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!