22 replies to this topic

[jasonD2]

I was in germany for 3 weeks and paid very little attention to what i was eating and where i was eating. last time i was in europe i was so obsessed with the food issue that i had a minor breakdown and it really ruined my trip and i lost a lot of weight. this time i threw caution into the wind and ate whatever i wanted (except things that obviously had gluten)...i had french fries and brat's from street vendors, ate chocolate in belgium and went to a german restaurant and ate a huge plate of fried pork, fries and sauerkraut. for the most part i felt fine but i am now a few days back in the states and my stomach feels a bit off. is it possible i really messed myself up?

[lynnelise]

It's hard to tell if gluten was a factor, some people find that their stomach will be off in response to traveling alone. You are eating different foods than normal, possibly at different times than normal. Lots of factors can come into play. I would just go back to basics for a few weeks until everything feels normal again.

[dani nero]

What symptoms do you usually experience? You might be feeling off because you're worried you did a bad thing. Honestly.. and it's just what I think.. you go on vacations to have a good time, and not experience nervous breakdowns.. so even if you did get yourself mildly glutened, you still lived, enjoyed, and experienced so many things, and it's not like you can change anything about it now. Besides, you don't do this every other month or anything.. it's just this time right? If your off-ish-ness gets worse you'll know there was contamination, otherwise, I think you should just enjoy the memories you've gained :-)

I heard from board members that when glutened, the best you can do is drink lots of water and double up on probiotics for a week. I hope you don't get worse though!

[kareng]

Jason,

Maybe you don't actually have Celiac? You have had some nasty intestinal critters. Perhaps you have finally healed from them?

[MitziG]

I second what Dani said. You survived- and most likely haven't done lasting damage. And you didn't intentionally eat gluten. In the same situation, I would probably do the same rather than trying to explain to street vendors who speak a different language what gluten is!

[jasonD2]

yeah i really enjoyed myself and it was great to just sit down and eat without making a big stink

[mamaw]

good point Kareng! ANd if by chance you really do have celiac (from being celiac for a long time) I would say you were playing Russian Roulette with your health...

[jasonD2]

im playing russian roulette by getting in my car and driving 5 hrs too

[Victoria6102]

If you have celiac, you can't eat gluten, period! You must ALWAYS be on guard and make sure what you are eating is not CCed! With the right planning and preparation, you can travel anywhere and eat gluten free. It may cost you more time in preparing, searching for things to bring with you, and doing research. but just bring your own food that won't perish and a frying pan. When you arrive at a destination, pick up some chicken, veggies, and fruit to supplement what you've brought. It can be done, and your health is worth it! Cheating is a big no-no for people with celiac! Not trying to be harsh, just telling you the truth:) heal up quickly

[jasonD2]

well i dont know if i have true celiac cause i was never diagnosed. i went on the gluten-free diet before i had a biopsy and pillcam and decided to not do the challenge since a world renowned celiac dr told me its barbaric. my blood test and biopsy were negative while on a "gluten light" diet - only positive i ever had was on the stool gliadin test but that can also indicate an intolerance which is what my mother has - so i live my life gluten-free but refuse to not eat out and enjoy myself and if i get an occasional cc so be it

[MitziG]

Gluten intolerance is the most likely diagnosis- celiacs are the minority on this board. In that case- you need to listen to your body. If you continually get cross contaminated, you are going to start feeling like crap, all of the time.

On the other hand, some with gluten intolerance are able to tolerate smmall amounts of gluten without issue. You may be one of them.

It is going to be trial and error for you, since you are undx. I just hope you will pay attention to your body's signals and recognize when there is a problem, because long term damage from gluten is not fun!

Also, since you are not dx celiac, please do not refer to yourself as celiac around others. Celiacs must be extremely cautious about cross contamination, and when people observe a "celiac" who can "handle a little bit of gluten" they assume that we can too, and they are less understanding of our needs and often careless in our food preparation.

[dani nero]

I so agree with MitziG

[jasonD2]

thanks for the great input

[love2travel]

Gluten intolerance is the most likely diagnosis- celiacs are the minority on this board. In that case- you need to listen to your body. If you continually get cross contaminated, you are going to start feeling like crap, all of the time.

On the other hand, some with gluten intolerance are able to tolerate smmall amounts of gluten without issue. You may be one of them.

It is going to be trial and error for you, since you are undx. I just hope you will pay attention to your body's signals and recognize when there is a problem, because long term damage from gluten is not fun!

Also, since you are not dx celiac, please do not refer to yourself as celiac around others. Celiacs must be extremely cautious about cross contamination, and when people observe a "celiac" who can "handle a little bit of gluten" they assume that we can too, and they are less understanding of our needs and often careless in our food preparation.

AMEN! It drives me crazy to observe those who say they are celiac but then laughingly proceed to eat a gluten-laden cookie. I treat my celiac diagnosis as a potential life-threatening illness (not imminent but it has potential to kill later on) and take it very seriously. This does not mean that I talk about it with others or draw attention to it (I despise that). It just means that it is a very serious thing.

BTW, I have traveled to Europe a few times now since my diagnosis and it can be done without cheating. All it takes is great planning.

Hopefully you do not have celiac but if you find out that you do, also know it is not the end of the world. Even when traveling to different countries/cultures/continents.

[dani nero]

BTW, I have traveled to Europe a few times now since my diagnosis and it can be done without cheating. All it takes is great planning.

Since you're an experienced traveler, can you give an example scenario for educational purposes. Let's say (for example) you're going to Italy in a month. What would your planning involve, and how do you do it. My last trip to London involved a lot of starvation. I came back feeling, acting and looking like a hungry bunny, and I think I did manage some CC in the end.