First Time With A Sore Throat In Years, From The Diet?

[cricuteer]

I haven't been 'sick' with any sort of upper respiratory (throat, nose, etc.) type of cold in YEARS. Ever since I stopped working at a gas station where I came in contact with a lot of icky germs, I have been healthy as a horse (minus digestive issues of coures).

I started the gluten-free diet 5 days ago, and today I can feel a bad sore throat brewing. This doesn't make sense to me. If my body was not getting the vitamins and nutrients it needed from being on gluten, why was I so healthy then and now that I am off gluten I am suddenly getting sick? It makes me wonder if I may be wrong about the whole gluten-free thing. I started this diet on my own accord because of the doctors here not having a clue about what was wrong with me, so I never had a strict celiac or gluten intolerant diagnosis. I was always told IBS (which I do have high anxiety and stress that seems to correlate with symptoms).

I am not going to give up on the diet even if this shows in any way that I may have been wrong, because it is helping me lose weight which I need to do anyway.

[sandsurfgirl]

Anxiety is a HUGE celiac symptom. In the past 6 months I started having constant anxiety attacks for no reason. I don't have a particularly stressful life, except my health problems so the doc thought it was due to my asthma flaring up all the time and trouble controlling my allergies.

After 2 days gluten free the anxiety attacks were totally gone, and I had been having them like 8 times per day. My allergies have improved a lot too.

I seriously doubt gluten free is causing your sore throat. Everybody gets a sore throat or a cold once in awhile even if they don't get them often. There is a little cold going around that my kids and I have. It's just a short lived one and not too severe thankfully.

Did your doctor ever do a blood test on you? I was diagnosed by blood test and dietary response, as well as my symptoms. Of course you have to go back on gluten to do any sort of testing.

[AmyT]

I would make sure that you are taking a vitamin supplement and if you are, you might want to increase it. One of the only benefits to yucky gluten bread products is that they are "enriched" with vitamins and minerals. You might not bet getting some vitamins and minerals like before. I have increased all my vitamins, especially the B vitamins. Those are most beneficial for processing stress and anxiety. They are great immunity builders.

You will feel better soon! Good luck!

[cricuteer]

Thanks for the input, I will increase my vitamin intake to make up for the bread loss.

No I never got tested because the doctors always attributed it to IBS and sent me on my way. Looking back I should have been at least a little more proactive about getting a blood test at least, but I'm already on the diet now and not turning back for a challenge....at least not for quite a while.