Did I Get Glutened? Or Not? I'm Confused.

[BethM55]

Yesterday I was surprised by a lunch meeting at work. The boss brought in boxed salads made at a local market. I chose a chinese chicken salad, which included rice noodles. I didn't notice the teryaki chicken listed in the ingredients until after I ate. OOPS. (I'm usually fanatical about reading lables, was a little rattled about the surprise meeting.)

However, other than being tired today and a slightly unhappy tummy, I feel pretty much ok. I'm not highly sensitive, have been gluten free for about 2 and a half years, am self diagnosed gluten intolerant. Usually, the gluten flares up my fibromyalgia, with joint and muscle pain and fatigue, with some GI involvement, but not always.

Usually I'll react within 12 to 24 hours.

So. Did I just get lucky? Is it possible that sensitivity can decrease for a non-celiac, gluten sensitive person?

I'm confused.

[eatmeat4good]

Yes, you may have gotten lucky. I have read that sensitivity can drastically increase immediately after going gluten free, but then after years of being gluten free, the antibodies are not "right there on the ready" to make you extremely sick...and for this reason, some people used to believe that they had recovered from Celiac...when in fact there is no recovering from it but there are differing degrees of reactivity. If you have been strictly gluten free for 2 yrs...you may not react too badly..this time! But say, if you continued to eat it...you could expect bigger reactions as the antibodies build up. I know you said you are gluten intolerant...but this is the best explanation for what happened to you.

[BethM55]

Yes, you may have gotten lucky. I have read that sensitivity can drastically increase immediately after going gluten free, but then after years of being gluten free, the antibodies are not "right there on the ready" to make you extremely sick...and for this reason, some people used to believe that they had recovered from Celiac...when in fact there is no recovering from it but there are differing degrees of reactivity. If you have been strictly gluten free for 2 yrs...you may not react too badly..this time! But say, if you continued to eat it...you could expect bigger reactions as the antibodies build up. I know you said you are gluten intolerant...but this is the best explanation for what happened to you.

Thank you. I think I'm reacting a bit now, hoping it will continue to be mild. I'll not eat gluten knowingly, trust me! Nothing tastes good enough to go back to feeling like I did before I began the gluten free journey. There are too many wonderful gluten free things to eat! But accidents and CC happen, don't they.