, The leg problems were not there before I started the gluten free diet??

If anyone can shed any light on this for me, I would be most grateful as I think I am going slowly crazy!

[LauraTX]

Hi Barbara and welcome!  I took your reply to that years old topic and made it into a new one for you so you will get more responses.  You definitely at least have a gluten intolerance like you said, but because you were never tested for Celiac disease the possibility of it actually being the case hasn't been ruled out.  A lot of people get neuro symptoms when they are glutened and hopefully a few will chime in here.  Some people find that after being away from gluten for a time, their exposure reactions seem to get more severe, so that could explain the leg problems that you just notice now.

[NatureChick]

I had a whole bunch of problems that didn't improve until after I realized that I also had vitamin deficiencies and started treating them. 

I do understand the distaste for doctors, having had too many of them dismiss my concerns as well, but I would get tested for deficiencies before supplementing, and only take those that you need. Many supplements are synthetic, have side effects when taken in too high a dose, or can create additional symptoms if you already have too much in your body so testing can help you avoid taking anything you don't need.

If you've already gone gluten free, there are plenty of people here who will make a fuss about you not knowing for certain whether or not you have celiac. But whether or not you choose to eat gluten again in order to get the test is a personal decision. If you feel better and don't need any additional motivation in order to stay gluten-free, the only disadvantages are that many people who have no business judging you won't take your food intolerance seriously (including doctors), and you won't know if you had vilii damage or if it has healed.