Gluten Withdrawl Symptoms...

[SwtRandi]

I have been 100% gluten-free since Friday when I was in the hospital with gallstones and my gluten flare up was so bad!! The worse it has been since having my son in Jan. Since I have been gluten-free free I have had some wierd things go on. Overall, I feel better, but I am exhausted like I was run over by a truck, I am super hungry all the time like I have never eaten before, I get so irritable like I am PMSing 24/7, and I have super BAD gas...

I looked this up and I read about gluten withdrawl...could this be it? What were your symptoms??

HELP!!

[Jetamio]

Pretty much everything you just said! I had withdrawl my first week and I was hungry ALL the time. Nothing filled me up and I felt emotional. After the first week it has gotten better. I've been gluten free almost 8 weeks now and I still have days where I feel like I'm detoxing or withdrawing yet. Some days I have super low energy and muscle aches and I've had emotions that come and go. And some days I'm hungry all day long. I've been drinking lots of water and it helps and my doctor has me on supplements (B complex, Iron, multi).

[Tree03]

Hang in there....I've only been gluten-free for about a month now but I had the horrible moodiness too!! I kept thinking to myself.....what the heck is wrong with my...lol.

I had horrible headaches and mood swings with the withdrawals but I know it affects everyone different. Hopefully they go away soon

[SwtRandi]

Ugh. I really feel like my emotions are going crazy right now! It's pissing me off to say bluntly! I just want to feel better. Hopefully, the withdrawals will go away soon...they have to eventually right?! I am glad I am not the only one. I am also dealing with gallstone pain, which is not helpful at all! Anyone, not get the 'celiac' diagnosis, but know that is what you have? Also, anyone able to still use products containing gluten (i.e; shampoo, lotion, etc)??

[squirmingitch]

I had bad temper & anxiety & depression from the gluten. Then when I went gluten-free those things continued through the withdrawal period & were at times worse then when I was eating gluten PLUS the brain fog sets your nerves on edge b/c it's SOOOOO hard to think & suddenly you have all these new rules to follow. AND 24/7 famished, eating, out there feeling, feeling like my knees will buckle, feeling like I'm trembling but put my hand out & they were steady --- the trembling feeling is inside the body not an outward appearance. It's all part & parcel of gluten withdrawal. Everyone is different but that's pretty much the big picture. How long does it last? Now that is really subject to the individual. Mine went on for a month & then waned some & then came back but less than before & then & THEN & THEN ---- I got accidentally glutened --- & then it began all over again. Sigh. But I made it. You can too! I'm feeling so much better now. And looking forward to feeling better & better as time gluten-free goes on. and i have more energy! YAY!

Hang in there & don't hesitate to speak up if you have questions.

[Owlmuse]

squirmingitch - has your symptoms finally subsided? I've been dealing with the same thing. I'm incredibly moody, extremely tired, insomnia, when I do sleep I'm still tired, my appetites all over the place, my brain is foggy and this week ive been so nauseas. I've been gluten free for 3.5 months now. And what really gets me is that I was silent. I didn't have symptoms, at least not extreme ones before I was diagnosed. And now I just feel so awful like all the time. I keep trying to keep my head up because I know eventually it has to stop but I really don't know how much more I can take. I'm litterally trying to keep myself from crying right now. I've tried asking my doctor and nutritionist but they're no help. They just say wait and see and they'll see me in a few months. I don't want to feel like this for a few more months. Sorry to rant on, I just needed someone to listen.

[squirmingitch]

Owlmuse, rant anytime you want. We all do it, we all have been there, & we all understand.

Are you taking any vitamins? Have you had your vitamin/mineral levels tested? Have you had your thyroid checked?

And finally, what kind of foods are you eating? Are you positive there is no cc? Are you & have you been eating processed foods even though they are gluten-free?

Details, details.... they will help to determine.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hang in there, I've had all your symptoms and more. In addition to that my bones hurt from the inside, like something was sucked out of them, however I was on pain meds every day for 7 years also. Could have been withdrawal pain from that in the bones and not from the gluten. Anyways, it is NORMAL for a lot of people to get worse at first. That may be a strange comparison, but think about someone, who's addicted to drugs. Just like gluten for us, they know they will feel better, once they are off the drugs. Yet they feel like crap the first few weeks/months off of the drugs. It took me 6 months, SIX!!!, off of gluten for my guts to heal and make the pain go away and with it the fatigue, depression, anemia, etc. etc. It took your body soooo many years to "poison" yourself. It may have been from birth as it was silent, so nobody can say for sure, not even the doctors. I went glutenfree 5 days before I turned 27 and it took me 6 months to half decently recover (some symptoms took longer). If you were older, when you were diagnosed chances are it may take longer than that. Doctors are not always right in regards to celiac, but yours are right, when they say wait and see. I know it's hard, but have patience my friend. You can come back here and rant anytime you want. You can go to any of our profiles and look at our first few posts. I'm sure they didn't look any different than yours.

