Is This A Gluten Attack?

[Seeking]

About 2 weeks ago I ate bread at Carraba's --the whole thing!! I didn't have any symptoms that I was aware of but this week I have had terrible cramping in my lower intestines. No constipation or real D. Could this be a reaction from all these weeks ago? Or, if not,I guess it could be from a more recent contamination--but why would I have such a violent reaction to a mild exposure when I didn't seem to to the bread? I have been a little more vigilent recently because I guess I should take this more seriously--I have mostly been a-symptomatic. It's hard when you don't many sysmptoms although for the past 2-3 days I have not felt good--cramps, headache, general ache around head and neck, feeling of urgency to go to the WC but nothing happens.

Please give me your opinions and also more reasons to stick to this diet except for 50-100% higher rates of cancer of the stomach--although that is pretty scary.

thank you

[Skylark]

No, it's not a gluten reaction two weeks later. A lot of people do find they have stronger reactions to gluten after they've been on the diet for a while. Alternatively, you could simply have a virus. The head and neck ache sounds viral.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease you MUST stick to the diet. Cancer and refractory celiac are actually the least of your worries, although the cancer untreated celiacs sometimes get (called enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma) is aggressive and deadly. The big worries are osteoporosis from poor calcium absorption, anemia from poor iron absorption, nervous system damage from B12 and B6 deficiency or autoimmunity, hypothyroidism, and the development of other autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's syndrome, Hasimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. MOST celiacs who refuse to stick to the diet end up with osteoporosis and some degree of nerve damage.

Did I scare you away from the pizza for the sake of your bones? I hope so.

[rosetapper23]

Listen to Skylark--lots of good advice there! When it comes to celiac disease, she's correct in that the cancer (though deadly) is rare, but continuing to eat gluten puts the quality of your life at stake in many ways. If you should sustain neurological disabilities, these oftentimes are not reversible, and then you must live with those disabilities forever. Do you want to grow old without pain? If you continue to eat gluten, you can expect arthritis, osteoporosis, and pain in your tendons and muscles--any and all of these conditions are common in people with celiac. I accidentally ingested gluten nearly 20 months ago, and I'm still paying for that mistake. The nutritional deficiencies that occurred as a result of that single glutening caused my tendons to become floppy. As a result, five weeks after the incident, both of my feet fractured for apparently no reason at all. Even though I finally figured out what had happened (eight months later--and with no help from my doctor and orthopedist) and took supplements to restore my tendons' health, my right foot never completely recovered and is shaped wrong. As a result, I will have this painful disability probably for the rest of my life. Almost everyone on this forum has similar stories to share. You're lucky--you know that you have celiac and have a wonderful opportunity to ensure that you live a healthful lifestyle so that you'll grow old in good health. Don't waste your good health!

Also, you may be experiencing sensitivities to other foods. Many celiacs cannot eat dairy or soy. Others have problems with the nightshade family or gluten-free oats. You might try eliminating these foods and then adding them back later to see if they make you feel ill.