Is This Celiac Or What? Wheat Problems...

[Cleangreen]

Hi. So I've been experimenting with diet lately to improve my scatterbrainedness and something I have noticed is after eating something with wheat in it, I go into a stupor - a state of apathy, inability to focus (zero attention span, extreme distractability). In this state I feel kinda sedated and could quite possibly stare blankly into space for hours on end with no awareness of passing time if left to my own devices.

This happens even with a small amount of wheat! And this will last quite a while, into the next day even.

I used to feel like this virtually all the time until recently I cut out most of the processed poop they try to pass off as 'food' and tried to focus on whole foods.

However, even with a healthy diet, I still get The Stupor, it's just not as consistent as before, it's more up and down (sometimes good, sometimes stupor'd)

But, from what I've read, celiacs experience lots of physical pain as well, and also get very sick for days after eating gluten.

I don't feel pain, but I do have a weak digestive system and am chronically underweight despite the fact I eat a s$#&load and do strength training (I'm definitely worm-free too). I mostly experience the mental effects.

I'm autistic as well (supposedly..) so I'm scatterbrained enough to start with without having my damn food make life even harder!

I guess what I'm asking is - is there a spectrum of wheat/gluten intolerances? Or is celiac disease the only gluten/wheat-related disorder?

I have done a bit of research and it looks like gluten is not good for humans in general... but I guess some are more sensitive than others? Sigh, why do they have to put this sticky poop in so many foods...

Anyway, your thoughts?

[happylittlemama]

I just found out I'm Celiac and so we have started the gluten-free diet as well. I have three possibly 4 kids on the Autism spectrum. I have noticed huge improvements in them especially in the attention department. My daughter seemed to be the worst with what you described as the stupor. She's almost 8 but would go lay down for HOURS after lunch. It used to be we would have some good days and some bad days but over the last year it was mostly bad days with very few good days. My son would do similar activity, but not before behaving strangely by rubbing his head on stuff, throwing a tantrum or talking with slurred incomprehensible vocabulary and then passing out (some seizure activity as well). My oldest has Aspergers and he's taking the longest to see some improvements, but it is slowing coming a long. We have been gluten-free for almost two weeks and it's getting better for us. I know I'm doing loads better with my attention span as well, but I was getting the stupor too. Scary if you're trying to drive your kids home in traffic or they're all strung out on wheat and hyper and I'm falling asleep. Live and learn I guess. Good luck to you, but I do hear that a lot of autistics are gluten and milk intolerant, so it might not hurt to get tested.