<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Thank you to everyone for all your responses.
Most people who responded were familiar with gluten withdrawal, though not
all had experienced it personally. It seems that gluten can break down into
narcotic like molecules which can by addictive. I was advised it can take
3-6 weeks to stop reacting. Other people suggested that I might have
secondary food intolerances that are only coming to light after giving my
body a break from gluten. Common secondary intolerances are milk (casein),
corn, and soy. I've actually been avoiding milk for over 3 years already, as
I have immediate obvious reactions to it (diarrhoea, dark circles under
eyes, extreme irritability).
Others suggested vitamin supplements. Magnesium, Calcium and potassium were
suggested for the muscle pains/cramps. Probiotics and L-Glutamine were
suggested to help my stomach heal. Some people suggested to stop taking the
B vitamins, as I may be taking too much, others suggested that they were
important and to continue taking them.
Thanks again to everyone for their advice and suggestions,
Ronan (Dublin).
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Could be withdrawal from candida (yeast). The symptoms are very similar,
from what I've read, and people feel like they have a very bad flu, etc.
It does dissipate. You might consider taking something like "Yeast
fighters" (at any HFS) and avoiding any foods that could stimulate yeast
growth.
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I wish I could tell you more about gluten withdrawals.I can tell you about
Carb withdrawals as I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia.They can be very
intense,esp.
with irritability for about 3-4 weeks.It gets much better after that.
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I did not have withdrawal but I've heard from a number of people on the
delphiforums celiac forum that they did indeed have terrible withdrawal. I
think I was just too sick to notice them.
Anxiety can also be a symptom of B12 deficiency, perhaps made worse for a
while by going GF.
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Hi, in this past year through this list and other Celiac sites I have read
of countless people who believe they have gluten withdrawals. They all
reported that their doctors were incredulous. I was very 'twitchy',
sleepless, irritable, pins-and-needles and started chewing my fingernails my
first few weeks of gluten-free (and I've NEVER been a nail-biter!)
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I am also self-diagnosed and still amazed at the difference going gluten
free
has made in my life over the past three years. For me, relief was also
immediately apparent, but I didn't feel really well for many months.
The aches and pains may afflict many of us. I have osteoarthritis, so one
pain melts into another for me. I take Tylenol at my worst times, which does
help a lot.
I have always kept a food diary with any symptoms, and don't want to be
without it. I keep track of calories, fat and sugar intake and hope that
this will help keep my weight down as much as possible. I also drink a
couple of quarts of water each day.
At your most uncomfortable times, try to look ahead to continuing
improved health, which you know will happen, take time for yourself
(warm bubble baths) and be patient, your body has a lot to deal with. At
this point, malabsorption is still a problem while your villi recover
completely. Remember for some of us, it's been up to two years to
feeling 'normal'. Also keep in mind, that food allergies may make
themselves known. That's one of the reasons to keep a food diary. Often
dairy is a problem after going gf, which may be introduced later when
the villi are more able to deal with it.
Keep your meals light, frequent and as interesting as you can make them.
Don't go overboard on gf breads, pastries, etc., ...they are more
carbohydrate laden than the usual stuff.
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The early days of being gluten free can be very stressful. I was diagnosed
in August and I had a few bad months. I strongly encourage you to find a
local support group. It really great to have someone you can call and who
understands what you are going through.
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I would suggest you to ask your questions at this other excellent GF forum:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages
There are kind and knowledgeable people there, including doctors with CD,
and an extensive GF product list.
Moreover, I have voluntarily posted over thousand of GF recipes too.
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I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed in August and have been gluten
free except for a couple of accidents since then. Prior to being diagnosed,
I too had the muscle pains in my shoulders and my back. These pains are
more severe now even though many of my other symptoms have left. Rest is
the only thing that I have found to help the pain. Medications do not phase
it.
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Hang in there - it gets better. :-) I had definate withdrawl symptoms for
the first 2 to 3 weeks. Very similar to those you describe. It will lessen
in time. Keep up with the B's and eat lots of comfort food (g-f of course).
For me, that was baked potatoes, and chicken pieces sauted in a little olive
oil and lemon juice.
I would recommend going to the Celiac Support forum at Delphi. There are a
lot of posts regarding self-dx, symptoms, withdrawl, strategies, food
sources, recipes and what to watch for:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start
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Withdrawal is a fairly common effect of going gluten free.
Mine didn't go away entirely until I completely cut out dairy too.
(casomorphins are at least as addictive as gluteomorphins, and having
a lower level of the addictive substance will give you more cravings
than having none)
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