Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Long Does It Take For Symptoms To Develop After Eating Gluten?

MJS

By MJS
in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff

Recommended Posts

MJS Rookie
MJS
Posted

So I think I accidently got glutened today, but I'm not sure.

My sister dropped her roll in my soup, but I ate it even though I thought I saw a few crumbs in it (I was being lazy and didn't want to go get a new bowl).

I have stomach pains and I'm a little bloaty/gassy now, but I'm not sure if it's because of the gluten, or becaues I do actually get these symptoms occasionally for no reason.

I started getting the pains about 2 and 1/2 or 3 hours after dinner. I'm not sure how long it takes for the body to start reacting to gluten. So I'm wondering if I have pain because of the minute amount of gluten I ate. If so, I will definitely try to be more careful in the future.

Any insight would be great. Thanks guys!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Reaction time varies from person to person. For some people it is almost instantaneous. In my case it takes 3 to 6 hours. Some of us take longer than that.

Daughter-of-TheLight Apprentice
Daughter-of-TheLight
Posted

With me, I'm not so sure, as my symptoms are differant than others. I get mood swings and am extremely... irritable. My mom took 15 minutes. Since I'm a moody teenager, It's hard for me to tell.

  • 1 year later...
Youngceliac16 Apprentice
Youngceliac16
Posted

For me it takes 4-12 hours for the awful digestive symptoms to occur. In my opinion, the longer it takes for the reaction to occur, the harder it is because it's harder to find out what made you sick. :(

nikky Contributor
nikky
Posted

for me it usually takes about 10-15 mins but it varies for each of us some take hours and sometimes days to feel the full effects. Feel better soon!

MollyBeth Contributor
MollyBeth
Posted

It usually takes me a couple hours to react.

casnco Enthusiast
casnco
Posted

That is a loaded question. Bowl reactions are usually within min. and last forever! I also suffer with DH. That usually takes a great deal longer to show up. Also, minor cross contaminations will not affect my bowls, but the DH will show up sometimes weeks later. Then the miriad of symptoms can happen from immediately to weeks. Hard to tell what causes the problem.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 1 month later...
eeyore Collaborator
eeyore
Posted

My symptoms show up either in the evening if I got glutened that morning, or in the morning if I got glutened the night before...my reaction has never been immediate.

spanish-road Newbie
spanish-road
Posted

it takes me a few seconds and i feel like crap for a week.

kim:) Apprentice
kim:)
Posted

Any insight would be great. Thanks guys!

  • 3 weeks later...
Dylan's Mom Newbie
Dylan's Mom
Posted

That is a very good question that I am looking for the answer to aswell...

My son was diagnosed in Oct with celiac (blood test confirmed)...he was never really sick, diarrhea ('D') once or twice a week, compained of a sore stomach once or twice a week...when he has 'D' it is a one time thing - he goes to the bathroom once has 'D' and then he is fine for another week. They sent him in for a whole battery of tests, (celiac was only one of them) so they weren't really looking for it, it was just on the list of tests they scheduled him for.

....regardless he has been gluten free since the diagnosis but he isn't really getting any better. We have been to a nutruitionist, dietician, pediatrician, allergist and now a surgeon. He was put on the disacharide - no lactose or succrose - and that didn't change the weekly visit to the bathroom either. It actually made him worse - no energy, very pale etc...he has had extra blood tests to check his levels - iron, hemoglobin, white, etc and they all came back normal.

He has eaten gluten by accident but never reacted to it until 3 1/2 days later. Now honestly I can't say that he was reacting to the gluten or he was just getting his weekly bout of 'D'. He also ate an Oreo at a friends house and didn't react at all.

Now the surgeon has scheduled him for a biopsy so he is eating gluten. And when I say he's eating gluten - I mean everything in sight!! He started the new diet on Tuesday afternoon and ate a whole lot of gluten for 4 1/2 days before he got his weekly bout of 'D'. Now he has eaten a whole lot more and he seems fine again.

