How long should being “glutened” make me feel sick?

[Michael Swanson]

Is it normal to feel sick for several days after glutening myself? I started feeling sick on Sunday night without being able to pinpoint why, and then realized when I ate some ice cream (that I thought was safe) on Tuesday night and immediately felt sick again, that that was what made me sick the first time. So I glutened myself twice in three days. 

Previously, I’d only had an upset stomach for a day when this happened, but I’m pretty sure all of those times were just the result of cross contamination, and not me stuffing my face with two bowls of delicious, gluten-y ice cream. 

Thank you!

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Michael Swanson!

It's hard to say what is the normal experience when getting glutened since there is a wide range of reaction. I would say, however, that what you describe is very common.

But I'm curious. What was the offending ingredient in the ice cream? Did it have Oreo chunks in it or something obviously wheatey?

It can be hard to distinguish the symptoms of a "got glutened" reaction to food poisoning or just a viral bug.

[Rick Sanchez]

  On 4/7/2023 at 3:29 AM, Michael Swanson said:

Is it normal to feel sick for several days after glutening myself? I started feeling sick on Sunday night without being able to pinpoint why, and then realized when I ate some ice cream (that I thought was safe) on Tuesday night and immediately felt sick again, that that was what made me sick the first time. So I glutened myself twice in three days. 

Previously, I’d only had an upset stomach for a day when this happened, but I’m pretty sure all of those times were just the result of cross contamination, and not me stuffing my face with two bowls of delicious, gluten-y ice cream. 

Thank you!

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A couple days to a week is perfectly normal. It varies a lot, even individually.  I'm probably the odd duck, but it feels like a little glutened feels worse the second day, than getting into a lot.  Two years ago my ex took me to a restaurant that had gluten-free options....yeh...about an hour after..dual directional expulsion... but the feeling of unwell and inflammation for the next couple days wasn't any more severe than if I got a crumb or two. Find you a little cocktail that works for you, mine is a 800mg ibuprofen, a 250mg Tylenol, a benadryl, and cup of coffee. What ever the mechanism, it takes the edge of. Usually only have to do that twice.

[Scott Adams]

This might be too late, but:

 

[Michael Swanson]

  On 4/7/2023 at 4:04 AM, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, Michael Swanson!

It's hard to say what is the normal experience when getting glutened since there is a wide range of reaction. I would say, however, that what you describe is very common.

But I'm curious. What was the offending ingredient in the ice cream? Did it have Oreo chunks in it or something obviously wheatey?

It can be hard to distinguish the symptoms of a "got glutened" reaction to food poisoning or just a viral bug.

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Thanks for your welcome and response. I’m actually feeling quite a bit better today. 
 

I’ve been eating Tillamook ice cream. It’s not certified gluten free, but they clean their equipment between each run, primarily to avoid peanut contamination. I’ve had no problems until this last pint we purchased. It’s the only thing I’ve eaten that isn’t certified gluten free of late, so that’s gotta be it. It’s just chocolate and vanilla, but maybe it’s a case of the new guy didn’t clean right after a run of cookies’n’cream? Who knows? I’m just going to avoid it now. Goodbye, one more simple pleasure!

[Scott Adams]

Not so fast...

 

[trents]

  On 4/7/2023 at 9:06 PM, Michael Swanson said:

Thanks for your welcome and response. I’m actually feeling quite a bit better today. 
 

I’ve been eating Tillamook ice cream. It’s not certified gluten free, but they clean their equipment between each run, primarily to avoid peanut contamination. I’ve had no problems until this last pint we purchased. It’s the only thing I’ve eaten that isn’t certified gluten free of late, so that’s gotta be it. It’s just chocolate and vanilla, but maybe it’s a case of the new guy didn’t clean right after a run of cookies’n’cream? Who knows? I’m just going to avoid it now. Goodbye, one more simple pleasure!

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I still imagine it wasn't the ice cream but something else. You may have, for instance, added another food intolerance.

