If you have coeliac disease, accidentally eating gluten can turn an otherwise perfectly normal day into “where's the nearest toilet and can I please just lie down?” territory.
Whether it was a restaurant meal, cross-contamination at home, a product that wasn't quite what you thought it was, or one of those mysterious occasions where you never quite work out what happened, being glutened can leave you feeling absolutely awful.
Stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, bloating and fatigue are just some of the symptoms people can experience after accidental gluten exposure. Though there are a lot of symptoms people can get, some more common than others, take a peek at this blog for some of the unusual symptoms people have got either before diagnosis or when glutened.
So, what can you actually do if you've been glutened? Unfortunately, there is no magic cure, gluten detox or way to simply wash the gluten back out again. Once you've eaten gluten, there's no proven way to switch off the immune reaction it can trigger in someone with coeliac disease. But there are things you can do to make the next few hours or days a little more bearable.
I asked the Coeliac Sanctuary community what they do when they've been glutened, and there were some very clear favourites: water, rest, simple food, hot water bottles, peppermint tea and, unsurprisingly, staying very close to the bathroom!
I've combined those real-life experiences with current guidance from the NHS and Coeliac UK to bring you 10 sensible things you can do after accidental gluten exposure.
Quick answer: If you've accidentally eaten gluten, keep drinking, rest, eat when you feel able and manage the symptoms that are bothering you. There is no proven way to flush gluten from your body or make the reaction disappear instantly. Give your body time to recover and seek medical advice if your symptoms are severe, unusual or aren't settling.
“Glutened” isn't a medical term, but it's a word you'll hear a lot in the coeliac community. It simply means accidentally eating gluten and experiencing symptoms afterwards. Symptoms can be very different from one person to another. You might experience:
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach cramps or abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Feeling generally unwell
- Aching
- Irritability or changes in mood
Some people know they've been glutened very quickly. Others don't notice symptoms until much later, and how long the reaction lasts can vary just as much.
1. Drink plenty of fluids
Water was by far the most popular answer from our community. And there's a good reason to keep drinking if you're dealing with diarrhoea or vomiting: you're losing fluid, so replacing it is important.
Water is absolutely fine. If you're feeling nauseous, try taking small sips regularly rather than attempting to drink a giant glass in one go. Some people also find that drinking water simply helps them feel better when they're glutened, particularly if they're dealing with nausea, stomach cramps or that horrible dry, washed-out feeling.
If you're losing a lot of fluid through diarrhoea or vomiting, an oral rehydration solution can help replace fluids and salts. A pharmacist can advise you on suitable products.
Just remember, you're hydrating, not flushing the gluten out as such.
2. Get some rest
This was another big one from our community. And honestly, sometimes the best thing you can do is put your pyjamas on at 3pm and decide that absolutely nothing else is happening today. Fatigue can be one of the most unpleasant parts of a gluten reaction. If you're exhausted, give yourself permission to rest.
Cancel the plans. Get under the duvet. Put something rubbish on the television. Have a nap. Your body has had a rough time of it. It deserves a duvet day.
3. Eat when you feel able
You might have absolutely no appetite after being glutened, particularly if you're nauseous or your stomach is cramping. You don't need to force down a huge meal.
When you do feel like eating, choose familiar gluten free foods that you know your stomach normally tolerates. This might be gluten free toast, rice, potatoes, soup, fruit or whatever your personal safe foods happen to be.
There isn't a special “glutened diet” you have to follow. And you don't need to starve yourself for days to “give your gut a rest”. If you feel like eating, eat.
If you're looking for ideas, have a browse through my gluten free recipes for plenty of safe, everyday meals and snacks. There are lots of soups on there which can be great for an unsettled tummy.
4. Treat the symptoms that are bothering you
There isn't a specific medicine that stops a coeliac reaction to gluten, but you may already have things that you use to manage individual symptoms. Some people in our community mentioned medicines for cramps or diarrhoea, for example.
If you're considering an over-the-counter medicine, check the label and speak to a pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's suitable for you, particularly if you take other medication.
And don't assume that something recommended by another coeliac will automatically be right for you. We're a wonderfully helpful bunch, but your pharmacist has rather more qualifications than someone called Karen in a Facebook comment! So please double check it is ok for you to take!
Coeliac UK has more information about medication and coeliac disease.
5. Try peppermint or ginger
Peppermint tea and ginger tea came up several times when we asked our community what they reach for after being glutened.
