Diarrhea, Pain, Nausea - Glutened?

[NHyogagirl]

Hello,

Gave my 12 year old daughter ceviche yesterday. She has been 100% gluten-free since intestinal surgery on 1/1/12. Last night pain started in her belly, then nausea, then diarrhea from 3:00 on to 10:00 this morning. She is home from school "sick" again.

I know there is a lot on this forum about being "glutened" - so I called the restaurant and asked. (never thought ceviche would have gluten!) - anyway, they said there is gluten in the seasoning they used.

My question is could that small amount of gluten give her all these symptoms? I'm still trying to learn what works best for her, poor thing. She said "mom, all I want is to feel well".

Also she was in school all day yesterday with gas pains (before eating the ceviche). This was due I believe to eating Baby Bell cheese.

Thanks for any input.

From,

A confused, guilty, and overwhelmed mother

[biancanera]

Depending on how sensitive she is, even just a bit of seasoning can definitely bring it back. I've been gluten free about a month now and the longer I'm off it the more sensitive I am. Even my lotion with oat oil gave me hives this week, and I found I can't even use the microwave at work anymore without feeling stomach pain for a few hours after. I guess the tiny specks in the heated nuked air is enough to make me really sick too. Which really stinks because then I have to make the choice to have stomach pain OR eat cold food all eight hours of the day.

[GF Doctor]

Hi,

You are doing the best you can to keep your daughter from harm.

But the details of following a gluten free diet are something that can take time to learn.

Yes, just a bit of gluten in a seasoning is enough to set off the reaction you have seen.

Yes, you have to be that diligent in asking questions in a restaurant, the "typical" recipe for a classic dish can be morphed by the creativity of a chef.

I'm so sorry she is feeling so awful. Keep lots of fluids going for her with a bit of electrolytes to replace the fluid loss from the diarrhea.

Dr. Jean Layton

[NHyogagirl]

Wow, that is too bad about the microwave! Can you cover the food before you nuke it? I usually cover with a paper towel.

Thank you for the info on sensitivity.

[sa1937]

For most of us microwaves are not a problem as long as we cover our food. I always do that at home, too, as certain things can create quite a mess (think explosion).