<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
I am a self-diagnosed Celiac and have been scrupulous about following a
gluten-free diet for about the last 5 months.  I am also lactose intolerant,
and have known about that for about 15 years.  (My other Celiac symptoms are
the usual abdominal symptoms, plus about two years of peripheral
neuropathy--sensory nerves only, with no known cause after months and months
of tests. My first clue about possible CD was a marked worsening in the
neuropathy symptoms after an orgy of delicious, fresh-baked whole wheat bread
last November.  The neuropathy has been gradually improving since I began my
new diet.) This is my first message to this group, although I have read all
the messages with great interest since subscribing a few months ago.
 
I am writing to understand if my recent experience is typical, because it
seems to extreme.  I just finished a plane trip from Portland OR to Ann Arbor
MI and back.  On my return flight I picked away at a United Air Lines meal of
chicken, rice, steamed vegetables (no sauce), and salad (no dressing).  I
didn't eat the chicken because it had a little sauce on it, but I ate the
veggies, rice, and salad.  After maybe two small bites of the rice, I tasted
a small amount of some kind of sauce mixed in, so I stopped eating it
immediately. About an hour later I became nauseated, and knew something was
amiss. I proceeded to develop non-stop diarhhea for the past 40 miserable
hours. I trust it will end soon, but it seems endless.
 
Given my lactose intolerance, I am used to intestinal problems when I cheat,
although I am having trouble remembering anything this extreme.  I can
tolerate small amounts of lactose, so I doubt that I would ever get a
reaction this strong from the minute amount of lactose I might have consumed.
Since I am self-diagnosed gluten-intolerant, I have (of course) wondered if I
really have celiac disease. I have read messages from many of you about how
extremely intolerant of gluten one can become after being gluten-free for
some time. My question is:  would the sort of reaction I am in the midst of
be "typical" for someone with celiac disease? I realize that reactions vary,
but for those who usually react with diarrhea, is my extreme reaction
typical? If so, I don't want to ever be so careless again!
 
It also raises an interesting question about the advisability of going back
to gluten for the purpose of "testing" for CD. If this is what it's like, I
want no part of it!!  I especially cannot imagine returning to my old diet
for three months.  I don't think I'd survive.
 
Incidentally, for those who think I may have gotten food poisoning, I could
see no one else on the plane with a reaction anything like mine (and of
course we all ate the same meal), nor have I had any sort of fever, which I
believe usually accompanies food poisoning.
 
Thanks for your responses.
 
Mark Evers
Vancouver, WA