Sick Versus Gluten

[Googles]

I am feeling awful. I am having aches and pains in my joints and muscles. I am feeling tired. My back which I injured about six years ago is inflamed (to the point that any movement sends shooting pain). But I'm not having much (though there is some) GI issues. I don't have a fever, but I have had a sore throat and have a headache (which might be allergies). I can't tell if this is a gluten reactions (which I have no idea where this would have gotten in) or if I'm sick. How does one tell the difference? I took some dayquil, but it didn't help at all. How do I tell the difference? Has anyone had previous injuries become problems again when they are glutened?

Thanks.

[Lisa]

I am feeling awful. I am having aches and pains in my joints and muscles. I am feeling tired. My back which I injured about six years ago is inflamed (to the point that any movement sends shooting pain). But I'm not having much (though there is some) GI issues. I don't have a fever, but I have had a sore throat and have a headache (which might be allergies). I can't tell if this is a gluten reactions (which I have no idea where this would have gotten in) or if I'm sick. How does one tell the difference? I took some dayquil, but it didn't help at all. How do I tell the difference? Has anyone had previous injuries become problems again when they are glutened?

Thanks.

I guess you don't. You do your best to be gluten free, but that does not save you from the "disease of the day" as my Primary Doctor refers....the crud around the office or the crazy pollen that is making everyone miserable, the flu.

Sometimes we concentrate on the gluten issues, but seem to forget about the daily ills we used to come into contact with. There still out there, too!

As old age continues, I find that the weather is not always my friend. I can feel the weather change long before the weather man tells me so.

Hope you can make a quick recovery Googles.

[UKGail]

Ah! I could have written your post. I too woke up this morning feeling sore and achy and with a muggy head, having also slept through my alarm, which is not normal. My suspicion is with minor gluten contamination of some parma ham I had for lunch yesterday. As soon I ate it (with some safe gluten-free bread and safe gluten-free margarine) my head started to swim, I lost focus, I became sleepy, and shortly afterwards had a mild digestive reaction. I suspect that this is the after-reaction to that food, and it is typical for me of a minor gluten reaction. Or maybe it was the office knife and plate I used? I did wash them before I used them. However, on looking at I also ate yesterday evening, I can't be completely sure that this was the cause of today's problems as I also had a big portion of potato (which I don't eat often and had thought was safe for me) and also had a gluten-free jam tart which had almond flour in it. This was a moment of weakness as I suspect I react to nuts, and I did feel worse after eating it. But would a nut problem cause muscle aches the next day? I don't know. It is very frustrating, and I am cross with myself for experimenting with too many things in one day.

To answer your question, I also have old injuries which play up when I am glutened. I had major trouble recovering from soft tissue injuries caused by a car accident because of ongoing inflammation. It was only resolved by a specialist rehab and a starting (temporarily) a gluten free diet. I also had adhesive capsulitis/bursitis/tendonitis in both shoulders. This resolved on a strict gluten free diet. When I am glutened it comes back in all the old places, plus a migraine, for a few days, plus other symptoms depending (I think) on the dose received. The fatigue that goes with it can last a lot longer.

You said you get a sore throat. I don't get this, but I do get very thirsty when my body starts playing up.

I am hoping that I don't pay for my misadventures yesterday for too long.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[Googles]

Thanks both of you.

So I have decided it is a gluten reaction with a few other possible things on top (including sinus infections), the typical gi symptoms started today. I had been mostly pain free for five years on the back injury, so it really sucks having the pain back and not being able to move without pain. I hope that I don't have to go back to physical therapy as I don't know how I would pay for it right now. Maybe I have some of the stuff they gave me last time. With this pain I can't lift anything heavy (ie over the weight of a gallon of milk, and I have to be very careful with that). Last time I reached the point where i couldn't sit for more than 15 minutes at a time. I can't end up at that point now. Ugh. I wish my symptoms would stay the same as they were when I first went gluten free, they seem to change so much from glutening to glutening.