Getting "brain Fog" Worse Than Before

[sarahsmile81]

I'm not officially diagnosed, but I removed gluten from my diet a few weeks ago "on a hunch". When I added it back in (for 1 1/2 days), I was miserable, so I'm gluten-free again. I feel so much better! The stomach pain's gone, the reflux is going away, the gas is gone. It's amazing!! No more TUMS or acid reflux medications.

My only question is, my brain fog is way, way, WAY worse. I have trouble keeping my mind on one thing. I've had to void 2 checks in 2 days because I can't even write a check right. I can't count money right. Is this normal??? I'm wondering if my body's flushing toxins and that's what's happening, or if something's wrong.

[AndrewNYC]

I'm not officially diagnosed, but I removed gluten from my diet a few weeks ago "on a hunch". When I added it back in (for 1 1/2 days), I was miserable, so I'm gluten-free again. I feel so much better! The stomach pain's gone, the reflux is going away, the gas is gone. It's amazing!! No more TUMS or acid reflux medications.

My only question is, my brain fog is way, way, WAY worse. I have trouble keeping my mind on one thing. I've had to void 2 checks in 2 days because I can't even write a check right. I can't count money right. Is this normal??? I'm wondering if my body's flushing toxins and that's what's happening, or if something's wrong.

I don't know what flushing toxins means. Your nervous system is reacting to gluten as it was before, it is just more noticeable now since in the past it came on more gradually and you were used to the feeling, to the extent one can get used to it. Give it a week and it will go away and it should be greater incentive for you to avoid gluten.

[Cypressmyst]

Yes, you could have gotten glutened somewhere along the way and that caused your brain fog. Also your body is healing now and it is going to take some time to do so. You will go through periods of increased sensitivity to gluten (just smelling bread or beer can trigger a reaction) or increased sensitivity to chemicals or other food allergies.

It will get better as you heal so please know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Could you have been glutened?

Be aware that you may need to balance what is going on in your gut as you heal. There are good guys and bad guys in the intestinal tract, too many bad guys (parasites, amoebas, etc...) can keep you from getting better fully.

But most importantly, give it time. Its only been a few weeks, the body is amazing but it needs more time to heal, especially the brain. 6 months to a year is not uncommon.

Congrats on figuring out what was making you sick! Gluten is a big piece of the puzzle but it is often not the only one.

[Kay DH]

You could still be getting some cc, and either are reacting to it more or noticing it more. When I went off gluten last fall my GI problems only took about 3 days to resolve, and my brain fog about a week. I didn't know about cc then. I went completely off gluten in January, purged the house, read all labels, and such. Once I went completely off gluten my sensitivity to it changed. Before I could eat a couple croutons, now it is at a crumb level. If your fog doesn't resolve in a few days, then you might want to try eating only foods that have no possible cc for a week. There is also the potential for other food sensitivities/allergies, such as dairy. Once the gluten-free diet settles in life is much better, but there is a diet and social transition involved.

[sarahsmile81]

I'm not officially diagnosed, but I removed gluten from my diet a few weeks ago "on a hunch". When I added it back in (for 1 1/2 days), I was miserable, so I'm gluten-free again. I feel so much better! The stomach pain's gone, the reflux is going away, the gas is gone. It's amazing!! No more TUMS or acid reflux medications.

My only question is, my brain fog is way, way, WAY worse. I have trouble keeping my mind on one thing. I've had to void 2 checks in 2 days because I can't even write a check right. I can't count money right. Is this normal??? I'm wondering if my body's flushing toxins and that's what's happening, or if something's wrong.

Well, it took a little over a month, but my brain fog is finally clearing up. It was so weird because it got worse after I cut out gluten, but you were right about me getting traces of it. I was a bad girl. As soon as I stuck to the diet religiously, it seemed to clear right up! I'm feeling so much better. Thanks everyone!