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

Anyone Recover From Chronic Insomnia After Going gluten-free?


carrieanna76

Recommended Posts

carrieanna76 Newbie

hi, i'm new to the forum. i was recently diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and i have been gluten free for about three weeks now. i discovered i was gluten sensitive after going to my naturopath for chronic insomnia, which i've had for the past seven years. as of now, i can see no improvement in my sleep and am worried that gluten is not the cause of my insomnia...

so i'm just wondering if any of you suffered from chronic insomnia before going gluten-free, if going gluten-free cured the insomnia and if so, how long did it take after going gluten-free before you got sleep?

thanks so much! i've really enjoyed this site and look forward to hearing from other gluten intolerants.

carrie


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



  • Replies 74
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Tigercat17 Enthusiast

Hi Carrie,

I've had trouble sleeping for years, too. I thought it was just me. I never took any medication for it, but I was tempted sometimes. It wasn't everyday, but at least three times a week. I would go to work a lot with no sleep at all & feel horrible. I also felt a lot of anxiety & brain fog. Now that I've been gluten free for four months. I think it took about a month or more for my insomnia to go away & then I started sleeping so good & I felt so calm. It was wonderful. Then I was getting glutened again two weeks ago & now , of course, along with all the other GI symptoms, I'm having trouble sleeping again. I think it is getting better, but it just takes a while for the body to recover from the gluten. Just make sure you're on a very strict gluten free diet & recheck everything you're taking -vitamins, medication, hand & face lotion. I realized I was getting glutened from my synthriod medication. It was driving me crazy. It was the last item I thought of & as soon as my doctor changed my medicine I started to feel better. But I still having some brain fog & having a hard time falling to sleep. I do listen to soft music & meditation celiac disease's (BelleRuth Naparstek) right before I go to sleep & that does help me a lot. If you think a mediation celiac disease would help you, you might want to try it. You can buy them on (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned). I have a few of her celiac disease''s & they helped it really helps me to relax.- not trying to sell you anything, just trying to help. :)

Hang in there. It'll get better soon.

carrieanna76 Newbie

thanks so much for the advice! it's encouraging to hear that it took a while for your sleep to improve. just curious, what thyroid medication are you taking now? i started taking Levoxyl recently and i've heard it's gluten-free, but not 100% positive. i too have the brain fog and a bit of depression - really hoping to feel like a normal person soon...

thanks again and good luck on your gluten-free journey!

carrie

Hi Carrie,

I've had trouble sleeping for years, too. I thought it was just me. I never took any medication for it, but I was tempted sometimes. It wasn't everyday, but at least three times a week. I would go to work a lot with no sleep at all & feel horrible. I also felt a lot of anxiety & brain fog. Now that I've been gluten free for four months. I think it took about a month or more for my insomnia to go away & then I started sleeping so good & I felt so calm. It was wonderful. Then I was getting glutened again two weeks ago & now , of course, along with all the other GI symptoms, I'm having trouble sleeping again. I think it is getting better, but it just takes a while for the body to recover from the gluten. Just make sure you're on a very strict gluten free diet & recheck everything you're taking -vitamins, medication, hand & face lotion. I realized I was getting glutened from my synthriod medication. It was driving me crazy. It was the last item I thought of & as soon as my doctor changed my medicine I started to feel better. But I still having some brain fog & having a hard time falling to sleep. I do listen to soft music & meditation celiac disease's (BelleRuth Naparstek) right before I go to sleep & that does help me a lot. If you think a mediation celiac disease would help you, you might want to try it. You can buy them on (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned). I have a few of her celiac disease''s & they helped it really helps me to relax.- not trying to sell you anything, just trying to help. :)

Hang in there. It'll get better soon.

  • 4 weeks later...
katco Newbie

Carrie,

I'm wondering if you've seen any improvement in your sleep since you last posted. My son, who has sleep problems, is on day 10 of a Gluten-free Casein-free diet. I know results take a while, but it's hard to be patient!

Kathy

RiceGuy Collaborator

The best thing I found to cure insomnia is vitamin B12. It makes total sense too, because B12 is vital for the production of serotonin and melatonin, amongst other things. These are critical for regulation of sleep/wake cycles, mood, energy production, and lots more. Also, those with Celiac Disease are very often deficient in B12, so there again it makes sense. I find I sleep quite well now, especially if I take the B12 about 30 minutes or so before I go to bed. The one I prefer is a 5mg methylcobalamin sublingual tablet made by Source Naturals.

Other nutrients are also helpful with sleep. For instance, magnesium is known as the calming mineral. And interestingly, people with Celiac Disease often have a deficiency of magnesium too. A co-enzyme B-complex can also be very helpful, as can a multivitamin/mineral, so I'd suggest these as well.

jackay Enthusiast

Carrie,

Let us know if your sleep improves.

