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Gluten Nightmares- Literally!


Pauliewog

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Pauliewog Contributor

The past two weeks or so I have been waking up in a complete panic due to dreams where I eat gluten. In the one last night I was holding something. I began to nibble on it then I realized it was bread. I got all freaked out that I was eating bread. Then I woke up! Does anyone else ever dream they are eating gluten foods? I am almost 6 months gluten free.


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RiceGuy Collaborator

Yeah, it still happens to me from time to time, even though I've been gluten-free for some years now. Though I don't wake up in a panic. Just relieved that it wasn't real. But within the dream I can't understand how I could make such a stupid mistake.

My only guess is that it's the result of a true commitment to a gluten-free diet.

bartfull Rising Star

I haven't dreamed of eating gluten, but I have dreamed that my hands were INFESTED with the psoriasis that is my main symptom. I had one of those last week. I think it's because I have recently added corn starch back to my diet, and in my dream I must have been thinking it's too good to be true.

When I woke up I could have rolled over and slept some more but instead I got up and rushed into the kitchen to look at my hands under the bright light. Not one single spot. My hands look like everybody elses. But I know those dreams will come again. :unsure:

ciamarie Rookie

I've had one or 2 dreams like that, and I also had similar dreams about smoking after I quit cigarettes!

Magsirish Newbie

The past two weeks or so I have been waking up in a complete panic due to dreams where I eat gluten. In the one last night I was holding something. I began to nibble on it then I realized it was bread. I got all freaked out that I was eating bread. Then I woke up! Does anyone else ever dream they are eating gluten foods? I am almost 6 months gluten free.

Yes! I've been gluten-free for 11 years and for the first year I had those same dreams. I would wake up and be afraid it was real for a moment! Don't worry, they'll go away.

  • 3 weeks later...
HauntedEyes Rookie

I just had one the other day. Dreamed I was walking by a bakery and bought two glazed donuts. I was half way through eating one when I realized, whoops, gluten! But in my dream I thought, I goofed and shouldn't have eaten half the donut, but since I have already "done the deed" and the damage was done I decided to finish the donut and went ahead and wolfed down the rest of it and gave the second donut to my husband. In the dream, I did tell him I slipped up and need to be better. I think my dream was a direct result of my having cravings for a donut the day before and resisted the urge in real life. Can't have it in real life, but did in the dream, even though I knew it was wrong even in the dream. Just wish I was stronger in the dream and had resisted the donut in the first place!

I think the cravings and dreams will get better after I learn to cook with gluten-free flours, just to fulfill the rare craving I have for a baked treat. I found a bunch of recipes yesterday that I am hoping to try. Unfortunately, most of the store-bought gluten-free breads I can't have because they have chicken eggs, corn, potato, rice, soy or milk, which I can't have. And so many of the gluten-free flour mixes have those items in them, so I can't use them. So the challenge for me is to make the gluten-free flours and baked goods on my own omitting those things. I really miss pasta, and so far I'm not doing so well trying to make my own while omitting those things ... it's going to take a lot of experimenting, I think. I am looking forward to the culinary challenges and consider it an adventure.

SensitiveMe Rookie

I am 2 years glutenfree and have those dreams. I get startled awake, realize I am eating something I shouldn't and think what the heck is wrong with me as I should know better than to eat this. Then I realize it was just a dream, feel relieved about that and end up going back to sleep. Still it is unpleasant to be startled awake like that.

I believe in time my dreams will go away as I find more things I can eat and make more things. I have a zillion (OK, maybe really about 25) glutenfree cookbooks here but there is little in each one I can make because I also can't have oats, soy, have a corn allergy, severe lactose intolerance, and have never tolerated fruits very well. I have tried to have a better attitude and regard it as an adventure but sometimes I just get disgusted about not being able to have anything handy I can eat. I thought I was having these dreams because in real life I spend so much time trying to find things to eat but in the dreamworld I can just relax and eat anything I want.

It's a comfort to know others are also having these dreams. I'm sure in time your dreams will at least get better without having to feel in a panic or freaked out.


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luvrdeo Apprentice

I'm very newly diagnosed, and have had a dream every night for the past few nights. One night I was eating a pretzel, the next it was in my coffe...which is ironic, because I suffered my first cross-contamination Tuesday when ordering a drink from Starbucks that I was too naive to think twice about. The effects of it have been tremendous, so when I dreamt of gluten once again last night...I was rather freaked out in my dream!

bartfull Rising Star

I dreamed the other night that I was at MacDonalds. I ordered the quarter pounder with cheese meal. They gave me the burger and said they would bring the fries out to my table when they were done. On the way to my table an old lady said she wanted some fries too so they gave her MY fries. I went into another room and found some fries there, and there was a guy there who told me I couldn't eat them because they weren't gluten-free. I showed him the half eaten burger in my hands and laughed. THEN I went over to get myself a drink. There was nothing there without corn syrup so I just chose water.

CRAZY! Is my subconscious telling me not to worrry about gluten but to worry about corn?! Corn IS harder to avoid, and after having gotten corn starch back and then losing it again I AM pretty upset. But if it weren't for gluten I never would have lost corn to begin with.

Or maybe it was just a stupid, non-sensical dream.

