Gluten Withdraw? Worse Before Better!

[watata]

I have heard that things can get worse before better. Almost like a "withdrawal" I have been gluten-free just about a week. I am having less bloating, but more cramping, and the nausea is just as bad if not worse. Just wondering if anyone else has had this experience. thanks!

[CR5442]

I'm totally with you on this. I've been gluten free for 4 weeks and the stomach cramps are worse and it feels like I'm reacting to everything I put in my body! However, the bloating has gone down and the headaches are definitely better. Does anyone else have this experience? How long is this likely to last?!

[LilCowgirl]

I have been gluten-free for about 6 weeks now & I had horrible headaches & stomach cramps still...while all of my GI issues and energy got better, I finally realized that it was the soy that was giving me problems still. So I am now gluten & soy-free. It is harder to find foods that are both gluten & soy-free, but it can be done. Usually with a Celiac Disease diagnosis there are other food allergies that come along with it. My aunt had the same problem after she was diagnosed and, instead of soy like myself, she was also allergic to yeast. Keep a journal of everything you eat & the symptoms that follow. It helped me figure out what foods were still making me sick & they all contained some form of soy. Hope this helps!

[kwylee]

Yes! Gluten withdrawal is normal for some. It was for me! Please hang on if you've just been at it a couple weeks. I think by the third week I started noticing a bit of an improvement but I think everyone is different. My symptoms were mostly neurological, and by the end of that third week it was also recommended that I try removing soy from my diet as well as gluten and dairy (that advice from the wonderful collection of helpful souls on this forum). And that did it! I woke up one morning (a month or so after originally removing gluten) feeling, for the first time in years, like a gal in her 20's!!! (...which I am NOT!)

If it's been a number of weeks and you're still feeling badly, try considering any other food as the culprit (even one you've been able to eat with no problem in the past), or here's a biggie: cross-contamination - it's real and it's everywhere, but not so bad once you get the hang of it. Search the posts on that last issue for lots of info.