Gluten Dreams

[Lisa16]

I am coming up fast on 1 year gluten free and I have noticed that I am having dreams about gluten more and more. Both kinds of dreams, although the nightmare type is more ccommon.

I have the happy kind where I can eat gluten with impunity and I devour huge chocolate cakes and piles of cupcakes with buttercream icing and pizzas with gooey melting cheese (I am also CF) and a veritable mountain of hot buttered toast on thick artison bread with visible whole grains. And I am invincible. I know I will not get sick.

But then there is the kind where I will be in, say, my college cafeteria (back in 1984, say) and I will be looking for food that is safe to eat and I will pick up something like a piece of cheese and put it in my mouth and realize there are cracker crumbs on it and I will spit it out all over the floor and keep spitting, trying to get everything out before IT begins. And then I curl up on the floor in agony. Or I will take a big fluffy bite of omelette only to realize that there are whole wheat bits in it and the spitting process will begin again, to the horror of everybody around me in the dream. People back away and gasp in horror. Some run.

So do you have these dreams too? Which type or both? And what do you think they mean-- especially if you have both types?

I was so sick for so long (over 20 years) that eating gluten free is not even a hardship and gluten is not a temptation. I can pass by anything with gluten in it and what I see when I look at it is pain and agony. It has become something that is not even food anymore, if you know what I mean. So why the dreams?

Lisa

[GFqueen17]

I can not say I have had any dreams like this...but I was thinking...maybe you have the nightmare ones because you are so afraid of getting glutened? i know im always scared of that. maybe the happy dreams are just happy memories? i know you say that you are not tempted because eating gluten put you through so much pain...which i agree with...but maybe you miss the food itself, like before it started making you sick. just a guess.

and i know exactly what you mean by, "it has become something that is not even food anymore."

[*lee-lee*]

i have gluten dreams a few times a month. usually i'll dream that i'm eating something i shouldn't and realize after a few bites and then freak out wondering how sick i'll be. then when i wake up, it was like it was so real and i'm very relieved to know i didn't consume gluten and i'm fine.

i think it's because i'm very paranoid that i'm going to get glutened somewhere. i'm very hesitant to eat out (at restaurants or other peoples houses) so it's just a nagging feeling, i guess. also, i'm tempted to "cheat" sometimes but i won't because i don't want to go back to feeling so crappy.

[Bell]

It also feels shameful to reject food, even though it makes us sick. Maybe you are aware of possible reactions from other people? spitting food isn't the same as saying a genteel "no thankyou". It is an action that shows fear to the people around us. It makes us feel ashamed and vulnerable, and other people, well whatever they really do think, we all have a fear of what they think of us, despite the truth. Eating is one of the most fundamental instincts humans and animals have. Being "picky" is drummed into us as the ultimate sin from childhood.

Perhaps I'm completely off... revealed more about myself than you here? x

[ShayFL]

I just had a dream last night that I was invited by a friend to a huge family get together of ALL CELIACS. My friend kept saying that I would love it because I could eat anything there without any worries or fears. They had BBQ, potato salads, greens, pies....all of my Southern favorites.....what a nice dream.....

[Lisa16]

It also feels shameful to reject food, even though it makes us sick. Maybe you are aware of possible reactions from other people? spitting food isn't the same as saying a genteel "no thankyou". It is an action that shows fear to the people around us. It makes us feel ashamed and vulnerable, and other people, well whatever they really do think, we all have a fear of what they think of us, despite the truth. Eating is one of the most fundamental instincts humans and animals have. Being "picky" is drummed into us as the ultimate sin from childhood.

Perhaps I'm completely off... revealed more about myself than you here? x

Bell you must have something of a psychologist in you! It is a very good analysis. The most recents one (in the cafeteria) happened on the heel on my having to cancel out of a meeting between people at the university where I work and people in the local school district because, despite explaining about the celiac disease, the insisted on making it a dinner meeting at a local Mexican restaurant where they make the tortillas (with flour flying through the air.) Zow. I was afraid that even if I didn't it, I would get glutened from the flying flour and I knew they thought I was extreme.

[Batsu13angel]

I had a dream a few nights ago that I went on a picnic with friends and when I took a bite out of the sandwhich I saw it was filled with crackers. I woke up in a panic when I thought that I was going to be sick.

[julirama723]

I have "carb" dreams like this, usually in times of stress. (I say carb dreams because I'd been following Atkins for 2 years prior to my recent shift into gluten-free.)

In the dreams I'll be eating something, not paying attention (or not knowing what it is) then suddenly look down and it's a hot fudge brownie sundae, or a huge cheeseburger, or a huge dinner roll, or something else simply awful. When I see what I'm eating, I'm filled with horror and fear and I burst into tears. And I don't just cry, but I shudder and convulse and sob. Sometimes I even wake myself up like this! In the dream I think only of the impending doom and I feel so scared and awful and horrified, like somebody tricked me.

I am SO RELIEVED when I wake up and find it's just a dream. Sometimes in the mornings I will wake up and feel nauseous, like I really did eat the food!

I think it has to do with fear. I'm afraid I'll mess up on this eating plan. I'm afraid I'll eat something and have a bad reaction. I'm afraid of my own successes. What's funny is that 90% of the time, I'll dream about a food I have no desire to eat in my waking life.

They're horrible dreams, but I think they're also "normal". Maybe it's just a way for our brains to get rid of a little baggage and stress about food.

[lobita]

I sometimes have dreams where I forget I'm intolerant, and I'm talking to someone and then I eat a slice of bread. I think in most of those dreams I realize what I've done and freak out, then wake up in a panic. I kind of think most of that is general anxiety dreams and me worrying about an ingestion. But I do know from a psychology of personality class I took in college that physical things in dreams are representations of thoughts and emotions, so it's possible that the gluten thing being present doesn't have anything to do actually with gluten, but is just a BIG symbol of anxiety and stress for me (or possibly unfair feelings or victim feelings or sick feelings, or enter emotion that gluten makes me feel).

[DarkIvy]

I don't get them a lot, but I had one recently. I don't remember much except that I started eating greasy college pizza, and that it was a few minutes before I realized that I'd get sick. It's like I just totally forgot I couldn't eat pizza...

Usually though, I get the type of dream in which I feel very conflicted. I'll be in some situation where I need to eat but there's nothing I CAN eat, but everything around me is so delicious that I can't resist. Pizza, cupcakes, french pastries.... that sort of thing. Then I eat it, then immediately afterward I start freaking out about how I'm going to feel sick and generally really regretting the decision. Then I wake up, craving said bad foods, but thankful that I'm not going to get sick off of a dream.

I usually get them when I've been glutened or when I'm very stressed out. I lead a very stressful life as it is, and the dreams usually kick in when I'm more or less at the breaking point. Honestly, Celiac tends to be the least of my concerns on a day to day basis- I've got it mostly under control, and being "sick" doesn't usually prevent me from living life, even if it is uncomfortable. It contributes to my stress, but is not my biggest stressor by any stretch of the imagination. I think that these dreams stem from the feeling that I'm loosing control over a certain situation in my life, that may or may not have anything to do with celiac. For example, my academics have been suffering as a result of the fact that I work full time most weeks to pay for all of my expenses... and that some weeks my hours are less and I can't pay for everything. I feel like my own life spins out of control, and my dreams reflect that feeling of "gee, I can't help my mistakes, I'm under so much pressure right now."

[ang1e0251]

I haven't had gluten dreams but I guess if you're eating gluten in your dream and happy about it, maybe it's just your mind giving you a safe place to have a treat. I think if the fear dream is becoming more frequent, you can try a trick I taught myself as a child for nightmares. Just before falling asleep, I would tell myself, "If the monster chases me in my dream tonight, I will know this is only a dream and I control my own dreams. I can have any power I want, so instead of only being able to run in slow motion I can run super fast or I can turn around and beat up the monster with super strength or even fly away!" Now this didn't work the first night, but I kept saying it every night and soon it worked just the way I promised myself it would. After one accasion of the altered dream, I no longer had the nightmares. When my children were small, they went through the "scarey dream" phase. At bedtime, I would ask them to pick their dream, princess, He-Man, ponies, the beach, Disneyland, etc. This worked well for them.