My question is - is this normal??? Everything I read on here the reaction is almost immediate (5 mins to 12 hours) but his syptoms don't seem to fit the norm...anyone else out there been thru this??? If so, do you have any advise???

dadoffiveboys Rookie
dadoffiveboys
Posted
That is a very good question that I am looking for the answer to aswell...

My son was diagnosed in Oct with celiac (blood test confirmed)...he was never really sick, diarrhea ('D') once or twice a week, compained of a sore stomach once or twice a week...when he has 'D' it is a one time thing - he goes to the bathroom once has 'D' and then he is fine for another week. They sent him in for a whole battery of tests, (celiac was only one of them) so they weren't really looking for it, it was just on the list of tests they scheduled him for.

....regardless he has been gluten free since the diagnosis but he isn't really getting any better. We have been to a nutruitionist, dietician, pediatrician, allergist and now a surgeon. He was put on the disacharide - no lactose or succrose - and that didn't change the weekly visit to the bathroom either. It actually made him worse - no energy, very pale etc...he has had extra blood tests to check his levels - iron, hemoglobin, white, etc and they all came back normal.

He has eaten gluten by accident but never reacted to it until 3 1/2 days later. Now honestly I can't say that he was reacting to the gluten or he was just getting his weekly bout of 'D'. He also ate an Oreo at a friends house and didn't react at all.

Now the surgeon has scheduled him for a biopsy so he is eating gluten. And when I say he's eating gluten - I mean everything in sight!! He started the new diet on Tuesday afternoon and ate a whole lot of gluten for 4 1/2 days before he got his weekly bout of 'D'. Now he has eaten a whole lot more and he seems fine again.

My question is - is this normal??? Everything I read on here the reaction is almost immediate (5 mins to 12 hours) but his syptoms don't seem to fit the norm...anyone else out there been thru this??? If so, do you have any advise???

This sounds like 'constipation' with D after. I found my children with gluten problems had to cut out MILK for a while. The milk (once the digestive system is damaged) caused them to 'back up' to the point in my youngest one of needing a suppository. Then the 'plug' would come out and have massive D.. enough to come out of the clothes on my one year old (and all over!!). About every 4-5 days they would then go to the bathroom. After cutting out gluten (and milk for about a month or two) they now go every day like clockwork and have normal bowels. Doctors don't like to 'cut out' milk because they say it's essential - what good does drinking milk do if your intestines are damaged and you don't absorb it? We used organic soy milk for a while to get the calcium into them... now we use broccoli and cheese. We STILL don't give them plain milk because it seems to cause issues - maybe because cows eat wheat? (dunno!). I know my kids do best limiting dairy intake to just cheese.

Dylan's Mom Newbie
Dylan's Mom
Posted

He has normal bowel movements inbetween the weekly 'D'...I have asked him if he is constipated and he says no...he has a BM once or twice a day like clockwork...like I said above, we cut out milk and sugar but it left him pale and without any energy so the doctor told us to go back to the normal gluten free diet.

chatycady Explorer
chatycady
Posted
That is a very good question that I am looking for the answer to aswell...

My son was diagnosed in Oct with celiac (blood test confirmed)...he was never really sick, diarrhea ('D') once or twice a week, compained of a sore stomach once or twice a week...when he has 'D' it is a one time thing - he goes to the bathroom once has 'D' and then he is fine for another week. They sent him in for a whole battery of tests, (celiac was only one of them) so they weren't really looking for it, it was just on the list of tests they scheduled him for.

....regardless he has been gluten free since the diagnosis but he isn't really getting any better. We have been to a nutruitionist, dietician, pediatrician, allergist and now a surgeon. He was put on the disacharide - no lactose or succrose - and that didn't change the weekly visit to the bathroom either. It actually made him worse - no energy, very pale etc...he has had extra blood tests to check his levels - iron, hemoglobin, white, etc and they all came back normal.

He has eaten gluten by accident but never reacted to it until 3 1/2 days later. Now honestly I can't say that he was reacting to the gluten or he was just getting his weekly bout of 'D'. He also ate an Oreo at a friends house and didn't react at all.

