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

Gluten Withdraw? Worse Before Better!


watata

Recommended Posts

watata Apprentice

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!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



CR5442 Contributor

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 Newbie

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 Apprentice

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.

Archived

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

  • 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. - trents replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

    3. - trents replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      KAN-101 Treatment for Coeliac Disease

    5. - Scott Adams replied to miguel54b's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      Body dysmorphia experience


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,152
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    denise.milillo
    Newest Member
    denise.milillo
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      This article does not address migraines at all.  Yes, red wine and sulfites are often mentioned in connection with migraine triggers. With me, any kind of alcoholic beverage in very modest amounts will reliably produce a migraine. Nitrous oxide generators, which are vaso dialators, also will give me migraines reliably. So, I think most of my migraines are tied to fluctuations vascular tension and blood flow to the brain. That's why the sumatriptan works so well. It is a vaso constrictor. 
    • knitty kitty
      Excessive dietary tyrosine can cause problems.  Everything in moderation.   Sulfites can also trigger migraines. Sulfites are found in fermented, pickled and aged foods, like cheese.  Sulfites cause a high histamine release.  High histamine levels are found in migraine.  Following a low histamine diet like the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet, a Paleo diet, helps immensely.    Sulfites and other migraine trigger foods can cause changes in the gut microbiome.  These bad bacteria can increase the incidence of migraines, increasing histamine and inflammation leading to increased gut permeability (leaky gut), SIBO, and higher systemic inflammation.   A Ketogenic diet can reduce the incidence of migraine.  A Paleo diet like the AIP diet, that restricts carbohydrates (like from starchy vegetables) becomes a ketogenic diet.  This diet also changes the microbiome, eliminating the bad bacteria and SIBO that cause an increase in histamine, inflammation and migraine.  Fewer bad bacteria reduces inflammation, lowers migraine frequency, and improves leaky gut. Since I started following the low histamine ketogenic AIP paleo diet, I rarely get migraine.  Yes, I do eat carbs occasionally now, rice or potato, but still no migraines.  Feed your body right, feed your intestinal bacteria right, you'll feel better.  Good intestinal bacteria actually make your mental health better, too.  I had to decide to change my diet drastically in order to feel better all the time, not just to satisfy my taste buds.  I chose to eat so I would feel better all the time.  I do like dark chocolate (a migraine trigger), but now I can indulge occasionally without a migraine after.   Microbiota alterations are related to migraine food triggers and inflammatory markers in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse headache https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11546420/  
    • trents
      Then we would need to cut out all meat and fish as they are richer sources of tyrosine than nuts and cheese. Something else about certain tyrosine rich foods must be the actual culprit. 
    • Scott Adams
      I agree that KAN-101 looks promising, and hope the fast track is approved. From our article below: "KAN-101 shows promise as an immune tolerance therapy aiming to retrain the immune system, potentially allowing safe gluten exposure in the future, but more clinical data is needed to confirm long-term effects."  
    • Scott Adams
      Thank you so much for having the courage to share this incredibly vivid and personal experience; it's a powerful reminder of how physical ailments can disrupt our fundamental sense of self. What you're describing sounds less like a purely psychological body dysmorphia and more like a distinct neurological event, likely triggered by the immense physical stress and inflammation that uncontrolled celiac disease can inflict on the entire body, including the nervous system. It makes complete sense that the specific sensory input—the pressure points of your elbows on your knees—created a temporary, distorted body map in your brain, and the fact that it ceased once you adopted a gluten-free diet is a crucial detail. Your intuition to document this is absolutely right; it's not "crazy" but rather a significant anecdotal data point that underscores the mysterious and far-reaching ways gluten can affect individuals. Your theory about sensory triggers from the feet for others is also a thoughtful insight, and sharing this story could indeed be validating for others who have had similar, unexplainable sensory disturbances, helping them feel less alone in their journey.
×
×
  • 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.