Headaches

[blahblah]

I have been gluten free for maybe three months now. I had had diarrhea and headaches and stomach pain before. Now I am just getting the headaches. I had gotten them a lot espicially after walks before becoming gluten free. After gluten free it seemed like I didnt get as much and could take walks. Now I have noticed more sometimes after walks. They are mostly minor and go away after a bit. Before celiac they wernt minor. So I am wondering if it is something I am eating. The only things I can think of is Wendy's and  a local pizza place which im not sure if it has cross contamination. Should I stop eating at these places and see if I improve? I can't think of anything else. Is there any safe pizza places? Cross contamination is easy at those places. Domino's has good information on their website and seems to be the only place that cares.

[LauraTX]

Welcome to the forum!

 

So were you diagnosed as Celiac and went gluten-free three months ago?  If so, you are on the track to healing, but the healing may not be complete yet.  That just takes lots of time and we have to hurry up and wait for it.  The facts that your headaches have lessened definitely sounds like they were related to the untreated Celiac, and that further healing may help them.  If Domino's is the local pizza place you are eating at, that is undoubtedly where you may be getting cross contamination in your diet from.  Dominos has a statement on the pizza box and on their information that their gluten-free pizza is NOT for people with Celiac Disease, because of the high amount of gluten all over the place in the restaurant they cannot say the pizza as a whole is gluten-free.  They just use a gluten-free crust and smear gluteny contaminated ingredients all over it.  So, unless you personally know someone there who is going above and beyond for your specific case, they are likely not taking special precautions and using the same pans, sauce, spoons, ingredients, and gluteny hands to prepare that.

 

Wendy's can be a safe place to eat, but like any fast food place where the staff can be iffy, you have to watch yourself.  Ordering any item where they have to leave off the bread, etc that requires special instructions is very prone to them potentially messing it up.  Hopefully you are ordering off their gluten-free menu and not getting anything that is fried, as their fryer also fries things with breading(gluten) on them, and those items are all definitely NOT gluten-free.  I only eat at Wendy's when it is the only option on a road trip, and get a still-wrapped plain baked potato and a bowl of chili.  I have had them screw that up, even.  So, if you want to let us know what you are ordering and we can give you some tips, but overall it is best to severely limit eating out until you confidently feel like you are healed.  And after that, eat out with caution.

 

Wendy's uses a common cutting board, condiment spoons, and fryer.  So anything like grilled chicken that is cut on the same board as breaded chicken, fries that are int he same oil as breaded stuff, and condiments that have spoons in them that were used to smear that on a bun.... sadly are no-gos.  Open Original Shared Link, and anything with a square or moon next to the name is basically a no-go unless you feel that you can get them to use a clean knife, don't cut it, or other special instructions.  A lot of Wendy's can't even leave the onions off the cheeseburger so generally that is not going to happen safely.

 

Finding safe places to eat, especially pizza, can be hard.  Some national chains that can do it well are Mellow Mushroom, California Pizza Kitchen, some Pizza Huts, and BJ's Brewhouse.  There is also a website called Open Original Shared Link (they also have an app) and they have listings of places that have gluten-free menus.  Pay close attention to the reviews on there, though, because not all the places they list are safe for Celiacs and free from cross-contamination.  Also, even if a restaurant has gluten-free offerings, you do still need to do some questioning every time you go, and alert them to your eating gluten-free because it is medically necessary.  Even with all that, some people do not take us Celiacs seriously and eating out can always be a crapshoot on if you will get sick that time.  (That is why it is best to limit it when you are first healing after diagnosis, otherwise it will take a very long time to heal, if ever.)

 

Also, check out our newbie info 101 thread here for some other good information we have compiled that may help you figure out where you could still be getting gluten in your diet.  If you are going to feed gluten to family members, there are some special precautions to take in your kitchen to keep you safe.  Otherwise if you are going to make your kitchen gluten-free, you will want to pick up a few new items that just can't fully be cleaned of gluten, like the toaster, colanders, and crusty baking pans.

[kareng]

You get a headache when you go outside and walk? And they go away when you have been inside for a while? Maybe you have an allergy to something outside like pollen or grass or mold?

[StClair]

I'm three weeks out from diagnosis, and my headaches have improved dramatically. One of my familiar headache triggers over the last 25 years has been vigorous exercise in heat. If I avoid that, I avoid a lot of headaches, so I really understand about the walking. I will not eat out at a restaurant at all at this point and don't know if I ever will again, if it is not a purposely gluten-free restaurant. It is just not worth it to me. I have gone with friends and ordered hot tea and used my own tea bag though.

I might be a bit extreme, though.

[blahblah]

It is probably not an allergy as they happened in the winter as well. I don't think it's dehydration. It does seem like the faster I go on walks the worse the headache. This week I went at my own pace and for a shorter distance and no headache. It is not a dominos. Its just a local place. I guess I dont see how its worth it to go to any pizza place again there is so much rid for cc. And you are right about Wendy's no one speaks English. I have been eating there weekly does that mean I will never heal haha. I guess I will stop going out to eat and see if the headaches improve. How long does it normally take to improve when starting gluten-free?

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.

 

I agree that eating out may have to be eliminated for a while, or just order drinks while socializing.  It's pretty difficult to stay safe when eating at fast food restaurants.

 

Headaches with exercise can happen, although I don't think it is directly linked to celiac disease.  Headaches and migraines can be caused by celiac disease, but they aren't usually set off by exercise.  You might want to ask your doctor about it.

 

You asked how long it normally takes to improve after going gluten-free?  It really varies.  Most people will notice some improvements in bloating and stomach pain in the first few weeks.  Headaches often improve around then too.  Hair loss, bowel movements and fatigue will often get better in the first 6 months.  Some symptoms like anxiety, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, cognitive issues, and arthralgias can take over a year to get better.  I think things for me improved as much as they were ever going to after 2 years gluten-free.

 

Best wishes.

[blahblah]

Yeah the fatigue hasn't really improved for me either. Maybe that is another cc thing.

[blahblah]

took it more show on long walk today with water and yet another headache. I feel like I am going crazy sometimes because they are more minor. Sometimes it seems like they are there and other times more so. Had anyone else experienced this?

[kareng]

Are you anemic? That's common for a new Celiac. That would explain the headaches upon exercise. and explain why they are getting better as you heal.

[blahblah]

I was tested for that before celiac disease and apparently I am not. I am still getting heartburn too. When is all this bulls$#& going to go away? I just want to live life like any other human being.