  • 3 weeks later...
CeliacShack Rookie

I'm pretty new to being gluten-free, and have had dreams of eating gluten. I wake up feeling so traumatized, lol! It's so funny to learn others have them as well!

GottaSki Mentor

I had them for the first year or so....very rare now, but they still happen. Last one was actually about guacamole instead of gluten - I really miss avocados - gluten not so much ;)

CeliacShack Rookie

I had them for the first year or so....very rare now, but they still happen. Last one was actually about guacamole instead of gluten - I really miss avocados - gluten not so much ;)

Oh, I would miss avacados as well! I still eat them at this point, although I need to get in for additional allergy testing, because I am still having flare ups. I'm doing okay with giving up gluten, for the most part, although I do miss pizza! :)

kittty Contributor

I had my first gluten nightmare last week. In the dream there were free samples of sandwiches at the grocery store, and they looked so good, so I took three of them. As I was eating them this voice at the back of my mind started warning me of danger, but I couldn't stop! The voice got louder and louder, until I realized what I was doing and jolted awake. It took a few minutes to figure out that it was a dream and I wasn't going to get sick.

This was the night after I was making pasta for my husband, and almost instinctively put a piece of pasta up to my mouth to taste if it was cooked enough. I stopped the spoon inches from my face, and freaked out a little. That probably initiated the nightmare.

1desperateladysaved Proficient

I woke up from a dream of eating buns. I was thinking hard about it, but I wasn't scared, I was enjoying it!

Only in my dreams I told myself. I can enjoy these things in my dreams.

luvrdeo Apprentice

After dreaming about pretzels 3 times within 3 weeks (so random, I don't eat them on a regular basis even when I could), I finally went and bought my first gluten free "special" food...Glutinos! While expensive, I have to admit, I'm enjoying them! I've been feeling rather deprived lately due to my colitis, so this has been a nice safe treat! :)

  • 5 weeks later...
Krystal K. Rookie

ugh yea i dream sometimes of eating oreos with my husband and then I say oh no why am i eating these? ... then theres the occasional taco bell and chinese take out dream..only if I smelt it that day or someone was talking bout it though! hopefully they stop soon its weird how food can haunt us!

SMDBill Apprentice

I'm newly diagnosed and had my first glutening a few days ago. Awful pain. My wife and I joke about gluten and she'll tease me when getting a bowl of Cheerios saying, "I'm having gluten-o's for breakfast." Yesterday we were talking about "gluten donuts" and last night I dreamed I was eating donuts, then freaked out in the dream after realizing what they were made of.

It didn't wake me up during the dream, but when I woke up and realized I was still in bed I was happy. I know it'll happen again, but I never want to feel this way again, at least not soon.

Terry Ambrose Newbie

I think I've only had one dream in 10 years about eating gluten (at least, that I can remember) but when I have to handle bread for other people I get a creepy, crawly feeling and have to go wash my hands a couple of times. Freaks me out.

GF Lover Rising Star

Another way to end dreams or nightmares is to knock yourself out at bed time with a dose of trazadone. Yes it's a script but it is also very effective med to sleep, no nightmares, no nothing, just sleep.

I Have blocked nightmares for many many years with this. Granted, it may be difficult to stop. I have not been able to stop and probably never stop :blink:

  • 2 weeks later...
JNBunnie1 Community Regular

I had a dream recently that I was a spy and my assignment required

me to eat gluten.... :blink:

anabananakins Explorer

Hehe, I remembering posting about this too. I'm now over 2 years gluten free and those dreams have pretty much gone. I had two recurring ones - one, that I was at a party and absentmindedly ate from a bowl of nibbles and the other was that I was being chased by cupcakes on little legs ;-)

It's still new, you're anxious about making mistakes, your brain is just working through it :-)

bartfull Rising Star

I had a dream last week that I was eating CATFOOD and it tasted pretty good! But then I realized there was gluten in it and I freaked out. I didn't mind that it was catfood, just that it had gluten. :blink:

GottaSki Mentor

I had a dream last week that I was eating CATFOOD and it tasted pretty good! But then I realized there was gluten in it and I freaked out. I didn't mind that it was catfood, just that it had gluten. :blink:

LOL!

I had one like this a while back - 'cept I was eating my doggy's biscuits...woke up worried about the gluten and somehow didn't realize it would be odd to be eating dog bones until much later the following day :rolleyes:

luvrdeo Apprentice

I had a dream last night that I was at a concert chugging down a draft beer and after the fact knowing it was sooooo not ok...oh the good ol' days :)

Eleanor Creasey Rookie

The past two weeks or so I have been waking up in a complete panic due to dreams where I eat gluten. In the one last night I was holding something. I began to nibble on it then I realized it was bread. I got all freaked out that I was eating bread. Then I woke up! Does anyone else ever dream they are eating gluten foods? I am almost 6 months gluten free.

The past two weeks or so I have been waking up in a complete panic due to dreams where I eat gluten. In the one last night I was holding something. I began to nibble on it then I realized it was bread. I got all freaked out that I was eating bread. Then I woke up! Does anyone else ever dream they are eating gluten foods? I am almost 6 months gluten free.

Yes! I dreamed I was eating Oreo cookies one time. There were others but it's been a while, I have been gluten-free for 12 years,

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