Glutening - Same Day Or 4 Day Reactions?

[Marz]

Trying desperately to figure this out. I'm keeping a food diary, and it seems that I'm getting same or next day reactions to gluten. However when I started out on the gluten-free diet, my "food challenges" indicated more of a 4 or 5 day reaction.

For example, a few months ago:

Semolina breakfast, I'd feel fine on the day (no reaction, maybe a sore stomach), but get the big D reaction a few days later.

Now:

Chocolate mousse - all ingredients are "gluten-free", though it's not a guaranteed gluten-free product. It's by a company I usually trust, but I haven't had this before. I immediately got a sore stomach from it (classic sign for me something's not good). The next day (today), I'm suffering with massive d.

It seems that every single time I take a chance I pay big time. I'm so tired of making all my own meals, but so tired of getting sick every week.

Disclaimer - I'm only eating meals that should be safe, like plain steaks (but cooked at work on grills that have cooked hamburger patties/sausages containing gluten); stew from my parents house that should be fine (but again, cooked in their pots that have probably seen wheat before); stuff like chocolate mousse that list allergens like cow's milk, and don't list gluten, and don't have wheat etc, but are probably packaged in same factory that does gluten desserts.

I guess I just need someone to kick my butt and tell me to stop taking chances. I feel I'm 95% there with the diet, I just need to make that extra effort to feel 100% better.

[SGWhiskers]

Consider that Celiac has probably made you lactose intolerant at least for the first 6 months of the diet. The tips of the villi make the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose. These tips are the first to be damaged and the last to heal. Skip the milk for now and try reintroducing aftre 6 months with a little cheese or smaller bits of dairy.

With that said, shared grills are an issue for me. If Mom and Dad's pots are plain metal and not non-stick, they should be fine if they are well washed. Like you, I spent the first few months of being gluten-free in denial about the effects cross contamination would have on MY body. "Surely, the majority of Celiacs (including me)were not ridiculously sensitive to cross contamination" was my thinking. Well, that cost me 3 months of recovery time. When I got crazy strict was when I found a consistent healing pattern.

You can always spend 3 months being insanely strict and then see what happens when you share a grill or do something else a little careless. For now, just wrap that burger in foil or throw it on a clean pan. I bought myself a little cast iron steak pan for the grill that I LOVE.