I Am 2 Weeks In To Diet, Am I Doing Something Wrong?

[aeshlea]

I am new to being gluten free..only about two weeks in. I have been experiencing daily headaches which I imagine could be from withdrawal? Ive read about other people experiencing that sometimes too...or possibly they could be 'liver headaches' ive read...but anyway....I am new to this and I have had a few times where I have still had digestive issues after being gluten free. People talk about being 'glutened' on accident, and I wonder, is it possible that is happening to me? Or since I am so new to this I could still be experienceing symptoms from things that I ate before going gluten free? I went to a 'gluten free' restaurant last night (which was featured on the news for being so great and really careful with all their food because the owners children have celiac) and right after I had major digestive stuff, very similar to what happened to me before going gluten free. And then I wonder about the headaches too....am I possibly getting those as withdrawal symptoms? or could I be getting 'glutened' by mistake. Since going gluten free I make all my own food (in a kitchen I share with 3 other non gluties) but I am careful. And this was the first time I had eatten out since going gluten-free.

I guess I am just confused. Would getting glutened really have such a strong effect on my since I have only been doing this for a little over 2 weeks? I just wonder if other people still had digestive issues after going gluten free and if that is normal, or if you think I am eatting cross-contaminated things.

Thanks for all the help.

*confused glutie free girl

[woolwhippet]

well, I am into week four of gluten-free and my issues are now starting to resolve. I have had on and off symptoms just like you and it seems complicated but I have figured out that the symptoms were from accidental glutenings, gluten-free packaged products, too many other grains and starchy foods, and dairy. When I eat very simple foods (meat, veg, nuts, friut) I do great!

This is my second attempt at gluten-free--I gave up last spring because I thought it wasn't working. Now I can see that it really does take time to heal.

I have discovered that lactaid is a help for me right now too--really made a difference to my remaining digestive troubles.

[gfp]

Wow .. you pretty much caught all the gotchas.

I think your less confused than you think .. perhaps dazed ...

You probably are getting some CC (search cross contamination on this board) in the kitchen.

OR

it could be withdrawal... it affects some of us more than others.

Personally I think the amount of withdrawal is probably linked to how much 'other' damage we are doing ourselves. Other meaning non-digestive tract damage.

My best advice (what I wish I had done) ... and I realise you can't just do this easily.

Make all your own food in as risk free environment as possible. Remember knives and forks, cutlery ... butter and condiments etc. as well as dishcloths are all potential sources of CC. The FASTER you get through this part the better. If you keep getting glutened, even by small amounts its 3 steps forwards and 2 steps back...

Like many things in life going gluten-free and the resulting knowledge and symptoms tend to be big steps of good and then longer plateaux where you seem to stagnate. Often we then find a new CC source or something before finding the next level. Most people here have anecdotes and gotchas.

[Crystalkd]

My doctor also points out that while you're healing you'll have good days and bad days. You may also have other allergies or sensitities. I remember one morning I was eating Lundberg rice cakes and drinking kool-aid and started getting a headache. I looked at the koolaid packet and say maltadextrin which is suposed to be made of corn. I automaticlly questioned the koolaid and then several months later found out I was allergic to corn. Just a thought.

[hathor]

Ah, a major problem after two weeks and someone else whose problems resolve in week four ... the dreaded week 3 curse. That's what I call it anyway. I had a major problem at that point and could never figure out what triggered it. It was like my body decided to purge itself of all the accumulated gluten stuck in my gut or something. My usual symptom is constipation, so this was strange. I didn't even know I could hold that much.

Since then I perk up every time I see this same phenomenon reported by those newly gluten-free. Week three seems to be a turning point or something. So hang in there. What you are experiencing has precedent.

As far as your headaches are concerned, yes, they could be from withdrawal. See:

Open Original Shared Link

[TestyTommy]

The short answer is: "yeah, you're probably still getting gluten". It takes a while to figure out this diet. It took me a good 6 months til I found all the gluten in my food (my last surprise gluteney food was sour cream -- who'da thought sour cream would be full of wheat!?!)

Be patient. It will takes a few months to get all the gluten out of your body. And it may take a few years after that to heal all the damage to your body. And this diet is HARD. Even those of us doing it for years get glutened every now and then.

