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Is Fatigue Normal *after* Going Gluten Free?

mamarie

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mamarie Rookie
mamarie
Posted

I've been gluten free 8 days now. My stomach has never felt better. But I've been SO tired. I have to take a nap during the day. I'm exhausted by 8:00 at night and just feel like going to sleep. I feel like sleeping in every morning. I'm not normally so tired. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with going gluten free? I don't quite understand it.

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Think of it like getting over the flu, it takes a while for your body to heal the damage that's been done, and it takes energy to do that.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I felt terrible for about the first two weeks. Some people call it detox or withdrawl symptoms. Think of gluten as a very dangerous drug your body got used to you ingesting. It takes a while to feel 100% better. One other thing, however, if you keep feeling tired after a couple months gluten free you might have to eliminate other foods to help your body heal. I get extremely tired and achy when I eat soy.

bluebonnet Explorer
bluebonnet
Posted

i remember wanting to fall asleep a few hours earlier in the evening than i normally do. (that's saying a lot because i have insomnia). of course i'd wake up during the night rather than sleep all through it but i welcomed the sleepiness! i was more tired than usual the first couple of weeks but it tapered off. :)

my.oh.my Newbie
my.oh.my
Posted

When I went Gluten Free I literally fell into bed every afternoon and slept fpr gppd few hours. And what worried me the most was that I didn't have trouble falling asleep again at night....

At first I couldn't figure it out but after few inquires I learnt that it's very usual for your body to react this way when geting used to a complete new diet.

MagpieWrites Rookie
MagpieWrites
Posted

I've been gluten free 8 days now. My stomach has never felt better. But I've been SO tired. I have to take a nap during the day. I'm exhausted by 8:00 at night and just feel like going to sleep. I feel like sleeping in every morning. I'm not normally so tired. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with going gluten free? I don't quite understand it.

Are you getting everything your body needs now that you aren't eating gluten? I ended up being told by my doctor to start taking B complex vitamins because I was so tired all the time - most Americans apparently get their B vitamins from enriched cereals and processed foods (not a whole lotta liver and shellfish being eaten! lol) and with those gone, it can whomp your body.

I've been taking just an over the counter B complex vitamin for about 8 months now, and it seems to really help my energy levels. YMMV

Fey Rookie
Fey
Posted

I'm on day 10 of being gluten free, and days 2 and 3 I had more energy than I could handle. Since then, however, I've been extremely fatigued during the day, and don't get my energy burst until the evening, and then at bedtime I can't sleep because it's like someone finally turned my brain back on and I get restless.

I bought some homeopathic supplements and vitamins yesterday, and will be experimenting with those some to see if I can find what works for me.

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Coolclimates Collaborator
Coolclimates
Posted

I also had a rough first couple of weeks with this diet. I was extremely tired and was an emotional roller coaster. Since fatigue is one of my major symptoms, I noticed it got worse when I started this diet. Now I'm back to about the same level of fatigue that I had before, although my parents said that I seem to be more alert and brighter. Fatigue, restless legs, insomnia are some of my main issues. I never had all that stomach trouble, although I do have acid reflux and have lost a fair amount of weight recently. I've been on the gluten-free diet for about 6 weeks now and haven't felt much better. I've heard that it can take months to feel better, especially if you don't have the "classic" stomach problems.

rain Contributor
rain
Posted

I like Jestgar's comment - that's exactly how I feel. Only with the flu there are more familiar and clear signals as to why and when I need rest. With this the unpredictability can be frustrating. I am 4 months gluten free and still have ups and downs with healing. My sense of it is that as my body go thru phases of recovering I need rest.

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

....... still have ups and downs with healing. My sense of it is that as my body go thru phases of recovering I need rest.

I had that same sort of thing. The 'ups' got longer and longer, and the 'downs' got less down. Now, after four years, I still have days when I just feel tired, but I have no way of knowing if it's still my body healing, or that's the closest I get to getting a cold. :)

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    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    • trents
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By trents · Posted

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By BlessedinBoston · Posted

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

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    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume  my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in the back of our throat.Im in pain.Standford specialist really dismissed me and now im really in limbo and trying to get properly cared for.I found a new gi and new pcp but its still a mess and medical is making it look like im a disability chaser when Im actively not well I look and feel horrible and its adding anxiety and depression more so.Im angery my condition is affecting me and its being down played 
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