Mine is better now that I am gluten free but I still have issues. I found out I have a lot more food intolerances than gluten so am hoping that by limiting my diet even more that my sleep will continue to get better.

I never know when I go to bed what is in store for me. I have absolutely no sleep pattern. Some nights I go to sleep right away but wake up after a short time and then can't get back to sleep. Some times I am awake most of the night and don't fall asleep until after 3 a.m. Some nights I don't sleep at all. I do get some wonderful nights when I sleep all night. All in all, it is getting better.

I have tried so many approaches with sleep and for now I just stay in bed and rest. I do know that if I get up and do something else, it won't help me get back to sleep later. I am absolutely not able to sleep during the day. I would love a good nap.

Good luck!

CHARBEEGOOD Newbie

Carrie,

I didn't think you were alone (and the responses above prove that). I too have experienced sleep problems. I have been "keeping" a gluten-free diet since October and besides the digestive improvement I did experience a sleep improvement. B12 is something to keep your eye one, B12 is absorbed in the colon which is why so many individuals who suffer with celiac or gluten sensitivities end up needing supplements.

I wish you luck and hope that you find the rest you need to heal and function. Remember to talk to your doctor so that he/she is aware of your issues. It is the only way (s)he can help.

char


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



bluebonnet Explorer

The best thing I found to cure insomnia is vitamin B12. It makes total sense too, because B12 is vital for the production of serotonin and melatonin, amongst other things. These are critical for regulation of sleep/wake cycles, mood, energy production, and lots more. Also, those with Celiac Disease are very often deficient in B12, so there again it makes sense. I find I sleep quite well now, especially if I take the B12 about 30 minutes or so before I go to bed. The one I prefer is a 5mg methylcobalamin sublingual tablet made by Source Naturals.

Other nutrients are also helpful with sleep. For instance, magnesium is known as the calming mineral. And interestingly, people with Celiac Disease often have a deficiency of magnesium too. A co-enzyme B-complex can also be very helpful, as can a multivitamin/mineral, so I'd suggest these as well.

i thought the b vitamins were responsible for energy and was surprised to read you take them so close to bed time. i feel like i haven't slept for 13 1/2 years now and hated when night time rolled around because i knew it was gonna be a looooong night. i don't want to take any sleeping meds but i will give the b vitamins a try. it would be so great to look forward to bed time and actually get a full night's rest!

RiceGuy Collaborator

i thought the b vitamins were responsible for energy and was surprised to read you take them so close to bed time. i feel like i haven't slept for 13 1/2 years now and hated when night time rolled around because i knew it was gonna be a looooong night. i don't want to take any sleeping meds but i will give the b vitamins a try. it would be so great to look forward to bed time and actually get a full night's rest!

Yes, B12 can provide an energy boost. I just haven't noticed that, only how I seem to sleep more deeply if I take the B12 towards the end of the day. Of course, once you're levels are up, the effects may be more evened out. That is, perhaps the boost is more noticeable when the deficiency is more severe. I can only guess at that. I suppose it may vary from person to person too.

carrieanna76 Newbie

@Kathy

carrieanna76 Newbie

@Riceguy

carrieanna76 Newbie

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet

jackay Enthusiast

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet

jackay Enthusiast

Carrie,

I didn't think you were alone (and the responses above prove that). I too have experienced sleep problems. I have been "keeping" a gluten-free diet since October and besides the digestive improvement I did experience a sleep improvement. B12 is something to keep your eye one, B12 is absorbed in the colon which is why so many individuals who suffer with celiac or gluten sensitivities end up needing supplements.

I wish you luck and hope that you find the rest you need to heal and function. Remember to talk to your doctor so that he/she is aware of your issues. It is the only way (s)he can help.

char

Char,

You didn't mention sublinqual B12 supplements but most people using this forum do. If B12 is absorbed by the colon, how does taking it sublinqually help?

hpymomof3 Rookie

I wonder why so many people who can't have gluten have insomnia. My daughter has had severe debilitating insomnia for about 20 months. We have gone to so many specialists and no one has been able to help her. She went gluten free in October after finding out that she tested positive through Enterolab. We still haven't seen any improvement. She is on several supplements (B12, B6, zinc, b complex to name a few) and nothing is helping her.

It is so bad that I had to pull her out of school last fall and have been teaching her at home. It is even difficult for her to learn at home. She can never fall asleep before 3:00 and often not until 4 or 5. Then she wakes up pretty much every hour and can't get back to sleep. I let her stay in bed until 10:00 but she still isn't getting very much sleep. It is so difficult for her to get through the day.

Any more suggestions?

RiceGuy Collaborator

Char,

You didn't mention sublinqual B12 supplements but most people using this forum do. If B12 is absorbed by the colon, how does taking it sublinqually help?

