Medications For Glutening?

[color-me-confused]

I have been doing pretty well recently: I'm finding hidden gluten sources in the home (OTC meds...replaced $$$$), we're training the kids to clean up their crumbs from the table, wash their hands after eating, greater care with the stove and dirty dishes, etc to avoid making the kitchen a minefield of cross contamination.

And then I made a trip to a local Longhorn Steakhouse...they have a good allergy policy, a gluten-free menu, etc., but their cook that night was new. I thought I might be in trouble when the waitress told me they had to re-make my salmon after he used the marinade on it right before it left the kitchen. Alas, I was right and had some stomach cramping and fatigue hit about 2 hours after dinner. I spent Sunday with a massive migraine and intense irritability, followed by a day of nausea and digestive malaise, and now today I'm left with more ab cramping. That salmon wasn't worth it

So here's what I'm wondering: I can handle the D, C, and S (that one's steatorrhea), the stomach cramping, and so on. The migraine and irritability/moodiness though are worse since it's hard not to inflict that on the people around me and the pain is unrelenting. I'd rather not rely on opiates (too sedating and potential for addiction) for pain control. Has anyone tried the triptan drugs (Sumatriptan, Imigran) for gluten induced migraine? As far as the moodiness/irritability issue I will talk to my doc about the herbal remedies like kava and valerian extract. The benzodiazepine drugs (xanax,ativa,klonopin) would knock out anxiety but I don't know about irritability. Actually, just controlling the migraine might do the trick there. Anyone have any experience here?

[Jenniferxgfx]

I take hydrocodone for chronic back and leg pain, but I don't find it helps any gut pain at all, although it does help the resulting headache I get after a bout of D. I also take Xanax for general anxiety and find it helps a lot for gluten-induced anxiety. I take these regularly and mindfully and haven't had trouble, but I know these are big steps in medication. Also, I hope the Xanax is gluten-free. :/

I hope this passes soon for you!

[YoloGx]

I have used Aleve for CC induced migraines. I find it really helps. I wouldn't just use it willy nilly of course. Just using baking soda in water really helps me too.

Blending fresh veggies with plenty of celery and parsley in it can be a powerful remedy.

Taking L-glutamine on an empty stomach also helps quite a lot by soothing and healing the villi. Add in some probiotics. And if you can handle it, eat some pineapple and/or papaya or take bromelain/papain capsules.

Again, if you can handle it, dandelion root is quite helpful since it helps you detox -- this helps the migraine downwind so to speak. Don't take it though if you are currently having D!

A good back, neck and foot massage can help as well as a hot bath with epsom salts. If no one is around to give you a massage, rolling around the living room on a tennis ball on the tender crunchy spots in the shoulders and next to the under arm area can help a lot. Similarly you can massage your own neck and feet.

Even a hot shower will provide some relief. I have sometimes put my hands and feet into bowls of hot water.

During my younger/braver/more foolish days I used to take a half teaspoon of very hot cayenne in water and drink it. I'd never consider it now since I now have salicylic acid sensitivity.

And yes likely I don't have to tell you, drink lots of water and sleep a lot. When you can handle it, go out for a walk.

Hope you feel better soon!

Bea

[color-me-confused]

Thanks ladies! I spoke with my doc today and he's got me on a dose of Ativan to combat anxiety as it occurs and also to dampen down the irritability if I'm glutened. Next I'll tackle the migraine pain...also working on getting more exercise and I plan on doing some bike commuting later this week.

I will look into the L-glutamine too. A search on that turned up a lot of discussions.

[color-me-confused]

For the migraine pain I've got an Rx for Relpax. Now the plan is to not need any of these be being 100% gluten free!!