I Got Glutened About Two Weeks Ago - Confused?

[Waitingindreams]

So a few Fridays ago, my boyfriend and I ordered takeout from a restaurant with a gluten free menu. We had eaten there before. I got the roasted organic vegetables, he got a quesadilla. Both meals had "gluten-free" next to them on the menu. When we brought the food home, I realized mine came with a small bread loaf. It certainly LOOKED gluten free,(you know gluten-free bread looks different) and it came with my gluten free meal, so naturally I assumed it was gluten free. After a few bites, I realized it tasted like wheat and definitely didn't taste gluten free. I stopped eating and called the restaurant and they confirmed that it was not gluten free, and actually got defensive with me because my boyfriend never stated that he was ordering off the gluten free menu. (It says that both meals are gluten free on both menus, but whatever.)

 

I got a little bit dizzy and light headed, so I went to rest. For about an hour or so I felt some cramping, like my stomach was being stretched/ripped apart. It hurt, but it was nothing unbearable. I've felt a lot worse. Within I'd say...an hour or two, I was feeling a lot better.

 

I didn't eat THAT much of the bread...I'd say if you touch your index finger to your thumb, that amount is about how much I ate...it's not a lot, but it's certainly more than the crumb amount that's supposed to make celiacs sick for weeks. The last time I had minestrone soup (before being diagnosed) I was in and out of the bathroom for 12 hours, and my stomach was still bothering me for awhile after. 

 

I'm not complaining, I'm glad I didn't get that sick - but why didn't I? Also, the day after I did start getting really sick..I had headaches and no matter how much water I drank I was still thirsty.and it slowly moved its way into bronchitis/ almost pneumonia. Did me eating gluten make my immune system more vulnerable? Why didn't I feel the gluten immediately like I usually would? I thought I would be spending hours in the bathroom. Again, I'm not complaining - just confused. I thought once you were gluten free for awhile, the tiniest amount would make you sick for days/weeks. Unless me having "very, very bad" bronchitis is a direct result of my gluten consumption, I really didn't get hit nearly as hard as I expected.

[notme]

i hadn't been sick in a year - 'germ' sick - i am around snotty children all the time lolz - it wasn't until i glutened myself, twice in a row (DUH!!) that i caught the virus du jour.  i am having more neuro issues than gastro from glutening, and i am attributing that to being further healed in the intestines.  btw - i am getting better on my own with the cold.  it has moved out of my chest into my head and is clearing up   my brother has the same cold. i am fairly certain he has undiagnosed celiac <we are like 6 year apart twins - he has allllll the issues but is in denial) had to go to the doctor and get antibiotics.  i am just getting my 'flora' to be all nice, i don't want to kill all those lovely digestive bugs lolz    hope you feel better!

[Tbolt47]

Dreams,

I have been Gluten free for 11 months, except for the inadvertent glutening as you described. My DX was confirmed with a endoscopy ,graded as Marsh- 3 , severe damage consistent with having Celiac for a significant time span. My last glutening was the end of August. I ordered off the " Gluten Free " menu and two days later a bit of GI disruption and aprox 10 days of a headace, unsteady on my feet, clumsiess ,so tired I could barly drive home from work, insomnia and throw in the partners in crime- Irritability and  depression.

 

Approximately 2.5 years ago,  not coincidentally when I started having very noticeable GI symptoms( initially diagnosed with IBS) I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma. This was a bit puzzling , since I have run 20-25 miles a week for 35 plus years. This was  treated with Advair inhalant. I also would get on average 4 colds that turned into sinus infections annually. Since going Gluten free I have not had a single cold and 5 months ago I no longer needed the Advair.

The mucosal lining of your throat, lungs, and  nose are not much different than the lining of the small intestine. The inflammation caused be the immulogical response to gluten can be systemic.

 

I do not have any scientific  data to evince a correlation between being gluten free and not needing asthma medication, nor thwarting every cold that other family members have endured. I am eating healthier, that certainly must have a positive impact on my immune system as well.

 

How long have you been gluten free ?

[Pegleg84]

A couple possible explanations: if you hadn't been glutened in a long time (and your gut had healed) it seems to take longer for symptoms to really kick in. Also, if your immune system is weakened, then you're definitely unacceptable to picking up a bug.

Really, everyone is different, and reactions can change over time.

 

I had a similar experience once, not long after going gluten-free. Ordered off a gluten-free menu, got a piece of bread with it. Yep, took 2 bites to know it wasn't gluten-free. Of course, then there was the xmas that me, Mom and my sister, all celiac, were eating the regular bread mom accidentally bought thinking it was gluten-free. Took a week before I thought, wait a second, I didn't know this was gluten-free. I never got really sick off of that either, but was run down and iffy for quite a while. That was also in early days.

In comparison, last xmas I discovered that there was indeed stuffing in the turkey my brother said was fine (thanks dude). I had one mouthful. Took a few days to kick in but I was so sick and it took a couple months to recover fully.

 

In any case, hope you feel better soon! Take out can be really tricky for us if we're not there to ask a million questions or send food back if they didn't get it right.