Frequent nausea after gluten-free diet

[petitojou]

Hi! I’m so happy to have found this site. It’s been three months since I was diagnosed as Celiac and also three months since I started my gluten-free diet. 
 

September was my first month without heavy symptoms like diarrhea and extreme fatigue. But I still get frequently nauseous after eating, especially things with corn starch and the most common used flours without gluten. But even when I eat clean and fruit based, I still have nausea and deep ugly heartburns. Does anyone else feel like that? I have great difficulty in making proper and good meals due to that, since I end up reacting to anything, leading also to gastric reflux. 
 

My blood tests were okay and both my doctor and nutritionist recommend digestives enzymes- but both gave me nausea. Unfortunately at home, even with all the care I have, I’m still exposed to possible gluten contamination. Could that also be the cause? I’m still waiting to get a endoscopy done to see how everything it’s fairing, but it’s both mentally and physically exhausting since I expected to be feeling a lot better and eating better.
 

Detail: I did not have frequent nausea while gluten intoxicated! I had severe heartburn and reflux, but no nausea. 
 

Thank you so much already for anyone who reads it! ❤️

English is not my main language, so pls understand in case of any present errors! Being able to communicate with fellow tummy warriors is my joy. Blessed healing for us. 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @petitojou!

You say, "Unfortunately at home, even with all the care I have, I’m still exposed to possible gluten contamination." Are you living with family who are still consuming wheat products? Are you living with your parents? Are you "at home" every day or only occasionally? Is this cross contamination you speak of from shared cooking surfaces and utensils or are wheat/barley/rye (the gluten grains) intentional ingredients in the food you share with family members? Could you elaborate please?

[petitojou]

13 minutes ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, @petitojou!

You say, "Unfortunately at home, even with all the care I have, I’m still exposed to possible gluten contamination." Are you living with family who are still consuming wheat products? Are you living with your parents? Are you "at home" every day or only occasionally? Is this cross contamination you speak of from shared cooking surfaces and utensils or are wheat/barley/rye (the gluten grains) intentional ingredients in the food you share with family members? Could you elaborate please?

Hi! Thank you  

Of course! I still live with my family; there used to be six of us, and now there are four. I rarely leave the house or eat out. Although my mother has also been diagnosed with celiac disease, she does not follow the same precautions as I do. I use separate kitchen utensils (different spatulas, pans, dish towels, plates, toaster - almost everything since I’m highly sensitive), and my food is kept separate in the kitchen. The other two people who live with us consume gluten daily, but unfortunately they are not careful. Although we frequently clean the kitchen surfaces and other utensils (such as the microwave, towels, and tables), because they consume gluten constantly, there are always gluten crumbs everywhere! And more complicated contaminations have happened before. I try to eat separately in my room to avoid it as much as possible, but even on days when I am sure there has been no contamination, I feel nauseous (sometimes I feel like just the smell is enough for it). Does the food inside the fridge should also be separated and in its own shelf? I think that might be the problem too. 

I really wanted to leave my home to live a more peaceful and less stressful life in terms of cross-contamination, since the people around me are not careful, but given my current circumstances, it is impossible… so I’ve been trying to deal with it calmly? 

[trents]

Let me suggest some possibilities for your nausea/heart burn besides gluten cross contamination that are common in the celiac community:

1. You may have other food intolerances. This is exceedingly common in the celiac community. The two most common food offenders are oats and dairy products. Eggs, corn and soy are also on that list. But it can be almost anything. You might start with eliminating oats and dairy for a few weeks and see if there is improvement.

2. You may have MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)-histamine intolerance: you should research this.

3. You may have SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)

4. You may have an H. Pylori infection or a Candida yeast infection

Unfortunately, celiac disease often brings along its friends. Often it generates other health issues by the time we ever get it diagnosed such that going gluten-free is not the only answer to the problem. We can be over simplistic and naive about it in this sense.

Edited September 30, 2025 by trents

[petitojou]

20 hours ago, trents said:

Let me suggest some possibilities for your nausea/heart burn besides gluten cross contamination that are common in the celiac community:

1. You may have other food intolerances. This is exceedingly common in the celiac community. The two most common food offenders are oats and dairy products. Eggs, corn and soy are also on that list. But it can be almost anything. You might start with eliminating oats and dairy for a few weeks and see if there is improvemen.t

2. You may have MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)-histamine intolerance: you should research this.

3. You may have SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)

4. You may have an H. Pylori infection or a Candida yeast infection

Unfortunately, celiac disease often brings along its friends. Often it generates other health issues by the time we ever get it diagnosed such that going gluten-free is not the only answer to the problem. We can be over simplistic and naive about it in this since.

Thank you so much! I saw some tips around the forum to make a food diary and now that I know that the community also struggles with corn, egg and soy, the puzzle pieces came together! Just yesterday I tried eating eggs and yes, he’s guilty and charged. Those there are my 3 combo nausea troublemakers. I’m going to adjust my diet ☺️

Also thank you for the information about MCAS! I’m from South America and little it’s talked about it in here. It’s honestly such a game changer now for treatment and recovery. I know I’m free from SIBO and Candida since I’ve been tested for it, but I’m still going to make a endoscopy to test for H. Pylori and Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

Thank you again!! Have a blessed weekend 🤍

[Wheatwacked]

Gluten free food is not fortified with vitamins and minerals as regular food is.  Vitamin deficiencies are common especially in recently diagnosed persons,  Get a 25(OH)Vitamin D blood test. And work on raising it.  The safe upper blood level is around 200 nmol/L.   

"Low serum levels of 25(OH)D have been associated with increased risk of autoimmune disease onset and/or high disease activity. The role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases

 

On 9/30/2025 at 9:30 AM, petitojou said:

I tried eating eggs and yes, he’s guilty and charged. Those there are my 3 combo nausea troublemakers. I’m going to adjust my diet ☺️

🏋️‍♂️Good job!

 

I find the commercial milk will give me mild stomach burn at night, while pasture/grassfed only milk does not bother me at all. 

While you are healing, listen to your body.  If it hurts to eat something, eat something else.  You may be able to eat it later, or maybe it is just not good for you.  Lower your Omega 6 to 3 ratio of what you eat.  Most omega 6 fatty acids are inflammation causing.   

Quote

 

Anthropological research suggests that our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of roughly 1:1. It also indicates that both ancient and modern hunter-gatherers were free of the modern inflammatory diseases, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, that are the primary causes of death and morbidity today. How Too Much Omega-6 and Not Enough Omega-3 Is Making Us Sick

 

The standard american diet omega 6:3 ratio is estimated at upward of 14:1.  Thats why fish oil works