Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Could My Couch Be Contaminating My Son?

Jamie1450

By Jamie1450
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted

My 2 year old son (dx Oct 2012) keeps getting 'glutened' and I haven't been able to pinpoint how but a thought popped in my head this morning. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I cleaned the deep crevasses of our couch and found TONS of old (like maybe up to 3 years old) cheerios, goldfish crackers and crumbs. Since his dx our whole family eats gluten free at home and while around him. We are very careful, which is why we cleaned the couch after discovering the nasty pre-gluten-free snack collection hidden in the couch. I made sure to vacuum the fabric really well but the crumbs were almost like sand. I clean the part of the couch under the cushions but it was staggering just how much was shoved in there. We have 3 small kids and we don't let them eat out in the living room very often, well that's my rule that dad likes to break. Our kids take the cushions off daily, toys get shoved in/out from under the cushions all the time so it would be very easy for gluten to come in contact with something he is playing with. What would you do? Thoughts? 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I think it's likely that, if he saw a Cheerios, he ate it. Are the other kids still eating gluten snacks? If so, that's you most likely place he is getting gluten. I'm sure if he sees the others eating something, he wants it, too.

shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

Get one of those big slip covers to cover the whole thing and to keep the crumbs from getting everywhere?

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

I didn't elaborate enough. Since he was diagnosed 5 months ago we haven't let anything thing with gluten enter our house, unless by a rookie mistake. We all eat gluten-free at home, all the kids eat the same gluten-free snacks. The cheerios and goldfish crackers could have been 3 years old. They were really deep in there! We cleaned out every single thing in the craves (there is a space were you can stick your hand in between the springs and the back & arms of the couch) so he could not have found a rough cheerio. 

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

He was also in a completely different room while we did it, and we made sure to clean up very carefully, cleaned the floor and vacuumed the couch the best we could. 

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

What about getting the couch cleaned, if you think there are still crumbs in it? Or maybe a slip cover like Wolfie suggested? Sell the kids? Maybe not.... Time for a new couch?

I know what you mean about the ground down crumbs. They are in the little cracks and the kids stick the beanie baby doggie or Power Ranger in the crevices where you can't even get your fingers in. Not sure why they do that, but it makes sense to little ones.

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

I think i need to do something, I just felt the fabric that covers the springs and it's covered in a microscopic crumb dust even though I've vacuumed it several times since then. 

 

I do think about selling my kids but for different reasons! ;)

 

I'll look into the slip cover thing and or cleaning it (just did 2 months ago), or our couches are still in good condition but are 8 years old so I might be able to sweet talk the hubs into a new one.

 

 

 

Edit to add: Not sure if I should just take the money for cleaning and a slip cover and put it toward new couch or not. What would you do? Am I being paranoid? 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

Eh, how much do you like the couch? I despise shopping for them, its so hard to find the right one.

 

Price comparison, slip cover would make do until you could find the one you like.

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

You could look into professional cleaning services also. I love slip covers though, it gives you a chance to spruce things up, especially with spring cleaning around the corner, and give the room a new look with a super cheap price. And with kids around and the inevitable messes, really easy to clean! I hated the idea of new furniture when my kids were little. I didn't understand the point of buying new furniture just to have it stained up and used as a trampoline. That is more of a when they ship out to college or if it breaks thing. :D

mamaupupup Contributor
mamaupupup
Posted

You are a great Mom!  I was CRAZY with the cleaning I did...I have those $100 slipcovers over couches I got pre-kids...sanitized them, put 'em back on.  I replaced all my pots and pans, toaster, baking sheets, etc... I even emptied every cabinet, put down new contact paper, etc.  Somehow a chocolate maltball made it through all of that...showed up randomly in the middle of a shelf one day!!!???

 

Do whatever is going to make YOU sane ;)  , keep your kiddos healthy, and keep your marriage intact ;).  My poor husband had to even replace all his tropical fish food--it all had gluten in it.  I think that for him was (almost) the final straw in our purging efforts.  Remember to check things like the dog food too...

 

Also, I vaccuumed my car a gazillion times...no doubt kids drop things and there are sneaky places those crumbs hide...

 

Thinking of you!

xoxoxo

1974girl Enthusiast
1974girl
Posted

If he is getting glutened, I wouldn't think the couch would be the first thing that popped in my mind.  I would guess eating out, grandma's house, or playdough. Maybe even another food sensitivity.    My GI doctor had a good long talk with me about keeping my sanity after my husband told her I was going crazy.  And he wasn't joking.  I had accidently given her something with hidden gluten in it (not on label as rye or barely) and it freaked me out for days.  I saw everything as poison to her.  She (who is a strict doctor) told me, "One cigarette a year won't kill a person.  One cigarette a month won't kill a person.  It is just like that with gluten. Oh, she might have a little diarreah but it won't kill her to get accidently glutened."  So when I looked at it that way, I lightened up.  Not with my gluten but with my obsession that everything was going to cause lymphoma. 

