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

Situational Illness

ErraticBinxie

Recommended Posts

ErraticBinxie Explorer
ErraticBinxie
Posted

I know that inhaling flour can make you sick. It has happened to people I have known before. It gets into your body, it makes you sick.

I have had a rather unfortunate thing happen to me. I just started college and moved into the dorms. The dorm I was assigned shares a fence with a BREAD FACTORY. I was appaled. It smells like bread baking ALWAYS. They even make it in the middle of the night. The smell makes me sick to my stomach because I have been gluten-free for so long, the thought of wheat bread makes me want to vomit. That's not the problem though. I have had really bad stomach aches since I moved in. My stomach seems to be more sensitive than usual. I'm wondering if living next to this bread factory is making me sick. Could there be like the constant presence of flour in the air that I am inhaling? Any ideas would be appreciated.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast
MySuicidalTurtle
Posted

It is probably just the move and change that has made you sick. You aren't actually in the bread factory inhaling flour so it should be okay.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I am not sure that inhaling flour can "gluten" you, but many people on the site do feel that it is possible.

How long have you been gluten-free? I do think that the longer you are gluten free, you may be more sensitive to glutens that you digest and possibly inhale. Could you work through your college and get a dorm transfer?

Hope that you can work something out. The smell of bread every day would drive me crazy and I never liked bread to begin with.....Kooties in the air, ooooh. But it sure smells good when baking, I will have to give it up to that.

Lisa B.

cornbread Explorer
cornbread
Posted
I am not sure that inhaling flour can "gluten" you, but many people on the site do feel that it is possible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It makes sense to me - flour is dusty. Any room where there has been flour will contain tiny airbourne particles of flour for a while. If you inhale them you will get some in your throat, either via your nose or mouth. If licking an envelope is enough to gluten someone (it is for me!) then breathing in flour certainly would be.

Scary! :o

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted
I am not sure that inhaling flour can "gluten" you, but many people on the site do feel that it is possible.

Loose flour can for sure gluten you...particles get into your digestive tract through your nose and mouth.

jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

I wonder if your feeling sick is related to anxiety--that the smell of bread, reminding you of gluten is making you a bit anxious and keeping your system on edge...

Guest Ziggy10
Guest Ziggy10
Posted

There are different tolerances for different people right? I've heard that there are some celiacs who can handle up to an 8th of a teaspoon of gluten or something like that. So inhaling may not cause it.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted
There are different tolerances for different people right? I've heard that there are some celiacs who can handle up to an 8th of a teaspoon of gluten or something like that. So inhaling may not cause it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some may not react to small amounts but ANY amount of gluten that gets into your system will cause damage.

celiac3270 Collaborator
celiac3270
Posted

Well, any amount within reason. 10 ppm, for example, would not get ANYONE sick--you should not feel symptoms and there would be no intestinal damage from that amount.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

Yep, celiac3270 completely agree...some people have different opinions on amounts though.

Some people may also be more sensitive. There are amounts they say celiacs should be able to tolerate but thats very very minimal amounts.

Some people may say that gluten amounts in products would not be significant too but in my opinion that is way too much.

celiac3270 Collaborator
celiac3270
Posted

But surely no one could react intestinally to 10 ppm. You'd need at least around 100ppm to have a possible autoimmune reaction. And I'd bet over 95% of people here are getting over 10 ppm daily (just the number I chose before). Unless you eat 100% non-processed, have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen and no gluten in your house, you're bound to have at least 10ppm.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted
But surely no one could react intestinally to 10 ppm.  You'd need at least around 100ppm to have a possible autoimmune reaction.  And I'd bet over 95% of people here are getting over 10 ppm daily (just the number I chose before).  Unless you eat 100% non-processed, have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen and no gluten in your house, you're bound to have at least 10ppm.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea, I bet almost everyone gets that amount daily..it's almost inevitable.

  • 3 months later...
Guest BERNESES
Guest BERNESES
Posted

I reacted to 33 ppm!

  • 3 years later...
sonear Newbie
sonear
Posted

I believe it's possible that smelling bread can makes celiacs sick. My family recently bought take out from a wonderful Lebonese restaurant. They make their own flat bread. We ordered it because we were going to a dinner party and wanted to share. It was still steaming and my little boy and I both got several full breaths of the fragrant steam. Almost immediately my boy started showing symptoms. By an hour later I was symptomatic too.

We have also had several incidents of our boy getting glutened at school while someone else in his classroom is making bread. No matter how careful, flour does carry and then settle on surfaces, where it gets touched and moved around.

Trust your gut! ;)

luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

I lived in Miami many years ago and every time we drove past the Holsum Bread factory, this bready yeasty smell would almost overwhelm you!! It took a long time to get used to the smell, but we eventually did.

As far as situational illness goes... I know I sure feel like barfing when I have to spend any time in the same room/ ANY room w/ my jerk of an ex-husband... does that count? ha ha

  • 2 weeks later...
Squidge Newbie
Squidge
Posted

Considering how little gluten it can take to make you sick, it's quite likely. Get a dorm transfer! Gluten can be ingested by inhaling flour. When you do that particles of flour, and thus of gluten, get stuck in you mouth. The next time you eat, you ingest those particles. A bread factory could quite possibly get gluten in the air nearby. Get the transfer and see if it makes you feel better.

Squidge Newbie
Squidge
Posted

Well, any amount within reason. 10 ppm, for example, would not get ANYONE sick--you should not feel symptoms and there would be no intestinal damage from that amount.

Actual research has shown that as low as 0.02 ppm of gluten can cause intestinal damage and most Celiac's patients should stick to less than 2 ppm of gluten to be safe. And even if the threshold really was 10 ppm, flour has 80,000 ppm. Bread factory, still a problem.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,554
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Becky 0163
    Newest Member
    Becky 0163
    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

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.