The B12 we get from food is absorbed as it passes through the digestive tract. There are actually several steps which need to occur for proper absorption to take place. Eventually, the liver must convert it into a usable form. However, in the case of Celiac Disease, malabsorption apparently effects the absorption of certain nutrients more than others, B12 being one of the more typical ones.

That's when a sublingual form really helps. It gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and when taken in the right form (methylcobalamin being one of the best known), it doesn't require conversion by the liver either. So whether you're dealing with malabsorption, Pernicious Anemia, or liver problems, the sublingual B12 will bypass all of that.

jackay Enthusiast

The B12 we get from food is absorbed as it passes through the digestive tract. There are actually several steps which need to occur for proper absorption to take place. Eventually, the liver must convert it into a usable form. However, in the case of Celiac Disease, malabsorption apparently effects the absorption of certain nutrients more than others, B12 being one of the more typical ones.

That's when a sublingual form really helps. It gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and when taken in the right form (methylcobalamin being one of the best known), it doesn't require conversion by the liver either. So whether you're dealing with malabsorption, Pernicious Anemia, or liver problems, the sublingual B12 will bypass all of that.

RiceGuy,

Thanks so much for clarifying this. It makes so much sense. I'll see if my doctor sells this and if not, I'll order some online. It will be interesting to see where I come out with my nutritional blood work because B12 (from what I've read) doesn't always show up as being deficient when tested because it draws it from the bones.

Are there other nutrients that are better off taken sublingually?

  • 2 weeks later...
jackay Enthusiast

i thought the b vitamins were responsible for energy and was surprised to read you take them so close to bed time. i feel like i haven't slept for 13 1/2 years now and hated when night time rolled around because i knew it was gonna be a looooong night. i don't want to take any sleeping meds but i will give the b vitamins a try. it would be so great to look forward to bed time and actually get a full night's rest!

bluebonnet,

Have you tried the B12 yet and had any luck with it?

bluebonnet Explorer

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet

CHARBEEGOOD Newbie

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet

CHARBEEGOOD Newbie

The B12 we get from food is absorbed as it passes through the digestive tract. There are actually several steps which need to occur for proper absorption to take place. Eventually, the liver must convert it into a usable form. However, in the case of Celiac Disease, malabsorption apparently effects the absorption of certain nutrients more than others, B12 being one of the more typical ones.

That's when a sublingual form really helps. It gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and when taken in the right form (methylcobalamin being one of the best known), it doesn't require conversion by the liver either. So whether you're dealing with malabsorption, Pernicious Anemia, or liver problems, the sublingual B12 will bypass all of that.

Riceguy..thank you. You said that so much better than I could have. Each Dr. tells his or her patients how to take the B12. I was injecting it for a few months and taking supplements. Once the levels got up, I was told to stop the injections and just take the supplements. They will continue to test my levels for a while to see if they change. Depending on the change, a rise or fall the treatment may be tweaked to compensate.

Good Luck.

Lz-erk Newbie

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet – wow, it’s really fascinating that so many of us “gluten intolerants” have sleep issues. My insomnia has been so bad that it prevented me from going to grad school and I could only hold a part-time job, so needless to say, I feel for all of you! Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions. Around the same time I went off gluten, I also discovered I’m hypothyroid, as well as melatonin, vitamin d, zinc and b12 deficient, so this might be contributing to the insomnia as well… Just out of curiosity, do any of you have thyroid issues?

Thanks to all of you and sweet dreams!

[No known thyroid issues on me.] I've had Non-24 symptoms since possibly birth, definitely since 13+. I went gluten free a year or two ago and have tried orthomolecular solutions, which helped with other things, but no effect on sleep.

I'm glad to hear your melatonin's been tested. Were you also tested for circadian rhythm disorders?

  • 4 months later...
brandynickle Newbie

The best thing I found to cure insomnia is vitamin B12. It makes total sense too, because B12 is vital for the production of serotonin and melatonin, amongst other things. These are critical for regulation of sleep/wake cycles, mood, energy production, and lots more. Also, those with Celiac Disease are very often deficient in B12, so there again it makes sense. I find I sleep quite well now, especially if I take the B12 about 30 minutes or so before I go to bed. The one I prefer is a 5mg methylcobalamin sublingual tablet made by Source Naturals.

Other nutrients are also helpful with sleep. For instance, magnesium is known as the calming mineral. And interestingly, people with Celiac Disease often have a deficiency of magnesium too. A co-enzyme B-complex can also be very helpful, as can a multivitamin/mineral, so I'd suggest these as well.

All of the things you say are true! One other thought is the Candida issue. My son wakes up in the middle of the night( and never seems tired at bedtime) whenever his Candida grows out of control. Our naturapath doctor treats him with an anti-fungal for systemic yeast and he is feeling right as rain. Just food for thought!

