Get headaches after Communion

[CountrySteve]

You can always offer up the pain of the headaches to God for sinners

 

[Aggies08]

Unless you are also avoiding bread, pasta, etc in all other areas of your life, I doubt it’s gluten related.

Could it be lingering incense, a mix of perfumes from other parishioners, bad lighting (squinting to read?) mold in the church, etc?

 

[runningdude]

Thank you all for your replies,gee i didnt know about these allergies,sounds like you all could be right.

I will talk to the priest about it,i think i would be happy to just recieve the Blood/wine only.

Im not sure how i would go about that,would i go in line for the Bread/host also and get a blessing perhaps or just go straight up to the Chailce with the wine without going into the line for the Bread?

Im sure i’ll work it out and my Priest will tell me what to do,im just curious because i would be doing something different to what everbody else is usually doing when its time for Communion.

The priest can set aside a consecrated chalice for you to receive from so that you don’t come into contact from gluten particles from other recipients, depending on the severity of the allergy/intolerance. It could be handled as simply as sitting in front of the church, so that you receive first.

 

[maltmom]

Its been a long time since Communing at Orthodoxy,i cant really remember all the times,but i do know that at both churches after Communion ,sometimes i have no bad symptoms and sometimes i do.

At RC as ive said, after Communion many times i get the headaches,so if it has been found that gluten intolerence can cause this ,what else am i supposed to assume

i do eat white bread regularly and pasta (as we’re Italian and mum loves cooking pasta but i dont get headaches from this

also our church doesnt use incense at Mass

Maybe it’s the Precious Blood. Wine has tannin in it that can cause migraines. Although your’s seems to be a delayed reaction.

Why don’t you receive only the Eucharist one week and only the Precious Blood the next. That may narrow down what is causing the headaches.Then you can see your MD for an evaluation.

 

[englishredrose]

Talk to your priest about it is what I would say,

If this is the main time it is happening then may be you have difficulty relaxing in church and find that you get a tension build up and after you do relax and consequently the onset of the headaches. Priests are very good at helping us to become more comfortable about church. Even when one has been going a long time etc.
(when I say relaxing, I don’t mean the chilled out use of the term but being relaxed with God rather than putting unrealistic demands about Him in church. You could be giving yourself all kinds of pressures and finally communion over, you do relax…

By talking to your priest, properly talking I mean, the two of you can work out what is going on and you do learn to relax and not get so stressed about the ritual of church. It can be very stressful if one isn’t as comfortable as all that and please, even if you been going all your life or just started going. Something is not helping you and you need to find out what it is and through spiritual guidence you will work that out.

 

[Cat]

It Can’t be anything to do with receiving communion because the substance of the bread ceases to exist and becomes the body of Christ {Transubstantiation} as does the wine which becomes the blood of Christ. Gluten intolerance is therefore not the answer.

This isn’t true.

The physical characteristics of the accidents remain the same. The change is sacramental, not physical. (I hope I’m expressing this correctly.)

So those who are truly gluten-intolerant will react.

 

[Vico]

24 July 2003 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said:

** B. Communion under one species or with a minimal amount of wine**

    1. A layperson affected  by celiac disease, who is not able to receive Communion under the species of  bread, including low-gluten hosts, may receive Communion under the species of  wine only.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030724_pane-senza-glutine_en.html

 

[SecretGarden]

As someone who is allergic to gluten, and several cleaning products, I think it’s important to speak with your doctor as well as your priest. You might be getting headaches because of the cleaners the church uses to clean the floor or it could be something else. It might take some time to investigate it but I suggest that you don’t change your routine until you have spoken to both. You can always try to only have the wine but abstaining from the host considering you eat wheat outside the church is crazy. Gluten is found in a long list of foods. Therefore if you were getting headaches from eating a bowl of pasta or a sandwich gluten could be a problem. In your case this doesn’t seem to be an issue. You headaches could also be caused by the lighting in the church. Some of these new lights can cause people headaches.

Therefore speak to your doctor, priest and bring this to God as well. In the end, God has the power to heal everyone.

 

[zgraf]

Well, as several other posters mentioned, you could have gluten intolerance.
Or you could have food allergies, etc.

While I like the idea of offering up the pain of headaches. it’s not always easy to pray when one’s head is ready to explode.

