Weird feeling every time I eat

[Centeredself]

Hi, I was recently diagnosed with celiac and my father has it as well. He's been very supportive. I started my gluten free diet on 8-8-21. So, every time I eat, especially sugary stuff or carbohydrates, I feel scattered. I can't concentrate and I have trouble remembering things that were just said or I just did. I start a task and can't finish it. It's really effecting me and my ability to do my job. I have already spoken to my PCP and she did bloodwork. I have impaired fasting glucose and my A1c was 6.1. I've taken my blood sugar at the times I felt really scattered and it was normal for the circumstances. So, it's not a blood sugar thing. She wasn't able to tell me anything when I saw her today. She was like "I don't have an answer for you talk to your GI doctor." My follow up with my GI doctor got canceled by the doctor and I have another EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) on the 30th of this month. During the 1st one they found an ulcer in my small intestine. I would like an answer from her before then but I don't know that I'll get one. Has anyone here experienced this after starting a gluten free diet? I have some amazing gluten free everything pretzel chips I'm afraid to eat because of how I know it will make me feel. I'm kind of frustrated. Anyway, if anyone here can shed any light on this I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much,

Centeredself

[cristiana]

Hello there, and welcome to the forum!

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this.  I have one foodstuff that really makes me feel like this and it's those red fleshed sweet potatoes. (I'm in the UK, they may be called something else where you are posting from - not sure where that is?)  But it's almost like this extraordinary rush that makes me feel incredibly unsettled every time I eat sweet potato, so I've had to drop them from my diet.   It is a horrible sensation.   I have no idea why it started happening, I never had the problem before diagnosis.

I hope others will be able to chime in but yes, the word "scattered" is a really good way of putting it.  

Cristiana 

[Centeredself]

Thanks for the quick response. That is very helpful to me. I am posting from the US (Oklahoma).  I hate to think this is a permanent thing. I'd basically have to eat a Keto diet or severely limit sugar and carbs as if I were diabetic. 😞 I have the ability to contact my doctor electronically and have sent her a message asking the same question I posted on here. I hope she responds soon. Thanks again for your reply.

Robert

 

[cristiana]

2 hours ago, Centeredself said:

Thanks for the quick response. That is very helpful to me. I am posting from the US (Oklahoma).  I hate to think this is a permanent thing. I'd basically have to eat a Keto diet or severely limit sugar and carbs as if I were diabetic. 😞 I have the ability to contact my doctor electronically and have sent her a message asking the same question I posted on here. I hope she responds soon. Thanks again for your reply.

Robert

 

I hope your doctor will be able to help - and others from this forum, too.  Just to say, I can "temper" these side effects somewhat if I eat the sweet potato with something with a high fat or protein content.    But I tend to avoid sweet potato altogether, given half the chance.   

Incidentally, you eat these carbs, are you eating them alongside fat and protein?

But whatever happens, not to worry too much at this stage - you are very new to the diet and it could be your reactions aren't permanent.   I reacted horribly to other things such as milk and soft cheese (diarrhea), as well as soya and lentils (very sore stomach) in the months after my diagnosis.  Now this doesn't happen, unless I consume to excess.   

 

[Centeredself]

4 hours ago, cristiana said:

I hope your doctor will be able to help - and others from this forum, too.  Just to say, I can "temper" these side effects somewhat if I eat the sweet potato with something with a high fat or protein content.    But I tend to avoid sweet potato altogether, given half the chance.   

Incidentally, you eat these carbs, are you eating them alongside fat and protein?

But whatever happens, not to worry too much at this stage - you are very new to the diet and it could be your reactions aren't permanent.   I reacted horribly to other things such as milk and soft cheese (diarrhea), as well as soya and lentils (very sore stomach) in the months after my diagnosis.  Now this doesn't happen, unless I consume to excess.   

 

That makes me really hopeful. Thanks so much!

Robert

US Oklahoma

Gluten free diet started 8-8-21

[Centeredself]

1 hour ago, Centeredself said:

That makes me really hopeful. Thanks so much!

Robert

US Oklahoma

Gluten free diet started 8-8-21

Oh, and yes I have been eating lots of protein with these things and that does seem to help. I ate some pizza last weekend though (gluten free of course) and I was scattered all day. It was terrible.

