Gluten

“Gluten is basically a poison”

My jaw dropped. This was an MD. Not a naturopathic doctor, not a health food speaker, or one of the many books I’ve been reading.

My regular doctor had referred me to a specialist- or so I thought. After over a year of endless testing and ruling out possibilities, she wanted me to see an Internal Medicine Doctor- someone that deals with chronic, difficult to diagnosis illnesses. Instead, I had accidentally been scheduled with another primary care doctor.  I was irritated, as I sat in the waiting room, but decided that since I was there and had taken time off work, I would see it through.

“Pretty much, nobody should be eating it,” She continued.

I’m convinced this was a fluke that God and the Universe orchestrated.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and yet it was one of those “yes, this is it” feel it in my bones and gut firecracker moments.

 My health has been a struggle the past couple of years. I’ve been coping with periods of immense fatigue and a variety of other symptoms. It comes and goes, some days worse than others. With the fatigue I have body aches, my mind is foggy, I feel bummed, and it’s a bit like having the flu, but without any vomiting, fever, etc. For a long time, I brushed it aside, chalking it up to being “in my head” and needing to “tough it out.” Then I attributed it to stress, which has been plentiful in the past couple years…between studying for a major licensing exam, to planning a wedding, and then our house burning down. Not to mention the daily stress of my job.

Vague symptoms are difficult. Nothing showed up on my labs. The body constantly adjusts to new norms so I didn’t realize how bad it was until my newlywed husband pointed it out. I was falling asleep at the wheel of the car on the way home from work, I’d take a 3 hour nap, drag myself out of bed to shower and eat, sleep 10 hours, wake up dead tired, go to work, and repeat the same thing another day, maybe two. This would happen to varying degrees every six weeks or so. The vague symptoms were more frequent although I don’t remember exactly how often because I always brushed it off. I had regular headaches, which I attributed to stress. Sometimes I’d have a faint rash around my neck and shoulders. Stress, I told myself.

I repeated blood lab work and nothing significant came through. My doctor ruled out various things. This past summer she said the labs showed that I might be “trending” towards Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a form of hypothyroidism (low), but I didn’t actually have it to where I needed any thyroid supplement. I was later diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and like I said before, referred onward. Apparently gluten problems are thought to relate to IBS, migraines, miscarriages, depression, thyroid issues, and a host of other problems. The research is still in the beginning stages.

Over six weeks ago I sought out a naturopathic doctor who looked over my labs and spent (get this!) an HOUR AND A HALF with me! We covered everything. She advised that I take iron supplements because my iron was very low- bordering anemic, try a gluten free diet, take in more protein (60 grams), and we’ve been keeping in touch since then by emails and phone calls.

I don’t think I’m alone. Many people are fatigued, stressed, and overwhelmed, with various health complaints whether it’s constipation, headaches, chronic pain, the list is endless. Why are we so sick when we have such advanced technology and medicine? It’s complex since you have to consider each individual and the mind-body interplay of health. I’ve been on a mission to discover my own complexity.

I’m not saying that every malady can be blamed on gluten, but as my doctor explained, it’s under or mis-diagnosed. She told me I’m on the “upswing” of gluten awareness. I’ve been reading up on it, and it truly is a budding area, only in the beginning stages of research.  This doctor said that while there’s testing for Celiac Disease, the most severe form of the allergy, there’s nothing to test gluten intolerance or sensitivity. The only way is to remove it from you diet, and then you wait and see. 

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, and since it’s found naturally, I couldn’t quite understand why it causes so many problems. So I asked. The doctor said that it’s been so genetically modified over years that it’s making us sick. It’s also hidden in many different things like soup, dressings, processed foods, and even shampoos. I’ve read that the wheat protein we ingest today is drastically different than it was 100 years ago. I’ve also read up on the evolutionary thoughts about gluten. We weren’t designed to eat as many grains as we do. They were introduced 10,000 years ago, versus the longer span of time that we’ve been eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish.

I wasn’t expecting this doctor to advise that I continue the gluten free diet that I’d already been on for about six weeks. It’s been a learning experience and complete lifestyle change. She gave me a vitamin B12 shot and explained how nutrient deprived we are (gluten problems can also lead to malabsorption of nutrients). She did a standard chest X ray that she does with all new patients. She advised that I start drinking green smoothies every other day. She didn’t prescribe any medications (maybe that’s why research has been so slow when it comes to gluten!).

Since I’ve been gluten free, I’ve been free of headaches, my digestive system has improved, and while the fatigue hasn’t disappeared completely, it’s definitely improved. I haven’t had any spells of immense fatigue.

I still have days where I doubt it all. I’ve made other healthy lifestyle changes at the same time as going gluten free, so I still wonder- what if that’s not it?  The doctor said that’s a common reaction. She’s seen people doubt that it’s really gluten, go on a gluten binge, and their symptoms return. They forget how horrible they used to feel. The diet experiment is key. I reintroduced gluten a couple weeks ago, and like my naturopathic doctor (different doctor) had suggested, I watched for my body’s reaction for 48 hours. Between 36 to 48 hours, I had headaches and fatigue. I’m going to do it again, just because, well, I’m a perfectionist and I want to see if I get the same reaction. There might also be a small part of me that doesn’t want to be gluten sensitive because it’s hard work and inconvenient.

I’m on a mission of health and balance. I even bought two magnets: “I want to stay healthy” and “I’m grounded and connected.” Many things make up who I am, and as a result, the writing I produce. Spirituality, mood, relationships, attitude, mental health, and physical health are all factors. The mind-body interplay won’t be ignored. Your body will speak, maybe in a foreign language, but it speaks. And I’m finally listening.

*Books you may find helpful: Clean , The Gluten Connection: How Gluten Sensitivity May Be Sabotaging Your Health, Whole Life Nutrition

*This post is based upon my experience and personal research. Feel free to use as an aide for your own self discovery. I don’t claim to be an expert. I’m learning and I encourage others to do the same whether it’s finding various doctors, dieticians, or doing your own research*