As someone who has suffered chronic headaches most of my life, I might suggest a different strategy. You might try a general, across-the-board immune-system enhancement program.

Go to the health food store and buy some “immune booster” supplements. Take 'em.
Get plenty of exercise, drink lots of water, and watch your diet carefully.
Avoid unnecessary stress as much as possible.
Get tested for allergy, and if appropriate get shots.
Do all the usual holistic stuff.
You may find that over time you can boost your immunity – such that you become less sensitive to foods/allergens/environmental junk. It could help your headache sensitivity.

It’s dreadfully sad when the highest form of spiritual nourishment becomes a detriment to one’s own body. >> That << is an attack of the devil, I think.
Do your best to fight against it!

Peace/blessings,
-j

 

[Paul_theApostle]

It’s dreadfully sad when the highest form of spiritual nourishment becomes a detriment to one’s own body. >> That << is an attack of the devil, I think.
Do your best to fight against it!

-j

In the past ,when i would get the headache after communion ,i would say to myself that im not going to Commune anymore

Some have said it could be perfume or the lights or cleaning products in church ,but i have communed at alot of different churches and the thing is i dont commune every single time i go to church ,and i dont get a headache from just being in church

but again many times that i have communed it gives me a nasty headache

I will try just the wine/blood and see what happens

 

[The_Idiot]

But the question you have NOT answered is - do you get a headache after eating bread and pasta which both contain gluten ?

 

[maltmom]

But the question you have NOT answered is - do you get a headache after eating bread and pasta which both contain gluten ?

‘’

This was answered in post #11…no headaches after bread, pasta, etc

 

[triumphguy]

It Can’t be anything to do with receiving communion because the substance of the bread ceases to exist and becomes the body of Christ {Transubstantiation} as does the wine which becomes the blood of Christ. Gluten intolerance is therefore not the answer.

No: the “accidents” remain as bread and wine, while the essence becomes the Body and Blood.

The essence only remains the Body and Blood while the accidents remain - so when they dissolve the essence is no longer there.

Therefore any headaches are due to the accidents -or other physical factors (for instance like guilt acting physically on your body, getting stressed out going to Church, allergies) rather than due to the presence of the Body and Blood.

 

[The_Idiot]

So he did

Then he really should not be considering gluten intolerance - it is most unlikely.

So the question is what is the cause - tension ? Intolerance to sulphites in Wine ??

Time to see his doctor and not accept a diagnosis of gluten intolerance from folk on the Internet.

 

[triumphguy]

‘’

This was answered in post #11…no headaches after bread, pasta, etc

Then it’s not gluten intolerance.

Could be stress induced by factors involved in going to mass.

Could be feelings of guilt when receiving communion:shrug:

It may be time to talk to your priest.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

You might also consider whether there’s a change in your routine some Sunday mornings. For example, I always have coffee in the morning. If I skip it I get a headache from the lack of caffeine. If you sometimes skip breakfast in order to eat after Mass, the lack of food or lack of caffeine might be a factor.

 

[Paul_theApostle]

Then it’s not gluten intolerance.

Could be stress induced by factors involved in going to mass.

Could be feelings of guilt when receiving communion:shrug:

It may be time to talk to your priest.

yes its not all smooth for me to commune

there is stress ,possibly guilt and anxiety

i left RC and became EO and was anti-RC also,now ive come back to RC and when i use the sacraments im not 100% sure if im doing the right thing leaving EO to partake of RC sacraments

im a mess

 

[triumphguy]

Talk to your pastor

 

[englishredrose]

Talk to your priest about it is what I would say,

If this is the main time it is happening then may be you have difficulty relaxing in church and find that you get a tension build up and after you do relax and consequently the onset of the headaches. Priests are very good at helping us to become more comfortable about church. Even when one has been going a long time etc.
(when I say relaxing, I don’t mean the chilled out use of the term but being relaxed with God rather than putting unrealistic demands about Him in church. You could be giving yourself all kinds of pressures and finally communion over, you do relax…

By talking to your priest, properly talking I mean, the two of you can work out what is going on and you do learn to relax and not get so stressed about the ritual of church. It can be very stressful if one isn’t as comfortable as all that and please, even if you been going all your life or just started going. Something is not helping you and you need to find out what it is and through spiritual guidence you will work that out.