Bad Symptoms After Going gluten-free

[Tarantula44]

Hi, I'm new and have posted a few times...I have read there can be a great deal of discomfort at the beginning of a gluten and casein free diet. I only went off gluten one week ago (dairy as of two days ago) and have been feeling extra fatigued, have had headaches, lightheaded, and have been having pain and discomfort in my stomach and throat. I've had GERD for a while with occasional mild hiatal hernia that comes and goes for the past three years, but since I've gone off gluten the hiatal hernia is back and the GERD symptoms are pretty bad. Is this a normal reaction? Is hiatal hernia associated with gluten? Has anyone else had this happen? Thanks for any insight! t.

[Takala]

Eat simply.

Some of the gluten free substitutes eaten as replacements can be rough on you until you figure out which ones they are.

[mushroom]

Avoid processed foods, shop the edges of the supermarket for fruits, veggies, meat, fish, venture into the middle only for rice. nuts, and gluten free pasta. Don't eat soy or corn or dairy. There, that's the mantra!

Yes, GERD is a symptom of celiac. And when we go off gluten we often suffer from withdrawal which makes us feel worse than before. You have to stick it out for a couple of weeks and get through to the other side I would think hiatal hernia would be made worse if you were still suffering from bloating and gas from the gluten - don't know because I don't have one.

[Tarantula44]

Thanks to both of you. I am eating really simply, I haven't had any of the gluten free foods...no sugar, soy, eggs or nightshades either (I haven't eaten these in years). I have always eaten whole foods, never processed and always cook my own meals from scratch. I guess my question is do your existing symptoms from gluten get exacerbated for a little while when going off of it? That would explain this. I also have crazy anxiety. Ugh...I hope this clears up soon. I definitely will stick with it. I'm in for the long haul.

[Skylark]

You may be going through a little withdrawal. Gluten and casein are processed into opiate peptides in your digestive system and if you had intestinal damage, they were getting into your bloodstream. Suddenly taking them away can be a bit of a shock to the system as you basically go through a mild narcotic withdrawal. I bet you're craving them too. Hang in there and you will feel much better in a few weeks as the peptides work themselves back out of your body.

[Richie1]

After going gluten free about 8 weeks ago I had symptoms that I hadn't had before ( extreme fatigue,brain fog and breathlessness) my original symptoms had always been digestive.

As long as you stay on the gluten free it will get better just stick with it just remember how ill you felt before .You will get to know what foods cause you problems listen to your body it knows what it needs and what it doesn't ,I take a muti-vitamin supplement everyday and digestive enzymes and feel better than ever.

Hope you start to feel the benefits soon.