Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Reaction Time


snomnky

Recommended Posts

snomnky Apprentice

My son is 2.5, he has Celiac, his reactions are atypical according to the GI, his poop turns white/grey and it looks and smells EXACTLY like vomit. He used to vomit when he was younger, but now it is just the poop and irritability. Anyway, I am concerned that even though he has been diagnosed via biopsy that something else is happening. I just really don't understand the poop smelling like vomit and when i tell a doc they look at me like i am crazy. He is still in diapers and the poop burns he bottom to the point of widespread blisters that open and ooze, it causes immense pain for him. Does anyones children have a similar reaction?

My question- how long does it take your kids (or yourself) to react once you have ingested gluten. My Son is in a reaction, but we can't trace it to a specific food, the time line just doesn't make sense. (another reason why i am paranoid there is something else going on)

By the way, we have done extensive allergy testing and have found DS to have no other allergies or intolerances to foods, besides Celiac.

Thanks for the help!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



tarnalberry Community Regular

it takes me somewhere between 15 minutes and 2 hours. it takes others here more than a day.

Cherry Tart Apprentice

Hello!

My reaction time is usually 15 - 20 minutes for a heavy glutening or as long as two hours - depends on the amount for me. It usually takes me a day or two to recover. If you're sure his reaction isn't to food, could it be his/your toiletries? Have you checked out his/your lotion, powder, and shampoo? At that age, they are more apt to putting things in their mouths or swallowing water/shampoo during a bath. I'm not sure how long he's been gluten-free, but it may take him a while to recover if he's new to the diet. It took 6 months for my system to calm down. Hope he's feeling better soon! :)

kenlove Rising Star

For me its usually 10 to 30 minutes, faster when I inhale something in the air than when i eat something that was supposedly gluten-free.

My son is 2.5, he has Celiac, his reactions are atypical according to the GI, his poop turns white/grey and it looks and smells EXACTLY like vomit. He used to vomit when he was younger, but now it is just the poop and irritability. Anyway, I am concerned that even though he has been diagnosed via biopsy that something else is happening. I just really don't understand the poop smelling like vomit and when i tell a doc they look at me like i am crazy. He is still in diapers and the poop burns he bottom to the point of widespread blisters that open and ooze, it causes immense pain for him. Does anyones children have a similar reaction?

My question- how long does it take your kids (or yourself) to react once you have ingested gluten. My Son is in a reaction, but we can't trace it to a specific food, the time line just doesn't make sense. (another reason why i am paranoid there is something else going on)

By the way, we have done extensive allergy testing and have found DS to have no other allergies or intolerances to foods, besides Celiac.

Thanks for the help!

snomnky Apprentice

Oh, thank you! For some reason i thought the reaction would take a lot longer, but he grabbed a bag of chips that had been in a bag with wheat bread, then took a sip of my water that i had been drinking while eating the wheat bread. I am sure that was it! Since it was only 5hrs or so i thought it was something else. But that would explain it!

what about vomit smelling poop, a normal response? He has been gluten-free since 6mo old and we have eliminated nearly every bit of gluten from our home (other than the occasional sandwich for me and his dad) but every reaction seems to be worse than the one before.

Kaycee Collaborator

It takes me a couple of hours for my stomach to know that I have eaten gluten. The diarrhoea doesn't set in till about a day and a half later, unless it is a bad case, and then it is sooner than that. As for the vomit smelling poop, I know when I have been glutened my poop smells terrible, and that is part and parcel of coeliac.

Cathy

JustMe75 Enthusiast

It takes me 15 minutes to an hour, and my first symptom is urgent diarrhea that lasts for hours. It still amazes me that something I barely finished chewing could already have gone through my whole digestive tract and caused problems. As far as the vomit smell goes, does it smell like bile, like acidy vomit? That would explain the burning. I know for me when I get sick it burns like you wouldn't believe (and I'm not even sitting in it ;) ) and I think its the acids from my stomach that were suposed to digest the food but were forced out too fast.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



jerseyangel Proficient

It normally takes about 2 hours for me. I get the acid poops too--that usually goes on for a few days. I feel much better by a week, but not completely back to normal for almost 2 weeks.

My reactions are much less severe than they used to be (I've been gluten-free for 2.5 years now)

aeshlea Apprentice

also dosent take me too long. If its a small amount I feel it quicker ironically. And it usually is just a massive headache within 20-30 minutes...but if its a larger amount I always have D within a 2 hour time period..usually by the 1 and a !/2 hour mark.

snomnky Apprentice

I really applicate all the replies. We went 5 mo with no reactions! But then a reaction happens and I get worried and start wondering if this is normal. He is very verbal for a 2 yr old boy, so with this poop he told us right away that there was an owie in his pants we couldn't see.

