How do you react to gluten?

[sny1024]

I was diagnosed with Celiac in Dec 07 and am still trying to figure all this out. It seems to me when I eat something containing gluten I get a pain in my right side. Initially my Dr thought gall bladder but all tests proved otherwise. I had the endoscopy that apparently revealed celiac disease. Does anyone else/everyone else get a side pain when "glutenized?" How about a side pain, same as a gluten reaction from stress and anxiety? Finally what are some ways to manage the pain? I have been taking Tylenol. A friend told me that Advil (Ibuprofen) could make things worse. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[CalGal]

If my husband gets 'hit,' he ends up horribly fatigued, moody, constipated and generally miserable. I believe the reaction can be viariable with some having pain, diarrhea, gas, bloating etc. Our biggest savior has been to be very, very careful to make sure he doesn't accidently get exposed to it. Checking before putting things in his mouth has gone goes from being annoying to becoming a way of life. We also tend to bring a small cooler with us when we're out in case he feels like he wants to snack on something. That way we avoid the problems.

[PrincessKatie]

20 minutes or so after ingesting even a crumb of gluten, I run to the bathroom with severe watery diarrhea. This continues throughout the day/night with more watery diarrhea, fatty diarrhea, nausea and insane amounts of gas and bloating. I get pain immediately from the violent urge and gas. Gas can be very painful and anywhere in your GI. My pain is all over my abdomen. I treat this by being super careful about gluten, especially hidden gluten everywhere I look. I've cheated now and again, but regretted it more and more each time. Advil and Aspirin can thin your blood and cause problems for people with GI issues. I'd agree to stay away from it unless a doctor suggests it. I take Tylenol #4 with Codeine, but I only get away with that because I live with Crohn's pain frequently. Most doctors won't give you Tylenol 3 or 4 just for Celiac since you can control the pain by being careful about what you eat.

Stress and anxiety can cause pain anywhere in anyone. Are you asking if you're thinking it's a reaction to gluten and it isn't? There is only really one way to check that at this point and that is to be super careful about being GF. Since you have just recently gone GF, it will take a while for your intestines to heal. Eventually these symptoms should go away if you are truly following a GF diet and they are due to damaged vili. At that point, you can start to consider stress and anxiety as a factor.

Finally, your body and mind are all connected. You are having to dramatically change your lifestyle and it is no fun. I was stressed and anxious about it at first and had trouble being completely GF. It has taken me time and patience to learn what foods really are okay and what foods aren't. I'd recommend reading The Gluten-free Bible by Jax Peters Lowell.