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

I'm careful but I'm certainly realistic about keeping my son safe from gluten. I'm not freaking at all. We don't eat out, have a grandma's house near by to go to, nor do we keep playdough in the house. I'm not trying to come up with something to worry about. My husband and I actually watched him magically pull a binkie out of the couch (I thought they were all in the kitchen) and stick it in his mouth yesterday evening. Today, he's already pooped 3 times and it's only 8:30am and he is terribly fussy. Maybe it's just coincidence  I don't know, maybe this is his normal but my child having diarrhea and a bright red bum is not ok with me. I think I'm picking up a slip cover today. 

 

Oh and what got me thinking about the whole couch thing is because he has been glutened somehow several times over the last month and I have no idea how. I found some toys and a binkie in the cough the other day and they were covered in crumbs. 

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

Wow, I really didn't mean for that to sound defensive. I had a REALLY rough morning with the kids today!

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I think the difference in this thread about getting glutened by a couch and a previous one about adults sitting on a couch that a pet that ate gluten 2 years ago sat on is:

This lady has kids that LOVE to put stuff down in the little crevices of the couch. She has tried to vacuum out the crumbs she can feel in there but they aren't coming out. The kids continue to push stuff way down in and then put the toy in their mouths. Obviously, in an ideal world, she could tell her little angels not to put stuff in the cushions and they would magically stop. Or keep the kids away from all furniture that can't be hosed off! :)

Jamie1450 Apprentice
Jamie1450
Posted
  • Author

Thank you kareng!!

 

Hose-offable furniture....hmmm.... :rolleyes:

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Thank you kareng!!

 

Hose-offable furniture....hmmm.... :rolleyes:

My boys are 17 and 20 and that is still a good idea!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,858
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Janet1234
    Newest Member
    Janet1234
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rogol72
      Ibuprofen

      By Rogol72 · Posted

      Some interesting articles regarding the use of Zinc Carnosine to help heal gastric ulcers, gastritis and intestinal permeability. I would consult a medical professional about it's use. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpgasthep0778 https://www.rupahealth.com/post/clinical-applications-of-zinc-carnosine---evidence-review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146259/ https://www.fallbrookmedicalcenter.com/zinc-l-carnosine-benefits-dosage-and-safety/
    • Jillian83
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By Jillian83 · Posted

      He is. Which makes everything even more difficult. I’m not a believer in “staying for the kids” but I have nowhere to go and it’s not just me, it’s me plus my babies. We live in a beautiful place, lots of land in the country and me and the kids love the place we’ve called home for their entire lives. But Im seeing that he’ll never change, that my kids deserve a happy healthy Momma, and that staying in this as is will be the early death of me. Then I look at the scars covering my entire body…this disease and the chronic stress I’ve been enduring for years that tell me I’m no longer beautiful and no one will ever look at me with interest again. I try self care, try to give myself grace so I can just start loving myself enough to gain strength but the slightest sparkle in my eye and skip in my step attracts his wrath and it all comes crashing ten fold. Life is just absolutely railing me from every single direction leaving me wanting to wave that white flag bc I don’t feel like there’s much hope no matter what happens. 
    • trents
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By trents · Posted

      Is this man the father of your children?
    • Jillian83
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By Jillian83 · Posted

