When gluten (from wheat, barley, or rye) enters the GI system, a Celiac's body will view it as an intruder and attack the body. The small intestine has several finger-like villi which produce digestive enzymes. Our immune system will attack these villi making them short, stubby, or even totally flat; they produce fewer enzymes in this state, which can result in fewer nutrients being absorbed. The inflammation and malnutrition, if not corrected, can lead to diabetes, bowel cancer, anemia, and osteoporosis. It's serious stuff! Often when children are not diagnosed with Celiac, they are unable to grow to their full height because they lack the nutrients to do so (says the woman who is 4'10''). All Celiacs are at risk of these health issues when exposed to gluten.
The external symptoms vary greatly from person to person and even exposure to exposure. Symptoms can include:
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion including. low iron levels
- Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
- Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
- Aching joints
- Depression (deficiencies often cause this symptom)
- Eczema
- Headaches
- Exhaustion
- Irritability and behavioral changes
- Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
- Cramps, tingling and numbness
- Slowed growth in children.
- Decline in dental health
- Anemia
- Fatigue
- Burning, tingling, numbness in hands and feet
- Loss of feeling in hands and feet
- Numbness, tingling or reduced sensation in face and body.
Some people get severe stomach pain once gluten has been ingested. This is not usually the case for me, though my stomach does feel definitively different. Just a few moments after I ingest gluten, the taste in my mouth changes to a putrid one. Since I'm actually allergic to wheat as well, my chest will feel tight and breathing feels uncomfortable, though my airways are still open. I feel heavy and toxic, and my stomach starts feeling irritated and inflamed. It sort of feels like having a stomach bug for me. A few minutes later, a knot of pain appears between my shoulder blades. The pain then shoots up my spine, into my shoulders, then my neck, then my head. My head feels like it is being squeezed to the point of popping, I become sensitive to light and sound, and, overstimulated, I can no longer process information. The next day, my nerve endings are usually on fire and my body is swollen. Everything hurts - even my fingernails. I feel lethargic but cannot rest. I feel clammy and feverish, though my temperature doesn't change much. Either the second or third day following the incident, I will finally crash, unable to keep myself awake any longer. It is a very uncomfortable sleep with dizzy spells, disorientation, and near-hallucinations, a lot like trying to sleep while drugged after a surgery or big accident. Other than the day of excruciating pain, the physical symptoms, while frustrating, aren't nearly as bothersome for me as the emotional and mental symptoms that occur.
When I ingest gluten, my brain becomes foggy. I cannot think logically, cannot process information, and cannot prioritize things. My mind jumps around from thought to thought, activity to activity, and I can't focus on a single one. Huge gaps of information escape my attention, and realize too late that I forgot to do something or go somewhere. It is quite scary, and it hurts me on a personal level when it results in leaving someone I care about in the lurch. My vocabulary is also cut considerably, and I find it difficult to engage in any sort of conversation or other linear experience. I spiral into a severe depression, aggravated by the awareness that my lack of concentration is hurting those I love, and my emotions are a giant roller coaster. At times, I am cold and calculating, shrewd and blunt. At other times, I am overly sensitive, reacting way too personally to the slightest (non)offenses. Yet other times, I am suspicious and fearful. I fly off the handle in anger and then cry. Tiny details or stimuli bother me until I blow up or shut down. These symptoms usually emerge the day after I'm exposed, and they can continue for a week or longer. I hate these times the most. I can stand outside of myself and see my erratic behaviour and see the wake of destruction it causes, yet I cannot do anything to help it. I just have to ride it out and wait for the gluten to leave my system. Any attempt to reign myself in causes greater destruction. I feel helpless, frightened, and frustrated.
So, there it is. I've answered the question. This is what happens when I come in contact with gluten. It is no fun at all; a truly miserable experience. I am grateful that God has provided me with a husband who is patient enough to endure the roller coaster with me, even if he doesn't always understand. What happens to you?
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