Obviously neither can stop the immune response but they are great soothing methods, peppermint capsules always helped me before my coeliac diagnosis and I still swear by a cup of peppermint tea to help settle an upset stomach. I also drank gallons of the stuff when I was struggling with morning sickness, it is so good for soothing the stomach when you are nauseous, as is ginger.
Sometimes a little comfort is exactly what you need.
6. Get yourself a hot water bottle
Another community favourite was the humble hot water bottle. If your stomach is cramping, a hot water bottle, heat pad or warm bath may help you feel more comfortable. It isn't treating the coeliac reaction itself, but when your stomach is staging a full-scale rebellion, a bit of warmth can be very welcome.
7. Set up camp near the bathroom
Let's not pretend this is glamorous. If diarrhoea is one of your symptoms, staying somewhere with easy access to a toilet can make life considerably easier.
Make yourself a little glutened survival station:
- Stash toilet roll like it's 2020 again
- Water to sip
- A phone charger or power bank
- Something to watch or read
- A gentle barrier cream if you're getting sore
- Possibly a bucket if vomiting is also involved
Basically, anything that means you don't have to keep getting up and wandering around the house looking for things, make life as simple as possible!
And if you need to spend the day within sprinting distance of the toilet, so be it.
8. Don't try to “flush” gluten out
Some people find drinking water helps with nausea, cramps or generally feeling rough after they've been glutened. That's absolutely fine. What it won't do is flush the gluten out and stop the immune reaction.
You may also see products such as gluten-digesting enzymes suggested after accidental exposure. It's understandable why these appeal, but they don't make gluten safe for someone with coeliac disease and shouldn't be used as a way to deliberately eat gluten.
Coeliac UK states that a strict gluten free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease. These aren't miracle cures for coeliac as much as we would love them to be.
Also don't be tempted by the laxative route either (unless your GP says otherwise), let your body do its thing rather than trying to force it through your system.
Drink water because it helps you feel better and keeps you hydrated - not because you're trying to give the gluten a little waterslide out of your body.
9. Give your body time to recover
This is probably the most annoying one because there isn't a magic trick that guarantees you'll feel better by tomorrow morning. There is actually some research into how people with coeliac disease experience accidental gluten exposure.
A 2016 study by Silvester and colleagues looked at 105 adults with biopsy-confirmed coeliac disease. Of those, 66% reported a suspected symptomatic reaction to gluten during the study period.
Among those reactions, the median time for symptoms to begin was one hour, although this ranged from 10 minutes to 48 hours. The median duration was 24 hours, with reported reactions lasting anywhere from one hour to eight days.
The most commonly reported symptoms included abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fatigue, headaches and irritability.
You can read the full study here: Symptomatic suspected gluten exposure is common among patients with coeliac disease on a gluten-free diet.
It's worth remembering that these were self-reported suspected gluten reactions, so the figures aren't a rule for how long you'll be ill. But they do show just how much reactions can vary from person to person.
So if you're still feeling rubbish the next day, you're not necessarily doing anything wrong. Keep drinking, rest, eat when you're able and continue to avoid gluten. And try not to beat yourself up. Accidents happen.
Coeliac UK says that an occasional accidental exposure is unlikely to cause lasting gut damage and advises people not to worry unnecessarily after an accidental mistake. You can read their guidance on the gluten free diet and accidental gluten exposure.
That doesn't mean gluten is harmless for someone with coeliac disease, avoiding gluten remains essential, but one accidental exposure isn't a reason to panic.
10. Once you're better, work out what happened
When you're currently curled up with stomach cramps, investigating the exact source of the gluten is probably somewhere near the bottom of your priority list. Do it later, once you're feeling human again.
If you don't already know the cause, think about if you did any of these:
- Eat somewhere new?
- Try a new food product?
- Eat food prepared by someone else?
- Have a meal where cross contamination was possible?
- Use a shared toaster, chopping board or utensil?
- Eat something you assumed was gluten free without checking?
- Notice anything unusual about the packaging or ingredients?
If you're wondering whether cross contamination at home could have been involved, my guide to creating a gluten free kitchen for coeliacs covers the things you may need to keep separate.
Sometimes you won't be able to work it out. That's frustrating, but it happens.
If you're being glutened regularly despite following a strict gluten free diet, however, don't automatically assume that every episode means you've accidentally eaten gluten. Persistent or recurrent symptoms can have other causes and should be discussed with your healthcare team.
There is also a rare condition called refractory coeliac disease, where symptoms and intestinal damage persist despite following a strict gluten free diet. Coeliac UK has more information about non-responsive and refractory coeliac disease.