Skylark Collaborator

I started sleeping when I sorted out the psych issues, which requires gluten-free, fish oil, and lots of a high-potency vitamin/micronutrient supplement. If I get into gluten or slack off on the handfuls of vitamins and fish oil, I'm lying awake at 4am, anxious and deeply worried about something that would be trivial if I felt normal.

conniebky Collaborator

when I first went gluten free, I had insomnia bad for about a week...and I got the jimmy legs (RLS)....it stopped about about 2-3 nights.

Archived

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

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - chrisinpa commented on Scott Adams's article in Skin Problems and Celiac Disease
      2

      Celiac Disease and Skin Disorders: Exploring a Genetic Connection

    2. - knitty kitty replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

    3. - trents replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Issues before diagnosis

    4. - trents commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Other Diseases and Disorders Associated with Celiac Disease
      6

      Celiac Disease Patients Face Higher Risk of Systemic Lupus

    5. - knitty kitty replied to EndlessSummer's topic in Food Intolerance & Leaky Gut
      2

      Dizziness after eating green beans?

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,692
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Ali Zaib
    Newest Member
    Ali Zaib
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms.  I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should be checked.  My parents' GP to this day has not put forward my father for testing, and my mother was never tested in her lifetime, despite the fact that they both have some interesting symptoms/family history that reflect they might have coeliac disease (Dad - extreme bloating, and his Mum clearly had autoimmune issues, albeit undiagnosed as such; Mum - osteoporosis, anxiety).  I am now my father' legal guardian and suspecting my parents may have forgotten to ask their GP for a test (which is entirely possible!) I put it to his last GP that he ought to be tested.  He looked at Dad's blood results and purely because he was not anemic said he wasn't a coeliac. (This was the same GP who said Dad didn't have dementia, when months before one of his colleagues suspected it and told me Dad must be diagnosed).  Hopefully as the awareness of Coeliac Disease spreads among the general public, people will be able to advocate for themselves.  It is hard because in the UK the NHS is very stretched, but the fallout from not being diagnosed in a timely fashion will only cost the NHS more money. Interestingly, a complete aside, I met someone recently whose son was diagnosed (I think she said he was 8).  At a recent birthday party with 8 guests, 4 boys out of the 8 had received diagnosis of Coeliac Disease, which is an astounding statistic  As far as I know, though, they had all had obvious gastric symptoms leading to their NHS diagnosis.  In my own case I had  acute onset anxiety, hypnopompic hallucinations (vivid hallucinations upon waking),  odd liver function, anxiety, headaches, ulcers and low iron but it wasn't until the gastric symptoms hit me that a GP thought to do coeliac testing, and my numbers were through the roof.  As @trents says, by the grace of God I was diagnosed, and the diet has pretty much dealt with most of those symptoms.  I have much to be grateful for. Cristiana
    • knitty kitty
      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities.   If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering eating more leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.  Not only are these high in fiber, they also are good sources of magnesium.  Many newly diagnosed are low in magnesium and B vitamins and suffer with constipation.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 and magnesium work together.  Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine has been shown to improve intestinal health.  Thiamine and magnesium are important to gastrointestinal health and function.  
    • trents
      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac disease can produce. Clinicians often are only looking for classic GI symptoms and are unaware of the many other subsystems in the body that can be damaged before classic GI symptoms manifest, if ever they do. Many celiacs are of the "silent" variety and have few if any GI symptoms while all along, damage is being done to their bodies. In my case, the original symptoms were elevated liver enzymes which I endured for 13 years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. By the grace of God my liver was not destroyed. It is common for the onset of the disease to happen 10 years before you ever get a diagnosis. Thankfully, that is slowly changing as there has developed more awareness on the part of both the medical community and the public in the past 20 years or so. Blessings!
    • knitty kitty
      @EndlessSummer, You said you had an allergy to trees.  People with Birch Allergy can react to green beans (in the legume family) and other vegetables, as well as some fruits.  Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome which can occur at a higher rate in Celiac Disease.   Switching to a low histamine diet for a while can give your body time to rid itself of the extra histamine the body makes with Celiac disease and histamine consumed in the diet.   Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are needed to help the body clear histamine.   Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?
    • sha1091a
      I found out the age of 68 that I am a celiac. When I was 16, I had my gallbladder removed when I was 24 I was put on a medication because I was told I had fibromyalgia.   going to Doctor’s over many years, not one of them thought to check me out for celiac disease. I am aware that it only started being tested by bloodwork I believe in the late 90s, but still I’m kind of confused why my gallbladder my joint pain flatulent that I complained of constantly was totally ignored. Is it not something that is taught to our medical system? It wasn’t a Doctor Who asked for the test to be done. I asked for it because of something I had read and my test came back positive. My number was quite high.Are there other people out here that had this kind of problems and they were ignored? 
×
×
  • 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.