Living with celiac disease means living in constant fear of being "glutened", unfortunately no matter how careful you are; things happen. I have been on the "gluten challenge" for four weeks in order for me to receive my formal diagnosis of celiac disease. This means four weeks of physical, mental and emotional symptoms associated with gluten. While you cant stop the process from happening when the gluten is already in your system, there are ways to make it easier to cope with.
Whenever I have been glutened, I refer to the aftermath as an episode; an important part of being celiac is knowing your symptoms of an episode. For me this includes not just physical symptoms, but mental and emotional ones; as strange as that sounds. Symptoms of my episodes include, stomach cramps, headaches, irritability, increased anxiety, foggy brain and back pain among other things. These episodes can range from uncomfortable twinges that last for a couple hours, to writhing around in pain on the bathroom floor for 24 hours.
If you are new to the blog and don't know what celiac disease is, check out my first post all about what I wish people knew about celiac disease.
1.) STAY HYDRATED
If you have been glutened, odds are you will be spending a lot of time with your head in the toilet. If that isn't the case then you are a very lucky individual and I envy you. However, if this does happen to you you need to stay hydrated. You wont be doing yourself any good if you are not only damaging your small intestine but becoming dehydrated in the process. Try and drink as much fluids as possible, preferably water; but gatorade or some apple juice wont kill you either.
2.) EAT FERMENTED FOODS
For all my picky eaters out there, this one might be a struggle, I however love all kinds of food so I enjoy this one. When your poor tummy is under attack it is so important to introduce nutrient rich foods into your system .Fermented foods such as kombucha or kimchi are great for the digestive system if you are suffering form an episode.
3.) REST
I am not someone that likes to take breaks, I must be on the go at all times or else I will feel super guilty. The best way to start the healing process is to rest, this one is difficult for me, but I can feel the difference when I have rested instead of going at my normal pace. When I take the time to sleep after an episode, my body heals much faster and I am able to bounce back. Even if you are like me and hate to rest, just do it; this is the best way to help your body after what it just went through.
4.) USE HEAT
Heat is going to be your best friend during an episode, I get excruciating back pain and a hot bean bag really helps. The bean bag I have is quite long so I am lucky enough that if I lay on my side it will warm both my back and my stomach. The only downside of using the bean bag is if you suffer from hot flashes during episodes. I do suffer from hot flashes and chills during episodes so I tend to use the heat during moments of chills and take it off when I have the sweats.
5.) TAKE ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
Activated charcoal has been a life saver for me on many occasions, if I feel an episode coming on and get some charcoal in my system the episodes aren't as bad as normal. One important thing to remember when taking charcoal is to drink lots and lots of water. In order for the charcoal to work you need to increase its surface area, this will hep to absorb the toxins in your system. On a slightly unpleasant note, be warned that charcoal can make you constipated or turn your poop black.... As long as you are okay with those two minor setbacks you will love using charcoal.
6.) USE PAIN KILLERS WHEN NECESSARY
During my worst episode I made a trip to the emergency room, I was in so much pain that it seemed very likely I had appendicitis. After spending hours in the hospital they told me it was indigestion and to go home and take some painkillers. One of the most effective ways to help with the pain associated with gluten is two ibuprofen and two acetaminophen This may seem overkill but if you can't function through the pain, it helps to dull it.
7.) PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
Some of my worst memories from the last couple years include laying in bed crying every night because I was so sick. I was struggling with being eighteen and not being able to eat anything for fear that it would make me sick. To me this wasn't an issue eighteen year olds struggled with, this is something that the elderly go through. One of the most important things I have learned through all of this is to be mindful. When an episode starts to get worse, I will focus on my breathing, the rhythmic in and out helps to draw my focus to that. As well, remind yourself that the situation is only temporary, yes it is an unfortunate situation but it will pass.
I hope this article was helpful for all my fellow celiac buddies out there. If you are currently in the middle of the "gluten challenge" or have recently been glutened I am sending lots of love your way. As for my scope coming up this Friday, I am very nervous mostly because it is something unknown. I may not post anything this weekend, it al depends on how I am feeling post anesthetic. I hope you all have an amazing week and I will see you soon!
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