[Offthegrid]

It took me 3 weeks to start to feel better, but then I still had symptoms, sometimes severe. I originally just thought I was getting glutened, but it turns out I'm casein AND soy intolerant. It took a long time for me to figure out soy as a culprit.

My next bet for you would be to eliminate all dairy to see if that helps. You can then reintroduce dairy later to see if you can tolerate. For some, if they go off dairy and gluten for 6 months they are then able to eat it again.

[NLfeisty-yank]

I can relate to you. I recently returned to a gluten-free diet when I realised that I felt better every time I went home to the USA on vacation, because my parent's house is gluten-free simply because my Mom just doesn't use it. Her mom had a gluten problem, so my mom grew up cooking without it.

As I live in Holland, I've asked my doctor to refer me to a dietician, so I can get a complete overview of where gluten can be hidden.....like powdered, non-dairy milk substitutes!! I've been drinking a latte out of our coffee machine at work only to find out that it's got gluten in it. So, I've switched to plain coffee with milk out of a jar.

Good luck!

Janel

[mftnchn]

Yes, I think checking to make sure you have eliminated all sources of gluten. Then being patient for awhile! Then trying dairy free which makes a difference for so very many on this board. After that, I'd do a trial of soy free. Hopefully, you will feel better soon!

[spunky]

At two weeks gluten free my body was so topsy-turvey I didn't know if I'd ever feel really WELL.

It's true you have a huge learning curve about cross-contamination during the first several weeks or possibly even months, and it's also true that other things are likely to suddenly start messing with your gut too, such as soy, dairy, or other stuff that didn't used to bother you. I've heard rumors that later on, after healing is complete, some lucky people find they can eat the soy, dairy, etc., again without problems.

But I've gotta say, I'm only self-diagnosed, but for me personally, the first six months of gluten free were a nightmare of crazy, unpredictable gut things. The only clue I had that gluten had been my problem for the last 11 or 12 years prior to that was that my symptoms had been very predictable, clocklike, and daily worsening, during my gluten years. During those first six months gluten free, crazy, unpredictable interruptions of the former disease pattern occurred, and so I knew things were changing off the gluten. There were some good days too, for the first time in over a decade, but I didn't just turn around and get well in a matter of weeks.

The first six months were tough, for me. Starting with month number seven of gluten free, I could see improvement in both my body and my mental outlook. Still some on and off difficult days, though. Even better improvement by the end of the first year, and I think I was finally feeling pretty normal by the eighteenth month of gluten free.

That's how long it took for me to be able to say I started to feel normal and healthy, every day. So, you do have to watch for cc or other intolerances possibly popping up here and there, but for some of us, healing is a long course and takes many months. So it also takes patience.

[loco-ladi]

Its hard to say if its a CC, accidental glutening or just the way it will work with you.......

now would be a good time to double check all makeup, lotions, shampoo's, soap, toothpaste... anything that could possibly be causing an accidental glutening... also dont be afraid to get obsessive about cleaning the kitchen, also watch for cc in the dishes... wood, plastic and scratched teflon can also cause problems, where you share a kitchen you may also share dishes and be getting cc'd that way, dont assume your kitchen-mates are actually cleaning the dishes! If your dishes are kept seperate from theirs assure they are "borrowing" yours when you aren't around...

Another thing to think about is your "other half" mine drinks beer on occation and glutens himself on a regular basis, he has however remembered not to kiss me until he brushes his teeth, he CC'd me one day when he kissed me! granted he felt really bad but he never did it again!

[byrmanson]

I am experiencing "week 3" symptoms (purging) as mentioned in one of the answer posts. So, my experience validates that theory! I started experiencing worse digestive symptoms (my primary symptom was bloat and onstipation too), and all the sudden it really did feel like my body was cleaning itself out!

[Rya]

I am new to being gluten free..only about two weeks in. I have been experiencing daily headaches which I imagine could be from withdrawal? Ive read about other people experiencing that sometimes too...or possibly they could be 'liver headaches' ive read...but anyway....I am new to this and I have had a few times where I have still had digestive issues after being gluten free. People talk about being 'glutened' on accident, and I wonder, is it possible that is happening to me? Or since I am so new to this I could still be experienceing symptoms from things that I ate before going gluten free? I went to a 'gluten free' restaurant last night (which was featured on the news for being so great and really careful with all their food because the owners children have celiac) and right after I had major digestive stuff, very similar to what happened to me before going gluten free. And then I wonder about the headaches too....am I possibly getting those as withdrawal symptoms? or could I be getting 'glutened' by mistake. Since going gluten free I make all my own food (in a kitchen I share with 3 other non gluties) but I am careful. And this was the first time I had eatten out since going gluten-free.

I guess I am just confused. Would getting glutened really have such a strong effect on my since I have only been doing this for a little over 2 weeks? I just wonder if other people still had digestive issues after going gluten free and if that is normal, or if you think I am eatting cross-contaminated things.

Thanks for all the help.

*confused glutie free girl

It sounds like you have a really positive attitude and that is awesome . What my doctor told me is that if I decided to do the gluten-free diet (like it was a choice...I wasn't buying new jeans) that I would have a stronger reaction each time I got glutened.

Something you might consider for the headaches is a multi-vitamin or, better yet, checking your diet to make sure you are getting all the good stuff you need. Common things for Celiacs are B-vitamins (mostly cause we can't eat some of the common fortified cereals and breads that are rich in these), and Iron (absorbing iron is hard anyway, when your intestines are damaged it's even harder), more so if you are female.

Lots of things can cause headaches -

dehydration

not enough calories - probably a common issue when starting this diet, I know I lost weight.

not enough protein

caffeine withdrawal - maybe you gave up cokes or coffee just to be on the safe side???

Or it may not be diet related at all. (But -shhh- I like to pretend that good nutrition can solve all the problems in the world ) Good luck! You sound like you are doing really great.

Rya

[lovegrov]

You could still be getting gluten, but two weeks is not enough time. I missed 10 weeks of work and it was 10 months before I felt normal again.

richard

[bakingbarb]

I am new to being gluten free..only about two weeks in. I have been experiencing daily headaches which I imagine could be from withdrawal? Ive read about other people experiencing that sometimes too...or possibly they could be 'liver headaches' ive read...but anyway....I am new to this and I have had a few times where I have still had digestive issues after being gluten free. People talk about being 'glutened' on accident, and I wonder, is it possible that is happening to me? Or since I am so new to this I could still be experienceing symptoms from things that I ate before going gluten free? I went to a 'gluten free' restaurant last night (which was featured on the news for being so great and really careful with all their food because the owners children have celiac) and right after I had major digestive stuff, very similar to what happened to me before going gluten free. And then I wonder about the headaches too....am I possibly getting those as withdrawal symptoms? or could I be getting 'glutened' by mistake. Since going gluten free I make all my own food (in a kitchen I share with 3 other non gluties) but I am careful. And this was the first time I had eatten out since going gluten-free.

I guess I am just confused. Would getting glutened really have such a strong effect on my since I have only been doing this for a little over 2 weeks? I just wonder if other people still had digestive issues after going gluten free and if that is normal, or if you think I am eatting cross-contaminated things.

Thanks for all the help.

*confused glutie free girl

It is the same for me. This has been a month for me and I was really starting to question if I was eatign gluten somehow. No I dont think I was, I am very careful and a very good cook so I know what was going into my food (plus I do a majority of the cooking). I am just now starting to even out with the withdrawls and tummy issues and headaches. Eating out at first seems like it just set my stomach off everytime and I dont think I got cc'd every single time I ate out. From every thing I read on here and from what i felt, it seems totally normal.

[splash]

Another thought: I get residual effects from gluten for a few days until my stomach heals again. I've been gluten-free for several months now and am generally feeling good, but if I have accidental gluten I sometimes get what's like a gluten aftershock with the next few meals - it's like the damage to my stomach makes it react to ANY kind of food, even fruit and nuts. And the reactions are never the same - the glutening might cause a weak GI reaction followed by lots of bloating from meals the next day, or a really strong GI and nervous reaction to gluten followed by just a little gas at meals for a day or so. Not sure if anyone else can relate ...

So anyway you might be reacting to a previous glutened meal that is just triggered all over again by the subsequent gluten-free meal until you heal (or, also a possibility, there might be a guest chef or waiter in the kitchen!)

[sickchick]

I know that nervous system reaction well, splash.

good luck everyone on their healing journeys

lovelove

sickchick