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I know that when someone has a food intolerance, that when they first begin
to avoid eating the food, their symptoms often get worse.  This may be
explained by toxins which have built up in the system, gradually coming to
the surface, so to speak, before they are gotten rid of.  Possibly this is
happening to you.  Some of the symptoms disappear because there is no longer
any gluten, but some symptoms may be arising as a result of the body getting
used to no more gluten.  If this is the case, they should gradually lessen,
though I understand it can take quite a long while (some say 6 months to a
year) for the whole system to clear.  If some of your symptoms are better,
it is a good indication that you are on the right track.  Of course, it is
always possible that there are other sensitivities along with gluten, such
as milk, corn etc.  If the troubling symptoms do not stop within a few
weeks, then you might want to try leaving out some of these.
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Have you had your B levels checked again lately? What about other vitamin
andmineral levels? What about thyroid? Also what other meds are you taking?
you
syptoms could be a drug reaction.
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I have never heard of gluten withdrawal. However, it seems quite possible
that
you are now deficient in some nutrient that you were getting in your old
diet
 and now are not. I would probably add to your supplements a large
calcium/magnesium
supplement and an omega-fatty-acids supplement like fish oil or flax oil
capsules.
Also, make sure your multi-vitamin contains minerals
(*no iron, probably - males should not take supplemental iron unless they
are shown to need it*).
It is also quite possible that 3 weeks is not enough time to see full
results from your diet.
But with symtoms like that I wouldn't wait too long before going to the
doctor.
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Hi.  I feel for you.  I also had horrible problems first going off gluten.
My take on what you are feeling is not so much "withdrawal", as that seems
to affect the brain more, like extreme confusion.  What you are feeling is
the result of allergic reactions-once I went off gluten, and milk, the gut
was still very much damaged and open, to let food particles go through.  But
once a person quits routinely eating a protein, the body loses it's "allergy
tolerance factor" that keeps a person from having horrible reactions.  You
now have horrible reactions to those allergens.  I figured out I was
allergic to almost all foods I was currently eating!  And only by eating
other foods did I calm down, and get over the anxiety.  I still get anxious
if I get enough wheat or milk on board, even through simply breathing it.
This is 5 years later.
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I would suggest you reduce or completely eliminate your intake of foods
containing dairy/milk/casein and monitor your sugar intake.  You also may
have sensitivities/allergies to other foods you're eating, which are more
pronounced since going GF.  For many years I experienced the "skin crawling"
symptoms and feel they were related to insulin levels.  Prior to going GFCF,
I also had frequent bouts of hypoglycemia.
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There are some doctors & researches that believe that gluten breaks
down into narcotic like molecules which can by addictive.
Another idea: perhaps since you've eliminated gluten containing
foods, you may be replacing it with something else that you are
intolerant to, such as corn or such.  Food intolerances can cause muscle
pain & cramps.uscle cramps can be caused by magnesium deficiency.  Wheat
does
contain small amounts of Mg & perhaps now that you're off it, your
boderline magnesium deficiency is now full blown magnesium deficiency.
White rice is less nutritious than wheat & you may be missing that little
extra you were getting before.  My MD recommends magnesium aspartate or
magnesium malate, 500 mg /day.  When you supplement with magnesium, you
often need to supplement with potassium as well.  They work together.
You may need additional folic acid to balance the B12 you're taking.
I had severe muscle cramping when I was folic acid deficient & the cramps
melted away very quickly after starting 1000 mcg folic acid supplements
daily.  I take under the tongue folic acid.  Works like a charm & very
inexpensive.
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1 Tell your Doctor.  You may have more things going on than just CD.
2 Read the new book by Braly and Hoggan "Dangerous Grains"  who do suggest
that gluten can have addictive effects and therefore possible withdrawal
symptoms.
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I do not know if it could be the cause but once you have been gluten free
for a while you should not need all of that Vitamin B.  The multivitamins
should be enough with perhaps some extra calcium.
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Like you, I also got more sick after going gluten free.  It was because I
was
also sensitive to quite a few other foods:  dairy, corn, soy, eggs and
almonds.
It is quite common for celiac folks to develop "secondary sensitivites" to
foods,
although I rarely meet people whose sensitivites were as profound as mine.
My theory is that when I stopped eating gluten, my body was able to regain
a certain amount of strength and therefore responded with additional vigor
to the ingestion of dairy, etc. I went through an elimination diet to
identify
the secondary sensitivities (under the guidance of a doctor, believe it or
not).
You might be able to be a nutritionist to help you out with this.
I have definitely heard of there being gluten withdrawal symptoms, but
everything I have read says that withdrawal happens in the first week only.
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