Gluten intolerence flare up, symptom timeline and how long for flare up to clear?

Digestive health
1

Hi Guys,

After developing a suspected gluten intolerance after a
stomach infection roughly 5 months ago, i have been following a low fodmap
elimination diet using the app and after a few months I did start to feel a lot
better in myself with most symptoms clearing up, and then about 10 days ago it
was time for me to reintroduce gluten. Over a 3-day spell i ate quite a bit of
white bread, a sausage roll, a scotch egg etc., basically I went all in back on
gluten.

Then the symptoms came back with full force…

Initially after the first day or so i felt ok and thought
the fodmap diet had helped cure me, but about a day and a half after the gluten
binge the loose bowel movements began, this was followed by abdominal
discomfort over the next several days, with the loose bowel movements
persisting. By day 5 after the initial symptoms flared up my stomach discomfort
had subsided slightly but now my appetite has completely vanished and i feel nauseous
most of the time. It’s about 7 days since the flare up and since then i have
gone back to a strictly gluten free diet, although due to the lack of appetite I
am having to force myself to eat, and my bowel movements are also still loose
and much more frequent. During the last few days I have also began experiencing a really low mood and
quite overwhelming feelings of anxiety, which is not something i am used to.

Basically I was wondering if anyone else experiences similar
symptoms after consuming gluten or during an IBS flare up? And if so how long
does it take for the symptoms to clear up once being gluten free again and how long to feel normal again?

Thanks!!!

2

Hi, have you been tested for lactose intolerance?.

3

Hi, i’ve not been tested for this, but i generally always stay clear of lactose as I do suffer an overactive bowel after having it. And i haven’t had any lactose in the build up to this flare up

4

How about probiotics, do use them?, I seem to think once you stop gluten the problems cease pretty quick, have you been test for H pylori?.

5

I’ve been following a low fodmap eating plan for about 4 years. It won’t “cure” IBS but in my experience it helps enormously in managing and controlling symptoms. I certainly couldn’t eat sausage rolls or scotch eggs unless they are made by me. Not only are these shop bought products non gluten free, they also have a very high fat content, and probably contain onion - all of which are trigger foods for many people with IBS.
I do get flare ups. Most only last 2 or 3 days, but occasionally 2 to 3 weeks And yes, I do feel nauseous, fatigued, have painful stomach cramps and am anxious and nervy during a flare up, but I know now that things will improve so I don’t despair!!
I hope this gives you some reassurance
JAN

6

I would also suggest getting tested for celiac. Of course you need to be eating gluten when you do. I was diagnosed with ibs…then later tested positive for celiac.

7

The duration of a flare up is different for everyone; there is no one specific timescale. If you are still symptomatic, you may still have some gluten in your system.When reintroducing a food type, it’s best to do it slowly in small amounts rather than eating a lot of that particular food at once.

8

My first flare up lasted three and a half months others have lasted few days but there is a huge variation in this.

9

no I don’t currently use prebiotics, theres so many on the market that I wouldn’t know where to start. do you have any recommendations?
and yes I have had an endoscopy and blood/stool tests which have come back clear

10

thank you for your reply!
as my first ever flare up was about 5 months ago I’m still really new to dealing with them hence my low mood, but your comments have helped and I need to stay positive as I know the symptoms will soon clear up if I go back on the low fodmap diet

11

thanks for your reply. out of curiosity did your ibs and celiac symptoms appear out of nowhere?
mine appeared 5 months ago, but before that period I had been eaten gluten on a daily basis without issues.
I have had an endoscopy and I was negative for celiac, but by that point I had already been on a gluten free diet, the endoscopy was at such short notice that I didn’t have time to have gluten for 6 weeks prior

12

thanks for your reply. I have definitely learned from my mistake about how much to reintroduce at a time. do you have any tips about coping during a flare up or any ways that you find help you get through the flare up quicker?

13

Immodium, and a TOTALLY low fodmap diet! My GP has prescribed Amitrytiline for me, which I only need very rarely, but it certainly alleviates the anxiety and the joint pain I also experience during a flare up. I really do think anxiety plays a huge part in the IBS cycle - the worse the flare up, the greater the anxiety, and the greater the anxiety, the worse the flare up. It becomes a viscous circle.
Jan

14

My IBS flares up rarely now. When it does, I take an anti spasmodic and an anti inflammatory painkiller immediately and don’t wait for the pain to build up. I made that mistake once and paid for it with a huge flare up. If I get very stressed, I take an antispasmodic before a flare up begins which is the most effective way of controlling the pain. I don’t really think of trying to get through the flare up quicker. I find it is better for me not to think too much about how long it will last and what to do because stressing about it will make it worse since stress and anxiety caused it in the first place. I just take my medication and hope for the best. The length of my flare ups has been different every time so it is difficult to predict or plan any firm strategy. It has ranged from months to days or hours so there is no real pattern.

15

Sometimes you can get non celiac gluten intolerance with IBS.

16

yes I take probiotic supplement capsules, you want a multi strain type, I’ll message the ones I use.

17

ask for a coeliac blood test and biopsies, it could be that if not ask for other tests. can you have yogurts if so heal your tummy with those!

18

yes, mine started out of nowhere. Interestingly enough, my first endoscopy was negative too…but that was because my primary doctor instructed me to go on a gluten free diet before. Like 2 months before. I then went back on gluten and my blood test and endoscopy was positive, so it could be worth a repeat.