I know it sounds like kid's stuff but our mind works in strange ways. It wants to work for us if you just give it some direction.

BTW, my dad died from lung cancer so I have never smoked or desired to but occasionally I have dreams where I smoke and enjoy it! Weird, huh? I just laugh at that. WHat I love is the rare dream where my big brother comes to visit, he passed away when I wa 16 & I still miss him. I figure that's just a little treat from God for me.

[ThatlldoGyp]

It took me almost a year to stop having "glutened" dreams regularly. In your dreams you are just spitting things out, in mine, I would stick my finger down my throat and make myself vomit but the gagging would wake me up as well (which I welcomed, btw). The vomiting was disturbing because I also have gastroparesis (delayed gastric dumping) and all my life all I have heard from people who don't understand is that I have an "eating disorder" because I would eat so little and get full. So the entire time I was making myself barf in my dreams (to get rid of the gluten), I also had people pointing and saying, "I TOLD you she has an eating disorder". Ugh! Double attention for too many reasons, lol!

Also, I am a vegetarian and I can also have the WORST "meat eating dreams" combined with gluten dreams at times!! You would not believe how some people feel that your choice to be a vegetarian is something that they need to "correct" or whatever. So, I do get stressed when I know the holidays are coming up and someone is going to shove turkey, pig, or cow at me for the next three months. Ugh!

So,back to my point. What happened was that I read this awful article about people eating other simians right before bed a few days ago. Last night I had this horrid dream that I was at a restaurant and I went back to the kitchen to check on my food prep, and there was my lovely basenji with his hair all singed off, oiled up,barley all around him, and they were planning on roasting him ALIVE and feeding him to me! I woke up in a cold sweat and made him sleep by me, so I *knew* he was safe! Otherwise sleeping would have been impossible.Lol! I felt this "I'm going to get sick" doom hanging over me all day and I had NO appetite at all just from dreaming about barley and the whole pet roasting thing. How weird our mind/body connection can be, even when we know it was just a dream it still messes with you! wow.

So, just to let you know, it could be worse! and you are very normal!

That is probably TMI, but I felt a pang of empathy there for you as I just had a bad gluten dream plus last night, so I thought sharing may be helpful. Personally, I think it is the stress of the holidays (the parties, the food! the explanations! Ugh!) coming up, combined with that awful article that did it for me.

So, just to let you know, they will pass, but may happen again, especially when you know that a stressful time is approaching like holidays or parties. You know, I think I would be less stressed about food situations and glutening myself if people would just leave me alone about what I eat and the amount I can get down at any one time. Crazy isn't it? I do understand that people can be insulted if they prepare this big meal and all you want is a baked potato, so explanations are in order at times, but I feel like that is all I do from mid-November until Feb. sometimes!

Hope you (and I as well) have a better, more restful sleep tonight! Blessings!

[Lisa16]

Cave canem indeed! With barley no less. How hideous.

Thank you so much for your empathy!

[spunky]

YES!

I have both kinds of dreams frequently... whenever I've had gluten dreams, my stomach feels a little off that entire day!

[Katester]

I've been having gluten dreams too! I guess they're pretty common! In my dreams I'll eat something bad and expect to feel terrible. Then I'll wake up and be so relieved that it was only a dream. Everyone in my family always said you dream about your worries so that's why I have gluten dreams. Just my input.

[debmidge]

My husband frequently has them where he has the gluten food

in front of him, but he knows he cannot eat it. And says to himself

in the dream "Why is this food here? I cannot eat it."

[luciddream928]

I just spoke with my mom about this last night. I had a similar experience quitting smoking - dreaming of taking a drag and waking up with hurting lungs and guilt. (Thank God I quit). I have a feeling it's similar with the gluten-free dreams. Body going through a kind of detox, perhaps?

I've had 2 gluten dreams in the past week. In both I woke up feeling guilty and I thought I'd really messed up and eaten it. In one of the dreams, I bought an Oreo cookie waffle cone with vanilla ice cream from a gourmet ice cream shop. I realized I couldn't eat it and thought, "I'll just give it to my boyfriend instead."

