How Long Should I Stay On Gluten Free Diet?

[danzn16]

I'm on a gluten free diet to see if it helps my migraines. My doc said it takes 3 weeks to get it out of your system and it can take 2-3 months to see a difference in migraines if I am in fact gluten sensitive. It'll be 5 weeks on Monday that I've been gluten free. No change in migraines though. How long do you think I should continue the diet. I will definitely do it for 2 months and see if they're any changes. I don't see why it would take 2-3 months to see a difference if it's out of your system at 3 weeks though?? Any ideas?

[psawyer]

Hi,

If you are dealing with celiac disease caused neurological effects there is a multi-stage recovery process.

First you must rid your system of gluten so that the antibodies are no longer being produced. Next, the existing antibodies gradually disappear from your body. Finally, the healing process for the damage done by the antibodies begins. The time to heal varies by individual, in part as a function of how much damage there is.

[GFinDC]

You might want to try eliminating dairy also. I am pretty sure I have read psots about people getting migraines after eating dairy.

[domesticactivist]

Before going gluten-free, have you had a celiac blood panel done? If you go gluten-free, you will not be able to get good results without going back on gluten for a long time, and most people who experience improvement gluten-free wouldn't want to go back on gluten!!!

I had migraines and migraine auras that were helped by being gluten free - but I actually got my worst aura ever about a month into being gluten-free (I don't know if it was a withdrawal thing - I think it might actually have been a cross-contamination issue. We were visiting relatives at the time). I think gluten definitely plays a BIG part, but it is NOT the whole story. We went on the GAPS diet a bit after that and I hadn't had another migraine or migraine aura for about 4 months until I tried balsamic vinegar. I think the sulfites might have triggered it. But it was mild, and just the once! So anyway, I guess I'm saying it can be hard to tell what's going on, and being gluten-free might help but not be the whole solution.

Also, with symptoms that come and go, it takes time to notice patterns of improvement. I think your dr is right to give it a longer trial than just a couple weeks.