      Hi, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis after years of suffering without answers. I lost my mind. I lost my job. I lost so much time. I lost Me. Conventional doctors are opulent come near me and the one who did sat across the room, misdiagnosed me, pumped me full of steroids which collapsed my entire hip for 6 months. So without answers I began my holistic journey. Fast forward a couple of years and still struggling with a mysterious whole body itchy, crawling “skin hell”, perfect teeth now deteriorating, thick hair now thinning rapidly and no more than a day or 2 at most relief….An acquaintance opened up a functional medicine practice. Cash only, I found a way. Within a month tests clearly showing my off the charts gluten allergy/sensitivity as well as the depletion of vital nutrients due to leaky gut and intestinal damage. dermatitis herpetiformis was more than likely what I was experiencing with my skin. I was happy. I thought this is easy, eat healthy Whole Foods, follow the diet restrictions and I finally get to heal and feel confident and like myself again very soon! 😔 Supplements are very pricey but I got them and began my healing. Which leads to the other major issue: not working, stay at home Mom of young kids, entirely financially dependent on my man of 7 plus years. He’s never been supportive of anything I’ve ever done or been thru. He controls everything. I’m not given much money ever at a time and when he does leave money it’s only enough to possibly get gas. His excuse is that I’ll spend it on other things. So my “allowance” is inconsistent and has conditions. He withholds money from me as punishment for anything he wants. Since being diagnosed, he’s gained a new control tactic to use as punishment. He now is in control of when I get to eat. He asked for proof of my diagnosis and diet bc he said I made it up just to be able to eat expensive organic foods. Then after I sent him my file from my doctor he then said she wasn’t a real doctor. 😡. I go days upon days starving, sometimes breaking down and eating things I shouldn’t bc I’m so sick then I pay horribly while he gets annoyed and angry bc I’m not keeping up with all the duties I’m supposed to be doing. His abuse turns full on when I’m down and it’s in these desperate times when I need his support and care the most that I’m punished with silence, being starved, ignored, belittled. He will create more of a mess just bc I’m unable to get up and clean so that when I am better, I’m so overwhelmed with chores to catch up that the stress causes me to go right back into a flare from hell and the cycle repeats. I’m punished for being sick. I’m belittled for starving and asking for healthy clean water. I’m purposely left out of his life. He won’t even tell me he’s going to the grocery or to get dinner bc he doesn’t want me to ask him for anything. I have no one. I have nothing. Im not better. My supplements ran out and I desperately need Vitamin D3 and a methylated B complex at the very minimal just to function….he stares at me blankly…no, a slight smirk, no words. He’s happiest when im miserable and I am miserable.  this is so long and im condensing as much as I can but this situation is so complicated and disgusting. And it’s currently my life. The “IT” girl, the healthy, beautiful, perfect skin, perfect teeth, thick and curly locks for days, creative and talented IT girl….now I won’t even leave this house bc Im ashamed of what this has dont to my body, my skin. Im disgusted. The stress is keeping me from healing and I think he knows that and that’s why he continues to keep me in that state. He doesn’t want me confident or successful. He doesn’t want me healed and healthy bc then how would he put the blame of all his problems on me? This journey has been hell and I’ve been in Hell before. I’ve been killed by an ex, I’ve been raped, robbed, held hostage, abused beyond nightmares but the cruelty I’ve experienced from him bc of this disease is the coldest I’ve ever experienced. I’ve wanted to give up. Starving and in tears, desperate…I found a local food pantry in our small town so I reached out just saying I had Celiac and was on hard times. This woman is blessing me daily with prepared gluten free meals, donations, educational info, people who know this disease and how they manage life and the blessings just keep coming. But it’s overwhelming and I feel like I don’t deserve it at all. He just glared and I know he’s going to sabotage it somehow. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I’m so broken and just want peace and healing. 
    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      @Colleen H   I am just curious,  when you were tested for coeliac disease, did the doctors find out if you had any deficiencies? Sometimes muscle pain can be caused by certain deficiencies, for example, magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.   Might be worth looking into having some more tests.  Pins and needles can be neuropathy, again caused by deficiencies, such as iron and B12,  which can be reversed if these deficiencies are addressed. In the UK where I live we are usually only tested for iron, B12 and vitamin D deficiencies at diagnosis.   I was very iron anemic and supplementation made a big difference.  B12 was low normal, but in other countries the UK's low normal would be considered a deficiency.  My vitamin D was low normal, and I've been supplementing ever since (when I remember to take it!) My pins and needles definitely started to improve when my known deficiencies were addressed.  My nutritionist also gave me a broad spectrum supplement which really helped, because I suspect I wasn't just deficient in what I mention above but in many other vitamins and minerals.  But a word of warning, don't take iron unless blood tests reveal you actually need it, and if you are taking it your levels must be regularly monitored because too much can make you ill.  (And if you are currently taking iron, that might actually be making your stomach sore - it did mine, so my GP changed my iron supplementation to a gentler form, ferrous gluconate). Lastly, have you been trying to take anything to lessen the pain in your gut?  I get a sore stomach periodically, usually when I've had too much rich food, or when I have had to take an aspirin or certain antibiotics, or after glutening.  When this happens, I take for just a few days a small daily dose of OTC omeprazole.  I also follow a reflux or gastritis diet. There are lots online but the common denominators to these diets is you need to cut out caffeine, alcohol, rich, spicy, acidic food etc and eat small regularly spaced meals.   When I get a sore stomach, I also find it helpful to drink lots of water.  I also find hot water with a few slices of ginger very soothing to sip, or camomile tea.  A wedge pillow at night is good for reflux. Also,  best not to eat a meal 2-3 hours before going to bed. If the stomach pain is getting worse, though, it would be wise to see the doctor again. I hope some of this helps. Cristiana    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.