Gluten Ingestion Or Flu?

[mswift]

**As a point of clarification for what I am trying to say in the following paragraphs, when I say "flu" I'm refering to a stomach flu or more specifically a gastrointestinal virus. It was correctly pointed out in some replies below that the flu(influenza) is technically a respiratory illness.

I'm just getting over a 30hr bout bad diarrhea. I had only minor cramping mostly right before the need to sit. I did not have any nausea except for once in the middle of the night, but I was able to fight it off without getting sick. I did have the chills at night, but I don't think I had a fever(I did not take my temperature). Thought the chills were likely due to dehydration and lack of energy(not eating much).

I had a similar bout 6 months ago, but it lasted less than 24 hrs. I have never had the runs like this in my adult life(I'm 40 now) even before I was diagnosed with Celiac 1.5 yrs ago. I've read that gluten reactions get more severe the longer you have been gluten-free. So, initially one could assume I was "glutened".

I traced my diet back 48hrs before the symptoms, and it is possible that I may have consumed a trace amount of gluten. However, I know of instances in the last year where I have accidently consumed more than a trace of gluten and I had no known reaction. So, given this I could think that I had some sort of flu.

Pre-diagnosis(with celiac) I had not had any sort of flu in over 25yrs. Might I be more susceptible to the flu due to age an nutrion issues related to celiac? Or, might my gluten reactions be different depending upon certain food combination? I have not been tested for other food allergies, but I'm considering it as it seems most celiacs have at least one other food problem.

I've read through most of the topics under the "Coping With..." area looking for clues on how to tell the difference between accidental(or intentional) gluten ingestion or the flu. Judging from the wide range of experiences it seems that it would be difficult to tell the difference.

I due consider myself lucky in that if it is a gluten reaction mine it is relatively minor compared to most of the other reactions I've read about. Same goes if it's the flu - most people have it a lot worse than this.

I'm not looking for anyone to diagnose me, but rather I'm interested if you can tell for yourself (and how) whether you have the flu or if you're suffering from gluten ingestion? Maybe I should ask can you tell the difference when you're not sure if you've consumed gluten?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

[darlindeb25]

the only way i have ever been able to tell if it was gluten or the flu was if someone else in the house had it too---usually it is gluten with me--i have worked with the public for a long time and i do believe you get immune to things--i did have the flu in january--i just moved to long island and i guess i am not immune to the bugs here yet----coming down with a cold as we speak----anyways--i guess the answer is--your guess is as good as mine deb

[KaitiUSA]

People with autoimmune problems tend to have weaker immune systems.

When I have the flu I usually only get nausea and vomiting,fatigue and chills/fever unless its the head flu then I get congestion, sore throat and all that stuff. When I accidentally gluten myself I get nausea mainly (no vomiting or runs), anxiety, and occasional chills . I can pretty much tell when it is a gluten reaction because I know what symptoms I have. You are right in the fact that the longer you are gluten-free the worse reactions you get.

I haven't had the stomach flu for a while and I take vitamins and all kinds of supplements to boost my immune system. Is this usually the type of reaction you get when you ingest gluten?

[jknnej]

You probably caught a bacteria or virus. Rotovirus is extremely popular this time of year and it will make you very sick to your stomach with diarrhea or vomiting, or both. You can get it anywhere; from touching a shopping cart or any surface someone else touched. The flu is a respiratory illness and not stomach related.

Disinfect your house and the things you've touched so you don't reinfect yourself and get it again, or worse, give it to others in your family.

[anerissara]

I get anxiety when I have gluten, too! It sometimes actually wakes me up at night, almost like a panic attack. I posted on another thread about the gluten reaction I had this week...I was wondering if it might be the flu, too. But, I had no fever (although I felt achey as if I did) and no vomiting and no-one else in the house has the flu (that's a gauge I'd been going by, too!).

My reaction this week was 2 1/2 days of bloating and gas followed by cramps and pain that started in the upper right part of my stomach and worked its way down to the lower right, then got better in the reverse order. Also I had D worse than usual (3x per day at the worst, yuk!) and just felt tired, grouchy, moody and was short of breath. It's one week since the suspected glutening (breakfast at a restraunt and I didn't check on the eggs, hashbrowns and bacon first) and I am still out of breath and not totally normal but I do feel much better.

[lovegrov]

With some poeple it might be hard to tell the difference between a gluten attack and a simple virus or stomach bug. They could resemble each other in some ways.

richard

[darlindeb25]

well--i dont agree totally with that---yes--there is influenza that involves mostly all upper respiratory--the chills, the runny nose, the fever, coughing, and overall fatigue----but there is also stomach influenza--that involves diarrhea, vomiting and overall fatigue--it can be called a bug, a virus, whatever, but they are all flu--i rarely ever get the upper respiratory type until this year--moving here to New York i must have ran into a new strain and i was sick for at least a week with the upper respiratory type---whatever they are called, they are not pleasant just as being glutened isnt pleasant and for some of us, it is hard to tell the different----here's a flu story for all to relate too---the one i will never forget--3 out of 7 days i was sick--i went to the doctor and asked what was going on--he says--you have a stubborn virus that just wont seem to go away---well--2 weeks later we found out that i was pregnant--i was taking birth control pills and they were causing the stomach upset which he called a virus and i ended up pregnant with my 5th child--the doctor said to me, "birth control pills are 99% safe, and you had to be the 1!"---to this day i have always told her that she was a wonderful surprise and she was---i had 4 boys already deb

[lovegrov]

Sorry, I was just being the husband of a nurse. When I talk of the flu, I'm talking about the stuff you can be vaccinated for (and I ALWAYS get those vaccines). The official definition of influenza is "an acute contagious viral infection characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract and by fever, chills, muscular pain, and prostration. Also called grippe."

The "stomach flu" is indeed a nasty virus that nobody wants, but it is not "officially" the flu or influenza, although many call it that. I was just trying to make sure what we were talking about.

The original poster contacted me privately to see if I knew how to change the topic title (I don't) because he indeed did not mean the real flu, but rather these stomach bugs we all know and hate.

richard

[darlindeb25]

yup--yup-----any virus is hated ---i just was going by what my family doctor always told me and with 5 kids --i spent a lot of time there--he used to tease me that he was so thankful for me cause i was making his house payments --i miss that doctor--i think given enough time, he probably would have figured out celiacs, but he had to retire because of parkinson's disease and has since died---i do miss him--but then being on long island it would have been a long drive to see him anyways deb

[jknnej]

That "intestinal flu" is a virus, but richard is right, it's not influenza. People call it "stomach flu" but it's usually a virus (rotovirus is the most popular)you pick up from touching things...I always carry hand sanitizer and never touch my face, eyes, nose, etc. before washing my hands. And I never touch food w/out washing my hands first.