Please-- Is This Normal?

[julie nelson]

Hi, I was diagnosed with celiac disease at the end of Feb. (had no symptoms but anemia and low vitamin levels).

I have been very strictly gluten free since March 1st.

Is it normal for my body to go all haywire? I have been feeling like junk- like an all-over sick feeling, weird red splotches in my face I haven't had before (that come and go), and my weight is fluctuating like crazy- (every few days gaining 5 lbs over night and slowly losing the 5 lb over the next week- then it happens again.)

 

I feel like I don't even know my body anymore.

Did any of you go through something similar?

Thank you!

[nvsmom]

YES!  Withdrawal affects about a third of us, and we can really feel it in that first month.  Extra tired, and headaches... My stomach would act up for no reason.  Yuck.

 

That being said, the red splotches don't sound like celiac disease.  It sounds like a food allergy.  Is it possible that your body is not agreeing with a gluten-free food substitute?  Some people react to guar or xanthan gum. Carageenan (sp?) is bad for some.  Others react increases in foods that may have bothered them a bit in the past but the celiac disease overshadowed and hid the symptoms.  I didn't realize that apples and pears bothered me because I usually had a stomach ache when I ate.  It took me a few months to figure that one out because, well, what's one more stomachache?  LOL

 

Try keeping a food and symptom journal.  I may help.

Best wishes.

[julie nelson]

Thank you. I just did a search and found a lot of info on gluten detox/withdrawl. 

[cyclinglady]

Anemia was my only symtom at the time of my diagnosis. But I had seven weeks between my blood panel and my endoscopy and I ate gluten like crazy! It was a fond farewell, except I started getting all the traditional stomach issues like bloating, stomach pinching, etc.

It took about six months for the anemia to resolve and finally after two years, I feel normal! I also had many allergies and food intolerances that have improved or resolved.

Be sure to check our our Newbie 101 section under "Coping" to insure that you are not accidentally getting glutened. . That will just extend your healing time!

[flowerqueen]

Whilst I had bad symptoms before being diagnosed, I also had problems for a while after giving up gluten. It is the body's way of detoxing from what it perceives as poison (which it is to people with coeliac disease). Hang on in there, it will improve soon. I believe that it can effect any part of the body including the skin, as after all, it is the largest organ of the body.

[Zebra007]

I can relate.   I have had a nasty rash on and around my face for quite some time and once I cut out coffee it dropped from a level 10 to a level 4, so I knew I couldn't drink coffee, but I also knew I was still taking something else that my body was not happy with, and so I cut out  Almond Milk that many people buy as it had a couple of suspect additives, and within 2 weeks the rash has completely gone..

 

BUT I have another issue similar to yours, and that is a reddish blotch on my forehead that comes and goes, and I have a few tiny little red itchy spots that crop up around my hairline, and so at the moment I am trying to figure out what the cause of that is, I am pretty sure it is something else I am eating which I have missed for now.