[Guest 648]

This has me scratching my head in that how would an asymptomatic celiacer know they been glutened?  (Not a question, just a thought)🤔

[RMJ]

I know you said it wasn’t a question, but as an asymptomatic celiac I can give an answer.  I don’t know if I’ve been glutened unless it is a prolonged exposure that shows up in increased antibody levels at my yearly checkup.  Therefore I have to be extra careful.

[trents]

  On 4/8/2023 at 11:51 AM, 648 said:

This has me scratching my head in that how would an asymptomatic celiacer know they been glutened?  (Not a question, just a thought)🤔

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For asymptomatic celiacs, it would need to be done by lab work of some kind that would reflect a pattern of negligence in their gluten free eating efforts. An episode of glutening here and there would not be detected but a continuing pattern would through lab work to detect antibodies, anemia, bone density loss, etc. - the kinds of things that lad to their diagnosis in the first place - or, perhaps, elevated celiac antibody levels as RMJ said, if they were getting regular antibody testing.

[RMJ]

  On 4/8/2023 at 2:48 PM, trents said:

For asymptomatic celiacs, it would need to be done by lab work of some kind that would reflect a pattern of negligence in their gluten free eating efforts. An episode of glutening here and there would not be detected but a continuing pattern would through lab work to detect antibodies, anemia, bone density loss, etc. - the kinds of things that lad to their diagnosis in the first place - or, perhaps, elevated celiac antibody levels as RMJ said, if they were getting regular antibody testing.

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I wouldn’t always call it a pattern of negligence.  I had trouble with flours from a very well respected company that is frequently recommended by those with celiac disease.

[knitty kitty]

@Michael Swanson,

Some Celiacs react to the protein casein in dairy products as though it were gluten because the casein molecules resemble gluten molecules. 

Some Celiacs develop lactose intolerance because they can't produce the enzyme lactase that digests the milk sugar lactose. 

In either case, intestinal bacteria ferment the undigested lactose resulting in gas, bloating, etc., etc., etc.

You may want to cut dairy out for a few weeks.

 

[Michael Swanson]

  On 4/8/2023 at 11:51 AM, 648 said:

This has me scratching my head in that how would an asymptomatic celiacer know they been glutened?  (Not a question, just a thought)🤔

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I get an upset stomach, some bloating, and have to take frequent trips to the bathroom (though luckily without diarrhea) when I’ve accidentally eaten something with gluten in it. I also get very fatigued. And the longer I try to adhere to a gluten free diet, the sicker I get when I slip up. 

[Rick Sanchez]

  On 4/10/2023 at 5:04 AM, Michael Swanson said:

I get an upset stomach, some bloating, and have to take frequent trips to the bathroom (though luckily without diarrhea) when I’ve accidentally eaten something with gluten in it. I also get very fatigued. And the longer I try to adhere to a gluten free diet, the sicker I get when I slip up. 

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Pretty much the same here, I get bad jount pain, and the bathroom trips are kinda the opposite unless I get I to a bunch.  

I don't know if the feeling worse the longer in-between is a physical/chemical actually worse kind of thing, or just not used to it.  Before I got diagnosed and started to get better, I had like a stupid high pain tolerance.  I worked construction, and I mean like tough among tough. Now after getting well I am a certified wuss.  Not sure how much is coming from age, and how much is just not being used to it?  Being that sick, and every day being in level 6 pain constantly with no benchmark, something that was an 8 to everyone else was just maybe a 2 to me. Around 8 years later, my I now feel all my boo boos.

[trents]

  On 4/10/2023 at 12:26 PM, Rick Sanchez said:

Pretty much the same here, I get bad jount pain, and the bathroom trips are kinda the opposite unless I get I to a bunch.  

I don't know if the feeling worse the longer in-between is a physical/chemical actually worse kind of thing, or just not used to it.  Before I got diagnosed and started to get better, I had like a stupid high pain tolerance.  I worked construction, and I mean like tough among tough. Now after getting well I am a certified wuss.  Not sure how much is coming from age, and how much is just not being used to it?  Being that sick, and every day being in level 6 pain constantly with no benchmark, something that was an 8 to everyone else was just maybe a 2 to me. Around 8 years later, my I now feel all my boo boos.

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Some of both, probably.