Meds Don't Work After Going Gf?

[doggles]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I'm really glad to have a place to ask questions and get support.

Before diagnosis, I had no symptoms other than fatigue and low iron. I've been gluten-free for only a week or so, and my body is now out of control! I feel so much worse.

My problem is that I have 2 other autoimmune diseases which I take hormone medications for (hashimoto's thyroiditis and premature ovarian failure). I have checked the meds and they are gluten-free. For some reason, they have stopped working since going gluten-free. I have killer fatigue in the AM with low body temp (usually means my thyroid supplement isn't working) and bad hot flashes (I get these when my hormone replacement isn't working). My doc had recently upped my dosages of both, and I was feeling fine until this week, when I started the diet.

Does going on the gluten-free diet some how wipe out medications? If anything, I've been constipated, so I don't think I'm 'flushing' them out my system! I'm also bloated, irritable, and generally uncomfortable. I know I'm adjusting to being gluten-free, but I thought I'd be more sensitive to medication, not less. Anyone have any similar problems, or ideas as to what could be going on?

(just an aside - my father and 2 brothers are celiac's. I have a lot of experience with this diet, so there's not too much of a chance that I'm eating hidden gluten- I know where it lurks!)

[Guest gillian502]

I honestly can't understand why your meds would stop working, but I can tell you that I have never felt stranger or worse in my life than during my first few months on this diet. I felt like I was detoxing, but it lasted for 3 or 4 hellish months. I had increased stomach pains, a constantly empty feeling, unbelievable hunger that couldn't be satiated, and general ill feeling. I knew I had Celiac, though, so I hung in there and dealt with the agony of the new diet, hoping I was doing what was right for myself. I saw I was gaining my weight back after having lost so much, and that gave me the strength to hang in there and stick with being gluten-free. Eventually, after a few months, my body slowly began to feel normal on this diet.

I remember what helped for me was upping the amount of protein I ate, and going on the PPI drug Aciphex, which eased my stomach pains and stabilized my strange appetite. In the beginning I also think I switched too drastically over to almost all whole foods, when making a gradual switch but still eating some processed gluten-free foods would've been easier on my system. After all, I'd been eating almost entirely processed foods my whole life, and my body didn't know how to respond to such a major change. Going dairy free also helped for a while.

Although I'm sorry to hear you're in pain, it's a relief to hear I'm not the only Celiac whose body rejected this diet at first! Good luck!

[doggles]

Thanks, gillian502.

I guess I should just expect weird symptoms for a while. But maybe I'll try going dairy free too. I've added a lot more of that, and who knows what that is doing! I'll stick to lean meats for my proteins.

I'll get my meds checked out if this weirdness continues, of course. It has only been a week for me. I was just hoping I'd have some super energy rush and feel great. But after reading everyone's posts here, I really see that we don't know so much about this disease. One day at a time, I guess!

[cdford]

If your immune system is like mine (and my endocrinologist says most are with celiac disease), it will go haywire the first few weeks. According to him, it is as though your body has been addicted to a drug and now has to get its act back together. You may want to ask the doc if it is necessary to test levels of your drugs in your system periodically for a while. We had to adjust my medications at first and then again at three month intervals as my body regained its normality. I am not as sensitive to drugs as I was before the diagnosis, so some of them had to be upped. Others we have been able to completely stop because the problems mediated as the damage healed.

Hang in there...it will get a whole lot better.

The first few weeks/months are the worst then life changes significantly for the better.