New Here! Help With Questions Please :)

[Moocheck]

Hi all! I was newly diagnosed almost 2months ago. Things have been going well, but I have a few questions that I would be grateful if anyone could help me with

-How long does it take to feel symptoms after being contaminated? I am trying to keep a food diary and symptoms log and it seems like it takes a little while ( sometimes days) to have symptoms... is that possible? Or am I getting contaminated in places that aren't obvious?

- Also, are packaged foods really ok to eat? I had been eating Nutthins, without reading the back and I assumed that because they said Gluten and Wheat free I could eat them, but on the back it said processed in a facility that also processes wheat, so I had to throw them out... I haven't ever had a problem with them before, but I guess it only takes one contaminated box...

Thanks soooo much for your help!!!

[rmmadden]

Not all people react the same......I generally show symptoms the following day and then they last for 7-10 days. It depends on the severity of Celiac and what you've eaten.

Keeping a food diary is a good idea. I did it for about 2-years and it helped isolate things that didn't sit well with my system. Specifically, I was able to figure out that Soy was keeping me from progressing and I have felt a lot better since I eliminated it.

Stay the course. Things might not turn-around over-night but, they will get better. Best of luck!

Cleveland Bob

[lovegrov]

Hi all! I was newly diagnosed almost 2months ago. Things have been going well, but I have a few questions that I would be grateful if anyone could help me with

-How long does it take to feel symptoms after being contaminated? I am trying to keep a food diary and symptoms log and it seems like it takes a little while ( sometimes days) to have symptoms... is that possible? Or am I getting contaminated in places that aren't obvious?

Depends completely on the person. There's no one answer.

- Also, are packaged foods really ok to eat? I had been eating Nutthins, without reading the back and I assumed that because they said Gluten and Wheat free I could eat them, but on the back it said processed in a facility that also processes wheat, so I had to throw them out... I haven't ever had a problem with them before, but I guess it only takes one contaminated box...

Thanks soooo much for your help!!!

Many of us eat Nut Thins. There is wheat in the facility where they are produced but not on the lines where they are produced. I trust them. As for packaged foods in general, again, there's no one blanket answer. Some foods are inherently safer than others. However, it's safe to say that only a VERY tiny percentage of people with celiac have completely given up packaged or processed foods all together.

[txplowgirl]

It all depends on what I have eaten. Soy, I get intense itching right between my shoulder blades within a few minutes afterwards. Dairy will hit me a few hours later and last for a couple of days from like i'm getting a sinus infection turning into depression and fatigue . Gluten will hit me with the big D anywhere from 2 hours to the next day. So you never know from one day to the next. Nightshades, i'll wake up the next morning with painful and swollen joints. Fatigue lasting all day. At least in my case any way.

I love nutthins. My problem is I am super sensitive. I can eat maybe 2 or 3 boxes then the next one will get me. I have come to realize that I can't eat any of the gluten free processed foods without getting a reaction except Pamela's baking mixes so far. Big Bummer.

[Moocheck]

Thank you! I have been progressing pretty steadily unless I get contaminated.... It's just hard to figure out where sometimes Thanks for your encouragement!

[Moocheck]

hmmm... I guess it just takes a while to figure out what you react to Thanks for your help!

[StacyA]

I've only been gluten-free a few months as well. On Christmas I had my first full-fledged glutening - at least as far as I know based on the symptoms - and the symptoms started showing up about 2 hours after the meal (bloating, then pain, then gas) and worsened to a peak of more intense discomfort 4 hours after the meal. The next day I was very tired. There supposedly wasn't any gluten in what I ate, according to my mother - and she's learning to read labels - so I'm thinking it was a whopper of a cc issue.

A few days before that I had just started a food diary because I was suspecting some processed foods were causing very mild symptoms of back pain and irritability as much as a day later. It's hard to pinpoint in those situations, which is why I'm hoping the diary helps.