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What's Up With This?

nananana

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nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted

I went gluten-free in support of my husband. Totally unexpectedly, my health began to improve. A bumpy, sometimes itchy, rash just under the skin on my arms disappeared! My hair quit falling out. Nails were stronger. Mind sharper. Stomach flattened. A lot of "little things" got better.

Headaches were something I never had. Not seldom, NEVER! Never had allergies -runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat - never a sinus infection. (all of my siblings do)

BUT, after 5 weeks of gluten-free, I suddenly had a terrible headache at my temples and along the back of my neck. I checked the label and there it was, we had accidently eaten gluten! My stomach became upset - was I becoming a hypochondriac?? By the end of the day the rash and brain fog were back. And now, whenever a headache comes, we check for the gluten connection. And it is always there!

Does this sound crazy to you? I never had a headache eating LOTS of gluten - but now that I've been gluten-free, I react to a small crumb of wheat? Has anyone else experienced this?

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T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

I believe this is where I sound like granpa Simpson and say: welcome to my world! ;)

Most Celiacs notice that their symptoms to gluten increase - or start in the first place - after they have been gluten free for a while. So...sounds like you may have found out something about your health, eh?

That is completely where I'm at, although I was diagnosed officially (due to something else entirely). I never noticed a reaction to eating gluten. I had health problems, but they didn't coincide specifically to me eating something and then reacting, you know? Now, after a year away from gluten? If I get the tiniest, teeniest amount, I get vertigo, nausea, headaches, vomiting.

Blech.

So your experience is completely within the Celiac realm of possibility. Although it congratulations on figuring out something that is making you feel better and healthier!!

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

It seems to be fairly common for people to develop a "tolerance" level when constantly eating gluten, and then lose it after being gluten-free for a while.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Your experiences are really common. I never had stomach problems prior to going gluten free. I had other symptoms, but not the typical digestive ones. Now the smallest crumb and I have bad stomach pain and D for days in addition to all my other symptoms. It sounds like you have a gluten intolerance. Welcome to the board!

nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted
  • Author

I can't thank you all enough for explaining this to me! This site has really been helpful. I've been looking over all of the gluten health issues and unfortunately it reads like my family's history.

We have been off gluten for about 6 weeeks now, so should we send for the Enterolab test or is there another one that would give us an accurate result?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I can't thank you all enough for explaining this to me! This site has really been helpful. I've been looking over all of the gluten health issues and unfortunately it reads like my family's history.

We have been off gluten for about 6 weeeks now, so should we send for the Enterolab test or is there another one that would give us an accurate result?

You could go with Enterolab but keep in mind that they don't diagnose they look for antibodies in the stool but that is not considered diagnostic by most doctors. For all the other available tests you would need to go back on gluten for a couple of months before testing.

nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted
  • Author

My husband is doing so well - I don't think we could take a chance! This diet has saved his life . . . . .

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    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

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    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

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      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
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    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
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