Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Did Anyone Suffer From Exercise Intolerance During Recovery?

SuzanneT

Recommended Posts

SuzanneT Newbie
SuzanneT
Posted

Hi everyone,

I've been gluten free for about 7 weeks now. I've seen a few improvements, but still having lots of ups and downs. This forum has been a great help - in fact everytime I search for something related to celiac disease in Google, I end up in here reading lots of posts!

Before I started feeling ill (about 6 months ago) I was doing exercise (yoga, swimming, weights etc) about 5 times a week. My first symptom was actually fast uncontrollable heartrate during exercise, followed by extreme tiredness and generally feeling unwell for days after. I went through lots of tests on my heart, but everything turned out to be totally normal with that.

Last week I had started to feel much better from the gluten free diet that I went swimming. Everything went well and I felt so happy to be back doing exercise, but then the next day I felt exhausted and unwell and it took a few days until I felt ok again. I don't know if it was the exercise that did it, or if I ingested gluten somehow, but I had another few days of feeling unwell just after Christmas. I hadn't been exercising this time, but I had been rushing about round the shops, doing lots of cleaning, cooking and socializing in preparation for Christmas. It's almost like over exertion makes me ill and maybe I just need to limit my activities for a while.

My background is that I had a positive ttG IgA test back in October and I've been awaiting my biopsy (2.5 months and counting) I know I am bad for going on the gluten free diet before the biopsy, but I was barely able to stand up because I felt so ill, so I made the choice to risk the possibility of not having a confirmed diagnosis so I could feel a bit better).

Did anyone else get this tiredness/exhaustion after exercise or over exertion? It's not a pleasant tiredness either, it's a really weak, wobbly, lightheaded tiredness.

Thanks :-)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lynnelise Apprentice
lynnelise
Posted

I doubt I'll be much help but I have been gluten free for over a year and still get sick within a week of resuming exercise. I have no idea whether this is related or not. I used to exercise intensely 5 times a week (pre-gluten free). Then in April of 2009 I got the flu. Started exercising again after resting a week or so...then in July 2009 I got mono. I rested for over a month, tried going back to light workouts and would get sick/exhausted within days. Now here it is a year and half later and I cannot exercise for more than a week, even light activity, without becoming ill and being exhausted for a week. I thought going gluten free would help this but so far it hasn't. :(

laura4669 Apprentice
laura4669
Posted

Yes! I hardly have any stamina at all. If I do exercise, it takes me a couple of days to recover like you said. I have been gluten free since October, but I am now in the process of figuring out other food sensitivities. Could you have other allergies that are making you feel bad? Also, my ferritin levels were extremely low, and I am in the process of trying to correct that. Maybe you are anemic? I know anemia is very common among people with celiac. I am take meds for low thyroid, and that has seemed to help a bit with fatigue in the morning, but not much with the low stamina.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I also had this experience. When I returned to exercising, I began experiencing glutening symptoms. I am a person who needs to exercise. I eliminated more possibly cc'd processed foods and then I was able to exercise without symptoms. If I am glutened now, I can still exercise, just at a much slower pace. It seems to be a high level of exertion that brings on the symptoms.

AzizaRivers Apprentice
AzizaRivers
Posted

I'm another one with the same experience. I was a competitive dancer and also spent days running around outside in warm weather. When I started showing Celiac symptoms I didn't have the energy to do anything, I could take a short walk without feeling hot, exhausted, short of breath and nauseous. I'm showing little improvement after 2 months gluten-free since I was diagnosed, but it's too terribly cold, snowy and windy to really test myself. Hopefully by the time it gets warm around here and I've been healing for 6 months or so I should be more back to my normal self.

My GI told me this was all normal. It sucks, but it's to be expected, I guess.

SuzanneT Newbie
SuzanneT
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone for your replies! It does indeed seem like this is a symptom of celiac disease, so that is good to know (since I keep imagining I have something else wrong with me too!)

