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Strict elimination diets like RPAH and GAPS causing insomnia?

wonderoushope

Senior Member
Messages
247
Hi all,

I have chronic fatigue type issue and insomnia. I'm slowly piecing together it could be food intolerances that are the main issue for my fatigue.

However, when I first did the RPAH elimination diet in strict/to moderate phase (about 2 years ago), I did notice something...I felt much better (energy, less stomach issues). However it was the first time I noticed I couldn't get to sleep. I had this sort of "wired feeling" and ever since then I have had sleep issues (prior to elimination diet I could sleep like a baby). Even when I went back to more normal eating I had this "wired state".

I now have periods where I can sleep better (but not 100%), usually when my immune system is in a better place. At the moment I don't have that wired feeling, but just do tend to have interrupted sleep (doesn't help that I am getting Costochondritis in the night when I try to move) .

Anyway, I stumbled across this article last night http://reclaimyourhealth.com.au/why-the-gaps-diet-can-mess-with-your-health/ and made me realise I wasn't going crazy when I thought insomnia was caused by the diet. I didn't quite understand the whole article (I am not very technical) but sounds like something got switched on, when the person who wrote the article went on a elimination diet. Could this be the issue with me too?
 

Mohawk1995

Senior Member
Messages
287
Makes sense to me. Your system is already on a state of high alert and in extreme protection mode. As a result, you could easily have another process switched on or off.

The hardest thing to figure out (at least for me) is what treatment is effective for the primary source of the disease and which is effective for all of the fallout issues resulting from the disease.

For me things like diet, sleep, supplements and many medications are often treating the fallout from the disease. The problem can come when that treatment then negatively impacts the primary source of the disease which in ME/CFS appears to be Neurophysiological/Immune. That is one of the things that makes this disease so difficult to treat.

The key now is to find something that helps your sleep, but does not tick off the primary source. My advice: go slower and more gradual than you think you should. Ramp up the intervention slowly. Avoid sudden and radical changes. The turtle wins the race is good advice in this case.