“I understand that there is no cure, but is there anything that will give relief for the pain [caused by ingesting gluten]?” I was recently challenged by an e-mail asking this question.
I have no adequate answer to this important question. My personal policy is to be extremely careful at home and reasonably careful when I am away from home and therefore have less control over the situation. I think this is a good idea, but it means that when I am “glutened” I am in a situation where about all I can do is seek privacy and wait for the effects to wear off. After ten years living gluten free, I know that the discomfort is only temporary. That realization helps!
What are your thoughts on this important question? I’ll publish your ideas and/or forward them to the person who asked this important question. I won’t share names or personal information. Please leave a comment at the end of this article (if your computer allows you to do so) or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.
I am a celiac. I had a gluten allergic reaction where my throat swelled up and I was having trouble breathing. I grabbed a glass of high potency vitamin C drink (at least 10 grams of Vitamin C) and downed it before my throat had a chance to fully close. It really saved my life and my doctor told me that the Vitamin C was the best home antidote I could have used.
If one is having intestinal impact from having ingested gluten, Dr. Schulze has several products which do help. He recently added a “bowel detox shot” which is herbs in a liquid form. It one downs the entire “shot” they will have immediate relief. There are also some other products on his website which also help clean out the intestine of any gluten residues.
I, too, would be interested in the responses to this question. I asked my doctor the same thing recently and he didn’t have any suggestions for me. He gave me a bottle of Gluten Ease, but from my understanding, that’s missing the point since that is supposed to be taken with a meal you know has gluten in it. I need help for the times I am unknowingly glutened afterwards. I don’t “cheat”; I avoid gluten at all costs. However, with having a shared kitchen, things happen! There are times where I could’ve come to work if it weren’t for the pain, and my boss gets really, really upset when I call in sick. If there were anything I could do to lessen the pain enough to come to work, I’d sure love to know about it!
Hi,
When I have ingested gluten and begin to feel the gastro effects, I take the following and it helps tremendously:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup very warm water
Heat the water, add honey and cider vinegar, stir until honey is disolved, and sip. Don’t drink it down, sip it.
The first sip may make your cheeks pucker (like when you eat a really good dill pickle), but after that it is actually good. I don’t mind the taste at all.
Good luck! I hope this helps others as it has me.
My daughter is an extremely sensitive Celiac and very careful of what and where she eats. She always carries a bottle of Gluten Ease with her and when she eats out she always takes one with the first bite of food and if it’s a restaurant she doesn’t trust 100%, she’ll take another one half way through the meal. It works for her. But this is just insurance, she never intentionally eats anything with gluten in it.
When the dreaded cross contamination does happen, she drinks an herbal tea made by steeping 1 teaspoon of white oak bark in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes (add a little honey and it really tastes good). This will eliminate the cramping and the diarrhea. Repeat every 30-60 minutes if necessary but don’t overdo it because it can clog you up.
White oak bark is not easy to find. I get all my herbs from MountainRoseHerbs.com. It’s worth looking for it and keeping it on hand.
So far, I’ve only used Gluten Ease and lots and lots and lots of water. If you read the label on the Gluten Ease, it says that you can take it after you realize that you’ve ingested gluten and are feeling effects. I have done it that way and it does help. I also take it when I feel less than confident about a meal at a restaurant. Of course, I assiduously avoid gluten at all costs, but stuff does happen.
Timing is everything!!! Yesterday I went to dinner and must have unintentionally ingested a gluten product. Unfortunately, I only realized it this morning when I experienced the bloating and severe pain that such a slip can cause. I did take Motrin to help alleviate the symtoms and it assisted somewhat. I am still in tremendous pain but will try the honey/vinegar/water mix when I get home. I’ll keep you posted!