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Anyone Else Get Worn Out Or Sleepy Alot ?

thumper

By thumper
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

thumper Apprentice
thumper
Posted

Wow I have been sleeping alot lately and even after sleeping about 10 - 12 hours a night I am sleeping my days away lately. I have been gluten-free now for almost 2 weeks and just discoved that I can not tolerate any dairy a few days ago. When I am awake I have no energy and want to sleep. I just started on a probiotic and digestive enzymes to try to help with my D a few days ago and yes they are gluten-free. I don't feel sick in any way, other than the usual .....lol.... So I have no idea where or why this is happening to me. Any body have any ideas or advise ??

My poor dogs have gone with out there walks for about 2 weeks and are getting cabin fever. I feel so bad for them as they need to get their exercise and really so do I .

Thumper

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lizard00 Enthusiast
lizard00
Posted

That was definitely one of my symptoms. I have been gluten-free for 3 months now, and things are getting better. I still have some bad days, but definitely better.

I started taking a multi vitamin, magnesium, and a b complex. Recently, I started taking a sublingual B12 to see if that made any difference. But that was Sat, and it's still too soon to tell. But today, I feel really energetic so far. You probably are deficient in some vitamins and minerals, and some will replenish with time because now you are absorbing food, but I would suggest some supplements to get you started. It really helped me a lot!! I have to remind myself though, that it took some time to wear down like I was, so it takes time to build that back up. But I am making it through more days now without needing a nap. HOORAY!!!!!

thumper Apprentice
thumper
Posted
  • Author
That was definitely one of my symptoms. I have been gluten-free for 3 months now, and things are getting better. I still have some bad days, but definitely better.

I started taking a multi vitamin, magnesium, and a b complex. Recently, I started taking a sublingual B12 to see if that made any difference. But that was Sat, and it's still too soon to tell. But today, I feel really energetic so far. You probably are deficient in some vitamins and minerals, and some will replenish with time because now you are absorbing food, but I would suggest some supplements to get you started. It really helped me a lot!! I have to remind myself though, that it took some time to wear down like I was, so it takes time to build that back up. But I am making it through more days now without needing a nap. HOORAY!!!!!

I did forget to mention that I started a gluten-free multi, a gluten-free B complex, with the other stuff. I forget that I have been sick for over 13 yrs w/o a diagnoses and just recently correctly diagnosed. I guess I am so very worn down for so long and sick and tired of not feeling better that I expected I would feel better over night. Supid I guess or hopeful thinking or both. I just got up from a nap and am ready for another... sad really. Awake just long enough to eat

Thanks for reminding me that it took along time of being sick and it will take time to get better.

thumper

greendog Apprentice
greendog
Posted

If I get in to the right kind of gluten and it messes with my digestive track I lose a lot of my energy. I use the treadmill, Weider Home Gym and free weights for exercise and when I stay away from the gluten I can exercise for at least 2 hours without burning out. If I get in to the gluten, I quit digesting what I eat and drink and my energy levels drops and my exercise program is the first to go. I do take a gluten free, dairy free, egg free, etc. multi vitamin and mineral I get from Sams Club and I augment that with a Soy Protein drink. Helps me a lot.

lizard00 Enthusiast
lizard00
Posted

Positive thinking never hurt anyone. So, no, it's not stupid to want to feel better overnight.

Keep your chin up. It'll get better. :)

sickchick Community Regular
sickchick
Posted

I have been gluten free since Oct 1st and I still sleep 12 hours a day. Soy free and Dairy free since Dec 1st. It won't happen overnight unfortunately, 13 years is a long time (I was sick about 11 before I figured it out myself and then made my DR test me)

sublingual b12 rocks. I even have my (healthy) mom taking it~ lol B)

I exercise everyday too. I use small hand weights and power walk. That gives me energy and helps with my attitude ;) lol

I know how frustrated you are. Don't stop taking the probiotics and digestive enzymes you are on a good path, just be very patient with yourself!

be well~

sickchick

jewi0008 Contributor
jewi0008
Posted
Wow I have been sleeping alot lately and even after sleeping about 10 - 12 hours a night I am sleeping my days away lately. I have been gluten-free now for almost 2 weeks and just discoved that I can not tolerate any dairy a few days ago. When I am awake I have no energy and want to sleep. I just started on a probiotic and digestive enzymes to try to help with my D a few days ago and yes they are gluten-free. I don't feel sick in any way, other than the usual .....lol.... So I have no idea where or why this is happening to me. Any body have any ideas or advise ??

