50 replies to this topic

[Chopper]

My husband took up a new hobby, brewing beer. After he made it two different times, the next day I got sick. (I'm always sick the next day when I'm glutened.) He didn't believe me when I blamed it on the boiling brew. I volunteered to help at the fire department for their chicken bbq, and I was working in the kitchen with the boiling macaroni. Sure enough, next day I got sick. Even when he tried to make it when I wasn't home for a third time, I still got sick the next day. This tells me I've moved into the super sensitive arena. But I have to believe that's because I've done such a good job of avoiding gluten, that when I get a little bit, I'm not used to it and react stronger. So be aware of vapors!!!

[shadowicewolf]

mmmmm.... molicules of the stuff when its boiling in the air?

It doesn't surpise me. I've heard of people reacting when they walk by a bakery.

[Lisa]

My husband took up a new hobby, brewing beer. After he made it two different times, the next day I got sick. (I'm always sick the next day when I'm glutened.) He didn't believe me when I blamed it on the boiling brew. I volunteered to help at the fire department for their chicken bbq, and I was working in the kitchen with the boiling macaroni. Sure enough, next day I got sick. Even when he tried to make it when I wasn't home for a third time, I still got sick the next day. This tells me I've moved into the super sensitive arena. But I have to believe that's because I've done such a good job of avoiding gluten, that when I get a little bit, I'm not used to it and react stronger. So be aware of vapors!!!

Unless your head is hanging over the boiling pot of macaroni or boiling beer, I'm pretty certain you can not get glutened by vapors floating around the house.

Perhaps, handling the pasta at the fire house? In the beginning, I used to get a bit nauseated walking down the flour aisle at the grocery store, but it was just me being nervous.

[Gemini]

My husband took up a new hobby, brewing beer. After he made it two different times, the next day I got sick. (I'm always sick the next day when I'm glutened.) He didn't believe me when I blamed it on the boiling brew. I volunteered to help at the fire department for their chicken bbq, and I was working in the kitchen with the boiling macaroni. Sure enough, next day I got sick. Even when he tried to make it when I wasn't home for a third time, I still got sick the next day. This tells me I've moved into the super sensitive arena. But I have to believe that's because I've done such a good job of avoiding gluten, that when I get a little bit, I'm not used to it and react stronger. So be aware of vapors!!!

You have to ingest gluten into your gut to cause a Celiac reaction. You cannot be glutened by vapors. Having said that, smells can have an affect on people as I have experienced the same thing but I think it is a psychosomatic reaction. I get headaches and nausea when I smell pizza or any other strong smell involving gluten foods. I view it as my body warning me to steer clear! If I remove myself from the offending smell, it clears up pretty quick.

[psawyer]

It is widely accepted that distillation renders the distillate gluten-free because the protein molecule (the gluten) is much too large to vaporize, even under heat. I don't understand how making beer could vaporize what a still can not. There are some who react to distilled spirits, but my own thought on that is that they are reacting to fragments of the gluten protein chain, not the entire molecule.

As Lisa said, there may be a psychological response. If you believe that something will make you sick, then it will.

The bread aisle at the market is similar.

A bakery, however, is different, as flour becomes airborne and gets inhaled. The respiratory tract and the digestive tract are connected at the back of the mouth.

[1desperateladysaved]

Unless your head is hanging over the boiling pot of macaroni or boiling beer, I'm pretty certain you can not get glutened by vapors floating around the house.

Is it your personal experience that lead you to this conclusion?

[IrishHeart]

As Peter said, airborne flour can linger in the air and if you did inhale it, it would indeed travel into the GI tract.

I felt woozy in the baking section of the supermarket when I was very ill from celiac and shortly after my diagnosis, but in retrospect, I was woozy all the time and so sick, that I cannot state for certainty that it was caused just by being in the bakery aisle. I am sure I said that on here somewhere those first few months. but I was naive and I was so sick from malabsorption, EVERYTHING seemed to "give me a reaction".
(That said, I would not take a job in a bakery right now.)

Truth is, my body was so beat up, it was't any ONE thing sparking it, it was just me, still sick from the celiac.

