If You Eat Gluten By Mistake?

[snoopini]

I've been gluten-free for a year. I was positive on the Enterolab test but my biopsy (yes that's a whopping ONE biopsy my doctor took) was negative and so was my blood work, which was taken about 4 weeks after being gluten-free. I am still looking for a doctor in my area (Central/Southern NJ) that will even entertain the Enterolab or gluten-free diet as positive for Celiac....but that's a whole other topic....

Anyway my question is, does anybody take anything to help with all the side effects if you accidentally injest gluten?? I just hate the way I feel after I eat gluten and I am VERY careful in what I eat but sometimes something slips in there and I feel like crap for about 5 days. And my mood is just intolerable, I can't even stand to be around myself!! Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank!!

[Guest gillian502]

There's nothing other than occasional Pepto Bismal or Immodium caplets that I can think of for you to use during times of a flare-up, but I really think you should continue to investigate why you might be feeling ill. If your blood test and biopsy were both negative, I don't see how this could be celiac disease. You may be intolerant of gluten the way some are intolerant of dairy, I suppose, and that's why you're miserable when you eat gluten. The bottom line, I guess, is that if you feel better off gluten you shouldn't eat it, but don't give up looking for another diagnosis just in case, especially since you are negative for this disease.

[angel-jd1]

Be careful when using things like Immodium to stop diarrhea. Diarrhea is your bodys way of getting rid of the toxins. If you put a stop to that with the immodium you are just keeping the toxic stuff inside for longer. I say let it run it's course, drink pleanty of fluids and get some rest.

-Jessica

[j9n]

This is a good question. I am curious about it myself. Before I wen gluten-free I carried a lunchbox full of pills!! Immodium is pretty harsh for me but is a wonder drug when I am traveling and can not possibly risk getting a bad attack of diarrhea.

Vicodin helps when I am VERY ill. I have all the antispasmatics, bentyl, donnatol, Levsin, etc. They don't work very well. I have antivert for the severe vertigo I got. Peppermint tea helps and now that I am on the healing side of things pepto bismal helps for nausea and diarrhea since my symptoms are not as severe as they were before. When I am really sick I find it is best just to let it run it course, since trying to stop things makes me sicker in the long run

[gf4life]

my biopsy (yes that's a whopping ONE biopsy my doctor took) was negative and so was my blood work, which was taken about 4 weeks after being gluten-free.

If you were gluten free for a month before your testing, then that would explain them being negative.

As for what to do when you get gluten, there isn't much to do, except take it easy and get plenty of rest. And be careful not to have too many "accidents". It takes me about 4-5 days to get over the GI symptoms, but the fatigue can last up to a few weeks with me. And I am very grumpy, and that is putting it mildly.

God bless,

Mariann

[Guest jhmom]

My GI doc prescribed a medication called "LEVBID", it helps with the abdominal cramps/pain but does nothing for the diarrhea.

[Niteyx13]

This is alittle off subject, but just alittle. I got an E-mail from my gluten intolerant cousin yesterday and she says she takes "Pepogest" by Nature's Way everyday. It is basically just a peppermint oil, and it helps her all around and makes things easier to digest. It may even help with accidental gluten intake, I will have to ask her. She also takes "Flax seed" everyday, I am not sure what for - but she says it helps. I am assuming they are to help get rid of all the blotaing and gas junk we go through. It would be awesome if they helped with an accident too. I just thought I would share this with everyone, because she has been at this diet for quite awhile now. I am going to try the things she has recomened.

Deanna

[snoopini]

I already have Pepogest, I like it a lot and I always carry it around with me. It doesnt help when I have really bad cramps although I did take a prescription once "ultram" that did wonders for the cramping. "Lomotil" is great for diarrhea. I didn't know if there was something else that I wasn't aware of that maybe speeds up the elimination of the gluten. I appreciate everybody's responses.

As far as the comment regarding testing negative thru biopsy. I must say that my doctor lied to me about the biopsies, he told me he took "several" but he only took one because I checked with the insurance company. So my doctor lied to me. I had stopped eating gluten for some time before even having the biopsy because I was doing a diet similar to SCD when I received my Enterolab results and had been eating only fresh foods, no sugar, no preservatives of any kind. I started going to the doctor for intestinal problems about 5 yrs ago but have Endo as well with lots of abdominal adhesions so they thought this was the cause of stomach pain back then. I had been sick for over a year this past time with no diagnosis, my doctor actually thought I had cancer because my xrays showed polyps in my illeum and sent me to the Univ. of Philadelphia to have somebody there read my xrays. I had been tested for both colitis and chrons, both negative. Had upper GI with meal follow thru, pelvic & abdominal CATs & colonoscopy. If wasn't until a year later AFTER bringing him the Enterolab results that he even entertained the idea of a upper endo and blood work. I have already been diagnosed with Fibro and a host of medical probelms too long to list. I don't even know why I should be explaining myself to you anyway.....

[Donna F]

hey snoopini,

i can totally sympathize with all of that. It was crashing blood sugar lows day after day that sent me to an endocronologist to find a cause. he thought i had adrenal insufficiency (my symptoms were mainly neurological). I went on all kinds of steroids, had every kind of scan you can imagine and was just losing weight every day. I got down to about 85lbs and felt like I was starving to death all of the time. One day my endo. (thank GOD he talks outloud to himself!) said something about antibodies being a bit high. I said "what's that?" he said "oh, that would be Celiac Srue disease, but you would have diarrhea if you had that and you have the opposite problem." well, what the heck? I wrote it down and did an internet search to find that Celiac doesn't always cause diarrhea and can mimic fibromyalgia, MS (which I was diagnosed with 6 years ago), and all sorts of ailments. I found all of my symptoms listed and thought I'd try the only remedy - the gluten-free diet. I did it for about 2 months and felt terrific. I told my endo I wanted a referral to a gastro-enter. THAT doctor did an upper endoscopy (only 1 biopsy!) and said it was normal and I definately DIDN'T have Celiac.

Well, I have a new doctor now, and after trying to eat 'normal" for several months (and feeling like crap again) simple bloodwork confirms all 3 antibodies above normal. I've been gluten-free for about 3 months now and feel MUCH better, aside from being MAJORLY sensitive now and NOW when I get contamination, I get the digestive symptoms and dermatitis hepetiformis symptoms (which I never had much problem with b4).

So, doctors sure don't know everything. Thank God circumstances happened the way they did, or I'd still be in the dark about all of this!

Hang in there! At least we've got resources in this day and age to help us. I know this sounds scary, but don't expect a doctor to know everthing. Trust what your body is telling you and do some research yourself. Sometimes I hate this diet so much I want a 'certificate' of Celiac-ness from a doctor (positive biopsy and all), but I KNOW how I feel when I eat that junk, and I've learned to just trust my own body's responses.

Take care!

-donna

[Guest gillian502]

Snoopini...Just curious..who are you so angry with? I was trying to get you to follow up with medical care because I was concerned you may have been given an incorrect diagnosis. I certainly don't think my tone was harsh or that I was saying you definitley don't have celiac disease, just that it may be a good idea to investigate further. I'm a moderator here, and have been using these boards a long, long, time....I've never been rude to anyone nor have I had such a defensive response. Sorry I tried to help.

[Guest ~wAvE WeT sAnD~]

Snoopini,

We all have explained ourselves to each other, and there is no reason to feel ashamed of what's happening to your body. It isn't your fault. No matter what the results are, we'll be here for you when you need support/advice.

I hope your find the answers you're looking for.