Sleep Problems Persist Despite Gluten-Free Diet Evidence from some medical studies indicates problems with insomnia and poor-quality sleep, plus problems with overwhelming fatigue and sleeping too much may affect celiacs most when they're first diagnosed.
Celiac disease may present with a range of different symptoms, including abdominal problems in a broader sense, iron deficiency and “constant tiredness”. All of these symptoms should consequently lead the clinicians to consider celiac disease as a potential etiopathogenetic cause.
A 2010 study showed that individuals with Celiac are more likely to struggle with insomnia and other sleep disorders than healthy individuals, but their sleep problems continued even after starting a gluten-free diet.
Fatigue isn't just “feeling tired” for a short time, like during an afternoon energy dip — fatigue is often relentless and persistent. This feeling of perpetual exhaustion is common in autoimmune disorders, including celiac disease.
Celiac disease is clinically defined as classic, non-classic, subclinical, potential, and refractory.
People with celiac disease may experience weight gain after starting a gluten-free diet; this initial weight gain indicates that their intestinal health is improving and they are more effectively absorbing nutrients. However, gaining too much weight can lead to multiple health problems.
There's some evidence that supplements of L-carnitine, an amino acid, can help with fatigue in people with celiac disease. L-carnitine helps your cells produce energy by breaking down fat, and may help your brain more efficiently utilize the neurotransmitters serotonin and glutamate.
In sensitive people, the immune reaction triggered by eating gluten can prevent the proper absorption of nutrients. This deprives your brain, nervous system and organs of the nourishment they need. Your tiredness results from the lack of nutrients and you may experience headaches as well.
When people who have celiac disease eat gluten, the result is a reaction in their small intestine that can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating and weight loss. Early diagnosis of celiac disease is important because if left untreated the disorder can result in serious complications.
Symptoms of eating gluten include diarrhoea, stomach pains and lethargy. The reaction is not the same as an allergic reaction and does not cause anaphylactic shock. The symptoms may last from a few hours to a few days.
The term gluten belly is used to define the feeling that some people experience after eating foods containing gluten. This sensation usually consists of feeling sick, tired, or bloated.
However, celiac disease is much more than a digestive problem. Some of the top atypical symptoms are anemia, bones disease, elevated liver enzymes, neurological problems like migraines, short stature and reproductive problems.
If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, often gluten causes chronic fatigue. The good news is, going gluten-free can reduce fatigue.
Your energy levels will spike.
Digestion requires a lot of energy, and it takes even more of a toll when your body is trying to process something it can't. After going gluten-free, you'll be putting less of a strain on your gut, and there's a good chance your energy levels will benefit.
While symptoms of accidental gluten exposure may resolve within a few days, it could take anywhere from three to six months for the intestines to heal. If you're an older adult, the timeline could be extended to as long as two years.
In a Beyond Celiac study, 90 percent of survey participants (89% of those with celiac disease and 95% of those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity) reported experiencing brain fog. This, among other research, suggests it is one of the most common symptoms of celiac disease and NCGS.
A majority of children and adults that are diagnosed with celiac disease are usually at a normal weight when diagnosed. However, some children and adults can be overweight or obese which can complicate a diagnosis.
That doesn't mean it's easy to do. People with celiac disease face a double whammy if they want to lose weight, Green says. “They have to be gluten-free and restricted in calories. The food has to be satisfying, as well as providing fiber and adequate nutrition.”
Most people with celiac disease will have a normal life-expectancy, providing they are able to manage the condition by adhering to a lifelong gluten-free diet. Gluten is not an essential part of your diet, so can be safely removed from your diet and replaced with 'safe' foods, or gluten-free alternatives.