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Headaches When First Going Gluten Free?

weekendwarrior

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weekendwarrior Apprentice
weekendwarrior
Posted

Hi everyone!

I've been eating a fully gluten free diet for the past week - and yesterday (the 7 day mark), I ended up getting a headache from mid afternoon until evening.

I thought nothing of it until I got the exact same headache today. I read some sites that this could be a "wheat withdrawal?"

I was curious if anyone else dealt with this when starting out, or if this is (bad pun alert) all in my head?

Thanks guys!!

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emma6 Enthusiast
emma6
Posted

yes i had a constant headache for the first two weeks along with dizzyness, fatigue, nausea it was really intense, i constantly felt like the room was spinnig even when i was lying down but it slowly got better :)

i went back to the doctor i was seeing because it was so bad she wouldn't believe me and said it was impossible to have withdrawls from gluten and i just wasn't eating enough. even though i was eating every hour and more than ever. it was definetely withdrawls i had the exact same reaction six months earlier when i had tried to go gluten free for a few days.

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Yep, lots of us have gone through gluten withdrawal. Headaches are one symptom reported, also stark raving, 24/7 starvation like you could eat a mountain of food & do & 20 min. later you're starving again, irritability to downright meanness, aches & pains..... & many others so if you get off with just headaches then you're not doing so bad. Please understand, I am not making light of your headaches AT ALL and I really hope they don't last too long for you.

I can hear you asking how long? Everyone is an individual so we have differing symptoms & time frames for getting through it. Most people, I would say, get off at about 2 weeks although some take longer. I was about 2 months.

weekendwarrior Apprentice
weekendwarrior
Posted
  • Author

Well that explains a LOT!!

I've been hungry around the clock for the past few days! These headaches are the tension ones that run from the back of your neck, around the top of your head and into your eyes - it's not fun at all, but at least I know it's a temporary thing. 

I've increased my water and am trying to eat "filling" things (protein, etc) - I'm hoping things start to align and I feel back to normal.

 

 

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

It will/can help if you sort of turn your meals upside down. In this, I mean, eat for breakfast something like you would eat for dinner. In the morning, eat protein & fat & plenty of it. Have fatty steak for breakfast along with fruit & whatever else. For snacks during the day, things like apple slices or bananas with peanut butter. For now, don't worry about how much you eat. Your body is trying to heal & absorb nutrients so don't hold back. Don't worry about weight or anything. EAT, just EAT. I was so bad, I would finish breakfast & I swear, within 10 minutes I was starving again. I would literally vacuum with one hand while eating an apple slathered with peanut butter with the other hand.

Whenever you eat protein make sure to have some fat with it. It will help but you still will be hungry a LOT until it finally all levels off. Nuts are a great snack, having protein & fat all in one shot. 

  • 1 month later...
hewitt Rookie
hewitt
Posted

My daughter has been gluten free now for 18 months. She gets a migraine at least once a month. Her dr. gave her Imitrex however it doesnt seem to help her. Her headaches last for 4 to 5 days every time. When she visited her gastro specialist she mentioned her headaches and the specialist  said  headaches werent Celiac related. I find this hard to believe as everything Ive read says otherwise! 

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted
7 minutes ago, hewitt said:

My daughter has been gluten free now for 18 months. She gets a migraine at least once a month. Her dr. gave her Imitrex however it doesnt seem to help her. Her headaches last for 4 to 5 days every time. When she visited her gastro specialist she mentioned her headaches and the specialist  said  headaches werent Celiac related. I find this hard to believe as everything Ive read says otherwise! 

Some headaches are Celiac related.  But, if they are, they should go away on a gluten-free diet.  They might return if you eat gluten.

It is very possible to have migraines that have nothing to do with Celiac.  I don't know her age, but, for me, I got some that were  hormone related.  They can be related to certain foods.  You might want to read some reputable info about migraines (not people with names like "migraine Mommy" or people who call them selves doctors but are not MDs.)

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted
2 hours ago, hewitt said:

My daughter has been gluten free now for 18 months. She gets a migraine at least once a month. Her dr. gave her Imitrex however it doesnt seem to help her. Her headaches last for 4 to 5 days every time. When she visited her gastro specialist she mentioned her headaches and the specialist  said  headaches werent Celiac related. I find this hard to believe as everything Ive read says otherwise! 

I am assuming her GI orders follow-up celiac antibodies testing since her initial diagnosis?  

tessa25 Rising Star
tessa25
Posted
3 hours ago, hewitt said:

My daughter has been gluten free now for 18 months. She gets a migraine at least once a month. Her dr. gave her Imitrex however it doesnt seem to help her. Her headaches last for 4 to 5 days every time. When she visited her gastro specialist she mentioned her headaches and the specialist  said  headaches werent Celiac related. I find this hard to believe as everything Ive read says otherwise! 

Migraines can possibly be a sign of magnesium deficiency amongst other things. Once I started taking magnesium my migraines immediately stopped happening. I never got tested for it, just gave it a try. This was before celiac. Maybe her new diet has less magnesium or some other nutrient she needs.

 

  • 2 months later...
hewitt Rookie
hewitt
Posted

Thanks for the advice. Yes my daughter had a follow up appointment with her gastro specialist . She goes every 6 months at first and then once a year after that. She is currently taking a magnesium suppliment so hopefully that will help with her migraines. Its definately a learning experience and a long road!

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