Detoxing Or What?

[Indiana Joan]

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[Black Sheep]

Almost exactly what happened to me. I was a couple of weeks into being g.f. when I began to feel as run-down-exhausted as with a bad flu, only without the body aches and fever. For several days I could barely walk from room to room....it was more like dragging myself! So of course I jumped right on here to ask what you're asking, and everyone was saying it's a pretty common symptom of detox. Then when I had my follow-up with my doc a couple of weeks later, she said the same thing. By that time I was better. So hang in there as the saying goes, "This too, shall pass!"

Btw, it's good to have yet another newbie here! And I love your avatar.

[rdunbar]

i've been free of gluten and casien/dairy for about the same amount of time; a little over a month, and have days where i feel very run down, sometimes very on edge and irritable, (nothing new), interspersed with feeling much better than i have in a long time.

I was recommended the book The Gluten Effect by dr.s Petersen and was shocked to learn that when you are gluten-sensitive, the blood flow to your brain is reduced when gluten is in your system. Then when you eliminate the exposure to gluten the blood flow returns to normal, and increases, which actually stresses the brain, the tissue becomes even more damaged, not being acustomed to the higher blood flow. slowly it becomes adjusted and the inflammation goes down, but it takes time. maybe this is what causes what people refer to as 'withdrawl'?

also, with gluten in your body, your hormones get totally out of whack, and then need time to regain thier natural balance in the lack of presence of gluten. also, this takes time to happen.

just thought this was interesting, and could explain how you can feel so crappy at times after cutting the gluten out.also a good reminder to stay patient and not give up when you feel like your'e getting no results at the moment.

[Indiana Joan]

Sounds like I should read "The Gluten Effect" book. Interesting how it effects the brain. My mother died of Alzheimer's and with her other health problems over the years (Grave's disease, for one) I'm sure she was also a celiac victim, unbeknownst to anyone at the time.

[GFinDC]

Hi Joan,

Congrats on finding the gluten connection! It does take some time to adjust to a radical diet change, especially when your body has been hating the food you were eating for so long. Lots of things are going on in your body as it heals, intestinal repair, more minerals and vitamins getting absorbed, gut flora re-balancing, brain cells re-adjusting to a new nutritional environment. Sometimes people find they have other food intolerances become more noticable after the gluten is out of the system too.

A simple whole foods diet is the easiest way to avoid hidden gluten. You can always try adding processed foods in slowly, one at a time after say 3 months or so. But a mainly whoel foods, unprocessed diet is a good way to go IMHO.

My sister live close to Indiannapolis, in Greencastle, In. There was a notice about some kind of celiac meeting/event in Indianna on the forum not too long ago. A conference or annual meeting I think.

[Indiana Joan]

Unfortunately it looks like I missed the conference. Oh well, better luck next year. Thanks for the feedback.