My MC has coeliac disease and quite severely at that, so my villain (muahaha) decides to poison him with accidentally ingested gluten.
However, having had no real experience of the disease I have no idea what would happen to a coeliac if that happened. How would a severe coeliac respond to gluten? Is it ever fatal? Has anyone here ever been unlucky enough to experience it and what was that like? Would it ever be so serious that the person is hospitalized and if so what treatment - if there is any - may they get? Any knowledge about the lifestyle of a coeliac is also appreciated as my knowledge of the condition is atrociously bad.
Thanks in advance
Note from moderator: edited to create [TOPIC].
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7,560 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2008 - 19 38
I posted the same thing twice... sorry!
----------"Things happen you can't control. But that's no reason to shut out the world."
7,560 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2008 - 19 21
About a year ago, one of my aunts finally came to the realization that she couldn't eat gluten; she has seizures so anything options that wouldn't empty her bank were considered-- she hasn't had a bad seizure since she started a GF (gluten free diet). Next, they put my cousin (who's like 11 on it); she was grouchy, always getting sick, and always complained of her "stomach feeling weird"; they decided to try a GF diet. Today, she cannot eat anything with an traces of gluten without complaining of feeling sick (like nautious or her stomach feeling weird, headaches too surprisingly). GF foods do cost more and can be bought at Trader Joes and Whole Foods, do cost more, but some people do have to do it, anyways. There are many corn based "regukar" cereals that are edible.
Last summer, my Mom decided that I should try a GF diet too; I did it for three weeks or so and felt great! When I eat gluten, I feel bloated, like I ate too much on thanksgiving, and feel nautious. But in the end, I've basically just decided that I am gluten sensitive.
There are "Two modes of celiacs (as we like to call it). Gluten Intolerance and Gluten Sensitivity. Now a days, tests are available from the same clinics who do blood tests for diabetes and such. So you can test negative for celiacs and still not react well to gluten. Some people go their whole lives or many years without being diagnosed; like my Grandma does not react well to bread and such seasonally... she was like 80 when we thought about celiacs. Although, the point is, that you really don't want to ignore it. Over times, celiacs can destroy your small intestines and result in malnutrition (I'm pretty sure that my cousin was underweight and now she's not) as well as a weakened immune system and crabby behavior.
For my family, it's always just been a trial and error thing. In some cases, it's not genetic, but in a lot of cases, like in mine, it is. Like many things, living a GF diet is a life choice. My 11 year old cousin will never be able to eat pizza and cookies without being sick (sometimes it's misdiagnosed as acid- reflex disease). She found it really hard to cope with at first, and when reading a fan fiction about diabetes, she said that she felt a lot of the same emotions that the character newly diagnosed with diabetes did.
When I went off of the GF diet, I I could instantly realize when I ate something gluttenous for like a month afterwards. So can you immediately die from celicas? No, not really. But it can result in going home from school early and many sick days (throwing up can happen in severe cases). But it can make life icky (which is why they make GF pasta and bread, which like sugar- free foods, is just not the same). But in eating GF foods, it can really help in fighting depression and just make life better, because like being vegitarian, it really forces a healthier lifestyle upon you.
Hope that this helped a bit (and sorry if it was kinda long) and GOOD LUCK!!
----------"Things happen you can't control. But that's no reason to shut out the world."
51,878 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2008 - 01 55
That was just the sort of information I was looking for!
Thanks
0 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2008 - 17 01
A number of my family member are coealic. Basically they just feel rotten when they eat anything with gluten in it. Bowel problems, stomach problems, severe pain. But I think the most extreme thing that may be a result of coeliac is bowel cancer and this only develops after many many years of eating tons of gluten with no diagnosis. Nostly it's just a depressing life feeling miserable unless you change your diet.
It is genetic and can be tested for in a blood test.
103,478 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2008 - 17 24
My friend's sister gets stupid when she eats gluten. That is just the best way to explain it. In addition to causing all sorts of digestive issues for her, it affects her ability to think clearly. So she spends a few days walking around being stupid.
2,428 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2008 - 18 03
My friend has it, and when she comes to visit me...even the smallest bit of contamination will make her stomach cramp up, and she'll be severely ill for several hours. To the point where she can only lie on the couch, can't walk, can barely groan for talking...it's bad stuff. And that's for something simple, like her meal having a roll set on the side for a few minutes and moved, or having her meal cooked on the same grill as gluten products.
----------NaNovel 2008: Currently Untitled
Birthday: November 22nd
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