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Reactions Are Changing

conniebky

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conniebky Collaborator
conniebky
Posted

Is it normal for your reactions to gluten to change when first going gluten-free?

It's like my dizziness is lessening but my stomach issues are worse and I get more fatigued. Like, now, it's 6 at night and I'm getting ready to turn in. Have a bit of a headache too.

Two other things that I hadn't picked up on is the heartburn. I've been on Nexium and rolaids, etc., for years. I haven't had any heartburn since going gluten-free until today when I ate that dry mustard. Also, my throat got so dry and it was weird, because it used to feel like that all the time but I had forgotten. I am completely addicted to ice water with this special ice I get, so it's not that. I drink water all day long.

I looked at the Colemans Dry Mustard ingredients. The only ingredient was "mustard flour" that struck me funny for some reason.

I was just watching the United States of Tara on Showtime and they were talking about gluten free diets.

Anyway, has anyone had different, varying reactions after first going gluten-free?

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Yes. It is not uncommon for our reactions to gluten to seem to become more severe after accidental injestion when we become gluten free. Your body is starting to get some relief from the antibodies and when we get glutened after being gluten free it kind of goes 'Whoa, what are you doing' and gives us more incentive to keep away from it.

I went from 'just' having daily and nightly painful D to actually bleeding with CC. I now only get D about 3 days after injestion and it is severe and painful but is over after about 3 or 4 hours but the bleeding lasts for about 3 days. It also seems my migraines and joint pain are more severe but I think that is just because I have gotten used to not having that pain anymore and when it comes again I no longer have all the powerful doping script meds in my system to fight them. My reactions definately keep me from any thought of cheating, one good thing at least.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

My reactions have changed also. At the beginning, I actually got sicker from cross contamination than I was before I went gluten-free. I would get nausea and diarrhea that would go on for days along with anxiety, and brain fog. It would be two to three weeks before I was nearly normal again.

After 5 years, I get migraines, some peripheral neuropathy, brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, and some diarhea but not as bad or for nearly as long.

It's not unusual at all for our reactions to change as time goes on.

Salax Contributor
Salax
Posted

Mine seem too have changed as well. I wonder if you can be a symptomatic celiac and then become asymptomatic after going gluten free? Anyone experience this? My reason for asking is before I was gluten-free I had the general stomach symptoms and then after gluten free I unknowingly twice in a matter of 2 weeks ate something with gluten and had not a single reaction whatsoever. :blink: Weird to me. Anyone else experience that?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Mine seem too have changed as well. I wonder if you can be a symptomatic celiac and then become asymptomatic after going gluten free? Anyone experience this? My reason for asking is before I was gluten-free I had the general stomach symptoms and then after gluten free I unknowingly twice in a matter of 2 weeks ate something with gluten and had not a single reaction whatsoever. :blink: Weird to me. Anyone else experience that?

Yes you can become asymptomatic. That is why doctors used to think that children would outgrow celaic. In children or teenagers this is more common I think than in older folks. Doctors call it a honeymoon period when a person seems to be able to go back to eating gluten after being gluten free for a while. It can take some time for the antibody reaction to build up enough for them to be symptomatic. Damage is however still being done and at times the antibodies may attack a different system before the GI distress returns.

haleym Contributor
haleym
Posted

Yes, now I seem to get more of a total body reaction- tired, stabbing-like stomach pain, crabby, thirsty and constipation. And it starts as long as 2 days from the time I accidentaly eat gluten. I used to only get really bad bloating and pains before I stopped eating gluten. Those are still there, but with added symptoms now. Glad Im not the only one!

Salax Contributor
Salax
Posted

Yes you can become asymptomatic. That is why doctors used to think that children would outgrow celaic. In children or teenagers this is more common I think than in older folks. Doctors call it a honeymoon period when a person seems to be able to go back to eating gluten after being gluten free for a while. It can take some time for the antibody reaction to build up enough for them to be symptomatic. Damage is however still being done and at times the antibodies may attack a different system before the GI distress returns.

Thanks for the info. Just was kind of weird when I found out I ate some mistakingly because I was told it was gluten-free and then I found out there was flour in it. :ph34r:

So with something like this as I continue to be gluten-free and the years go by does the symptoms ever return if acidently glutened? Or is that depending from person to person? Your knowledge is greatly appreciated. TY! :)

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Thanks for the info. Just was kind of weird when I found out I ate some mistakingly because I was told it was gluten-free and then I found out there was flour in it. :ph34r:

So with something like this as I continue to be gluten-free and the years go by does the symptoms ever return if acidently glutened? Or is that depending from person to person? Your knowledge is greatly appreciated. TY! :)

That I really don't know. I think it would depend on the person since so many times our reactions differ so widely. In addition sometimes we have symptoms that we don't realize are due to gluten, depression and elevated liver enzymes being an example.

Salax Contributor
Salax
Posted

That I really don't know. I think it would depend on the person since so many times our reactions differ so widely. In addition sometimes we have symptoms that we don't realize are due to gluten, depression and elevated liver enzymes being an example.

Interesting. I guess time will tell. ;)

Sarah1122 Newbie
Sarah1122
Posted

This is my first time posting on any site, but after reading this, I had to! I am having similar issues!

I was diagnosed 3 months ago (though, like everyone else, I had symptoms for years!) After about a month I started to have great results and felt so much better every day that passed - the constant nausea went away, headaches and foggy feeling subsided, GI issues were getting better every day and I finally had energy!!

In the past, my gluten reaction was mostly all gut - bloating, gas, cramping, the works. But I think I was contaminated at brunch on Sunday but I am having a totally different reaction so it is confusing - this time, I have the foggy, dull, tired, and overall disinterested feeling - and the nausea has returned full force. (these were all symptoms before I was diagnosed, but they have been gone for 2 months). I am miserable again - and very unproductive at my job so far this week.

It has been more than 48 hrs since I ate a questionable meal - when will I feel better?? It is so frustrating to feel like this again when I was finally starting to feel better! Will the reactions always be so intense and different? How much long-term damage does an occasional contamination cause?

Thank you all for letting me know I am not alone!

Sarah1122 Newbie
Sarah1122
Posted

Thank you bobbijo! I agree that couple of attacks I have had seem to be worse the longer I am gluten free (going on 4 months) Our bodies do not react kindly to contamination! My Mom and sister both have celiac, and they have told me the same thing.

Now it is 5 days after I was glutened and thankfully, the fog is starting to lift! I am feeling human again! AAhhh...

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