Changing Reaction, Normal?

[CajunChic]

I've been gluten-free for almost 10 months now. When I get glutened, symptoms appear after 2 days, the 3rd day being the worst. Then I feel "off" for about a week.

I was glutened about 2 weeks ago at a Mexican restaurant. I hardly had a reaction. Barely bloated, hardly noticed my symptoms. Is that normal? It was quite a bit of gluten as I didn't know the chips were mixed corn and wheat. I even questioned my dx.

Fast forward to last week. Tried my hardest at a different Mexican restaurant. Everything seemed great. Ate grilled shrimp and rice. This time, 3 days later so sick I can't pick my head up. I've never had dizziness so bad before. I slept almost an entire day and laid down the whole next day. I didn't bloat as big as I usually do, but felt 10x's worse. It's 5 days later now and I'm still tired and nauseated, but can function. I also felt like I was starving, but everything made me sick.

Do reactions change? Did I overdo it in a short amount of time? Why didn't I react the first time?

[1desperateladysaved]

I don't know all of the answers.  From personal experience, though, I can say that my reactions have changed over time.  Also, I wonder if anyone else at the restaurant got sick.  You may of got some food poisoning.  My body has become more and more sensitive, but my health providers are still hoping that my body will relax about it after it is healed up.

[NatureChick]

My reactions have changed over time.

Right after going gluten-free, my reaction to minute amounts seemed to be much stronger. But that seemed to have gone away after I got good at staying gluten-free and my immune system was less amped up. I still have one or two tell-tale symptoms that let me know that something was contaminated but nothing that disrupts my life.

I've only had one full-dose glutening since going gluten-free and my whole body hurt for weeks, a reaction I had never had before going gluten-free. It did come with a few other gluten-related symptoms, which is what made me realize that I had consumed a gluten-filled meal accidentally, and those did take a full three to four days to cycle through, the symptoms on day one being different than on day three.

So to minute amounts, my reaction seems to have lessened, but to full doses, much, much worse and both different from before gluten-free, and different from early gluten-free. 

I wouldn't trust a restaurant simply because their kitchens are contaminated. 

[BlessedMommy]

I don't think that I've ever consumed a full dose of gluten accidentally since I went gluten-free in 2010. I have noticed what I considered to be a changing reaction recently. Usually my sign of accidental gluten is skin related, flaming face, or start of rash on my neck. However, recently when I kissed my husband when he hadn't brushed his teeth after eating a whole dinner full of pizza, the next day I had a low grade fever and a headache the whole day.

 

Considering that daily headaches were my portion a few days into my gluten trial, I wonder if my body has become more sensitive and will now generate headaches due to smaller amounts of gluten. 

[CajunChic]

I don't know all of the answers.  From personal experience, though, I can say that my reactions have changed over time.  Also, I wonder if anyone else at the restaurant got sick.  You may of got some food poisoning.  My body has become more and more sensitive, but my health providers are still hoping that my body will relax about it after it is healed up.

It was a faculty dinner, and as far as I know, no one else was sick. Thank you for your replies. This gluten-free journey sure has been a learning experience, and I'm sure will continue to be,. Case and point- no more Mexican food : /