Bad Fatigue After Going Gluten Free! Help!

[codyb87]

Hello everyone!

I am in the process of being tested for celiac. I am IgA deficient and am awaiting a GI appointment for a biopsy.

As a desperate measure to stay healthy and stay in school i went gluten free about 3 weeks ago without the consent of a doctor. (syptoms are only heart palps/high BPM/fatigue when glutened so far).

I have a long history of severe anemia, mainly low ferretin (spelling?), and about 1 week after going gluten free my doctor told me I had low ferretin again. Shortly after this news, I developed harsh fatigue and weakness that does not seem to be going away.

I went to Europe last summer for 5 weeks with a ferretin level of 1 and did very well with MILD fatigue. My Level is 15 now and it hurts to go upstairs to my kitchen. (hurts as in exhaustion, short of breathe)

To get to the point: I admit to eating like crap most of my life; fast food, drinking, low exercise, lots of computer time etc. When I went gluten free I cut ALL OF THIS out. I ate extremely healthy with barely any sugars and now I'm experiencing this horrible fatigue.

I have a sneaky suspicion this change is diet is the cause to my fatigue, or maybe some kind of really long sugar crash. So far my questions on this site have been answered really well and I thank you all for that.

So once again, any suggestions/comments? Maybe I should consult a dietitian?

[Jestgar]

This sounds a little bit snotty, but are you sure you know what a healthy diet is?

Maybe you could post a couple days menus and see if someone notices something you're missing.

[codyb87]

Good call actually. I've been keeping a bit of a food diary but i forget certain meals sometimes.

gluten-free=Gluten Free

Monday Feb. 9:

-Raspberry Jam on gluten-free toast

-1 Orange

-Organic apple juice

-gluten-free Chicken apple sausages with gluten-free mustard

-Baby carrots

-Fish with lemon

-multigrain rice

-garden salad with homemade gluten-free dressing

-toast with peanut butter

Saturday Feb. 7:

-gluten-free cereal with milk

-gluten-free toast with jam

-Orange

-Tuna with gluten-free mayo and lettuce

-fruit cup

-chocolate milk

-Lemon chicken

-asparagus

-dill pickle chips small bag

Today, Wednesday Feb. 11:

-gluten-free toast with marmalade

-Orange

-Orange juice

-Tuna with gluten-free mayo and lettuce

-Glutino vanilla biscuits

-apple

-gluten-free pasta with organic tomato sauce

-garden salad with homemade dressing

-peanut butter and jam sandwhich

-small bag of M&M's

Wow this must be pretty boring for most people to read lol.

[Gfresh404]

  codyb87 said:

Hello everyone!

I am in the process of being tested for celiac. I am IgA deficient and am awaiting a GI appointment for a biopsy.

As a desperate measure to stay healthy and stay in school i went gluten free about 3 weeks ago without the consent of a doctor. (syptoms are only heart palps/high BPM/fatigue when glutened so far).

I have a long history of severe anemia, mainly low ferretin (spelling?), and about 1 week after going gluten free my doctor told me I had low ferretin again. Shortly after this news, I developed harsh fatigue and weakness that does not seem to be going away.

I went to Europe last summer for 5 weeks with a ferretin level of 1 and did very well with MILD fatigue. My Level is 15 now and it hurts to go upstairs to my kitchen. (hurts as in exhaustion, short of breathe)

To get to the point: I admit to eating like crap most of my life; fast food, drinking, low exercise, lots of computer time etc. When I went gluten free I cut ALL OF THIS out. I ate extremely healthy with barely any sugars and now I'm experiencing this horrible fatigue.

I have a sneaky suspicion this change is diet is the cause to my fatigue, or maybe some kind of really long sugar crash. So far my questions on this site have been answered really well and I thank you all for that.

So once again, any suggestions/comments? Maybe I should consult a dietitian?

hmm... that does seem to be a pretty healthy diet. My guess it that it's the dairy. Avoid that for a couple of weeks and see if you notice a difference. I would always get increased heartbeat/heart palpitations when I ate dairy, don't know if it was the casein or lactose intolerance.

Also, take it easy on fats for a little while, your body has to work extra hard if your gut is not fully healed.

Just another suggestion, your heart issues could be vitamin/mineral deficiencies related or not even GI related at all. Not questioning you, just looking at possibilities. Good luck, let me know if any of that makes a difference.

[RiceGuy]

Well, the diet doesn't look all that bad, though personally I'd eat more veggies, like dark leafy greens and such. As was stated, dairy can be problematic, especially at first, so you may find it helpful to avoid that.

However, the suggestion of nutrient deficiencies may be right on the mark. Deficiencies are common, especially while healing. Some of the most common ones include vitamin B12, B-complex, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Some find omega-3s to be helpful too.

Since you stated you are planning on getting a biopsy, I hope you are aware that going gluten-free beforehand will almost certainly result in a false negative. Even while consuming gluten, the biopsy is hit-and-miss.

[EmilyRD]

Hi Codyb87!

I am actually a Registered Dietitian and I have a few pointers to give you about your diet! Even though you are eating very healthy gluten-free foods, I suspect that you are not getting nearly the calories you need. You most likely were eating a good amount of calories before you went gluten-free, as most "convenience foods" are pretty high in empty calories, and now you body feels like it is being underfed and hence the fatigue and lack of energy. I would recommend trying to eat more high calorie gluten-free foods, or maybe doing 5 small meals/day or 3 meals and 3 snacks to get you enough calories and provide your body with more energy.

Good luck!