I cut out wheat before going low-carb. Spent a year doing strict gluten-free, soy-free eating, trying to replace bread with rice, tapioca flour and the like. At that point I was doing much better healthwise, but I had nagging problems that I associated with carbs (skin problems and digestive problems).

When I cut out carbs and sugar I went through a phase where I was tired and just "off." I didn't know anything about ketosis. This is when I found out about paleo, as I tried to research what the hell was wrong with me.

So, the short answer to your question (the one at the end of the post, not the question head) is "yes." Cutting out the wheat didn't prompt the "flu" but cutting out the carbs separately did.

Reading the blog entry from Dr. Davis, he states that the wheat withdrawal occurs in 30% of people. Could be I'm just among the other 70%.

I had some initial issues (mostly GI) after first switching to a more paleo diet, but at that time I was eating quite a bit a fruit (but still lost a ton of weight).

For the last few days I've been VLC, and I've felt great. I'm gonna keep it up to see what happens.

I've had this nagging suspicion that most of the benefits that come from low-carb diets are actually just the result of removing refined sugar (basically the truly enormous amounts of fructose in the SAD), wheat, and perhaps other grains and legumes. As far as I know this has not been tested, but, anecdotally, many people seem to be able to lose tons of weight without being VLC. Also, even mister VLC himself, Dr. Kurt Harris, has changed his position and now believed that carbs are not what matters, but rather excessive fructose.

People talk about metabolic derangement, but as far as I know the evidence that the solution to this is low-carb, as opposed to low-fructose and gluten-free, is not particularly strong- though I'm certainly open to being corrected on this.

Also, I've heard that consuming wheat elicits a similar physiological response to opiates, so that would suggest addiction, and therefor withdrawal, is an issue with wheat. Certainly it seems like many people are seriously addicted to wheat.

I went paleo cold-turkey and had severe withdrawal symptoms to wheat. Even had several dreams in a row about eating: cookies, pizza, and bread.

I was experienced depression and mood swings.

It was HARD, but after it passed I felt GREAT.

And I am wondering if this can happen after 6 months just off gluten but keeping other carbs. Six months ago I was moving toward Blood Type O / Paleo principles starting with cutting out gluten. Initially I felt fantastic! Emotionally available, no aching in knees or back, headaches diminished - wonderful. About a month ago I got a little cold, but it never left. About a week ago it finally dawned on me that this might have to do with "gluten detox" and I discovered the low carb flu. That's how I feel - congestion, coughing, (worsening of my asthma), fatigue but my carb level is not what I would call low like an "Atkins low" but I scrupulously avoid gluten. My husband says my breathing is very labored during the night like my worst asthma times or having the flu. Anyone else have gluten detox flu - months after giving up gluten? If so, how long did yours last?

I have done the gluten and carb war bigtime for the past forty years.

My well-founded advice is simply to avoid gluten and go low carb if you are overweight or obese. When you are trim like a giselle keep your weight with three playing card size portions of meat and a couple of snacks.

A special secret is to carry a container of olive oil and guzzle it with your meals and in times of weakness.

In any case, remember the fact the agriculture boys don't want you to know: "Carbohydrates are unessential to human health. Or said in another way: "The minimum daily requirement for carbs is zero."

Ask any eskimo who eats 75% of his food in fat.

Don't forget the 2.4 million years where our hominid ancestors evolved on mostly meat and its fat.

It also says in the New Testament(Paul) if you make food your God you will burn in iniquity.

C. Ross

I gave up wheat 4 days ago, and ever since, I have been "going to the bathroom" too many times a day and feeling crampy and bloated and utterly fatigued. Is this normal, and how long will it last?

Wow I just removed wheat from my kids diet we are going grain free sugar free for my autistic son. And I have had my 16yr old NONasthmatic daughter in ER for breathing treatments twice in 2 days. She feels like she has the flu I warned her it might be detox or yeast die off since all the tests they ran came back negative for viruses and bacteria. Now I think that's all we are fighting with her. She can sometimes hardly pass any air and they are stumped because her chest X-rays are clear! Wheat is the root of all evil!

After 7 days without wheat, which included 4 days of flu-like symptoms and exaustion, I felt good, really good, so I went out and did a lot of heavy shoveling. DON'T DO THAT!!

This is a provocative question, but it seems like an easy one to answer. All you need to do is find a few people who were already wheat-free but still on a high-carb diet, who then switched to low-carb. I'm sure there are a few on this very site. If they still got the low-carb flu, that demonstrates that there is an adaptation process involved in going low-carb per se.

You could also find the complementary people, ones who quit wheat but kept eating other carbs (ideally ones with a similar GI). If it's all about gluten withdrawal, they should show the low-carb flu. If they don't have those symptoms, then wheat / gluten isn't the culprit.

FWIW, I too have been curious about why LC diets treat ketosis as such a huge, all-or-nothing switch when some sources claim that most people do a bit of ketogenesis during their day.