First few days of being gluten free - withdrawal symptoms?

[shojam-]

Hi,

I am very new to the forum - I received my diagnosis of coeliac disease last week. I will admit it was a bit of a surprise, I don't feel I have had any symptoms at all, and my positive coeliac blood test only came about because my GP happened to order a range of blood tests during a period of high stress back in October (which lasted 2 weeks and then I felt back to normal).

 

Anyway, I started the gluten free diet last week following my meeting with the gastroenterologist... and since then, I have been feeling really depressed, fatigued and lethargic. It's hit me like a tonne of bricks. I haven't got the energy for anything, I feel low and on the verge of tears a lot... I just feel awful. Now, I know that a coeliac diagnosis is not the best news, so originally I wondered if I was just feeling low due to that... but it's been quite severe and quite unusual for me to feel like this.

I actually feel WORSE now than I did pre-diagnosis... and then this morning I suddenly wondered whether it could be some sort of gluten withdrawal. Is that a thing? Did anyone else experience this in the early days of their gluten free diet? I am on day 5 now, and am desperately hoping that this doesn't continue as honestly I am struggling to focus on my work, on life at home and it's making me feel terrible!

[Oclanmama]

It is kind of like going through a detox period. You can feel horrible, almost like flu type symptoms for up to a week. That is all the toxins in your body being disrupted. Just stay the course and don’t give in. It will pass and you will start to feel better within a week.  It can take 90 or more days for gluten to be gone, out of your system. 

[kareng]

43 minutes ago, Oclanmama said:

It is kind of like going through a detox period. You can feel horrible, almost like flu type symptoms for up to a week. That is all the toxins in your body being disrupted. Just stay the course and don’t give in. It will pass and you will start to feel better within a week.  It can take 90 or more days for gluten to be gone, out of your system. 

Gluten doesn't hide in your "system".  It goes thru, just like all foods in a few days.  The antibodies that a Celiac makes, can take a long time to get to normal.