I always worry that with every exposure he will be so much worse next time, this has been the case so far. With this reaction we saw a severe behavioral reaction as well.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Jordan Carlson's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Fruits & Veggies

    2. - Scott Adams replied to yellowstone's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Cold/flu or gluten poisoning?

    3. - Scott Adams replied to hjayne19's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Celiac Screening

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      2

      New issue

    5. - Scott Adams commented on Scott Adams's article in Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment
      4

      A Future Beyond the Gluten-Free Diet? Scientists Test a New Cell Therapy for Celiac Disease (+Video)

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,092
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    LVanderbeck12
    Newest Member
    LVanderbeck12
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      You are experiencing a remarkable recovery by addressing core nutrient deficiencies, yet you've uncovered a deeper, lifelong intolerance to fruits and vegetables that appears to be a distinct issue from celiac disease. Your experience points strongly toward a separate condition, likely Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) or a non-IgE food intolerance, such as salicylate or histamine intolerance. The instant burning, heart palpitations, and anxiety you describe are classic systemic reactions to food chemicals, not typical celiac reactions. It makes perfect sense that your body rejected these foods from birth; the gagging was likely a neurological reflex to a perceived toxin. Now that your gut has healed, you're feeling the inflammatory response internally instead. The path forward involves targeted elimination: try cooking fruits and vegetables (which often breaks down the problematic proteins/chemicals), focus on low-histamine and low-salicylate options (e.g., peeled pears, zucchini), and consider working with an allergist or dietitian specializing in food chemical intolerances. 
    • Scott Adams
      Your satiation is challenging and a common dilemma for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity: distinguishing between a routine viral illness and a reaction to gluten exposure. The overlap in symptoms—fatigue, malaise, body aches, and general inflammation—makes it nearly impossible to tell them apart in the moment, especially with a hypersensitive system. This ambiguity is a significant source of anxiety. The key differentiator often lies in the symptom pattern and accompanying signs: gluten reactions frequently include distinct digestive upset (bloating, diarrhea), neurological symptoms like "brain fog," or a specific rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), and they persist without the respiratory symptoms (runny nose, sore throat) typical of a cold. Tracking your symptoms meticulously after any exposure and during illnesses can help identify your personal patterns. Ultimately, your experience underscores the reality that for a sensitive body, any immune stressor—be it gluten or a virus—can trigger a severe and similar inflammatory cascade, making vigilant management of your diet all the more critical. Have you had a blood panel done for celiac disease? This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Your situation highlights a difficult but critical crossroads in celiac diagnosis. While your positive blood test (a high TTG-IgA of 66.6) and dramatic improvement on a gluten-free diet strongly point to celiac disease, the gastroenterologist is following the formal protocol which requires an endoscopy/biopsy for official confirmation. This confirmation is important for your lifelong medical record, can rule out other issues, and is often needed for family screening eligibility. The conflicting advice from your doctors creates understandable anxiety. The challenge, of course, is the "gluten challenge"—reintroducing gluten for 4-6 weeks to make the biopsy accurate. Since your symptoms resolved, this will likely make you feel unwell again. You must weigh the short-term hardship against the long-term certainty of a concrete diagnosis. A key discussion to have with your GI doctor is whether, given your clear serology and clinical response, would be getting a diagnosis without the biopsy.
    • Scott Adams
      Your experience of being medically dismissed for decades, despite a clear celiac diagnosis since 1994, is unacceptable. It is a tragic common thread in our community that the systemic failure to understand celiac disease leads to a cascade of other diagnoses—like SIBO, IBS, depression, and now the investigation of MS or meningioma—while the core autoimmune condition is neglected. The constant, severe flu-like symptoms and new neurological concerns are absolutely valid and warrant serious investigation for connections to celiac-related autoimmunity or complications like refractory disease. It is enraging that you must fight so hard to be heard. While I don't have a medical answer about MS or meningioma links, your instinct is correct: relentless symptoms require a specialist who understands celiac disease beyond the gut. Regarding the California proclamation, it is a symbolic advocacy effort; reaching out to the women mentioned may provide supportive community, but your advocacy with your local representative is the most direct action. 
    • trents
      @Peace lily, can you be more specific about which coffee manufacturers have told you that their coffee is probably not safe for celiacs? What you say is contrary to just about everything I find when I research this issue on the internet, even taking into account cross contamination. The exception seems to be when flavorings are added that may contain grain products made from wheat, barley or rye. This individual tested numerous coffees with a Nima gluten sensor and found no issues: https://www.goodforyouglutenfree.com/is-coffee-gluten-free/. There may also be an issue with cross reactivity for some celiacs:  https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/is-coffee-safe-on-a-gluten-free-diet/ . Keep in mind that when you ask questions of food companies concerning whether or not a product is gluten free or "safe for celiacs" you may be getting an ultra-cautious response due to the fact that they are careful to cover their backsides when the product hasn't been specifically tested for gluten content or is not being marketed as such. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.