Now the surgeon has scheduled him for a biopsy so he is eating gluten. And when I say he's eating gluten - I mean everything in sight!! He started the new diet on Tuesday afternoon and ate a whole lot of gluten for 4 1/2 days before he got his weekly bout of 'D'. Now he has eaten a whole lot more and he seems fine again.

My question is - is this normal??? Everything I read on here the reaction is almost immediate (5 mins to 12 hours) but his syptoms don't seem to fit the norm...anyone else out there been thru this??? If so, do you have any advise???

Yes, it is very normal! There will be times when he will appear to be normal, but each bout will be more severe and more damage is done. He will have weeks of normalcy, then days of illness. Back and forth until eventually he is malnourished and has all sorts of problems from anemia to heart or liver problems. Plus he may develop all sorts of autoimmune problems.

The gluten free diet alone does not work for everyone. Check out the specific carbohydrate diet. It is the original cehiac gluten free diet. It's a diet that heals the intestines, and eventually one will get bettter.

  • 2 months later...
aprilc Newbie
aprilc
Posted

about 10 minutes

  • 2 years later...
CountDuku Newbie
CountDuku
Posted

I came across this, while googling "how long after eating gluten it takes for effects to take place" because I ate some thai sandwhiches 2 days ago. I was noticing slight stomach ache. My reason for responding is that I used to have very strong stomach pains, allways in the same spot, in the middle above the belly button. Worst was about every day or every other, sometimes so bad I could only go to sleep. I went to doctors who perscribed different medicine, but nothing helped. One day I was having the regular upset stomach, when I decided to attend my Korean yoga class. There were these stomach exercises they do there. And I thought that I woulnd't be able to do them or that it would be bad. On the contrary, the instructor made me do them, and in 10 minutes the ache was gone. So whenever I have the ache coming, I do the excercise, even if it takes an hour, it goes away. I tried to find video, but so far couldn't find one. You lie on your back, breath deep in and out. Make big stomach when inhale, and then when you exhale, make it small. Also when exhaling with your thumbs make downward motion across your belly. You do four phases, one with legs straight, one with legs bent, and third with rump off the floor while legs are bent, and fourth, back down with legs straight and just gentle breathing. Each phase about 5 min. Eventually your belly will start to make gurgling noises during the excercise, the more the better. So this helped me, and I still don't know what my problem was, but maybe this may help others. :)

Taylor Darby Coben Newbie
Taylor Darby Coben
Posted

For me it can be anywhere from 2 hours until late the next day. I get D and my abdomen becomes distended and bloated. I feel tired/weak, and nauseous. Before I was gluten-free I had difficulty sleeping, and when I eat gluten I have a terrible time sleeping that night or the next; I wake up every hour, and am super tired the next day!

  • 4 years later...
DandelionH Apprentice
DandelionH
Posted

With me it's about 3 days but my Grandma has always found it takes her 8 days. To the hour. Ha. All different :) .

Nelly Rookie
Nelly
Posted

For me  some reactions appear within an hour after consuming gluten accidently. First it's mouth sores and then gas and   bloating. Stomach cramps takes some time and stays there till the next day.

  • 4 months later...
OhThePain Newbie
OhThePain
Posted

Greetings! I am new to the boards. I have been gluten free since August 2015. My doctor has suggested that I get the blood test...I have not yet done so but I noticed that since I began cutting out gluten I feel much better. However,  yesterday I was at a going away party for some friends and I ate imitation crab, which apparently is loaded with wheat. I am dying today!! It usually takes me between 8 - 14 hours to have a major league reaction and it takes me between 6-12 days to recover completely. I know a lot of people that are celiac and some are gluten sensitive the majority of us have very similar symptoms when we've been gluten-slapped. I know I get foggy brain, I get clawing pain in my stomach, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue and a headache. When I am eating gluten-free normally I have 2-3 BM a week. I tend to just try to wait it out. I'll eat bland foods, lay off the fats, drink plenty of fluids and ginger ale or ginger to soothe my tummy.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,397
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Megannnnn
    Newest Member
    Megannnnn
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By Mmoc · Posted

      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.