Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Feeling So Sick After Going gluten-free


climbmtwhitney

Recommended Posts

climbmtwhitney Apprentice

Hello all.

O.K., so I'm completely new at this. My 10-year old daughter and I were diagnosed celiac last month -- which explains SO VERY MUCH!

Anyway, my daughter and I both felt great for about a week after going gluten-free. Then she went through withdrawl for about a week. Now she's feeling better each day. But I am NOT! I feel achy all over, headaches, terrible night sweats, really tired & cold, irritated throat, on and off grumpy, etc. It's been nearly 4 weeks since I went gluten-free. When will this end? My husband (gotta love him anyway) is really losing patience. I know I need to stick with this. I realize everyone is different, but on average, am I in for a few more weeks of this or months? Please help.

Thanks!

Sonya


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



ShayFL Enthusiast

It took me a SOLID 6 weeks to get through all that crap.....then I started feeling MUCH better!!

Hang in their sweetie....there is light at the end of the tunnel. :)

Just be mindful to avoid CC. Dont eat out and muck it up. Stay focused. Tell your husband that once you get through the poop, he will have a new and improved wife. Might even make you more frisky. ;) This might help him be more patient.

Lisa Mentor

Hi Sonya,

I would revisit your diet. Check you meds, vitamins, shampoos, makeup and lipsticks. In other words, anything that can get near or in your mouth.

Do you have a dedicated toaster just you for you and your daughter. Wooded spoons, scratched pots and pans, wooded cutting boards and colanders can be a good source for hidden gluten.

It is near impossible to begin this diet and be knowledgeable of every sneaky source. It took me many months to master the diet, and mistakes were frequent.

If you have any specific concerns, please feel free to ask.

And welcome to the Club!

climbmtwhitney Apprentice

Thanks much for the advice and hints! 6 weeks is a LONG time. Crap.

Here's another question.....If I handle, cook, prepare foods that have gluten for my other 2 children and my husband, is that cross contamination? Would that be different than using a gluten-containing hand creme for example? I did get a gluten-free toaster, cutting board, pots/pans, etc., but I'm still handling the gluten food for others. I do wash my hands a lot when I'm cooking, but should I not be handling the regular food at all? Thanks!

ShayFL Enthusiast

I wouldnt use ANY gluten containing "flours" in your house EVER. That stuff gets everywhere. Personally, I didnt want to have to always worry and feel sick, so I took my whole family gluten-free (including the dogs). There needs to be one place in the world where I can feel safe. It is my home.

Check your fingernails. Dont use teflon that has had ANY gluten foods in it. Same for cutting boards.

Amyleigh0007 Enthusiast

It is much easier to have a completely gluten free home. That's what we did after my son was dx.

Lisa Mentor

I can handle gluten, but I am always careful to wash my hands well and wipe down any counter top that is used.

I don't impose my restrictions on my husband and he is always courteous of mine.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Puddy Explorer

I, too, handle gluten items with no problem. But like Momma Goose, I am very careful to wash my hands and wipe up crumbs.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,134
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Driver
    Newest Member
    Driver
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Sarah Grace
      Dear Kitty Since March I have been following your recommendations regarding vitamins to assist with various issues that I have been experiencing.  To recap, I am aged 68 and was late diagnosed with Celiac about 12 years ago.  I had been experiencing terrible early morning headaches which I had self diagnosed as hypoglycaemia.  I also mentioned that I had issues with insomnia, vertigo and brain fog.   It's now one year since I started on the Benfotiamine 600 mg/day.  I am still experiencing the hypoglycaemia and it's not really possible to say for sure whether the Benfotiamine is helpful.  In March this year, I added B-Complex Thiamine Hydrochloride and Magnesium L-Threonate on a daily basis, and I am now confident to report that the insomnia and vertigo and brain fog have all improved!!  So, very many thanks for your very helpful advice. I am now less confident that the early morning headaches are caused by hypoglycaemia, as even foods with a zero a GI rating (cheese, nuts, etc) can cause really server headaches, which sometimes require migraine medication in order to get rid off.  If you are able to suggest any other treatment I would definitely give it a try, as these headaches are a terrible burden.  Doctors in the UK have very limited knowledge concerning dietary issues, and I do not know how to get reliable advice from them. Best regards,
    • knitty kitty
      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.