<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Dear Listmembers, about three weeks ago my husband became ill with a flu
bug.  At first we thought it was something he ate.  He had terrible
stomach pain when he ate, felt dizzy and confused, was exhausted, had
growling intestines, and had very loose stool with urgent bowel
movements.  Two weeks after that I too became sick.  At first I thought
I might have eaten some gluten.  But then I realized that the pains were
too high up-right in the stomach and that my intestines were making
quite a ruckus.  They never make noises at all...even if I have had
gluten contamination.  I discussed my symptoms with my husband and
discovered that our symptoms were identical.  The loose stool and
intestinal noises last a good week.  I found that I needed to take 1/2
immodium everyday day to keep from having urgent bowel movements.  The
confusion and exhaustion only lasted about two days. The past two days
my co-worker who sits across from me has stayed home sick with it.  So I
know it is spreading easily.  It took only one week for her to come down
with it after I became sick.

Since these symptoms are very similar to gluten reactions, I thought it
was important to make people aware that this flu bug is going around.
Diseases travel quickly across the country because of air travel.  It
may be in Minnesota this morning and in Maine this evening.

If you have had what you believe to be a gluten reaction recently, and
if you have worried over foods you have eaten, keep in mind that it may
be nothing more than this stomach flu.  It is important to make sure
that you don't make any rash decisions about the food products you are
eating if these are your symptoms (especially the noisy intestines).
Stick to foods that you know are safe.  No matter what I ate that first
two days, I had sharp pains in my stomach.  Even water bothered it.  So
don't assume the worst.  It most likely isn't gluten if you too have
this churning stomach combined with the other symptoms mentioned above.

Take care,

Abigail, St Paul, MN
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