Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Brain Fog

Gluten Free Traveller

Recommended Posts

Gluten Free Traveller Newbie
Gluten Free Traveller
Posted

Hi everyone,

I know there have been posts on brain fog before but nothing too recently so I wanted to ask if anyone could help me..

I was diagnosed as celiac a little over 2 years ago and have been completely gluten free ever since. I am extremely careful about what I eat and have been feeling great since all my horrible symptoms left.

Recently however I've been getting really bad brain fog. It makes it difficult to concentrate and I feel as though I'm only half here. I feel spacey and out of it. I have no idea whats causing it. Could it be stress? Something I'm lacking from what I eat? I was at my doctor for a physical less than 4 weeks ago where they did lots of blood tests and everything came back normal except that I have low iron. I'm not anemic as my red blood count is fine but it was suggested I take multi vitamins which I do now.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Any tips on how to get rid of it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Laura

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenDude Newbie
GlutenDude
Posted

Hi Traveller. Brain fog is a big symptom for me and really hard to explain to other people, but I totally understand it. While it certainly could be something non-celiac related, my assumption is that it is not. Whenever it happens to me now, and especially if I am also really tired, it means I've been glutened somehow. I'm as careful as they get, but I can only assume some gluten sneaks in at times, whether thru cross contamination or some other innocuous way.

saintmaybe Collaborator
saintmaybe
Posted

Hi everyone,

I know there have been posts on brain fog before but nothing too recently so I wanted to ask if anyone could help me..

I was diagnosed as celiac a little over 2 years ago and have been completely gluten free ever since. I am extremely careful about what I eat and have been feeling great since all my horrible symptoms left.

Recently however I've been getting really bad brain fog. It makes it difficult to concentrate and I feel as though I'm only half here. I feel spacey and out of it. I have no idea whats causing it. Could it be stress? Something I'm lacking from what I eat? I was at my doctor for a physical less than 4 weeks ago where they did lots of blood tests and everything came back normal except that I have low iron. I'm not anemic as my red blood count is fine but it was suggested I take multi vitamins which I do now.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Any tips on how to get rid of it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Laura

Have you started using any new skin or hair products recently? Many times, a sudden change can be as a result not of diet, but of the beauty regimen. I would recommend throwing away any gluten-containing conditioners, lotions, soaps, lip balms, makeups, etc. Major, major source of overlooked cross contamination.

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

I've been going round and round with iron and vit d - blood work shows im low on both.

I noticed a big increase in energy and clarity and "wanna go go go" when I started taking higher doses of them. So maybe the iron will help??

Btw - iron does make me a bit sick at my stomach but it improves every day.

Gluten Free Traveller Newbie
Gluten Free Traveller
Posted
  • Author

Hi Traveller. Brain fog is a big symptom for me and really hard to explain to other people, but I totally understand it. While it certainly could be something non-celiac related, my assumption is that it is not. Whenever it happens to me now, and especially if I am also really tired, it means I've been glutened somehow. I'm as careful as they get, but I can only assume some gluten sneaks in at times, whether thru cross contamination or some other innocuous way.

Interesting. Yes, it really is difficult to explain to others who don't experience it. How long does your brain fog usually last? For me it's currently been over a week but at certain times it's worse than others...not sure why. A lot of people have been suggesting that it could be that I'm not getting enough fatty acids like omega 3. I'm going to try to incorporate more salmon, etc and see if it makes a difference.

Gluten Free Traveller Newbie
Gluten Free Traveller
Posted
  • Author

Have you started using any new skin or hair products recently? Many times, a sudden change can be as a result not of diet, but of the beauty regimen. I would recommend throwing away any gluten-containing conditioners, lotions, soaps, lip balms, makeups, etc. Major, major source of overlooked cross contamination.

I haven't started using anything new as far as I can remember. I'm not a big make-up wearing person and I've been using the same type of shampoo for a long time.

srall Contributor
srall
Posted

The vitamins B and D, plus iron supplements help me a lot. A few weeks ago I was trying to give up coffee. So I switched to tea. I noticed that I was having brain fog, not terrible, but feeling a little "drunk" and out of it. So I switched back to coffee and I feel better. I don't think it was caffeine withdrawal b/c my coffee is mostly decaf. I believe the tea bags were a problem.

