[GlutenGuy36]

Do you think it is safe for me to eat McDonalds hamburgers ( no bun of course , just pickles,ketchup, mustard and onion) and salad ( no croutons) with newmans own ranch dressing. I called McDonalds and they said there shouldn't be a problem with any of those. I was diagnosed back on July 14th, 2008 and only feel marginally better.
Unfortunately, I think I am one of the ones that is super sensitive to gluten now. I never was before. I am going back to the doctors soon to have my Iga levels rechecked. I was so bad I thought I had cancer of some kind. I Had tons or tests...Mri, Cat scans, hemotologist, endocrinologist even psychologist.
I have never gone through anything like this. I still feel sore inside some days are far worse than others allthough I seem to feel a little better after a bm. I feel like the toxcins are leaking into my body and making me sick. My gastro doesn't even believe in candida. I know it's only been six months but, I thought I'd see a huge improvement by now.
I live in a home where others don't have to be concerned with gluten. I am aware of the scratched pans, soaps, lotions, lip balms, places where gluten may hide. I have done my best to not to eat any allthough I know that I have eaten some accidently while on this journey.
I use to be so active now I'm relegated to my house because I feel like crap most days. If I try do the simplest of tasks I get fatigued really easily. I know that I had severe abdominal pains for 9-10 months before they even diagnosed me. I'm wondering if it will just take time to heal.
Any comments will be appreciated.

[yolo]

I really doubt that McDonald's could accomodate you at this time. To be certain there will be cross contamination since they don't have a separate area for food prep for celiac. In addition its likely their hamburger has some kind of gluten in it to help "stretch" it. Further its possible the vinegar and pickles etc. could be a problem for you. I can't handle eating any vinegar that either isn't pure wine vinegar or Bragg's or TJ's apple cider vinegar. They say it no longer has any gluten in it but somehow it still seems to for the likes of me. Ditto with various distilled grain alcohols. Plus its likely the servers did not wash their hands before touching your plate.

I am sorry you feel ill so much still. You may need extra help to get your intestines to heal more. I suggest you try slippery elm and marshmallow root to soothe and heal the villi etc. Dandelion root taken now and then will help your liver deal with residual toxicity (avoid extracts due to the likely grain alcohol.) Cleavers or echinacea help detox the lymphatic system. Saunas and exercise also help one to detox. Eating lots of fresh veggies is really important to help detox.

Its also possible you may still be eating some things that have CC or say react to small trace amounts like in the various vinegars and pickles. And/or it may be you could could be allergic to other things in addition. This is very common with celiac due to the damaged villi allowing undigested proteins into the blood stream. Common allergens are corn, milk products (its possible/likely plain yogurt without fillers is OK), potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, buckwheat, nuts, fermented items, sugars (I'm even allergic to fruit sugar I say sorrowfully). The last could also show a problem with candida or fungus overgrowth. I use stevia for sweetner to have something sweet without actual sugar.

Hope this helps!

Bea

[Guhlia]

I eat the side salads at McDonalds with no problems. They used to have a list stating which dressings were gluten free, but it's no longer online.

[Lisa]

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionex...ngredients.html

Here is McD's nutritional listing to include ingredients.

McD's and Chic-fil-A are the only fast food places that I will eat. I choooose carefully.

[tom]

I'm very sure that the last time I was glutened, Mar 15 2004, was from a McD's salad I was sure was safe. I learned later that the bacon "bits" were dusted w/ flour to prevent them sticking together. Not enough to see, of course.

Don't know whether they still do that - the list at the link just says "bacon bits".

[Gemini]

GlutenGuy36, on Jan 24 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

Do you think it is safe for me to eat McDonalds hamburgers ( no bun of course , just pickles,ketchup, mustard and onion) and salad ( no croutons) with newmans own ranch dressing. I called McDonalds and they said there shouldn't be a problem with any of those. I was diagnosed back on July 14th, 2008 and only feel marginally better.
Unfortunately, I think I am one of the ones that is super sensitive to gluten now. I never was before. I am going back to the doctors soon to have my Iga levels rechecked. I was so bad I thought I had cancer of some kind. I Had tons or tests...Mri, Cat scans, hemotologist, endocrinologist even psychologist.
I have never gone through anything like this. I still feel sore inside some days are far worse than others allthough I seem to feel a little better after a bm. I feel like the toxcins are leaking into my body and making me sick. My gastro doesn't even believe in candida. I know it's only been six months but, I thought I'd see a huge improvement by now.
I live in a home where others don't have to be concerned with gluten. I am aware of the scratched pans, soaps, lotions, lip balms, places where gluten may hide. I have done my best to not to eat any allthough I know that I have eaten some accidently while on this journey.
I use to be so active now I'm relegated to my house because I feel like crap most days. If I try do the simplest of tasks I get fatigued really easily. I know that I had severe abdominal pains for 9-10 months before they even diagnosed me. I'm wondering if it will just take time to heal.
Any comments will be appreciated.

