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Can You Physically Feel Gluten Damage?

GluFree4Me

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GluFree4Me Rookie
GluFree4Me
Posted

Hey y'all!

 

LONG time reader, first time poster.

 

I feel almost silly asking this, but can you physically feel gluten damaging your body if you have celiac disease?  I have been a diagnosed celiac for 4+ years at age 17, and while at first I was TOO rebellious (as in I didn't give a dang and ate whatever I wanted because "you can't stop me!"), I have since grown out of that awful mindset.  However, long story short, I got BIG TIME glutened last night at work.  As in, straight up shovelling wheat-based pasta into my body.  While I'm obviously not going to feel well, I almost can feel like there are holes being chewed in my body when I get glutened.  Is that just me?  I'm not actually feeling the damage, am I?  This has been a curiosity of mine for years because that is exactly what it feels like.

 

Thanks guys!  This forum has been a valuable resource for me for years now, and hopefully will continue for years to come!

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

You probably aren't feeling " holes" but there are antibodies attacking your intestines, so that could certainly hurt. Maybe gas, constipation or even cramping.

Did you eat the pasta on purpose?

GluFree4Me Rookie
GluFree4Me
Posted
  • Author

I did eat the pasta on purpose, however, I didn't realize it wasn't the gluten-free pasta.

 

I live at home, and work night shift.  I sleep through dinner and usually my mom makes me something similar to what they ate, and I take it for my lunch at work (I know, I know, I'm very spoiled and completely grateful for it).  Last night she made creole macaroni, and had some for me waiting in the fridge.  There usually aren't many leftovers, but my brother was out with a friend and didn't eat dinner with the family last night.  Of course, I grabbed the wrong bowl of pasta.  I'm usually very diligent about my diet, and labeling would definitely be useful in the future (which I'm definitely going to bring up with my family...even though, in their defense, it was totally my negligence).  After my lunch I started to feel icky at work, but I just thought my lunch didn't sit right.  Well, that's officially an understatement.  By the time I clocked out this morning, I could barely walk standing up straight.  Simply breathing hurt.  So I knew something was wrong.  I mentioned it while my mom was getting ready for work and as soon as I saw the look on her face, we both realized what I had done.  And me being the little piggy I can be, we're talking like...at least a cup and a half of the stuff.

 

I really feel dumb about this.  This was literally the stupidest celiac mistake I've ever made.  I seriously can't believe how negligent I was.  <_<

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I did eat the pasta on purpose, however, I didn't realize it wasn't the gluten-free pasta.

I live at home, and work night shift. I sleep through dinner and usually my mom makes me something similar to what they ate, and I take it for my lunch at work (I know, I know, I'm very spoiled and completely grateful for it). Last night she made creole macaroni, and had some for me waiting in the fridge. There usually aren't many leftovers, but my brother was out with a friend and didn't eat dinner with the family last night. Of course, I grabbed the wrong bowl of pasta. I'm usually very diligent about my diet, and labeling would definitely be useful in the future (which I'm definitely going to bring up with my family...even though, in their defense, it was totally my negligence). After my lunch I started to feel icky at work, but I just thought my lunch didn't sit right. Well, that's officially an understatement. By the time I clocked out this morning, I could barely walk standing up straight. Simply breathing hurt. So I knew something was wrong. I mentioned it while my mom was getting ready for work and as soon as I saw the look on her face, we both realized what I had done. And me being the little piggy I can be, we're talking like...at least a cup and a half of the stuff.

I really feel dumb about this. This was literally the stupidest celiac mistake I've ever made. I seriously can't believe how negligent I was. <_<

You didn't really eat gluten on purpose. You thought you were eating gluten-free pasta.

At our house, gluten-free things are red. You can get plastic containers with red lids or red duct tape to slap on the Baggie or container. Maybe you could do something like that? You could pick a color of duct tape you like and make it the color for gluten-free food. Put a big piece on the lid of your PB jar or margarine tub, too.

And creole Mac sounds fabulous!

GluFree4Me Rookie
GluFree4Me
Posted
  • Author

That's a great idea.  If my condiments come in a squeeze tube, I'm buying it!  And I refuse to eat margarine, so they know that the actual butter is mine.  However, back to my main point, this usually isn't a problem.  However, I love the idea of using different colored lids.  "Alrighty, y'all, Rachel's food has the pink lids.  If she tries eating anything from the fridge without a PINK lid, slap it out of her hands!"  :P

Thanks so much for your tips!

Ed in Baja Rookie
Ed in Baja
Posted

Hey y'all!

 

LONG time reader, first time poster.

 

I feel almost silly asking this, but can you physically feel gluten damaging your body if you have celiac disease?  I have been a diagnosed celiac for 4+ years at age 17, and while at first I was TOO rebellious (as in I didn't give a dang and ate whatever I wanted because "you can't stop me!"), I have since grown out of that awful mindset.  However, long story short, I got BIG TIME glutened last night at work.  As in, straight up shovelling wheat-based pasta into my body.  While I'm obviously not going to feel well, I almost can feel like there are holes being chewed in my body when I get glutened.  Is that just me?  I'm not actually feeling the damage, am I?  This has been a curiosity of mine for years because that is exactly what it feels like.

 

Thanks guys!  This forum has been a valuable resource for me for years now, and hopefully will continue for years to come!

When I visted my chinese doctor once for nuero muscular problems after a similar episode( we all rebel sometimes consciously or not) he said"why you do that?". So, why you do that? might be useful to explore that for yourself. And yes, i feel bad when i do that, and can feel my muscles responding poorly, and I feel clumsy, and guilty. Hang in there,and learn.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

When I visted my chinese doctor once for nuero muscular problems after a similar episode( we all rebel sometimes consciously or not) he said"why you do that?". So, why you do that? might be useful to explore that for yourself. And yes, i feel bad when i do that, and can feel my muscles responding poorly, and I feel clumsy, and guilty. Hang in there,and learn.

She said she didn't eat gluten pasta on purpose. She thought she had grabbed the gluten-free container. I don't think there is any deep desire to hurt herself here. She needs to make a better labeling plan with her family, that's all.

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GluFree4Me Rookie
GluFree4Me
Posted
  • Author

She said she didn't eat gluten pasta on purpose. She thought she had grabbed the gluten-free container. I don't think there is any deep desire to hurt herself here. She needs to make a better labeling plan with her family, that's all.

You're right.  There was absolutely NO desire to harm myself...subconsciously or otherwise.  Just an accident. 

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

I don't think the intestines have nerve endings for pain. WhenOpen Original Shared Link it states:

" ...There are no nerve endings in the 

intestine, so this procedure does not cause 
pain in the gut...."
 
There are a lot of nerves in the intestines but they aren't for pain as the ability to feel pain or heat in the intestines is not going to benefit an organism much.  
GluFree4Me Rookie
GluFree4Me
Posted
  • Author

 

I don't think the intestines have nerve endings for pain. WhenOpen Original Shared Link it states:

" ...There are no nerve endings in the 

intestine, so this procedure does not cause 
pain in the gut...."
 
There are a lot of nerves in the intestines but they aren't for pain as the ability to feel pain or heat in the intestines is not going to benefit an organism much.  

 

Thanks! I highly doubted that I was actually feeling "holes" being chewed through my body, but as you probably well know, I was certainly in a lot of pain.  It's subsided a little bit now, but every so often it gets strong again.  Thank goodness I'm off for the next three nights...I would be absolutely worthless at work for these next couple of days.

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