I hate that feeling and I really hope you get it figured out quickly.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenDude Newbie
GlutenDude
Posted

Interesting. Yes, it really is difficult to explain to others who don't experience it. How long does your brain fog usually last? For me it's currently been over a week but at certain times it's worse than others...not sure why. A lot of people have been suggesting that it could be that I'm not getting enough fatty acids like omega 3. I'm going to try to incorporate more salmon, etc and see if it makes a difference.

It really varies, and I'm pretty sure it all depends on how much gluten I ingested. It's been five years and I still can't figure this crazy disease out.

o2guy Rookie
o2guy
Posted

I seem to have more brain fog when my B12 levels are low I have been on B12 injections for over 10 years and that's one of the symptoms I have when I'm low

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I get brain fog as an indication of contamination. I've recently been doing a bunch of eliminations to get rid of mine. I eliminated stuff one thing at a time for a few days each to see if it went away. I finally figured it out. It was my tea. Glad I did. I need a clear head for my work.

Leper Messiah Apprentice
Leper Messiah
Posted

Hi Traveller. Brain fog is a big symptom for me and really hard to explain to other people, but I totally understand it. While it certainly could be something non-celiac related, my assumption is that it is not. Whenever it happens to me now, and especially if I am also really tired, it means I've been glutened somehow. I'm as careful as they get, but I can only assume some gluten sneaks in at times, whether thru cross contamination or some other innocuous way.

I agree with GlutenDude, this is a surefire sign for me that I've been glutened. It's never actually eating gluten so to speak for me - avoiding directly eating gluten is generally the easy part of my daily gluten fight, it's always CC, I have to be uber careful with food and food preparation areas. Hope this helps you start avoiding the fog - oh and I generally correlate brain fog with having just been glutened (as opposed to a delayed reaction caused by a historic glutening) my reactions last for 2 weeks so this distinction is vital for me, it might be that your reactions are shorter/different though.

Katrala Contributor
Katrala
Posted

and I generally correlate brain fog with having just been glutened (as opposed to a delayed reaction caused by a historic glutening)

I'm the same way. I get brain fog and usually pinpoint it to a recent CC.

The best thing I've found that helps me is lots of water. I've tried caffeine, etc. but nothing else seems to help. The water thing could be completely mental, but it does seem to make a little bit of a difference.

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

Hi everyone,

I know there have been posts on brain fog before but nothing too recently so I wanted to ask if anyone could help me..

I was diagnosed as celiac a little over 2 years ago and have been completely gluten free ever since. I am extremely careful about what I eat and have been feeling great since all my horrible symptoms left.

Recently however I've been getting really bad brain fog. It makes it difficult to concentrate and I feel as though I'm only half here. I feel spacey and out of it. I have no idea whats causing it. Could it be stress? Something I'm lacking from what I eat? I was at my doctor for a physical less than 4 weeks ago where they did lots of blood tests and everything came back normal except that I have low iron. I'm not anemic as my red blood count is fine but it was suggested I take multi vitamins which I do now.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Any tips on how to get rid of it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Laura

Others may be right about the CC but some sub-lingual B12 couldn't hurt. The tested levels may not be accurate. Magnesium is another one that I take that could be helpful.

Leper Messiah Apprentice
Leper Messiah
Posted

I'm the same way. I get brain fog and usually pinpoint it to a recent CC.

The best thing I've found that helps me is lots of water. I've tried caffeine, etc. but nothing else seems to help. The water thing could be completely mental, but it does seem to make a little bit of a difference.

Yeah water helps me too, takes the edge off it, although need to be near a loo :)

George Knighton Apprentice
George Knighton
Posted

Have you tried eating more foods with iron in them?

Gfresh404 Enthusiast
Gfresh404
Posted

It's a little scary how much you sound like me. I'm having the same exact issues and people were suggesting that it might have been my thyroid but all tests came back normal except my iron was low. I've started taking iron supplements and i can't tell yet if they're working or it's just placebo effect.

For me mild brain fog is not CC. Severe brain fog is when I am glutened.

I really don't KNOW what causes it - I think it's just from having a slightly damaged gut - I know that's really vague but I am sorta out of ideas at this point

Gluten Free Traveller Newbie
Gluten Free Traveller
Posted
  • Author

Have you tried eating more foods with iron in them?

