Immediate Reaction?

[samuella]

Is it possible to have an immediate reaction to gluten as a celiac, not an allergy? As in, you are eating something and feeling it right then?

Tonight I was at a friend's house and she had bought gluten-free cookies for me - very sweet of her. The package said gluten-free, the ingredients looked fine, but I didn't recognise the brand. It was an unopened box. But as I was eating it I started feeling really, really weird - a bit faint, my face felt heavy, my head felt foggy. It went away after a few minutes. I'm now (about four hours later) having some digestive disturbances, but that could be a coincidence. I've never been glutened so I don't know how I react.

Could I have been glutened? Or was it just a weird fluke?

Thanks!

[beebs]

I have read that it is not possible for you to feel it immediately because it takes a little for the immune response, the paed GI also said the same thing the other day, but I also know from this site that there are lots that don't match up with what the medical community say and believe. So maybe they are wrong on this too? I personally have reactions start around 2-3 hours after eating.

[T.H.]

It's possible to have a fairly quick reaction, yeah. However, if this is a new reaction for you, I would write down what the ingredients you were eating and pay attention for the future, just in case it's a new allergy. A couple of my allergies (which I didn't know about until after going gluten-free) make me react similar to what you describe. These also tend to cause internal inflammation and gastro disturbances in many people.

For myself, I reacting to gluten within 20 minutes, and if it's bad, it happens in 1-2 minutes after eating. However, I believe that my own early reaction is gluten ataxia. I know of a little girl who reacts within minutes as well, although here reactions are gastro related. It just all comes back up or goes through her as soon as it hits her tummy.

[kwylee]

I react with the wierd lightheaded feeling within 5 to 10 minutes of ingesting gluten, dairy or soy. It subsides within 30 minutes to an hour. All neuro, I've not had much intestinal disturbance, perhaps because I always test new foods by eating a few bites and waiting. Or perhaps because gluten doesn't affect me that way.

[bigbird16]

I get a pretty quick reaction -- under 10 minutes, starting with a hazy feeling and ataxia and moving on to other fun stuff.

[samuella]

Thanks everyone. I feel fine today and I looked up the brand of the cookies and they seem to be well regarded, so I think it was probably just a fluke. It sounds like quick reactions can happen but not *so* quick I'd feel it while eating it, and the dodgy guts a few hours later was probably just a coincidence. It's so easy to see celiac/gluten in everything that happens!

[lovesaceliac]

My husband can usually tell within minutes of eating the offending food (always cross contamination only, he never intentionally eats gluten and we are very careful.) His first symptom is "brain fog" which goes away after a while. His worst symptoms appear the next day: severe joint pain, extreme fatigue (usally spends an entire day asleep in bed), followed by crushing depression/anger. Not real fun to live through or live with.

[lemontree1]

Is it possible to have an immediate reaction to gluten as a celiac, not an allergy? As in, you are eating something and feeling it right then?

Tonight I was at a friend's house and she had bought gluten-free cookies for me - very sweet of her. The package said gluten-free, the ingredients looked fine, but I didn't recognise the brand. It was an unopened box. But as I was eating it I started feeling really, really weird - a bit faint, my face felt heavy, my head felt foggy. It went away after a few minutes. I'm now (about four hours later) having some digestive disturbances, but that could be a coincidence. I've never been glutened so I don't know how I react.

Could I have been glutened? Or was it just a weird fluke?

Thanks!

There has been a time or two that I felt exactly like this while eating something.

[Korwyn]

I have reactions while I'm in the middle of eating something. The first time this happened I was about 1/3 of the way through a bowl of chili, and I noticed both my ankles and knees were aching and hurting. I didn't make the connection at that time, so I finished the bowl. By the time we were done with lunch I felt like I had the flu in all my joints and I could barely think my brain was so fogged.

[Leper Messiah]

Initial reaction with brain fog, feeling spacey etc. This lasts max 24 hours then brief respite for a day or so before the fatigue sets in and doesn't leave me for 2 weeks, almost exactly to the day.

[aeraen]

Within the hour for me, sometimes closer to 15 minutes. Mad dash to the bathroom.

My niece was diagnosed as an infant, and she throws up within 5 minutes. My SIL considered it an easy way to train babysitters who thought "One little cracker won't hurt."

[TB4me2000]

If it's gluten, I know in about 20 minutes. Something that just doesn't sit well in my sensitive, healing stomach/intestines usually takes a few hours for me to realize something's not quite right.