Different Symptoms When Glutened

[AMom2010]

It seems like when I think I'm glutened (I haven't purposefully eaten gluten since giving it up 7/15/11) I get different symptoms. Sometimes I am so constipated and bloated I think I am going to pop, sometimes I get D, sometimes I get the return of joint pain in my wrists, sometimes my face breaks out with acne and my armpits itch like crazy, and sometimes I get the pins and needles sensations in my legs and feet.

I went out to dinner Sunday (ordered from a supposed gluten-free menu) and woke up at 4 am with such awful bloating. I went to bathroom, got nauseous and actually fainted (no lie!) while sitting on the toilet trying to have a BM. Talk about embarrassing The rest of the day I had D.

Last night I went out to dinner again (diff restaurant, ordered from a gluten-free menu) and by the time I got home my feet were tingling... Today I have D.

I have finally made the committment to myself to no longer eat out, sigh. I have predominately neurological symptoms and brain lesions, and its super scary to think about what gluten *might* be doing to my brain. I am however starting to doubt myself that gluten is even the problem since my celiac bloodwork was negative.

Is it possible to get those neuro issues immediately after eating gluten? I thought those were more likely due to nutrient defs. I am so confused!!

[AVR1962]

Oh goodness, I too doubted it, I know what you are saying about the lab work. You got sick from something. Was it gluten or could it have been dairy? Most of my issues with glutens are also neuro, it is the dairy that gets my gut going shortly after eating it. I personally get my first signs of gluten about 24 hours after it was eaten and the first thing I notice is I am dizzy, then comes the headache, mental fog, speach issues, and I am told by family I make no sense.

[kwylee]

My symptoms are almost all neuro but things didn't clear up entirely until I removed dairy and soy from my diet. It's been about 15 months of being strictly gluten-free/DF/SF and I did a mozzarella cheese challenge for the first time just last weekend and still got a little dizzy within 10 minutes - although not as bad as before. I have no plans to reintroduce soy. Anyway, still no intestinal trouble at all from that challenge but gluten/dairy/soy seem to mean different symptoms to different people. For me, the neuro thing was just as strong for gluten as for dairy (casein, in my case).

[AMom2010]

Thank you both very much for the replies. I really hope I don't have to give up dairy, but may try it. I think for now I am going to be very strict with the gluten and not eat anything processed or anything I haven't prepared myself. Hopefully I can keep my symptoms at bay by doing that and will be better able to tell how I feel. If not, I may have to consider dairy or soy...

An interesting think happened yesterday. It seems that tingling foot I had Thursday night was a precursor to the awful, can't walk pain I used to get all the time on the bottom of my right foot. It's baaaaack! It's been a while since I've had that extreme pain, hoping it goes away soon! I had previously been diagnosed with tarsal tunnel (sp?).

Can anyone else weigh-in about the onset of neuro symptoms? Can they happen that quickly after consuming a small amount of gluten?

[pricklypear1971]

Yes, it can be fast. It can vary from day to day. It can last for weeks, off and on.

And it can change. I never noticed bloating. Now I bloat. I have no idea from what... Salicylates bother me - the bad ones like preservatives, scents. That can be bad and fast.

[eatmeat4good]

I, too, get neuro issues. Sometimes they come on fast, like dizzy to the point of wanting to fall down and having to think about each step I take. I get spacey and cannot think at all. It comes in waves along with depression and anxiety. Massive migraine headache for 2 or 3 days. I get anywhere from immediate onset to 24 hour delayed onset. After a glutening it takes me about 3 weeks to feel normal again. My sense of self is just gone..or distorted. I have no other way to describe it.

I tried eating in gluten free restaurants, but decided that playing Russian Roulette with the consequence being 3 weeks of illness, headaches, and depression is absolutely not worth it. After it happens a few times...eating out is no longer a treat...it is like torture...you know it's gonna happen, you just don't know when. At least if I make all my food myself I'm in control of it at least at home. I love not eating in restaurants now. It means I'm safe.

I had to give up dairy...and really, really did not want to.

I also have DH. So added to those neuro issues...about 6 weeks of painful/itching blistery sores.

I don't know about the antibodies or why the reactions happen so severely or so fast, but I do know that gluten effects my brain very badly. It just ain't right...but that's the way it is.

I hope you figure it out soon.

Hope it's not dairy for you too.

I gave up dairy because of the way casein can effect the brain as badly as gluten. I have got to eliminate all possible ways of food interfering with my mind. It helped a lot. I hope to be able to add it back one day, but last week I tried ice cream and got a severe headache exactly 3 hours after eating it. Just like the last time I tested it.

[AVR1962]

Thank you both very much for the replies. I really hope I don't have to give up dairy, but may try it. I think for now I am going to be very strict with the gluten and not eat anything processed or anything I haven't prepared myself. Hopefully I can keep my symptoms at bay by doing that and will be better able to tell how I feel. If not, I may have to consider dairy or soy...

An interesting think happened yesterday. It seems that tingling foot I had Thursday night was a precursor to the awful, can't walk pain I used to get all the time on the bottom of my right foot. It's baaaaack! It's been a while since I've had that extreme pain, hoping it goes away soon! I had previously been diagnosed with tarsal tunnel (sp?).

Can anyone else weigh-in about the onset of neuro symptoms? Can they happen that quickly after consuming a small amount of gluten?

How long have you been gluten-free? You only get nuero symptoms after gluten? I am my worst with dizziness after gluten (24 hours approx after consuming) but I live with on-going nuro issues. Sounds like you could have some vitamin deficencies going, espcially B. I take WSN Nerve Support Formula daily which contains thiamine- 103mg, Methyl B12- 1000 mg, B2- 2 mg, B6- 2 mg, folic acid- 100 mcg, B3- 250 IU which does help the neuropathy issues.