I'm eating a huge spinach salad right now. :)

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,198
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jamie0230
    Newest Member
    Jamie0230
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Does Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov site have filters for gluten?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Clearly from what you've said the info on Dailymed is much more up to date than the other site, which hasn't been updated since 2017. The fact that some companies might be repackaging drugs does not mean the info on the ingredients is not correct.
    • RMJ
      Waiting Gastroenterology review

      By RMJ · Posted

      To evaluate the TTG antibody result we’d need to know the normal range for that lab.  Labs don’t all use the same units.  However, based on any normal ranges that I’ve seen and the listed result being greater than a number rather than a specific number, I’d say yes, that is high! Higher than the range where the test can give a quantitative result. You got good advice not to change your diet yet.  If you went gluten free your intestines would start to heal, confusing any further testing,
    • Bev in Milw
      Does Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov site have filters for gluten?

      By Bev in Milw · Posted

      Scott is correct….Thank you for catching that!      Direct link for info  of fillers.    http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/Excipients.htm Link is on 2nd page  of www.glutenfreedrugs.com   Site was started by a pharmacist (or 2) maybe 15-20 yrs ago with LAST updated in  2017.  This makes it’s Drug List so old that it’s no longer relevant. Companies & contacts, along with suppliers &  sources would need to be referenced, same amount effort  as starting with current data on DailyMed      That being said, Excipient List is still be relevant since major changes to product labeling occurred prior ’17.           List is the dictionary that sources the ‘foreign-to-us’ terms used on pharmaceutical labels, terms we need to rule out gluten.    Note on DailyMed INFO— When you look for a specific drug on DailyMed, notice that nearly all of companies (brands/labels) are flagged as a ‘Repackager’… This would seem to suggest the actual ‘pills’ are being mass produced by a limited number of wholesaler suppliers (esp for older meds out of  patent protection.).      If so, multiple repackager-get  bulk shipments  from same supplier will all  be selling identical meds —same formula/fillers. Others repackager-could be switching suppliers  frequently based on cost, or runs both gluten-free & non- items on same lines.  No way to know  without contacting company.     While some I know have  searched pharmacies chasing a specific brand, long-term  solution is to find (or teach) pharmacy staff who’s willing help.    When I got 1st Rx ~8 years ago, I went to Walgreens & said I needed gluten-free.  Walked  out when pharmacist said  ‘How am I supposed  to know…’  (ar least he as honest… ). Walmart pharmacists down the block were ‘No problem!’—Once, they wouldn’t release my Rx, still waiting on gluten-free status from a new supplier. Re: Timeliness of DailyMed info?   A serendipitous conversation with cousin in Mi was unexpectedly reassuring.  She works in office of Perrigo, major products of OTC meds (was 1st to add gluten-free labels).  I TOTALLY lucked out when I asked about her job: “TODAY I trained a new full-time employee to make entries to Daily Med.’  Task had grown to hours a day, time she needed for tasks that couldn’t be delegated….We can only hope majorities of companies are as  conscientious!   For the Newbies…. SOLE  purpose of  fillers (possible gluten) in meds is to  hold the active ingredients together in a doseable form.  Drugs  given by injection or as IV are always gluten-free!  (Sometimes drs can do antibiotics w/ one-time injection rather than 7-10 days of  pills .) Liquid meds (typically for kids)—still read labels, but  could be an a simpler option for some products…
    • Ginger38
      Food Allergies

      By Ginger38 · Posted

      So I recently had allergy testing for IGE antibodies in response to foods. My test results came back positive to corn, white potatoes, egg whites. Tomatoes, almonds and peanuts to name a few.  I have had obvious reactions to a few of these - particularly tomatoes and corn- both GI issues. I don’t really understand all this allergy versus celiac stuff. If the food allergies are mild do I have to avoid these foods entirely? I don’t know what I will eat if I can’t  have corn based gluten free products 
    • JForman
      7yo struggling!

      By JForman · Posted

      We have four children (7-14 yo), and our 7 year old was diagnosed with NCGS (though all Celiac labs were positive, her scope at 4 years old was negative so docs in the US won't call it celiac). We have started her on a Gluten Free diet after 3 years of major digestive issues and ruling out just about everything under the sun. Our home and kitchen and myself are all gluten-free. But I have not asked my husband/her dad or her other siblings to go completely gluten-free with us. They are at home, but not out of the home. This has led to situations when we are eating out where she has to consistently see others eating things she can't have and she has begun to say "Well, I can't have <fill in the blank>...stupid gluten."  How have you supported your gluten-free kiddos in the mental health space of this journey, especially young ones like her. I know it's hard for me as an adult sometimes to miss out, so I can't imagine being 7 and dealing with it! Any tips or ideas to help with this? 
×
×
  • Create New...