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GF making me sick?

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BoomstickChick
BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
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I'm not sure if it was just bad timing or what, but about 4 days after completely eliminating gluten from my diet, I got really sick--like flu-sick. I ate normal foods the day after it was really pretty bad, and the next day, actually even that night, started to feel better. Does this make sense? Can cutting gluten make you feel sick, or was it just crappy timing on my part? I have been eating a normal diet again for 2 days, today would be the 3rd, and I'm almost back to normal.

There's no allergy to gluten for me, but I have Hashimoto's, and after looking up about ways to improve symptoms even when my meds aren't, gluten free was a constant that kept popping up, so I decided to try to see if it helps. I noticed no difference, just on that 4th-5th day, I was really pretty sick and had major headaches.

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  • anglyn1
    anglyn1 Posts: 1,803 Member
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    I didn't experience it myself but a lot of people seem to have withdrawal symptoms when they first go gluten free. It's been described to me as a flu like feeling. Similar to when you go low carb. It's very likely this is what happened with you.
  • BoomstickChick
    BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
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    I didn't experience it myself but a lot of people seem to have withdrawal symptoms when they first go gluten free. It's been described to me as a flu like feeling. Similar to when you go low carb. It's very likely this is what happened with you.

    I've heard the withdrawal thing as well. I went gluten free for a whole month when I was pregnant and didn't experience anything like this, so it was really weird! No one else in the family got sick though either, so I'm betting it was probably the diet change. I may try once again in another few weeks just to test the theory. The headache was a doosy though, so I'm not sure I want to risk it! lol
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    What was your carb intake overall? If you cut your carbs way down at the same time you cut gluten it could have been from that. I know a lot of people who low carb talk about a low carb flu and if I don't get enough carbs I end up with a headache until I eat some. Just another angle to look at.
  • BoomstickChick
    BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
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    What was your carb intake overall? If you cut your carbs way down at the same time you cut gluten it could have been from that. I know a lot of people who low carb talk about a low carb flu and if I don't get enough carbs I end up with a headache until I eat some. Just another angle to look at.

    My carbs were usually just a bit over.. mostly from the fruit. I still ate bread--the Udi's brand. I always have had a hard time with carbs lol
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Well if your carb intake was good and you've gone GF before with no issues then your plan to test it again in a few weeks seems like the best route.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I had a similar experience going GF. It cleared up entirely after about 4 weeks. The raging headache was awful.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    I'm glad I read this a week ago. I am not feeling well and with this in mind, did some research and talked to my doctor. Seems like it's definitely a withdrawal thing. Sucks! And when I'm not nauseous all I can think about is how good it would be to have a white bread grilled cheese sandwich. What's that saying? Keep calm and carry on.
  • FitnessPalWorks
    FitnessPalWorks Posts: 1,128 Member
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    I'm glad I read this a week ago. I am not feeling well and with this in mind, did some research and talked to my doctor. Seems like it's definitely a withdrawal thing. Sucks! And when I'm not nauseous all I can think about is how good it would be to have a white bread grilled cheese sandwich. What's that saying? Keep calm and carry on.
    Put that cheese in corn tortillas and "pretend".... keep away from the gluten.... you can do it.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    I'm glad I read this a week ago. I am not feeling well and with this in mind, did some research and talked to my doctor. Seems like it's definitely a withdrawal thing. Sucks! And when I'm not nauseous all I can think about is how good it would be to have a white bread grilled cheese sandwich. What's that saying? Keep calm and carry on.
    Put that cheese in corn tortillas and "pretend".... keep away from the gluten.... you can do it.

    I completely forgot about cheese tortillas! Maybe I'll add chicken too! Thanks!
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I'm glad I read this a week ago. I am not feeling well and with this in mind, did some research and talked to my doctor. Seems like it's definitely a withdrawal thing. Sucks! And when I'm not nauseous all I can think about is how good it would be to have a white bread grilled cheese sandwich. What's that saying? Keep calm and carry on.

    I like grilled cheese sandwiches made with the brown rice bread that Trader Joe's or Food for Life makes. Some people prefer Udi's. Either way, grilling and cheese make even gluten free bread pretty darn delicious.
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
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    It takes about 2 months for the daily headaches to go away after I eat gluten, and 1-2 weeks if its trace amounts from accidental glutening. I get the nausea, stomache pain, sore throat, brain fog, joint point, anxiety, and extreme tiredness moany people report but not always in the same order or to the same degree each time it happens. I frequently get a cold after ingesting gluten. Yours could just be random sickness, or it could be related to detoxing. Its hard to know for sure. It could also be candida yeast die-off if you cut the carbs/sugar significantly. The spectrum of symptoms that gluten-intolerant/ sensitive and celiac suffers report is so wide and varied that you arent going to find you fit in one box.

    All in all it took about 6 months for me to see all the benefits of a gluten free diet and for the last of my symptoms to clear up. It was 2 weeks before I recall saying that I felt "so much better" being gluten free. There were definitely stages of improved health along the way but the detox takes time. There are sources out there that estimate that it can actually take YEARS for your body to clear out the effects of gluten on your system. It takes time, there might be some more downs before the ups so stick with it.

    And PS. frying cheese on medium heat until its stiff and lightly browned is amazing...sans bread. Cool and enjoy. It should be crunchy like chips. Or you can bake on parchment in the oven to make cheese chips too but frying pan is faster. Yum! But watch out because cheese, like bread, has a naturally occuring ingredient that makes you crave more. google queso-morphine...

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