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


MJS

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MJS Rookie

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!


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psawyer Proficient

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

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

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

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

It usually takes me a couple hours to react.

casnco Enthusiast

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.


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  • 1 month later...
eeyore Collaborator

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

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

kim:) Apprentice

Any insight would be great. Thanks guys!

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

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
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

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
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

about 10 minutes

  • 2 years later...
CountDuku Newbie

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

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

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

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

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.

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    • catnapt
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    • trents
      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
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