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

Thank you to all who responded to my question. The answers were about 50-
50, gluten reaction or virus? I guess we each decide for ourselves or seek
out the doctor. Unfortunately my doctors aren't all that great on gluten.
I am trying to educate them, I know that will probably sound familiar to
some of you.
I still don't know what I had, but I am feeling a bit better every day
so,it is going away. Thank you for your replies and good wishes.
This was the first time that I felt this way since going gf and I guess it
was scary thinking I had done this to myself, I hope it was a virus.
Pat

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I will be very happy if you summarize the replies.  For the last 10 days I
have the same symptoms as if I am having a flu.  I hope it is not a reaction
to gluten but flu.  All the best for you.
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Whenever I accidentally ingest gluten I feel EXACTLY like I have the
flu...  I think you may have accidentally eaten something.  I know exactly
how you feel as that is how my body reacts to gluten too...
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Everyone's reactions to gluten are different, but yes, what you have said
sounds familiar.
First thing I get, within a few hours, is nasal congestion and a severe
headache. Then, 24 to 30 hours later, my intestines bloat, and continue to
do
so every time I eat, for several days. For about a week, my brain is foggy
and it's hard to focus. In addition, I have diarrhea, I feel achy like I
have the flu, and I get what I call "muscle burn". You know what it feels
like to climb several flights of stairs - your thigh muscles usually burn -
I get this for simple everyday movements like washing my hair, climbing
three stairs, etc.
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Gluten can indeed cause all of those reactions. As a matter of fact, those
were my symptoms (no diarrhea) when I was diagnosed. I guess you could have
gotten some low level contamination but I wouldn't think you would keep
feeling so bad. I'd say this one is a coin flip -- it could be gluten, but
then again it could be a virus. If you try and can't find any obvious
source for the gluten, then it's probably a virus.
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I am glad you posted this because the same thing happened to me a couple of
days ago.  I am still feeling a little yucky.  I thought the same thing,
maybe I was coming down with something but maybe it was from contamination.
I don't think anyone could tell us for sure if it is contamination or a
virus.  They will probably just say their guesses or to go the doctor to
make sure.  Either way it is nice to hear others are feeling this way and
not think I am going nuts.

Hey have you checked out the fat flush plan book?  I bring it up because I
have been GF for a short amount of time too (like you) and just found it and
it talks about not only loosing weight but slowly retroducing foods to see
if you are allergic to them.  Being relatively new to the GF diet (12 months
GF) I have noticed that some things make me feel a bit under the weather
emotionally or physically.  I am going to try this diet to not only loose
weight but to find out if I have any other problems with other foods.
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You could have a virus, as celiacs get them, too.  However, if you have
eaten any processed foods or medications, they could contain gluten.
If you would eat plain food and cook and bake your food, you would be more
safe.
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The no energy rings a bell with GF diet but aches and pains like the flu
doesn't ring true.  Since I have truly been on a GF diet and proper hormone
treatment my headaches have certainly reduced.  Maybe this could be
menopausal symptoms.  Are you in that age group?  Some women do reach
menopause early.
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yes yes yes.  you described my typical gluten reaction.
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Sounds to me like you have a "bug."  Just double check that everything you
put on you is gf, such as hand lotion, makeup, etc.  But usually with me a
gluten reaction doesn't feel like the flu
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I had that for a couple of weeks once I tried to "manage" it myself - but
got worried - I went to the doctor and he ran some tests - he assured me it
was a virus.

I ended up just drinking clear liquid - eating applesauce and rice.  It
finally passed and now I'm back to normal.

I think we tend to be so critical about what we eat all the time, that the
first conclusion we jump to is that we've ingested gluten.  Maybe some meat
was a little off or something -- it's hard to tell.  Isn't always a
guessing game?
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Yes, my gluten reation sometimes mimics the flu and ALWAYS an EXTREME
fatigue. It does get confusing though, doesn't it?
Good question, glad you posted it.  It helps that I am not the only one.
Also, eggs make me extremely fatigued, but maybe that's just another
allergen for me.
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From monitoring this list for almost 4 years, it seem to me like reaction
to gluten vary quite a bit.  In my daughter's case, she gets stomach
cramping and vomits.  However, the reaction generally lasts just a couple
of hours.  The next day she is very very tired and generally misses
school.  But once she rests she is fine.  So, I would say the whole ordeal
is less than 24 hours.

This is just her but if she were still reacting after 3 days I know it
would not be a gluten reaction.  One thing the GI told us is that everyone
gets stomach aches from time to time and so every stomach ache a celiac
gets is not necessarily a gluten reaction.  But he also said that we should
do exactly what you are doing, to making sure wether it is or is not so
that if it is is a gluten reaction you do eat the offending food again.
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The one time I ingested gluten after going gf I felt feverish, achey
(fluish). I went to bed early and it was gone by the next morning.
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Crosscontamination can do it, processed foods are great with this. Of
course a virus can make one sick. You might do an elimination diet . Have
you ate any new foods that you normally don't it? cooked rice will
eliminate the diarrhea.
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Sounds like the flu to me.  We all think that a bad bout is from Gluten,
but just remember gluten isn't the only thing that can give us the trots.
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Sounds like a bug to me. Being GF doesn't confer immunity to the pathogens
that
bother the whole rest of the human race.
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Yes, at least from my experiences, it is quite possible to feel like you
have the flu, headaches, and have no energy if you accidently eat gluten.
That's how I felt while trying to do a gluten challenge. Sort of like I got
hit by a mack truck. If I accidently eat gluten, I generally get the same
feelings. Pleaes note though, that it's also possible that you have some
sort of flu bug. Tough to say except that if you called all the
manufacturers of the food you've eaten in the past week or so and you
haven't eaten somewhere like a restaurant where there could have been
accidental cross contamination during the cooking process, then it could be
some other kind of bug or allergy.

* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *