Possible Intolerance?

[chuckerychick]

I am a 22-year-old female who is considering the possibility of gluten intolerance or celiac as being one of my problems, and I was wondering if I explained my situation if anyone could advise me if my symptoms are consistent. Since I was 11, I have had digestive issues, with my most notable symptom being nausea; it feels like having the stomach flu several dozen times a year. Is it possible for nausea to be the foremost symptom of gluten intolerance? I also have had bloating, fatigue, loss of interest in life in general, and loss of hope. I also have cold hands and feet, and my skin is so dry it itches, despite my best effort to keep lotion on and such.

The past month I have been sticking to a gluten -free diet, at least as far as I know; I realize there can be hidden sources I may be missing. Within the first few days, my bloating and the uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen subsided and has stayed away. Last week, I was almost completely nausea free, but this week I am feeling ill again, as well as tired and very emotional, edgy, snippy, and feeling as though I may cry, and I am not a crier normally. I have kept my diet consistent, so I don't know of any sources that may have slipped in. Is any of this on par with anyone else's symptoms? Is it just going to take some time for this all to even out and my body to start functioning? Are these sort of "relapses" possible even if I am truly following the diet correctly? Thank you ahead of time to anyone who takes the time to read this and help me.

ChuckeryChick

[AliB]

I am a 22-year-old female who is considering the possibility of gluten intolerance or celiac as being one of my problems, and I was wondering if I explained my situation if anyone could advise me if my symptoms are consistent. Since I was 11, I have had digestive issues, with my most notable symptom being nausea; it feels like having the stomach flu several dozen times a year. Is it possible for nausea to be the foremost symptom of gluten intolerance? I also have had bloating, fatigue, loss of interest in life in general, and loss of hope. I also have cold hands and feet, and my skin is so dry it itches, despite my best effort to keep lotion on and such.

The past month I have been sticking to a gluten -free diet, at least as far as I know; I realize there can be hidden sources I may be missing. Within the first few days, my bloating and the uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen subsided and has stayed away. Last week, I was almost completely nausea free, but this week I am feeling ill again, as well as tired and very emotional, edgy, snippy, and feeling as though I may cry, and I am not a crier normally. I have kept my diet consistent, so I don't know of any sources that may have slipped in. Is any of this on par with anyone else's symptoms? Is it just going to take some time for this all to even out and my body to start functioning? Are these sort of "relapses" possible even if I am truly following the diet correctly? Thank you ahead of time to anyone who takes the time to read this and help me.

ChuckeryChick

Hi. Your symptoms sound quite likely as a marker certainly for Gluten Intolerance, if not Celiac.

I haven't got quite as far as you as I have only been on it a weeks, but I would not be surprised for there to be odd reactions here and there. Your body is going through quite a radical change. It may also be hitting stages from time to time where it is having a clear-out of some of the toxins that have been languishing in the cells. If you have Candida, it might even be due to a die-off reaction where the change in diet has started to get the little beggars under control!

If you can't think of any way you have been 'glutened' then this may be a possibility, even a kind of 'Withdrawal'. The other possibility is that you may have inadvertently eaten or been in contact with something else other than Gluten to which you are unknowingly sensitive.

I have a slight theory as I have found that whilst I generally feel a lot better, there are one or two things that seem to have got worse, temporarily I hope. I am wondering perhaps that because my body is now starting to function more effectively it is demanding more nutrition, and deficiencies that were background whilst I was ill are now beginning to become more obvious. You may find that this you are experiencing is a temporary withdrawal phase and will pass - a bit like getting a plateau when you are dieting!

Sorry I can't give you anything concrete as a suggestion, but we are all different and have different responses. Hopefully there may be someone out there who has experienced this and may be able to shed a bit more light. I hope you manage to get past this phase.

[chuckerychick]

Thank you. When you mentioned that "I am wondering perhaps that because my body is now starting to function more effectively it is demanding more nutrition, and deficiencies that were background whilst I was ill are now beginning to become more obvious", it also made me think that maybe the rather strong hunger I've been experiencing can also be a part of all this.