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Trying To Dine Out Gluten Free

RebeccaMSL

By RebeccaMSL
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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RebeccaMSL Rookie
RebeccaMSL
Posted

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have a question about the allergic response to gluten and wonder if anyone experienced this same thing? I was diagnosed with celiac in Nov of 05 and have been trying to be gluten-free since then. (Had Positive biopsy and positive blood tests). I was symptomatic and undiagnosed for decades, and had daily diarrhea and stomach pain, nausea and cramps, and never weighed more than 115 except when pregnant. I also have had type 1 juvenile diabetes (insulin dependent) for 25 yrs so my doctor kept thinking I had gastropresis or some problem due to diabetes complications. Once I went on the gluten-free diet, I started feeling much better and the d. etc stopped and I have been relatively intestinally happy. BUT, now when I accidentally ingest gluten I get REALLY violently ILL, and its awful!

This past weekend my husband and I went out to a v. nice expensive restaurant with friends, and I discussed my meal and the menu with the chef and showed him my celiac card with all the explanations of what is allowed and not allowed. I had a delicious meal of swordfish, yukon poptatoes, tuna sushi w. wasabi, and creme brulee for dessert. We got home around 11 pm and by 2am I was vomiting and had d. and was shaking, sweating, tachycardic. I continued to be ill until 5 am, and then once it stopped, I was fine again, although my muscles hurt from the shaking. Even when I was eating G every day, I was never vomiting and shaking and violently ill; my reaction was more mellow, and even though I had d. every day it was not this horrible. It seems that my allergic response has gotten more pronounced and I am wondering why. This was not food poisening-Others ate what I ate and no one was sick but me. I realized yesterday that the swordfish had a caramelized bourbon sauce, and this must be what did it.

I've had this reaction now twice, the other time from tabouli which I forgot had wheat. I was violently ill with vomiting and diarrhea, shaking and sweating, and it was just as awful. (Stupid mistake but I was probably less than 6 months gluten-free and was lulled into a trusting state of mind by a salad bar...)

Does anyone know of anything to lessen this horror show? I seriously do NOT want to go thru this ever again. Why would my reaction be so severe now that my whole system is a lot healthier? My biopsy showed "complete atrophy" of my duodenum and maybe now that it healed its better able to defend itself?

I'm sad because I love to go out to eat and there are a handful of gluten-free restaurant menu options in my area, but The Outback gets old and Legal Seafoods is an hour away... I also would like to have something to take if I do get glutened again, something to move everything out as fast as possible, without having to vomit, which I hate hate HATE.

Thanks for any thoughts you have. Sorry to be so candid about the gross stuff but I need to be able to ask this someplace!

Rebecca

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Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

Unfortunately we're putting our health into someone elses hands when we dine out. I wish there was a magic wand one could wave to make it different than it is. I don't have much to add but my sympathy and wishes for a speedy recovery.

Some people react worse to gluten when they're not constantly exposed to it.

TinkerbellSwt Collaborator
TinkerbellSwt
Posted

I am not sure why.. I know there are more knowledgable people here to answer the question about symptoms being worse after being gluten free for a bit. I know from my own experiences too, the longer I have been gluten free, the worse my symptoms are when I do get glutened.

I know a lot of people here have that same reaction. I am sure someone else on here can answer this for you.

I hope you feel better :)

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Since the response to gluten is an immune response, not an allergic response (well, you might have both), it might help to think of this as your body responding to something attacking it. Like when you get a stomach virus. Your body "knows" its a bad thing and does everything it possibly can to get rid of it. Maybe some people's bodies try harder to protect them ;)

hez Enthusiast
hez
Posted

The reality is that eating out is risky for celiacs. It is one aspect of this disease that I hate. I went out and spoke to the manager, went over ingredients, very careful-I still got sick (I had a salad)!

I think of eating out like going to Vegas. It is a crap shoot, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. We really do not eat out that often (I am not a gambler).

I do hope you feel better soon.

Hez

Robert Brown Newbie
Robert Brown
Posted

This is precisely the bewildering reaction I just complained about in my topic, "Vomiting Reaction??" Sorry to hear you're dealing with it too - my body is simply rejecting the food!

Rob

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