Question about reaction to Gluten
 

I am a 35 year old woman, who was diagnosed with Graves Disease at age 6. Recently my doctor recommended that I avoid gluten to see if that helped my symptoms any. So, I have now been "avoiding" gluten since April of this year. I have noticed that if I do have a bit of gluten (mostly in bread) I have a horrible reaction, achy muscles and joints, sometimes I will even have a burning sensation on my skin.

So, the question is, is it normal to feel a stronger reaction to having gluten after removing it from my diet?

Does that make sense?

The Frazzled Mama

Yes, it is common indeed!

Interestingly, it follows with what my allergist predicted to me about my cat allergy years ago. Sadly, it was so severe I had to find a new home for my cat (many, many years ago now).

Anyway, he told me that initially I may find I react even worse to any exposure to cat, but after a year or so... my immune system would no longer be on heightened alert for it...back to rest mode... and I would not react as severely. And it followed that course... initially I was extremely reactive after even setting foot in the house of someone with a cat, to now, years later, I can be in the house for hours and even pet a cat without reaction. I would never own one again, because I'm sure it would start all over again.

The fact that your body is responding so negatively to exposure to gluten tells you that you are indeed gluten sensitive. Removing a food and then reintroducing it gives you the best idea of whether it is a problem food for you. Sounds like gluten is a problem for you. Dairy is a big problem for many people, too.

You should strive to be 100% gluten free. It really is an all the way sort of thing if you want your immune system to stop reacting. Having it once in a while just continually reactivates the immune system, keeping it in ready mode. After a year or so of really strict compliance, you may not react as severely to an occasional exposure. Still, you should strive to be 100% strict, although accidental exposures do happen occasionally... and you may not react as severely to occasional exposures down the road (unless they are repeated).

My gluten sensitivity got so out of hand that I began twitching. Randomly a muscle in my body would twitch every few minutes 24/7. I saw a neurologist because I was convicned I was coming down with a degenerative neurological disorder. They said it was benign and stress related. It wasn't until a while later when the symptoms got worse and I had incredible anxiety all the time that I found out it was because of a food sensitivity. Been gluten free for a while now. Twitch free too! Early on when I was learning the ropes of a gluten free diet I had a few accidental exposures. I twitched almost more intensely than I remembered before. I'd say its common.

Gluten Sensitivity
 

If you have celiacs then you have damage to the small intestine. I you eat gluten and even if ot doesn't cause any pain you are contiuong the damage. So is it worth it to hav a slice of bread.