[Owlmuse]

Wow thank you both do much for responding! It's really nice to get reassurance and understanding. My parents and brother try (most of the time) but they don't understand.

As to squirmitch's questions. I'm a 24 year old female and was diagnosed in January. I have had my vitamins levels tested and was iron deficient so I'm taking a supplement for that as well as a multi vitamin. I have a thyroid condition, that's how I was diagnosed actually. Had it for years now and pushed my endocrine doc to do extra labs as I've been feeling so bad he says it's fine. I'm trying really really hard to stay gluten free. I haven't slipped on purpose and as far as I know haven't been glutened by accident but I'm silent so I may not know if I was. I do live with my family who does eat gluten. I'm really paranoid though and try really hard to keep everything clean and seperate but there is only so much I can do. The night before I went gluten-free I did my best to 'de-gluten' the kitchen i boxed anything made of wood cleaned out a cabinet just for gluten-free food, got rid of the wheat flour, put everything through the dishwasher and washed out the drawers and most of the cabinets. I also designated (some i bought new) hard to clean things like a collender, pizza cutter etc gluten-free so my parents and brother wont use it, unless cooking for me. I eat mainly things labeled gluten free or naturally gluten free. There are some products I've had that maybe werent labeled gluten-free but the ingredient list looked ok and or I googled it to double check. I have eaten out a bit but only to places that have a gluten-free menu, thankfully there are quite a few in my area.

Stef-the-kicking-cuty - thank you for posting that it took you so long too! I was starting to get nervous because everyone seemed through the gluten withdrawl symptoms in days or weeks not months. I was becoming scared that it would be perminent. I guess I just had it bad. ALL my favorite foods had gluten in them so maybe I fed the addiction too much and it just takes longer than most?

[MitziG]

I know my daughter went through withdrawal for months, and like you, she was a silent celiac. Perhaps there is a correlation? Rest assured, it gets better!

[irish daveyboy]

I have been 100% gluten-free since Friday when I was in the hospital with gallstones and my gluten flare up was so bad!! The worse it has been since having my son in Jan. Since I have been gluten-free free I have had some wierd things go on. Overall, I feel better, but I am exhausted like I was run over by a truck, I am super hungry all the time like I have never eaten before, I get so irritable like I am PMSing 24/7, and I have super BAD gas...

I looked this up and I read about gluten withdrawl...could this be it? What were your symptoms??

HELP!!

First thoughts are was the food you recieved in the hospital completely Gluten Free ? Is their kitchen aware of cross-contamination and the possible effects on Coeliacs.

Gluten withdrawl is very real.

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[squirmingitch]

Wow thank you both do much for responding! It's really nice to get reassurance and understanding. My parents and brother try (most of the time) but they don't understand.

As to squirmitch's questions. I'm a 24 year old female and was diagnosed in January. I have had my vitamins levels tested and was iron deficient so I'm taking a supplement for that as well as a multi vitamin. I have a thyroid condition, that's how I was diagnosed actually. Had it for years now and pushed my endocrine doc to do extra labs as I've been feeling so bad he says it's fine. I'm trying really really hard to stay gluten free. I haven't slipped on purpose and as far as I know haven't been glutened by accident but I'm silent so I may not know if I was. I do live with my family who does eat gluten. I'm really paranoid though and try really hard to keep everything clean and seperate but there is only so much I can do. The night before I went gluten-free I did my best to 'de-gluten' the kitchen i boxed anything made of wood cleaned out a cabinet just for gluten-free food, got rid of the wheat flour, put everything through the dishwasher and washed out the drawers and most of the cabinets. I also designated (some i bought new) hard to clean things like a collender, pizza cutter etc gluten-free so my parents and brother wont use it, unless cooking for me. I eat mainly things labeled gluten free or naturally gluten free. There are some products I've had that maybe werent labeled gluten-free but the ingredient list looked ok and or I googled it to double check. I have eaten out a bit but only to places that have a gluten-free menu, thankfully there are quite a few in my area.

Stef-the-kicking-cuty - thank you for posting that it took you so long too! I was starting to get nervous because everyone seemed through the gluten withdrawl symptoms in days or weeks not months. I was becoming scared that it would be perminent. I guess I just had it bad. ALL my favorite foods had gluten in them so maybe I fed the addiction too much and it just takes longer than most?

Owlmuse, then the only things I can say other than this may just be the way you withdraw is:

Quit ANY processed foods. gluten-free or not; they are still processed foods & "junk" foods. They may be keeping you feeling lousy. Even though you are a silent celiac or maybe BECAUSE you are a silent celiac -- it's harder for you to tell if/when you've been glutened or cc'd or eating something that makes you feel rotten. You don't have a gauge so to speak so you're going to groping around in the dark more than most. The only way to sidestep that is to go whole foods for a couple months as well as the following:

Don't eat out for a good long while --- at least a month or two. Even though places have gluten free menus there are numerous celiacs who can attest that's only 1/2 the battle. So many places do not understand cc issues.

I'm hoping you feel much better soon!