2wheels4eyes

Thanks, all, for the tips and sympathy. I'm lucky to now be studying at U of Chicago, which has one the nation's only celiac centers. The wait list is several months long, but I'll report whatever I find out about mitigating the most, ahem, violent, of gluten symptoms when I do get to talk to them.

Re: the injera. This was a restaurant on the northside that's known among local celiacs to be good about making totally teff-based injera if requested a day ahead of time. Which I did; I had called ahead, given them a Triumph dining card, talked to them again about it when I got to the restaurant, etc. But, clearly, there was gluten in something. The injera looked okay (teff-only injera is typically darker, almost blue-purple in colour.)

I don't think it takes much gluten for me to get really sick. The last time it happened was a going away party where I ate a couple of spoonfuls of lime sherbet that turned out to be key lime pie ice cream. One chunk of graham cracker was enough to create hours of vomit misery. But then this summer at a BBQ, I accidentally ate a couple of bites of rice salad that turned out to be orzo and I felt really really sick but didn't vomit. Sooo.... I've got no idea. I wonder if it matters what "form" the food is in, i.e., is wheat flour worse than semolina? Or maybe it's whatever else I happen to have eaten that day with it? Or...?

The scientist in me would like to do a controlled experiment on this but I'm not volunteering me or anyone I know for the role of guinea pig!

Hi all,

2 years since diagnosis and life is pretty fantastic, except for two or three times a year when I have an accidental run-in with gluten. Last night was the night and after dinner (Ethiopian--yes, got teff-only injera, spoke to the owner/manager, the cooks, gave them my Triumph Dining card, my gluten radar was quiet, everything seemed a-ok...) a friend and I headed to a concert.

By song two of the opening act, I was violently vomiting--for about an hour and a half. I felt sorry for myself, I was terribly embarrassed (the women's washroom was small and crowded, etc.) So no fun at all, but what struck me was that when my friend went to get a staff member (more paper towels, more water, a new garbage bag, etc.) the staff member herself had celiac. And she said, "Uhh... I get sick, but I never get sick like that..."

And later, when it seemed I would never stop vomiting, she said she wanted to call an ambulance. I kept saying, no, no, as soon as I can make it through your lobby and out the door, I'm going home (and I did make it through the lobby, but then kept vomiting on the sidewalk, so couldn't even have my friend drive me home for a bit yet). At which point, the cramping was so bad, had I had any energy left to cry, I surely would have.

And this happens, oh, 2-3 times a year, and it's for sure gluten, not food poisoning, etc. I figured everyone went through this, but is that not the case?

How many of you are vomiting that violent, prolonged, projectile vomit as adults (I know it's more common in kids?)

Is it typically with gluten in certain forms, or in certain kinds of foods or certain combinations? (I accidentally ate two forkfuls of orzo salad this summer and felt very badly, but didn't throw up at all after, so what's going on?)

And what do you do when it happens?

I take an anti-cramping med after, but no point in taking it earlier if I can't keep it down... Is there any such thing as a sublingual (under-the-tongue) anti-nausea or anti-cramping med? Or is there anything else that works for you?

Thanks all for your help and insight!