Having A Gluten Reaction

[frogsong]

Hi all,

I am new to this board but I am in need of some support!

About 3 weeks ago I vacationed in Vancouver BC and thought I was doing well at staying away from gluten. Yet some how it must have snuck in... I have been sick ever since.

I have been really good at staying away from gluten since I was diagnosed about a year ago. The last 4 months have been really good. I have actually been feeling better than I have for a very long time. And now this. I am still not sure what symptoms I can "blame" on celiacs and if maybe I am dealing with something else so I was hoping you all could share your experiences with me.

So it has been over 3 weeks and my symptoms seem to be getting worse instead of better. I was on a retreat this past weekend in which I could not leave my cabin due to fear of being too far from the toilet. I have had not apetite for the past 3 days. Some days I'll eat a bannana, or some days I will have a little more.

It seems to get worse instead of better. I ended up taking imodium AD so I could stand the 7 hour car ride home. Next week I am supposed to leave for a vacation of a lifetime to Mexico and I am afraid I will be nothing but sick the entire time.

Do you have any advice? Words of wisdom? Tricks that help ease the symptoms?

Do you find that your symptoms are worse if you have been with out gluten for a very long time?

I appreciate your listening and support!

[lovegrov]

Of course I can't tell you for sure what's going on, but I can tell you that feeling bad for three weeks and symptoms getting worse after what might have been no more than contamination is HIGHLY unusual. Most people wouldn't react to a small exposure for more than a couple of days (yes, I know there are exceptions -- I've had people tell me they react for a month). My guess would be that you're either still accidentally ingesting gluten somehow, or, more likely, something else is going on. I would see my doctor.

If you're not taking a probiotic, you should try it.

richard

[andyc]

help - I have been gluten-free for over 1 year and I haven't had any problems. last week I bought the calcium vit I always buy and I started to have stomach distress. Now I have dh rash all over and it is way itchy. I went to the doctor and he took 2 biopsies. He just wanted to confirm it was dh. I know that it is - it looks just like the pictures on the web. I will be even more careful now. Before I always thought that if I accidentally got some gluten it wouldn't be a problem. But I guess since I have been careful in the past I am now getting bad reactions.

[SadiesMomma]

Richard,

What is a "probiotic"?

[lovegrov]

A probiotic promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in your gut. These then help with digestion. Dr. Cynthia Rudert of Atlanta says she recommneds probiotics for ALL new celiac patients. The one she named is Culturelle but I'm sure the folks at a natural foods store can help with others.

richard

[SadiesMomma]

Thank You!

I am a little clueless on medications and vitamins and what not that we are able to take... Its nice to have a little input.