Question About Gluten Withdrawal

[Jatsa]

Hello,

I am one of those, who have been suffering from quite vague symptoms (brain fog, fatigue, general weakness, dysphoria, blurred vision, dullness, etc.) since the age of 11 or 12 (now 25). I've decided to give a try to gluten-free diet and I have to say my symptoms are even worse than before (this is the day 3 of my trial) + headaches, irritability etc. Is it possible I am experiencing something like "fasting blues" (because to me, gluten-free trial is mainly about fasting) or is this the classic example of gluten withdrawal?

Is gluten withdrawal experienced only among people being intolerant to gluten or is it a common experience among many others, who've decided (from whatever reason) to stop eating gluten containing food?

Thank you for your replies.

[Takala]

Uhm, you're not supposed to be "fasting," you're supposed to be eating other things.

My reaction to fasting is that I get very clear headed, as long as I don't give up caffeine completely.

[Tom2]

Hi Jatsa, Judging from your symptoms I would say welcome to the family. To answer your question, I would have to say that everyones reaction are different to gluten. I was self diagnosed last November with most of the same symptoms as yourself. My whole famiy has Celiac but only my Mother, youngest brother and myself are gluten free. My family are all different in our symptoms and illness and for myself, I saw relief from most of the symptoms in a few days but then got worse.

I am still learning about cross contamination here on these priceless posts and encourage you to continue with your gluten free lifestyle while you read all the different post here. There are many VERY Knowledgeable people here who can help you recover and get better.

By the way - I agree, this is not a fast, learn what you can eat and don't deprive your body of it's much undernourished vitamins and minerals or you will get worse.

Welcome and good luck in your new quest!!!

[rainer83]

Your body needs time to adjust to the changes, just like anything. But don't fast, eat gluten free. You're not supposed to be fasting, especially if your body is in the process of healing. If you find that on a non-fasting gluten free diet, after 8 weeks or so that nothing gets better, then you might need to look at something else that's causing these problems. It took me 6-8 weeks on a strict gluten free diet before I actually started to feel 100% again and I've been gluten free ever since. If gluten is the case, you've done a lot of damage to your intestines, and that needs time to heal. Best of luck to you, it's not an easy transition.

[Celtic Queen]

For me it is like a withdrawal. I start craving gluten. I get very irritable and tired. Hang in there. Like everyone else said, it takes time to heal. Give your body a chance to recover. It will be worth it in the long run when you're clear headed and full of energy.

[kitgordon]

Fasting will certainly give you headaches, irritability, dizziness and other symptoms. For goodness sake, eat! Your body needs nourishment to heal if you are celiac, and to function even if you aren't. There are LOTS of foods out there that don't contain gluten! Meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy if you tolerate it, rice, potatoes, Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Fritos, Potato chips, yogurt, ice cream, nuts, chocolate, and if you must - gluten-free breads, bagels, cookies, etc. Just read labels on processed foods to be sure they are safe.