My poor dogs have gone with out there walks for about 2 weeks and are getting cabin fever. I feel so bad for them as they need to get their exercise and really so do I .

Thumper

Yes, I get this, too. I crash and I crash HARD! Valentines Day I was sleeping at 5:30pm...my fiance was excited about that one! ha ha. Anyways, does your body feel like a dead weight, too? Sometimes I feel like I'm floating when I'm sleeping and nothing can get me up!

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AliB Enthusiast
AliB
Posted

I have been gluten and dairy free (plus low carb and sugar) for 3 weeks. I have been extra tired too, but then I have not been sleeping properly for so long it is not surprising if my body needs to do some catching up. I can now go to bed and instead of thrashing about all night, I go to sleep and stay in the same place all night! Wonderful.

Whilst you are sleeping is when the body does a lot of its repair work. Dropping the gluten and finally giving your body the first chance it has had in years to start repairing and replenishing itself is a huge change. It needs time to sort itself out. When you have spent years living in a 'twilight zone' it can be frustrating when things don't change quickly.

The liver is a fantastic organ, but it gets very tired and overloaded from the foods that have been damaging us which is why fatigue is a big problem for undiagnosed celiacs and GI's. Now it is sorting itself out it is starting to cleanse and repair itself and the body will start to shed toxins, all of which have to be processed by the liver which will undoubtedly take its toll until the cleansing process is complete. It is no wonder you are tired. We rarely, if ever, stop to think about how our bodies work and what they have to go through every day in order to function. The body is a very precious thing. We only have the one and if that wears out, going to the store for another one is not an option. It will only give out in response to what goes in.

I would say - don't fight it. Just help your body repair itself - there will be time enough for other things once it all is starting to work properly. As long as you are helping it by supporting with good nutrition - in the form of supplements if necessary, then good health will come.

I had a frightening time on Friday when my liver got really sore and I didn't know what was going on. The first thing I noticed was a throbbing pain in my left foot that wouldn't go away - when I checked a reflexology chart it corresponded with the lower end of my liver and rubbing my right side confirmed it. Ouch! By the evening it was a little better and now, Monday, I cannot feel a thing either from my foot or my liver! I suspect it was my liver having a darn good clear-out and getting a bit sore in the process. I have been taking Milk Thistle which is a very good liver support so that may have been contributory.

My liver has been congested for years so it has probably dumped a load of sludge, fat, toxins and possibly even stones! I did not do a liver flush, but changing my diet to good basic foods and very little in the way of rubbish has obviously had pretty much the same effect. When I stepped on the scales the next morning I had lost 3lbs since the previous day!

A clean liver means a clean body. It is the filter for all the crud we put in our mouths, whether food or chemical. Be kind to it and help it recover and it will reward you with good health. I feel like I am gradually shedding an old skin that has been constricting me for years, and am finally starting to fly!

Yenni Enthusiast
Yenni
Posted

Yes, I was super tired for a long time (before and after I stopped with gluten). I used to get really bad fatigue spells. I felt I just had to take a nap. They slowly got less and less common and I don't have them now unless I get cross-contaminated. But even then not as bad as they once were.

AliB Enthusiast
AliB
Posted

Do you know what I have discovered today?

I don't think I am dairy intolerant after all. I have found a source which states that apparently whilst around 20% of the population can cope with carbs, the other 80% can't.

I have been aware for some time that I don't cope with carbs very well and would often get reactions from dairy, especially coughs, catarrgh and mucous. What I have realised from reading this source is that dairy is ok as long as I do not take it with either carbs or sugar.

I had a cup of unsweetened coffee today with full cream milk and it was ok. I had no reaction!

I also ate some soft cheese tonight and seem to be ok with that too. Mind you, since dropping the gluten, dairy, most carbs and sugar 3 weeks ago my liver has had a detox and has off-loaded a lot of crud. It is possible that my liver was so congested it couldn't cope and filter properly or provide the needed enzymes and that was why my digestion collapsed.

I will continue to keep the dairy low-key until my body has had a good chance to clean itself up then re-introduce it again later. What I am going to do is keep the carbohydrate and particularly sugars very low. Whilst I think that gluten may well be a problem, I am fairly sure that my real problem is carbohydrates per se, which gluten would of course come under.

