Intestinal Distress From Gluten

This is an uncomfortable topic to post because it isn't very pleasant to talk about. But, I feel I must share because someone may have the same symptom and this could help.  

Occasionally I had diarrhea that was violent.  The timing was always about 2:30am. I would be awaked by painful cramps.  My legs shook turbulently and sweat weeped down my forehead.  After the exhausting elimination, I felt so much better. I just thought that I had eaten too much.  I never suspected gluten.  This went on for 35 years.

The summer of 2012, a few months before I tested positive for gluten intolerance, I was the sickest I've ever been.  I was stuck in the bathroom with vomit and diarrhea for over 3 hours.  I couldn't stop and started to vomit blood.  I felt something was terribly wrong.  I thought I was going to die.  We called the paramedics because I couldn't leave the bathroom to go to the emergency room.  Strangely, I didn't have a fever and couldn't keep down the anti nausea medication given to me.  Six hours later I was fine and only weak.  I know that it was my body's reaction to gluten.  It wasn't food poisoning because no one else in the family was sick. 

It has been a full year now without gluten and, no surprise here, no more diarrhea.  I still marvel.  I never thought of myself as having intestinal issues because the diarrhea was only every few months or so.  I wasn't the normal specimen.  In fact, most people have varied symptoms.

Let's keep sharing.