Gluten Poisoning AKA Glutened

Brandon and I hosted a Memorial Day party. We were having a great time grilling out, playing corn hole, and relaxing with great friends!

I was all ready for my first GF party! Everything I made was complete with cute little GF labels from glutenfreelabels.com

 

Then a few hours into the party....... I wasn’t paying attention when I went to take a drink of my favorite gluten free beer, Omissions. I accidentally grabbed the wrong beer bottle sitting next to me and took one drink of it. As soon as it hit my mouth I knew it was the wrong beer but had already swallowed it. I immediately tried to spit out as much as I could then went into our house and brushed my teeth and gargled with mouthwash. (I'm not even sure if this would do anything?)

 

I was immediately upset; not only did I know I was going to get sick but I also know what happens to my body when I consume gluten. This was my first actual encounter with gluten since my diagnosis 6 months that was not cross contamination…  And boy did I get sick!

I immediately had belching then gas followed by diarrhea. This was the first time that I was severely fatigue, I stayed in bed till 2:00 p.m. I woke up feeling very dehydrated with dry chapped lips. In addition, I had joint pain, swelling and bloating. I felt like I was in a fog… Today (3 days after having the beer) I am having numbness and tingling in my fingers and also still feeling very tired.

 

Since being “glutened” I have been going to my local juice bar every morning.  I have been having an antioxidant blend of: collard greens, kale, bok choy, carrots, apples, and oranges. I am going to go every morning this week and see if that helps me feel better sooner.

I have also been trying a mixture of hot water, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper first thing in the morning. In the book I am reading, UnDiet, she states “lemon juice and cayenne in water first ting in the morning rehydrates the body, signals the digestive system to start working, rinses out the liver from a night of detoxing, healing, and repairing, and alkalinizes tissues to boost the immune system.”

Everyone with celiac disease experiences different symptoms once being glutened. Most people say their symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. There is not an easy fix; there is no pill to cover it up.  For those of us with celiac disease, we don’t have a choice; we must avoid gluten all the time…

Everyone experiences different symptoms...

Here is a list of the most common poisoning symptoms patients suffer from after consuming gluten. http://prettylittleceliac.com/

1.      Extreme fatigue

2.      Joint pain

3.      Swelling

4.      Bloating

5.      Clothes don’t fit

6.      Abdominal pain

7.      Extreme thirst

8.      Brain fog

9.      Gas

10.  Irritability

11.  Flu-like symptoms

12.  Skin rashes

13.  Nausea

14.  Heartburn

15.  Vomiting

16.  Intestinal cramping/severe urges

17.  Heart attack feeling

18.  Dizziness

19.  Anxiety

20.  Restlessness

21.  Ringing in ears

22.  Vertigo

23.  Heart palpitations/irregular heart beat

24.  Extremely emotional

25.  Joint pain in fingers similar to carpal tunnel

26.  Concentration problems

27.  Sweating/Cold Sweats

28.  Depression

29.  Gums ache

30.  Weight gain

31.  Eczema

32.  Pimples

33.  Aggrevates other symptoms from other diseases like arthritis or PCOS

34.  Mouth Sores including canker sores

35.  Puffiness in the face

36.  PMS symptoms

37.  Cravings for more gluten filled foods

38.  Dermatitis Herpetiformis outbreak

39.  Sinus pain and running nose

40.  Migraines

41.  Swollen ankles (edema)

42.  Shortness of breath

43.  Numbness in limbs, tingly sensations

44.  Acid Reflux

45.  Constipation

46.  Raging Anger and Severe Mood swings

47.  Swollen tongue

 This was my fault for not looking at my beer bottle. I am going to go and buy myself a hot pink beer bottle koozi so this never happens again! But I know that this is not going to be the last time I am going to get glutened. So now I am on a mission to find out what Celiacs do when they get poisoned to ease the pain…

 Gluten Posioning Relief Ideas from other sufferers- http://prettylittleceliac.com/ 

·         Lots of water – many, many people believe this helps with the symptoms

·         Extra Fiber – Eat your veggies and fruits

·         Rest – Give your body a day or so to just relax, take it easy

·         Hot Baths- Epsom salt is a perfect addition to a bath on any day when you feel muscle fatigue not just when you get glutened

·         Bone Broth from large joints – I’ve had a couple of people mention Mark’s Daily Apple for recipes and cooking tips on bone broth to assist with being glutened.