Twice over the years I have gone low-carb and both times I was a lot better. Not 100% but that may be because I was still eating some carb. As long as I have enough proteins and fats and easily assimilable carbs in the way of fresh veg and fruit then I should find a big improvement in my health. Some of us just aren't designed to cope with all the high-carb, high-sugar stuff.

I will also be interested to see what my cholesterol level is in a week or so after cutting the carb. This morning I had a cooked breakfast with no carb, just meat (V low carb sausages, gluten free, and bacon), eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes and after an hour my blood sugar had only risen by 40 points (2.1 points UK) and I had not even needed to have any insulin. Fantastic.

It just makes me wonder if those who are gluten intolerant but are not improving even after stopping gluten, may not actually be carb and sugar intolerant. My son has noticed recently that he is a lot more focused and energetic and has less 'brain fog' when he avoids sugar and too many carbs. Today after the breakfast I had so much energy - I had forgotten what that feels like!

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

It will get better. After being sick for so long, and only being on the diet 2 weeks (which seems like an eternity at this point, I'm sure!), it can be frustrating when life doesn't just "pick up" right away. Many people do see improvement right away, but for many its pretty gradual. You have to stop doing damage, then your body has to start healing, then you start absorbing and making up for lost time. So it is a long process, but I hope it will be worth it for you.

You may want to discuss this supplement with your doctor: L-carnitine.

Here is an abstract to a recent study re: L-carnitine and Celiac

Dig Liver Dis. 2007 Oct;39(10):922-8. Epub 2007 Aug 10.

L-Carnitine in the treatment of fatigue in adult celiac disease patients: a pilot study.

Ciacci C, Peluso G, Iannoni E, Siniscalchi M, Iovino P, Rispo A, Tortora R, Bucci C, Zingone F, Margarucci S, Calvani M.

Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Federico II, Naples, Italy. ciacci@unina.it

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is common in celiac disease. L-Carnitine blood levels are low in untreated celiac disease. L-Carnitine therapy was shown to improve muscular fatigue in several diseases. AIM: To evaluate the effect of L-carnitine treatment in fatigue in adult celiac patients. METHODS: Randomised double-blind versus placebo parallel study. Thirty celiac disease patients received 2 g daily, 180 days (L-carnitine group) and 30 were assigned to the placebo group (P group). The patients underwent clinical investigation and questionnaires (Scott-Huskisson Visual Analogue Scale for Asthenia, Verbal Scale for Asthenia, Zung Depression Scale, SF-36 Health Status Survey, EuroQoL). OCTN2 levels, the specific carnitine transporter, were detected in intestinal tissue. RESULTS: Fatigue measured by Scott-Huskisson Visual Analogue Scale for Asthenia was significantly reduced in the L-carnitine group compared with the placebo group (p=0.0021). OCTN2 was decreased in celiac patients when compared to normal subjects (-134.67% in jejunum), and increased after diet in both celiac disease treatments. The other scales used did not show any significant difference between the two celiac disease treatment groups. CONCLUSION: L-Carnitine therapy is safe and effective in ameliorating fatigue in celiac disease. Since L-carnitine is involved in muscle energy production its decreased absorption due to OCTN2 reduction might explain muscular symptoms in celiac disease patients. The diet-induced OCTN2 increase, improving carnitine absorption, might explain the L-carnitine treatment efficacy.

Tall-Laydee Newbie
Tall-Laydee
Posted

I was just diagnosed with celiac about 10 days ago so I'm new to this gluten free lifestyle too. I can say though the fatigue was actually my biggest symptom. I found out through a lot of testing that I have both an iron deficiency and a B12 deficiency along with the celiac, neither of which can be helped with supplements since my insides are so damaged at this point. So as I am trying to adjust to a gluten-free way of living I'm also dealing with weekly iron IVs and B12 shots to bring my levels up to a relatively normal level.

I know it's only been a short time and from reading all these posts I agree with the idea that it took a long time to get our bodies this way and it will probably take some time to get them better. I still feel very fatigued but I'm doing my best to allow myself to rest when I do feel tired and sleep when I need to. This whole ordeal is really overwhelming but seeing all these people post that have been gluten-free for years is very promising to me, it can be done!

Good luck and rest up!

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