I ate ice cream every night for at least 13 years when I was growing up. Part of my bedtime ritual as a kid: ice cream and reading. Now that I'm gluten intolerant, I find myself giving up a lot of childhood comforts (I grew up on PB & J and Italian food).

I've wondered about the dreams, too, and the mind-body connection. I don't read too much into them except that I feel guilty when I wake up.

[caek-is-a-lie]

Oh yeah I get those dreams all the time. Usually it's nightmares all night long about reading labels and trying to cook, or accidentally eating an entire chocolate cake before realizing it's a regular wheat cake. But the other night I finally had the good dream where I ate gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and nothing happened! Oh it was so wonderful. I've never had that dream before.

[ang1e0251]

I ate ice cream every night for at least 13 years when I was growing up. Part of my bedtime ritual as a kid: ice cream and reading. Now that I'm gluten intolerant, I find myself giving up a lot of childhood comforts (I grew up on PB & J and Italian food).

Don't give up your comfort foods! I have PB & J every night for dessert. I double toast two corn tortillas and slather it on. Delicious! I also have pasta whenever I want. Walmart has corn or rice pasta and the Tinkyada brand is excellant. I haven't had ice cream for years because of dairy intolerance but I make smoothies with frozen fruit and enjoy them just as much. If you can't have your favorite foods, you'll be resentful. There are very few foods you cannot substitute for. Find a way to have your faves!

[april22]

When I read what you all are writing - this will sound a little strange...- I almost get jelous! I was diagnosed with narcolepsy - but after years of trying to figure myself out, I have come to realize that I think i really have celiac, with mostly brain symptoms. I now know how important it is for me to stay off gluten, but my association of pain and being sick, is not there.

It would be easier for me if they were. When I eat gluten, I will fall asleep within the hour, or at least be more or less tranquilized. It will dramatically reduce my energy levels and ability to focus. It takes a good week of complete avoidance before my energy is up to normal.

And yes - the dreams. Vivid dreams with sensations of touch and pain. Both amazing experiences and horrible nightmares. Sometimes I am not able to figure out if it is happening or if it is a dream.

I know that gluten mimics opiates and I think they attatch to the same neurotransmitters- maybe it is an addicted brain talking? It does cause an addictive behavior in me..

When I look back on my childhood I realize that most likely the recurrent ear infections, the severe menstrual cramps and abdominal pains were probably a reaction to gluten.

For one month no I have been 100% off gluten! It is a first for me. I had not one single narcoleptic attack. My energy levels have been strong. I have been hiking every day and felt great. That was up until I went to Wholefoods and had tea. It smelled soooo good. Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride it was called! One would think that should have gotten my alarm to go off. I had a cup - and 15 minutes later I had to sleep.

when I later read the ingredients it had roasted barley, "natural sugar cookie flavor and other natural flavors" and also clearly state contains gluten.....

No more Celestial seasonings tea for me...

[one more mile]

Dreams like this are pretty coman when someone stops doing a behavior.People who have stoped drinking or smoking usually have these dreams after they have come to peace with the fact that they cannot safely drink or smoke again.

usually one wakes up startled or feeling guilty. But few of us have much control over our dreams. So these feelings really do not apply. The important thing is not to dwell on them.

One more mile

[hannahp57]

when I have dreams like this, it feels real. like i can really taste it and smell it. i usually wake up feeling sick. no real symptoms justa small amount of nausea and fear that i messed up on my diet, before i realize it was just a dream. they tend to go away when i don't worry as much about what i am missing but it still happens so i dont know what causes them to be honest

[one more mile]

It is pretty normal. Many people who quite something then come to peace with it have those dreams. My dad had them after a few months of not smoking, I had them when I stopped drinking. I am self employed and have been for 9 years but from time to time I go to the factory in my sleep. Oddly my mind remembers the nice things about the factory and forgets the not so nice things. In the winter I rake leaves in my sleep.

I think it is our mind seeking balance. We as humans are "doers" so when not doing something I think it plays little tricks on our minds.