Gluten allergy symptoms are many and varied, depending on the individual. Fatigue is a common symptom. How to deal with fatigue if you have a gluten allergy?
The problem with fatigue is that not only does it affect your whole life, it makes it very difficult to deal with the allergy itself.
The best way to deal with fatigue caused by gluten allergy is to avoid gluten. This is an obvious statement, the real question is how to avoid gluten. Much of this website is devoted to avoiding gluten. See Gluten, how to avoid it
But even when you do your best to avoid gluten, slip-ups are common. It took me years to get good at avoiding gluten. At the time, the gluten free diet was not well known, and and it was much harder than it is now. But that does not make it easy, as anyone with a gluten allergy can attest.
Managing Gluten Allergy Fatigue
Even tiny amounts of gluten can cause a reaction for some people with gluten allergy, so it is inevitable that you will get dragged down when you get ‘glutinated’.
The first thing to realize is that this will pass.
Do your best to avoid any gluten – be extra cautious and avoid dubious food such as at restaurants (unless they specialize in gluten-free) and at friend’s homes (unless you know them to be extra-careful and understanding of your dietary requirements).
This can be socially awkward, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to protect yourself and get back to being a fully functioning and productive individual.
Work out your fatigue cycle. Some people might have more energy earlier in the day, then fade. Others (like me) get more energy later in the day. Reserve your hardest tasks for your high-energy times of the day. Be sure to use this time to plan gluten-free meal and plan what you will do for your next high-energy time. Then work out what do do with your less productive time, such as routine, low-brain-requirement tasks.
Get lots of rest. You know you want the rest and your body needs it. You probably aren’t getting much done when you’re tired anyhow, so go to bed early, get up a bit later if possible, and get as much sleep as possible. Remember, your gluten allergy symptoms will pass, so do what you’ve got to do to get over it quickly.
Nap frequently. You may feel that a nap is a waste of time, but so is trying to work and not getting much done. Have 10 – 20 minute naps when you need them, then do as much work as possible until you need the next nap.
These are a few of my tips for dealing with fatigue when you have a gluten allergy. I hope these tips help.