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I Had A Nightmare That I Ate A Crouton

Chaff

By Chaff
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Chaff Explorer
Chaff
Posted

This is my third week gluten-free. Last night I had a nightmare that I ate a crouton. Every day I have a moment where I think, oh, I'll just go grab a snack...get some lunch...have a bite...Wait, I can't have that! What, am I crazy?

I haven't cheated, and I haven't been tempted to cheat. I have plenty to eat (although I have a restricted list of about ten things right now) and I have gluten-free snack options that don't make me sick that I keep close at hand. I feel pretty clear about what is safe and what isn't, and I go on Google to answer the tough "is this ingredient in mustard OK?" kind of questions. (I am staying away from mustard for a while, but you get the picture.)

But this sudden realization thing -- wait, I'm not supposed to just go out and eat stuff! -- startles me in odd moments, like spotting something in the corner of your eye. I always do a mental double take. And now I'm dreaming about making stupid mistakes, like forgetting croutons are out. Not that I've even seen a crouton in the past few weeks (I only eat out at select places, and they don't have salad).

I guess I'm just scared I'm going to eat a crouton. This is a weird mental place for me to be. I have this feeling of double-think: everything's normal and under-control, but at the same time I have to radically change my relationship to eating. It's no longer casual.

Anyway, this is a self-indulgent post, I know. But I hope by writing it down I can exorcize this startled feeling about the GFD and make it a normal part of my subconscious.

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Mefellows Newbie
Mefellows
Posted

I don't know if it ever completely goes away, though it gets easier. My daughter drempt last night that she ate an oreo and didn't get sick. This is after 4 years of trying to avoid gluten!

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

You're normal--I startle out of my sleep when I discover that I'm eating a sandwich. It freaks me out! I don't know if these nightmares ever go away--I've been gluten free for nearly nine years.....and, still, there are those sandwich nightmares!

1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

I said, "Only in my dreams" as I dreamed about eating croissants and donuts one time. My reaction was excietment, not panic. However, I gloated that I hadn't really done it when I woke up.

Diana

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

I've been gluten free for 7-8 years, and recently I had a dream where I was a spy, and

my assignment required that I eat gluten so as not to break my cover. :ph34r:

Yeah, you'll get used to the dreams! LOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

srall Contributor
srall
Posted

My mother, myself and my daughter all have dreams of accidentally eating gluten. My daughter and I are about 2 years gluten free, and I believe my mom is 4 years gluten free. I always have a dream where I am eating something then 1/2 way through think, "What the heck am I doing? This is loaded with gluten." Like I totally forget to think about gluten before I put something in my mouth. As if.

MJ-S Contributor
MJ-S
Posted

Just last night, I had a stress dream that my aunt (wonderful cook) was trying to cook safely for me while I stressed out about it. In the dream I ate a piece of french bread, was immediately horrified when I realized what I was doing, and woke up all freaked out from it. Luckily I don't have these dreams too often.

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Chaff Explorer
Chaff
Posted
  • Author

Argh -- so it never gets better, then. Thanks for comiserating! I was thinking about this while staring at a plate of wonderful-smelling pastries at an office meeting today. I kept having to remind myself I'm not supposed to reach for it. It was like training a puppy to sit still! (But I resisted).

Take care, everyone!

Hala Apprentice
Hala
Posted

I'm in my third gluten-free week too and had a dream that one of my housemates tried to force-feed me pasta...and there were breadcrumbs and slices of bread on every surface!

gatita Enthusiast
gatita
Posted

I have these nightmares all the time of shoving something gluten-filled in my mouth before I realize it...

The only good part is when I wake up and realize it wasn't true!

Strange thing is I never came close to doing this in real life... (knocks on wood).

Em314 Explorer
Em314
Posted

This hasn't happened to be with gluten (yet) but I would not be surprised if it did.

I was a vegetarian for several years, and I would often have dreams where I ate meat despite knowing I didn't normally do so. No such dreams since I went back to being an omnivore.

If something's on your mind, you're more likely to dream about it, plain and simple. It may "get better" or may not. There's probably a good chance that the less room it rents in your head, the less you'll dream about it. You may have dreams less often, or they may be less anxiety-provoking/upsetting, as you get a better handle on being gluten-free and it becomes more routine/you feel more in control of it.

red island Newbie
red island
Posted

I had the sandwich nightmares for months, they've now been replaced by the Chapmans ice cream nightmares - so tasty, always glutenfree and so reasonably priced, but alas, not lactose free, I often wonder what will be next and pray that it wont be wine!

CarolinaKip Community Regular
CarolinaKip
Posted

I had a dream where I was eating fried chicken and knew it was going to kill me, so I was trying to vomit. What a nightmare! However, I do have a serious problem of sleep walking and I have often wondered if I consumed gluten during it when I have days I don't feel so well. Crazy! I know!!!! My home is a shared household. I told my children gluten must go!

Highflyer Newbie
Highflyer
Posted

Great stories...mine usually involves a huge piece of pizza ooozing with cheese (which I was not able to tolerate either for a long time). Phew...what a panic to wake up to that. Oh we're a unique breed aren't we? lol Da big bad PIZZA monster!

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