·         Glucosamine for anti-inflammatory – there are differing opinions about this. I’ve always been told that it needs to build up over time but others say it helps them within a few days.

·         Acupuncture – I’m a huge believer in acupuncture. I think it works wonders for numerous problems but specifically digestive health.

·         Yogurt with probiotics

·         Sleeping

·         Tylenol or Advil for arthritis usually helps for me

·         Ginger Tea – I’m not a big fan of ginger, it actually makes me gag but I’ve heard it helps significantly for nausea.

·         Gax-X helps for the bloating and gas (obviously)

·         Watermelon and cucumbers

·         Bananas

·         Nettle tea – anti-histamine

·         Just moving around a little like taking a walk

·         Magnesium and Cinnamon are great things to take to help get into your system

·         Coconut oil – it has many, many uses but coating the stomach is a great one

·         Dandelion Tea is great for reducing bloat and water retention

·         Do not take benadryl or other allergy medications. Remember celiac response to gluten is an auto-immune response and not an allergic reaction so taking those medications won’t do much but keep you sleepy. 

Personally, I have been resting, walking, increasing my fluids, juicing and trying the hot water with cayenne pepper in the morning. I did have to take some ibuprofen for my joint pain. I will definitely try other things listed above next time I am glutened…  

Next time I will also try not to get so upset and depressed. I know that this is going to happen from time to time and once it happens there is nothing I can do to reverse it. I just have to wait out the symptoms. Hoping to find something that helps me get over them faster!

Making Tracks For Celiacs

My husband, sister and I ran a 5k on Sunday, Making Tracks for Celiacs at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus. WOW was I surprised at the turn out-- there was over 900 runners!  

Making Tracks for Celiacs is an annual fundraising event, which is organized and managed by the Center for Celiac Research at Mass General. This is their 12th year and they have raised almost $2,000,000 to date. The funds raised are used to increase awareness and support research as well as national and local celiac projects.  

This was my very first Celiac Disease event. I was incredibly touched to see so many people supporting Celiac Disease. It was hard to see so many little kids with Celiac Disease but also great to see how involved their family and friends were. A lot of the runners had created teams with cleaver G-Free t-shirts such as: No Grain, No Pain! 

The runners in the front got a little off course so our 3.1 mile race ended up being closer to 4 miles but we were fine, finishing at 38 minutes!  It is definitely something I would love to do yearly and maybe create my own team next year; I was thinking Team Aunt Addie? (Aunt Addie is what my niece and nephews call me) 

After the race there was a gluten free vendor fair and we got to sample some great gluten free products! We tried everything from GF Oreos, pretzels, bagels, cookies, brownies, and even beer! It was nice to see a few local restaurants there supporting celiac disease by displaying their gluten free menu. Roy’s restaurant definitely caught my attention with their gluten free menu and samples of their chocolate lava cake brownie which was delicious! Now I will definitely have to have a date night there with Brandon! 

I was really excited to find samples of a product called GoPicnic; ready to go gluten free meals! They were giving away boxes of them and I was able to grab one of each meal. I think this would be perfect for the airport and traveling! I have not had a chance to try them yet but they had 5 different options from black bean dip to turkey sausage. Each "picnic" came with a complete meal including a dessert! Now let’s just hope that they actually taste good!  

I purchased gluten free labels, signs, and stickers to use in the kitchen! These will be great for labeling gluten free dips and side dishes at parties! I will give them a try this weekend at our Memorial Day party! I will post pictures after the party!

 

 

It was a great morning and it meant a lot to me to have my husband and sister there to support me and Celiac Disease research!

 

 

 

 

 

Surpise Gift

I came home from work yesterday and was suprised to find a package waiting for me on my front porch!  I opened the package, and saw the book my best friend, Kassandra had been telling me about...

Undiet: The Shiny, Happy, Vibrant, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based Way to Look Better, Feel Better, and Live Better Each and Every Day!