I wonder if maybe you are feeling ill from cross contamination, rather than vapors. If your hubs is brewing beer in the house (as mine does--- and I know what a mess he makes all over the kitchen floor ) it could a potential cause for CC. Working in someone else's kitchen, like at the fire house, could also pose a potential CC issue, especially if they served up some nice squishy bread with that pasta and someone used a cutting board, etc. etc.

We could speculate all day long and maybe never come up with an answer, but in all likelihood it is not gluten "vapors". IMHO

[jerseyangel]

I've been gluten-free as long as Lisa, and agree with her completely as well as what others have posted. As far as personal experience, I cooked regular pasta a while back (I normally wouldn't have allowed it in my kitchen but this was a special circumstance). My head was directly over the pot and when I drained it, the steam was right there in my face. No problem whatsoever for this sensitive gal.

I think in this case, it is possible that the problem was a result of cross contamination but sometimes it's next to impossible to figure out the exact cause.

[Chopper]

Thank you all for your replies. I truly did not anticipate being sick from those incidents - I actually anticipated nothing at all - so it was not psychosomatic. It was several times of truly not being able to figure out why I had gotten ill that lead me to the proper conclusion. For those of you not aware, the syrup used in beer making is highly condensed malt, and yes I had directly inhaled the vapors. The large volume of boiling pasta at the firehall created alot of vapors as well. Due to my level of sensitivity, I am extraordinarily careful. I have reached the proper conclusion and am glad to hear that none of you have gone through the frustration of discovering this surprising way of being glutened.

[Gemini]

Thank you all for your replies. I truly did not anticipate being sick from those incidents - I actually anticipated nothing at all - so it was not psychosomatic. It was several times of truly not being able to figure out why I had gotten ill that lead me to the proper conclusion. For those of you not aware, the syrup used in beer making is highly condensed malt, and yes I had directly inhaled the vapors. The large volume of boiling pasta at the firehall created alot of vapors as well. Due to my level of sensitivity, I am extraordinarily careful. I have reached the proper conclusion and am glad to hear that none of you have gone through the frustration of discovering this surprising way of being glutened.

Psychosomatic reactions happen whether you anticipate a reaction or not and what you described could certainly have been one. I wasn't anticipating feeling nauseous either but it happened.

Most Celiacs are sensitive and we all have to follow the same protocol to avoid ingesting gluten so this is not a measure of sensitivity. The reason why many have not gotten sick from boiling pasta is because you can't have a true Celiac reaction from it....unless you drink the pasta water. Draw whatever conclusions you want but it needs to be pointed out this is not a concern and you won't get your immune system in a tizzy from breathing in pasta vapors...it is not the same as inhaling solid flour.

[kareng]

I think what you may have missed in Peter's explanation is that a gluten particle (molecule) is too large and heavy to rise in steam. Its quite possible some boiling liquid was sloshed around and you got some of it on your counter, plates, etc.

[Chopper]

Interesting how all of your strong opinions label my reactions as psychological. Actually, it's quite insulting. This brings back memories when some friends and family thought if I simply ate more gluten my body would get used to it because there's no such thing as celiac.

[Chopper]

I would like to suggest that posters and readers alike consider the difference between vapors from boiling grains versus distillation. In a complete distillation process gluten proteins are completely removed as I'm sure most are well aware. However, when grains are boiling in water, gluten particles do rise with vapor. When my husband is boiling grains for his beer, he is not distilling, he is cooking. Another fact that most celiacs are aware of, most beer contains gluten. Beer is not distilled. I strongly advise that evidence be posted here that vapors are gluten free (outside of the distillation process.) I'm not psycho.

[kareng]

Interesting how all of your strong opinions label my reactions as psychological. Actually, it's quite insulting. This brings back memories when some friends and family thought if I simply ate more gluten my body would get used to it because there's no such thing as celiac.

I was just trying to explain physics & chemistry and help you find the true cause.

But I do agree, he doesn't need to be brewing gluteny beer in your home. I understand its a messy process.

[Chopper]

I was just trying to explain physics & chemistry and help you find the true cause.

I appreciate that. I'm just having a hard time accepting that I'm psycho.