So if you're regularly feeling unwell despite being confident that you're following your gluten free diet, speak to your GP, gastroenterologist or coeliac team rather than simply trying to find a better way of recovering from each episode.
No, but I completely understand why people ask or say they are "flushing it out with water".
Some coeliacs genuinely find that drinking water helps them feel better after accidental gluten exposure. It can feel soothing when you're nauseous or experiencing stomach cramps, and it's particularly important if diarrhoea or vomiting is causing you to lose fluids.
What it won't do is physically wash the gluten out of your digestive system before your body reacts to it. Once you've eaten gluten, there isn't a proven way to flush it away or switch off the immune response associated with coeliac disease. Think of water as supportive care, not a gluten detox.
Drink regularly, particularly if you're losing fluids, but there's no need to force yourself to drink enormous amounts in an attempt to recover faster.
Unfortunately, there isn't one answer. It could be a few hours or several days, and everyone's reaction is different.
The study we mentioned above found a median symptom duration of around 24 hours, but there was a huge amount of variation between people. So don't panic if you aren't magically back to normal the following morning. If your symptoms are severe, unusual, getting worse or aren't settling, however, speak to your healthcare team rather than assuming it's simply a particularly stubborn gluten reaction.
There isn't one magical food that will heal a gluten reaction.
Eat when you feel able and choose foods that are:
- Safely gluten free
- Familiar to you
- Easy for you to tolerate
- Appropriate for your symptoms
- Bland and small amounts if you are vomiting
You might want plain gluten free toast and a cup of tea. Someone else might be craving chips. Another person might not want food at all.
There's no prize for choosing the most boring food in your kitchen. Just listen to your body and stick to foods you know are safe for you. If you're looking for inspiration once your appetite returns, check out my gluten free recipes.
Activated charcoal is sometimes suggested online as a way of dealing with accidental gluten exposure, and it was mentioned by some members of our community too. However, it isn't a proven treatment for a coeliac reaction and shouldn't be thought of as a gluten detox.
It can also interfere with the absorption of medicines, so it isn't something to take casually after eating gluten. Please look into whether it is safe for you before taking.
Most accidental gluten exposure can be managed at home, but don't automatically assume that every episode of diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain is caused by gluten. Speak to a healthcare professional if your symptoms are severe, unusual, getting worse or aren't settling.
If you're experiencing significant vomiting or diarrhoea, pay particular attention to dehydration. Signs can include dizziness, dark urine, passing urine less often than usual and unusual tiredness.
If you can't keep fluids down, have blood in your vomit or stools, or have severe or sudden abdominal pain, seek urgent medical advice.
And if you have symptoms that don't fit your usual gluten reaction, don't just blame the gluten. Sometimes “I've been glutened” is an easy explanation when something else is actually going on.
I am not a medical expert so if something isn't right please make sure to seek a professional opinion
What does the Coeliac Sanctuary community do when they're glutened?
I asked on my Facebook page what people do when accidental gluten exposure happens, and there were some very definite favourites. Water and rest were the big two.
We also had plenty of peppermint tea, ginger tea, hot water bottles, simple foods and people making themselves comfortable as close to the bathroom as humanly possible.
There were also plenty of suggestions that we're NOT recommending as treatments which is exactly why community experiences and medical advice aren't quite the same thing!
Everyone seems to have their own little glutened recovery routine. Maybe yours is a hot water bottle, peppermint tea, Netflix and refusing to move from the sofa until further notice and I completely get that!
If your accidental gluten exposure happened in a restaurant, you may understandably be a little nervous about eating out again.
My Where to Eat gluten free guide lists thousands of places with gluten free options, including restaurants, cafés, pubs and other places to eat. I also have a guide to gluten free chain restaurants in the UK, including information on gluten free menus and cross contamination considerations.
Because getting glutened once doesn't mean you have to give up eating out forever!
Getting glutened is miserable. It's even more frustrating when you've been careful and have absolutely no idea where the gluten came from. You might spend hours replaying everything you ate, inspecting labels, questioning restaurant staff and wondering whether you should have done something differently.
Sometimes you could have done something differently. Sometimes you genuinely did everything right and an accident still happened.
Learn what you can from it, make any changes that might help prevent it happening again, and then give yourself permission to move on.
What helps you get through a gluten reaction?
I've shared some of the most common suggestions from my Coeliac Sanctuary community, but we're sure there are plenty more.
Maybe you have a particular food, drink, comfort measure or survival tactic that gets you through it.
Tell me what you do when you've been glutened in the comments!
