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

Insomnia And Leg Cramps

o2guy

By o2guy
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

o2guy Rookie
o2guy
Posted

I am still new to gluten free. I have been gluten free, dairy free, and nuts and seeds free for a little over a month now. The problem is I'm having horrible insomnia and also leg cramps nightly. A lot of times at night it just seems that i can't shut my mind off. I also have lost aprox. 40 lbs in the last 40 day's. Is this normal when going gluten free? Am I missing some vital vitiamins or nutrients that could be causing the insomnia and cramps? The weight loss I can handle, I was overweight to begin with but the other is driving me nuts. I do feel better with all my other symptoms, and surprizingly I really dont feel tired even though I am only averageing about 2 hours of sleep a night. Any sugesstions would be great.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

could be electrolyte imbalance. This is common with dietary changes and weight loss. Make sure you are well hydrated, and get enough salt (if you're not eating manufactured foods anymore, that's a big reduction in sodium in the diet!). Potassium and magnesium rich foods can help with the leg cramps. Try half an avocado, a cup of clear chicken broth (gluten free of course!) and a magnesium supplement every day. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, dark chocolate, and spinach are good food sources of magnesium.

sahm-i-am Apprentice
sahm-i-am
Posted

For leg cramps I can recommend magnesium - my mom used to suffer for years and tried every trick in the book. Last year she started adding magnesium powder to her breakfast drink and they have gone away. You have to experiment and find the right dosage for your body, but it could work for you, too!

Bubba's Mom Enthusiast
Bubba's Mom
Posted

I agree about the Magnesium and leg cramps. You may need a calcium supplement too? If you're low on calcium it causes insomnia. Melatonin helps with sleep too.

A combo pill that's calcium, magnesium, and zinc might be good for you? Vitamin D is important too.

With that much of a weight loss I'd venture to say you may not be absorbing nutrients very well?

It's just miserable not being able to sleep!

o2guy Rookie
o2guy
Posted
  • Author

I Agree it is miserable not being able to sleep. Thanks for the advice I will try the magnesium to see if that helps. I know I have a malabsortion problem I have been taking B-12 injections every 2 weeks for over 10 years now so I would imagine that I am not asorbing other vital nutrients as well.

PeachBlossoms Rookie
PeachBlossoms
Posted

I am still new to gluten free. I have been gluten free, dairy free, and nuts and seeds free for a little over a month now. The problem is I'm having horrible insomnia and also leg cramps nightly. A lot of times at night it just seems that i can't shut my mind off. I also have lost aprox. 40 lbs in the last 40 day's. Is this normal when going gluten free? Am I missing some vital vitiamins or nutrients that could be causing the insomnia and cramps? The weight loss I can handle, I was overweight to begin with but the other is driving me nuts. I do feel better with all my other symptoms, and surprizingly I really dont feel tired even though I am only averageing about 2 hours of sleep a night. Any sugesstions would be great.

I would say go off grain and soy. I've known three other Celiacs who had insomia because of corn and soy. I have also known one who has leg cramps anytime the slightest amount of corn, rice or soy is in their diet. Many Celiacs have trouble with ALL grains... but won't have any traditional "gluten-like" symptoms before they remove it from their diet. After they avoid corn and soy and rice for 5 months and then reintroduce those grains back into their diet, they usually have a big gluten-like reaction.

So stop eating corn and soy and see if things improve. Remember, corn is in EVERYTHING. It is under the name glycerin and a thousand other names. Click here for all of corn's names: Open Original Shared Link

Di2011 Enthusiast
Di2011
Posted

Banana has been my medicine of choice for my years of leg cramps.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

I also agree with the suggestion of a magnesium supplement. It can help with sleep as well.

The B12 is the other nutrient I was going to suggest, so glad you're taking that. However, is it methylcobalamin, or some other type? Usually the shots are better than the typical supplement, which is cyanocobalamin (contains cyanide). However, I don't know if one shot every two weeks would keep the level up enough to help with sleeping in between. I find that taking a sublingual methyl-B tablet about an hour before going to sleep seems to help fall asleep faster and to sleep more deeply.

Other B vitamins are also involved in healthy sleep-wake cycles, so a good co-enzyme B-complex supplement might also be helpful.

With time, your body should repair itself sufficiently, and sleeping should become easier.

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

Banana has been my medicine of choice for my years of leg cramps.

Bananas are a good source of potassium, so I suppose that's what your body is needing.

Lori2 Contributor
Lori2
Posted

I also agree with the suggestion of a magnesium supplement. It can help with sleep as well.

I definitely agree with the magnesium supplement. However, if diarrhea is a problem, adding more magnesium could cause problems--for example, Milk of Magnesia is used as a laxative. Most magnesium supplements are only about 10% absorbed causing the diarrhea.

I have found a magnesium supplement that is almost 100% absorbable that I can use without a problem and when I take it at bedtime can be cramp free--I think it helps with my sleep also. Check out Angstrom Minerals.

domesticactivist Collaborator
domesticactivist
Posted

Magnesium and calcium deficiency are a common cause of both those problems. Maybe you are not getting enough, or are not absorbing what you do get.

We use concentrace mineral drops and Epsom salt baths/foot soaks for magnesium. If you decide to supplement calcium I believe calcium citrate is more readily absorbed than other forms.

  • 2 weeks later...
EdwardL Newbie
EdwardL
Posted

We use Peter Gillham's CALM magnesium and calcium drink. No problem with leg cramps any more, also helps reduce blood pressure, and is calming to help sleep. Soy caused leg cramps and we avoid soy like the plague for many reasons.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I also am a great fan of the calcium, magnesium and zinc combo, along with D. And I found corn to be a great insomnia-inducer :o

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

We use Peter Gillham's CALM magnesium and calcium drink. No problem with leg cramps any more, also helps reduce blood pressure, and is calming to help sleep.

I use this also, and it really does help with my night time leg and foot cramping. It's also relaxing--I make a tea of it (it comes in a powder form) and drink it before going to bed.

Open Original Shared Link

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

I had a free sample of that Calm drink mix from the health food store, it was quite nice.

Food trivia: There's more potassium in avocado and cantaloupe than a banana, and less sugar :)

PeachBlossoms Rookie
PeachBlossoms
Posted

But your body should be able to absorb calcium magnesium from whole foods without having to take supplements. It sounds like you still are not absorbing nutrients and like you are overlooking another food intolerance. Find the food intolerance that is preventing your body from absorbing nutrients and you'll fix the cramps.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,331
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kristy2026
    Newest Member
    Kristy2026
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • 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.