Medicine For Symptoms Of Celiac?

[Jenesis06]

******!!!!!!Please read the entire forum post before commenting!!!!*********

I follow a strict gluten-free diet and take my disease very seriously (My severe GI symptoms don't let me do otherwise).

However, on a very romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant with my boyfriend, I spied my absolute favoritest of all desserts: Key Lime Pie.

I know the filling is gluten-free, but obviously not the crust. I promised myself that I would diligently scrape off the bottom and eat the rest.

Once the dessert got to the table, it was like a robot high-jacked my brain. I threw all caution, sensibility, and SIX MONTHS of carefully

learning how to battle and deal with my new diet right out the pretty glass windows. I ate the whole thing. I was in shock the whole time

as well as enjoying Every.Last.Crumb on that plate.

Almost as soon as I was done my stomach began grumbling and churning like a volcano about to erupt. I didn't want to have that Delicious pie ruin

the experience for me, so I set off on a mission right as we left: Head to the pharmacy and see if I can find something, ANYTHING, that can help

alleviate the symptoms for the next two days.

As I frantically searched the GI isle at CVS and my stomach began it's deathly upheaval, I found a curious little purple box called "Digestive Advantage Chron's & Colitis Therapy".

I know that Chron's is very, very similar to Celiac's so I figured, why not? If it can help me for the next 48 hours, it'll be worth it.

I took 2 that night (directions say 1 and only take 2 if symptoms don't get better) because I know how bad my symptoms get, it is horribly

painful and disgusting and I followed up with one the next morning.

After an hour, my stomach stopped gurgling and churning. After 2 hours, my horrible painful gas disappeared. After 12 hours, I still didn't

need to run to the bathroom as if my insides were exploding. and after 16-24 hours, as my need to go to the bathroom NORMALLY emerged....it was normal.

No diarrhea, no gas, no painful bloating. Nothing, Nada, ZIP.

Now before I get a flurry of angry messages and comebacks, I just want to let you know that I KNOW THIS ISN'T A CURE. I also have NOT resumed

eating non-gluten free items. I am very aware that my villi got damaged that night because of my decision. I want you to know that I am still

on my diet, stricter, if possible, than before (just got a whole new set of cookware just for me).

However, I have read many an article that states over and over and over: The only way to treat symptoms is by diet change alone. I don't know

how many people are aware that there are medicines that can make your symptoms better if there was a case of cross-contamination or if you are

just starting this diet and still struggling with identifying risk factors. I know that when I first started, the first three months were hell.

I thought I was eating gluten-free, but there were many times where my ignorance made me sick, and because of that one slip up, I had to spend 2-3 days in agony over it.

Now I have something that is able to help me when these now rare occasions happen. If I am at a friend's house, at a party, or any other social

event I make sure that I am careful, but I know the odds of getting something contaminated sky-rocket. I'm a big fan of food and with that comes

a lot of risk. However this Digestive Advantage medicine is a miracle HELPER. something to take the pain away while I recover.

This might just be me, it might not work for you, however I felt it was worth bringing out in the open and see if anybody else has had a similar

experience to mine. Have you tried anything that would help with the symptoms? what was it? did it work?

[Mari]

As I understand your problem when you eat certain foods, probably mostly carbohydrates, the bacteria/yeasts in your stomach and small intestine immedialely begin fermenting the food and the product you took stopped this and allowed the food to be digested normally. Unless you have an allergy, the gluten reaction occurs 3 to 6 hours after eating - it is a delayed autoimmune reaction.

A good digestive system won't allow bacteria to grow in your stomach and upper small intestine - the stomach acids kill them off so this may be an indication that you dont have enough acid. Some celiacs take Betaine-HCl to correct this. If you have had a problem with Candida/yeasts in the past or have taken antibiotics the yeasts may now be living in your intestine and if you eat lots of carbohydrates as you did with the key lime pie their numbers increase very rapidly and you start belching very soon. There are both medical and alternate ways to control this problem.

[ravenwoodglass]

You do know that just eating the filling off the pie is not safe, right? I hope you don't think that is as it is not. Just eating the top off a pizza isn't either or the chicken but not the crust from KFC. Even though you stopped the tummy issues your body will still respond by producing antibodies that can attack other organs including your brain. While it was nice of you to tell us about something that worked for you I hope others do not use use this med so they can 'cheat' on the diet. For an accidental injestion perhaps but only for that. Just because the tummy issues resolved doesn't mean your body isn't under attack.