One of the biggest errors many people can make is assuming that all of their troubles are gluten related. Even though it can take a awhile for your intestines to heal, you should be feeling better by now, if your problem is just gluten. Many Celiacs also have other food intolerances or allergies, particularly to soy and dairy.
I was also extremely ill and end stage but after 3 months on the gluten-free diet, I was a new person. So I am concerned that you say you are only marginally better after 6 months....could be another intolerance. Do you notice any worsening of symptoms after consuming dairy? You may have to keep a diary or just make note when you feel badly and what you have eaten. This can be time consuming and a pain in the butt but worth the effort if you feel better.

As far as topical products go, you do not need these to be gluten-free unless you ingest them on a regular basis. Except, of course, anything that goes on the lips. Many people automatically blame topical products and it most likely is not going to be those. Candida could be another issue also and that is hard because many doctors are clueless about candida.

I would stay away, if possible, from all eating out right now. Start with the basics and see what you tolerate. Only go with companies that service the gluten-free community as a whole. I know this sounds depressing but you need to start at square one and go up from there. Maybe you could have some allergy testing done
to see if that could be an additional problem. The only other comment I could add is that you may have refractory sprue but that is rare. Did you have an endoscopy? If so, a re-check now could give you some clues as to whether you are healing well or not.

I am sorry this has been so hard for you but if you genuinely do not feel better by now, your doctor should be more willing to investigate some of the things I mentioned. Do not panic.....it may take some time but through trial and error, you can figure this out. Best of luck to you!

[Mr.GlutenFree]

The only thing i trust from McDonald's is there fries. Only because they use a separate fryer for them.
At home you should have a separate cabinet where all your gluten-free foods are put at. The only way i get through the day at home with two male room mates is making sure the kitchen is always clean. Also have meeting and updates for everyone, keep people involved. One of my room mates actually started a gluten-free diet just to help out and he actually liked it after a while. There's just a few ways i get through being gluten-free in a none gluten-free house. You kinda got to segregate your food from everyone else and guard it with your life, so to speak.
My doctor told me it's going to take time for the intestinal lining to heal over until you start to digest food properly. One suggestion and what i did was start taking vitamins and fiber drinks.The vitamins help with the healing process and the fiber is a cleanser for your insistent lining. It took about 3 months before i started to see results. IF you would like to know more about what vitamins i took let me know.

[larry mac]

I eat a McD burger occassionally with no problems. But I always watch them make it, just in case they forget, put it on a bun, and then take it off. I seriously doubt that they are lying about the meat being 100% beef (ie. no fillers).

Can't say about the salads, as I rarely eat salads.

Eat the fries probably once a week.

best regards, lm

[Juliebove]

I have not eaten at McDonalds in years. I do not trust them since they said they fries were vegan but contain beef. And then they didn't disclose the milk and wheat in their fries. What else are they not telling us?

If I had to eat there for some reason, I would get the apples. They are in a package and I would feel they were safe.

I do eat at Wendys and Burger King. Not the best food but it works in a pinch.

[lizard00]

I don't do much fast food either. I find that for me, it's more "hit" than "miss". I'm pretty sensitive, too.

If I must... I eat Wendy's chili. Their fries used to be on the gluten-free list, but I tried them a few times, and every time I felt yucky after I ate them. Our family doesn't really frequent McD's, except a few occasions when my husband has to have their fries. Maybe a few times a year, at most. I have had the apples, and they're ok. They taste like apples from a bag, but they won't gluten you.

I have not had much success with Chick Fil A, but they've never been a favorite of mine.

My standby is Chipotle.

[lovegrov]

Fast food is a VERY bad idea if you're still having problems. Don't do it.

richard