[trents]

10 hours ago, Centeredself said:

Hi, I was recently diagnosed with celiac and my father has it as well. He's been very supportive. I started my gluten free diet on 8-8-21. So, every time I eat, especially sugary stuff or carbohydrates, I feel scattered. I can't concentrate and I have trouble remembering things that were just said or I just did. I start a task and can't finish it. It's really effecting me and my ability to do my job. I have already spoken to my PCP and she did bloodwork. I have impaired fasting glucose and my A1c was 6.1. I've taken my blood sugar at the times I felt really scattered and it was normal for the circumstances. So, it's not a blood sugar thing. She wasn't able to tell me anything when I saw her today. She was like "I don't have an answer for you talk to your GI doctor." My follow up with my GI doctor got canceled by the doctor and I have another EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) on the 30th of this month. During the 1st one they found an ulcer in my small intestine. I would like an answer from her before then but I don't know that I'll get one. Has anyone here experienced this after starting a gluten free diet? I have some amazing gluten free everything pretzel chips I'm afraid to eat because of how I know it will make me feel. I'm kind of frustrated. Anyway, if anyone here can shed any light on this I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much,

Centeredself

An A1C of 6.1 is prediabetic level.

I would have you consider that you may have other food intolerances not related to gluten. Things that are commonly found in carby snack foods.

I would also suggest you look into SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) and histamine intolerance.

[cristiana]

Hello again,

If these figures are pre-diabetic it would be good to look up how to reverse the situation through diet and lifestyle changes, which I gather is eminently possible.  

I would imagine a large carbohydrate "hit" is something to be avoided for a while.  Maybe your body is trying to tell you something.  😊

Hopefully others will chime in, but this makes interesting reading in the meantime.  

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/truth-about-prediabetes.html  

Cristiana

 

[knitty kitty]

Thiamine deficiency is prevalent in diabetics.  Depending on which study read, 75 to 96% of diabetics are thiamine deficient.

Sweet potatoes contain an  enzyme called thiaminase that destroys thiamine.  

Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates, fats, and protein into energy the body needs to function.

Wheat products are required by law to be enriched with vitamins like thiamine that get destroyed by processing.  Gluten free facsimile foods are not required to be enriched with thiamine and other vitamins at all.

 

Here's your reading assignment....  

"Thiamine Level in Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Comparative Study Focusing on Hematological and Biochemical Evaluations"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282352/

Google for yourself "diabetes thiamine nih"..... (nih is national institute of health  - PubMed studies).  Knowledge is power.  

Checking for nutritional deficiencies is part of proper follow up care for Celiacs.  Discuss with your doctor the benefits of supplementing with vitamins and minerals while your intestines heal and can absorb nutrients better.

I was diagnosed as prediabetic and then type two diabetic even though I made healthy food choices.  I was prescribed Metformin and a thiazide diuretic both of which are known to cause thiamine deficiency.  I developed severe thiamine deficiency.  I began supplementing with thiamine (benfotiamine, a fat soluble form of thiamine, has beneficial effects on diabetes.)  I no longer take any drugs for diabetes.  My blood sugar levels are regulated by diet.  

Hope this helps!

[Centeredself]

Thanks so much everyone! I will definitely read the links you shared with me!  You guys seem to care so I'll let you know what the doctor says.  Thanks again!

 

Robert

[Centeredself]

So an update. I had a consult with a dietician set up by my GI doctor. The dietician told me that the scattered/foggy feeling I'm experiencing is an immune reaction in my brain as well as the rest of my body and that in about 3 months things should be back to normal.  That's a relief. I've heard other people I know have been given this same explanation. I'm 99% sure that the feeling is not related to blood sugar as my blood sugar is not ridiculously high or low when I've been feeling this wasy. Also, I've noticed I'm not experiencing the scattered/fogginess feeling as intensely or for as long now.  I appreciate everyone who responded and hopefully in the future if someone else is experiencing what I am they can read this and it will help.

[cristiana]

39 minutes ago, Centeredself said:

So an update. I had a consult with a dietician set up by my GI doctor. The dietician told me that the scattered/foggy feeling I'm experiencing is an immune reaction in my brain as well as the rest of my body and that in about 3 months things should be back to normal.  That's a relief. I've heard other people I know have been given this same explanation. I'm 99% sure that the feeling is not related to blood sugar as my blood sugar is not ridiculously high or low when I've been feeling this wasy. Also, I've noticed I'm not experiencing the scattered/fogginess feeling as intensely or for as long now.  I appreciate everyone who responded and hopefully in the future if someone else is experiencing what I am they can read this and it will help.

Thank you so much, Centredself.   I'm so glad you have your answer.  What an interesting explanation.   It's really good of you to share as it will no doubt be a very helpful post for others experiencing the same thing.

All the best, and perhaps see you here another time!

Cristiana

 

[Centeredself]

13 hours ago, cristiana said:

Thank you so much, Centredself.   I'm so glad you have your answer.  What an interesting explanation.   It's really good of you to share as it will no doubt be a very helpful post for others experiencing the same thing.

All the best, and perhaps see you here another time!

Cristiana

 

Thanks for responding so quickly when I first posted it was really nice.

 

Take care,

 

Robert