Reintroducing Gluten - Symptoms Questions

[Adm08]

Hi everyone!

I've been on this website for months now but this is my first post. I've had symptoms of celiac/gluten sensitivity for years now and decided this past December to completely cut out gluten to test it out. I had not been to the doctor (in hindsight I wish I went straight to the doctor for testing). Of course when I decided to cut out gluten, I had no clue I would need to later reintroduce it in order to be tested for celiac. My symptoms included fatigue, chronic migraines, being bloated, diarrhea/constipation (seemed to switch between one or the other), eye problems (like dizziness and disorientation), as well as stomach cramps and nausea. I had not attributed any of these symptoms to gluten until I tested it out for 50 days and saw incredible results. I kept a strict food journal writing down every thing I put in my mouth, and recorded any symptoms. After a little over a week being gluten-free, my symptoms were completely gone. I tested it out by eating gluten a couple times during the 50 days and each time, my symptoms came back within a matter of minutes and hit me like a truck! I started noticing that even when I would not intentionally eat gluten, I would still feel it if my food had been cross contaminated. I accidentally indirectly ate gluten a few times during the 50 days, and each time could tell by my symptoms returning quickly and relentlessly. 

It has been at least 2 months since I have not had any gluten (even indirectly), and I have not had any symptoms. 

Here's the weird part:

So since I want to get tested to rule out celiac, I started reintroducing gluten yesterday. For lunch I ate a big piece of a flour tortilla, and a chicken dish from a Mexican restaurant which does not offer anything gluten free. I had no symptoms until night time when I had a migraine (which could have been attributed to being out in the sun all day  - which is not usual for me). Again today I ate gluten for lunch - a sandwich with two slices of regular bread. Once again - no symptoms. 

It's so strange to me that the several times I accidentally ingested gluten during my 50 day test that I noticed immediately and felt horrible, but now I feel fine? I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I thought that usually when your body goes a while without gluten, it becomes more sensitive to it. 

Is it possible to have celiac disease in this case? Or does it seem more like a gluten sensitivity that "healed"?

Any info is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

[SLLRunner]

Welcome, @Adm08.

Celiac has over 300 symptoms, and you can have celiac without having any symptoms at all.  The problem with celiac is that it can damage your intestines without you even knowing it, or feeling it. The only way to tell if you have celiac is the get tested, the final test being an endoscope. 

You're smart to get tested. 

 

 

[cyclinglady]

Just make sure you are consuming gluten daily for 8 to 12 weeks, prior to any celiac antibody testing.