I was so excited to start reading the book! I opened the first page and came across a great quote written by the author that I wanted to share...

Now it is time for me to start reading my new book! Thank you so much Kassandra!

Out on the town AND gluten free

Today marks my 6 month anniversary of having Celiac Disease. I can’t believe it has been 6 months already. I have learned so much but I still feel like I have a lot to learn. I am definitely feeling soo better but my GI doctor said it takes approximately one year for 80% of your villi to rejuvenate so hopefully this is just the start of my healing process!

With Celiac Disease, dining out can be both stressful and scary. This is especially true after first being diagnosed.   However, if you take the right precautions you can enjoy eating out without endangering your health.  As more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease more restaurants are offering gluten free options, and they are doing a better job of teaching their staff about the special requirements of gluten free diners.

Regardless, it is still important to remember these rules when going out on the town…

1.       Do your work ahead of time

-          Call the restaurant on the day that you are planning to dine there and ask if they are able to accommodate a gluten free meal.  

2.       When you get to the restaurant ask to speak to a manager especially if your server doesn’t seem to understand what you are asking of them or if they are overwhelmed with all of their other tables.

3.       Use powerful Phrases

-           Use red flag terms like “Disease” and “Severe Allergy”

-          For example, while ordering say I have a severe allergy to gluten or I have Celiac Disease and can NOT consume any gluten.

4.       Order Plain!  *This is the most important rule when dining outside of your house!*

-           If you are not sure what is in the sauces, marinades, etc. just order your meal plain.

-          You can also bring your own seasonings!  Such as, your own soy sauce, favorite GF salad dressing, etc.

5.       Be very specific when ordering!

6.       Examine your plate carefully before taking your first bite.

-          I went to a restaurant shortly after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease and ordered from their gluten free menu and followed all of the rules I have listed above and still ended up getting gluten on my plate and getting terribly ill. I did not examine my plate! There was gluten filled processed rice hidden under my grilled piece of fish.  Needless to say I will never forget this rule again!

7.       Don’t shoot the messenger

-           If your meal comes out incorrect don’t lose your cool or get upset, just politely tell them again your special requests and have them prepare a whole new meal for you.

-          My advice to you would be to KEEP the plate at your table and say I am going to keep this plate here with me until you bring me my new correct dinner.

8.        Say NO to Buffets

-           Tongs travel, A LOT! A buffet is a huge risk for cross contamination and I would recommend avoiding them.

I sure do miss having a beer out at dinner with my husband, but have been trying out some new potato vodka mixed drinks and lots of wine! Bonefish in my hometown has Red Bridge and so does the bar, Half pints!

My favorite Gluten Free Restaurants to Date

1.       Legal Seafoods

-          They even have Gluten Free Dinner Rolls!

2.       Indian Restaurants are always a safe bet. But NO Naan     =(

3.       Bonefish Grill

4.       Red Robin, the gluten free hamburger bun is delicious!

5.       Chipotle. I order the Burrito bowl with no cheese and no lettuce. Make sure you have them change their gloves before they prepare your bowl.

6.       Outback Steakhouse- A Great GF menu just make sure your examine your plate before eating!

7.       PF Changs

8.       Wendys- If I am in a HUGE pinch for a quick lunch, I will go to Wendys and order their small chili.

9.       Chick Fil A- They actually have a separate deep fryer for their fries and their chicken so their French fries are gluten free!

10.   Seasons Pizza- They have a gluten free pizza crust IN a pan that they make separately so there is no cross contamination.

11.   Liberatore’s- A local Baltimore Italian Restaurant. They do not have a gluten free menu but they are very knowledgeable. I always order the grilled salmon and risotto. Delicious!

I have found some amazing 100% gluten free restaurants in the Baltimore area! I love eating there because you don’t have to worry about anything and the food is delicious!

1.       Meet 27/Sweet 27, Baltimore, MD

2.       One Dish Cuisine, Ellicott City, MD

I also love the app for my i-phone, find me gluten free. It is very helpful at steering you towards restaurants that have a gluten free menu!

Happy Monday!