I will just have to be patient!

cap6 Enthusiast
cap6
Posted

I have a lot of trouble in warm weather (and we're in So. Ca) I have tried walking but if it is over 80 out within about 10 minutes I am nauseated, light headed, and feel like I am going to faint. My sodium levels are still all messed up and I am 9 months gluten-free.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scatterbrain
      - Scatterbrain replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      3

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Thanks to those who have replied. To Cristina, my symptoms are as follows: Dizziness, lightheaded, headaches (mostly sinus), jaw/neck pain, severe tinnitus, joint stiffness, fatigue, irregular heart rate, post exercise muscle fatigue and soreness, brain fog, insomnia. Generally feeling unwell. To Trents, We didn’t do any of the construction but did v...
    2. Kirita
      - Kirita replied to Kirita's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Recovery from gluten challenge

      Thank you so much for your response! I have a follow-up appointment with her pediatrician next week, and also an appointment with her pediatric GI Dr. Your message gives me some ideas for questions to ask the doctors. My daughter went strictly gluten-free in January following her first endoscopy so I’m guessing her diet is pretty solid. She is compliant b...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Kirita's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Recovery from gluten challenge

      While the positive endoscopy confirms the diagnosis, it's important to be skeptical of the idea that your daughter will simply "bounce back" to a pre-challenge state. The gluten challenge was essentially a controlled, prolonged exposure that likely caused significant inflammation and damage to her system; it's not surprising that recovery is slow and that...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Colleen H's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      Brain fog

      The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      3

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Were you doing any of the new home construction yourself? Drywall compounds and adhesives used in construction have been known to cause problems for some celiacs.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,285
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kenny Waites
    Newest Member
    Kenny Waites
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scatterbrain
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By Scatterbrain · Posted

      Thanks to those who have replied.  To Cristina, my symptoms are as follows: Dizziness, lightheaded, headaches (mostly sinus), jaw/neck pain, severe tinnitus, joint stiffness, fatigue, irregular heart rate, post exercise muscle fatigue and soreness, brain fog, insomnia.  Generally feeling unwell. To Trents, We didn’t do any of the construction but did visit the job site quite often.  While getting the old house ready we stirred up a lot of dust and I’m sure mold but haven’t been back there for over a month.
    • Kirita
      Recovery from gluten challenge

      By Kirita · Posted

      Thank you so much for your response! I have a follow-up appointment with her pediatrician next week, and also an appointment with her pediatric GI Dr. Your message gives me some ideas for questions to ask the doctors. My daughter went strictly gluten-free in January following her first endoscopy so I’m guessing her diet is pretty solid. She is compliant but also reliant on others to make her food (at school and home) but she didn’t have this problem prior to the gluten challenge when she went strictly gluten-free. It really makes sense to me that the gluten challenge inflammation hasn’t healed and I will be asking her doctors about nutritional issues. I ask for anecdotal stories because the research surrounding the gluten challenge seems to be inconsistent and inconclusive (at least what I’ve been able to find!). Thank you so much for your response!
    • Scott Adams
      Recovery from gluten challenge

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While the positive endoscopy confirms the diagnosis, it's important to be skeptical of the idea that your daughter will simply "bounce back" to a pre-challenge state. The gluten challenge was essentially a controlled, prolonged exposure that likely caused significant inflammation and damage to her system; it's not surprising that recovery is slow and that a subsequent exposure hit her so hard. The persistent fatigue is a major red flag that her body is still struggling, potentially indicating that the initial damage hasn't fully healed or that her system is now in a heightened state of reactivity. Rather than seeking anecdotal timelines from others, her experience underscores the critical need for close follow-up with her gastroenterologist to rule out other nutrient deficiencies commonly caused by celiac flare-ups, like iron or B12, and to consult with a dietitian to scrutinize her diet for any hidden sources of cross-contamination that could be perpetuating her symptoms. The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs.      
    • Scott Adams
      Brain fog

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs. Brain fog, like other celiac disease symptoms, does improve after you to 100% gluten-free, and supplementation will also help.      
    • trents
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By trents · Posted

      Were you doing any of the new home construction yourself? Drywall compounds and adhesives used in construction have been known to cause problems for some celiacs.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.