I Got Glutened! Now What?

I Got Glutened! Now What?

Sigh.... we've all done it. Every gluten free girl and guy out there has successfully gotten 'glutened'. You try so hard - read every label, ask 100 questions, check and double check - but sometimes, it sneaks in and you definitely don't see it coming. Now it's a few moments or few hours later and you feel like a truck hit you. As I write this post, I am recovering from a mild gluten exposure. I say mild because I'm doing half-way decent at the moment but if you had talked to me at 2am during the night, I thought I was dying! I spent hours pacing my apartment, praying for the pain to pass. Today I was exhausted and had headaches but I was able to perk up faster than ever before! That's right - there is good news! You can help yourself recover and get back to feeling fab faster than you thought possible! 

Now, I am not talking to my Celiacs out there. You are a unique group and know what you need to do to recover from your illness when it flares. While you may find this post interesting and helpful in ways, it's not geared towards you. But my gluten intolerant folks out there - this IS for you!

When you suffer from gluten poisoning, there are a variety of symptoms that may occur. Some feel them nearly immediately. Nausea and vomiting are the symptoms can present the quickest. Abdominal pain, bloating and gas, diarrhea, headaches, brain fog, body aches, and extreme fatigue are the most common symptoms that follow. These can develop over a few hours to a few days. Really the symptoms of being 'glutened' vary from one person to another.

One of the most obvious symptoms is the bloating that some of us get. I had never seen anything like this til I experienced it myself. The longer I stay off gluten, the faster this reaction tends to happen. It used to take a solid 12 hours but now I can begin to see the changes within a few hours of being 'glutened'.

The progression of my bloating after being 'glutened' March of 2014

There you have it. I'm not looking so hot! The first picture is the most impressive so here's that one by itself:

Honestly makes me sick looking at these pictures! Not to mention I am really not feeling well so try to look away from how terrible I look! Please know I am sharing what were some of my worst days with you so you can understand the intensity of what being 'glutened' can feel like. One of the things to note is not only is there obvious abdominal swelling but if you compare it to the final picture, there is swelling of the arms, chin, and face visible as well. This really affects the entire body! I can't tell you what it was like trying to squeeze my suddenly pregnant-feeling belly into a tight scrub top the next day!

And while bloating is the most obvious, the silent symptoms are the worst. The headaches are unbelievable. The abdominal cramping will stop you in your tracks. The nausea and indigestion are enough to make you swear off food all together. Now for the lovely side of things - the changes in bowel movements just plain sucks. Some deal with diarrhea, some with constipation, some a mix of the two. There's always lovely gas and as your intestines are so beyond inflamed, there can be mucous as well. See, didn't I tell you it was lovely? Trust me - I don't want to talk about this but I feel like I need to share what can happen so that if it's happening to you or a loved one, you can really get it. This is no joke people. It's utter misery! 

Now for the good news! You CAN help yourself recover from these gluten poisonings! Today I'm going to highlight the top ways to get yourself back on track ASAP!

1. If at all possible, identify what food was your source. If there are left-overs, throw them away! Make a note so you can avoid this in the future! You may be able to handle the corn tortilla chips at one restaurant but not another - it can be that simple! 
2. Drink water! Water, water, and more water is your friend. You need to flush your body of the toxin as quickly and efficiently as possible.
3. Avoid caffeinated and carbonated beverages. This is the last thing your gut needs right now! Bubbles will only make the intestines feel worse and caffeine can make diarrhea and nausea worse so just stay away!
4. Make some tea! Ginger, peppermint, and chamomile herbal teas are known for their properties to help ease stomach and intestinal discomfort. Since these are decaf and non-sugared, they also count towards your daily water intake, so drink up!
5. Get probiotics on board! If you are already on a high quality probiotic, good for you! Whatever dose you are taking, I typically recommend doubling it during the time your body is suffering from the gluten. If you are not taking a probiotic, please invest in a high quality one ASAP. (I will address more on probiotics in a future post).
6. Keep your foods simple. You need lots of protein to heal and recover but stay away from complex foods, grease, very fatty, spicy, and super salty foods. Stick to whole food goodness. Boil your vegetables so they are easier to digest. Eat multiple small meals throughout the day.
7. Rest! If at all possible, nap and rest. Your body is going through a lot of inflammation and it desperately needs all the energy possible to maintain its recovery efforts. A light walk is fine to help move things along but don't stress yourself. Listen to your body and when you're tired - give in!
8. Use alternative methods to help heal yourself. I am so lucky and blessed to have essential oils in my life. A combination of ginger, peppermint, fennel, orange, lavender, and basil will help you feel better fast. Simply inhaling the oils can help ease symptoms. If you're interested in essential oils, contact me.
9. Take ibuprofen when you need it. While I am the first to tell you to stick with alternate methods of healing first before reaching for a medicine bottle, there is some solid evidence that getting ibuprofen on board early in the recovery process from gluten is very helpful. I recommend taking it every 6-8 hours to help with aches (both body and head) and also decreasing the inflammation in the gut.  
10. Honor yourself. Keep tabs on how you feel. Sometimes it will change hour by hour. Treat yourself kindly. Use a heating pad, take a warm bath, enjoy a good book, and just take care of yourself. If you let go and just let your body heal, you will likely recover much quicker!

From one gluten free girl to all my other gluten free girls and guys - I wish you luck in never being 'glutened' but I also hope this has armed you with some new ideas to help you recover if it ever does happen!
If you have any tried and true recovery ideas, please post them in the comments below!