Family Glutening Me In gluten-free Household

[skullgrl]

I was diagnosed 7 months ago roughly and I've been gluten-free ever since. Our household has been pretty much gluten-free since then (obviously the beginning was rocky). The only time there is gluten in the household is once in awhile my non-celiac family members will have something gluten-y and then promptly clean the area where they consumed it. Nothing is allowed in the kitchen. 

 

Anyways, I've gotten consistently glutened here in the past and December was actually a pretty good month. Last night I sat down at dinner and after I asked someone to grab a drink for me (I need an x-ray to confirm but the Dr. said my foot is probably broken). My Dad poured me a glass of ginger ale and he accidentally dropped the cap on the floor. So my Mom and I said don't put that back on the ginger ale and spoke for a minute about it. When we finished speaking my Dad reaches for the cap and goes to put it back on. We realize by the time its just touched the rim and told him no! Turns out he wasn't listening at all to us. So I said I wasn't going to drink from that one and that I couldn't. My brother said, "It only touched it a little, its fine." I reiterated that I couldn't.

 

Fast foreword to today, I was sitting on the couch and my brother grabs me a drink and I take a big sip and look down and see a ginger ale bottle without a cap and look over to the kitchen where the new bottle. There really should have been some sound effect for me realizing had just happened. I told my brother and he just said it would be fine. Well, positive thinking can't fix glutening. I have a very clean timeline to glutening - it pretty much always takes 30 mins so I know where it came from.

 

I live at my boyfriend's half the week and his apartment is not strictly gluten-free and even though I quite sensitive I've only gotten sick there once. (I touched his keyboard and absentmindedly touched my mouth) I just don't understand why I always have to come home and get sick. I can't remember whether it was Nov or Oct but I was sick 3/4 of the weeks. I also feel bad for my Mom who works really hard to try and keep me safe from my brother/dad. It's really hard trying to heal myself with this going on.

 

Thanks for reading

[kareng]

I would wash the cap off if it touched the floor - germs, dirt, cat hair being more an issue than gluten. I live with 2 (3 during college breaks) gluten eaters. I don't get glutened from crumbs I cannot see on computer keyboards, etc. obviously, you wouldn't be touching things with big crumbs. I think the more likely is:

someone using the PB, as an example, and putting the knife back in a few times

Using the colander that drains gluten pasta

Someone forgetting and putting the spoon they are stirring gluteny pasta into the gluten-free pasta

Putting the top of the ketchup or BBQ sauce onto the gluten bread ( not squeezing or pouring an inch above the bread ( I tell them to pour onto the meat in case they slip) really, this habit is another germ issue and for everyone's protection).

Grabbing out cheese slices after they get the bread out instead of before

Eating something you assume is gluten-free and would be surprised to find out it isn't - corn flakes and Rice Krispies are 2 examples we see a lot on here.

[skullgrl]

I would wash the cap off if it touched the floor - germs, dirt, cat hair being more an issue than gluten. I live with 2 (3 during college breaks) gluten eaters. I don't get glutened from crumbs I cannot see on computer keyboards, etc. obviously, you wouldn't be touching things with big crumbs. I think the more likely is:

someone using the PB, as an example, and putting the knife back in a few times

Using the colander that drains gluten pasta

Someone forgetting and putting the spoon they are stirring gluteny pasta into the gluten-free pasta

Putting the top of the ketchup or BBQ sauce onto the gluten bread ( not squeezing or pouring an inch above the bread ( I tell them to pour onto the meat in case they slip) really, this habit is another germ issue and for everyone's protection).

Grabbing out cheese slices after they get the bread out instead of before

Eating something you assume is gluten-free and would be surprised to find out it isn't - corn flakes and Rice Krispies are 2 examples we see a lot on here.

 

All our food is gluten-free (and I don't buy anything that has a chance of CC) except for the occasional pizza the rest of the family orders when I'm not around. After which they clean the table. The problem is we don't have any of those things in our house.

[kareng]

All our food is gluten-free (and I don't buy anything that has a chance of CC) except for the occasional pizza the rest of the family orders when I'm not around. After which they clean the table. The problem is we don't have any of those things in our house.

Then I don't see how they are glutening you. But, if they put dirty caps back on food, maybe you are getting a touch of food poisioning? Effects you worse right now because you need to heal? Normal guts process lots of germs everyday and don't get sick.

[answerseeker]

I've never heard of getting glutened from a cap touching the floor?

[pricklypear1971]

If the house of gluten-free except for takeout pizza, etcetera you should look into if people are bringing in gluten foods on the sly. My son does it (did it?). He'll shove half eaten bags on gluteny pretzels on his backpack (backpack goes on kitchen table, homework and crumbs pulled out together) or bring gluteny candy in the house and dump wrappers all over (including crumbs). I've found bags of chips in his jeans....crumbs falling out of pockets. I did get hit once this way - he was doing quite a bit of this and I cracked down on it.

In the beginning things are weird, but if you think you're getting glutened it's worth looking into. Of course, as Mom I have more authority than you do when it comes to handing down rules and consequences at home.

[IrishHeart]

I am trying to understand exactly  how you would be glutened from a bottle cap falling on the floor. Just can't be possible, hon unless the floor is filled with wheat flour or bread crumbs.

Just highly unlikely, IMO.

 

You mention there is "nothing gluten-y allowed in the kitchen" so then, the chances are pretty good there are no crumbs on that floor. 

 

Your family is not glutening you, based on what you have told us,  but perhaps something else is causing you to be ill. 

[bartfull]

It sounds to me like your Dad is clueless about gluten, and your brother is actually "anti-gluten-free". With your brother's attitude, do you think it's possible he is deliberately sabotaging you? I agree with the others that the cap dropping on the floor shouldn't gluten you, but if your brother is annoyed by having to eat gluten-free in the house, maybe he is sneaking gluten into things just to try to get even?

[Nikki2777]

I agree ts not the bottle cap.. More likely its their attitude of "a little bit won't hurt you". being applied to gluten items.

[IrishHeart]

HUH? I still do not see how a (possibly dirty from hitting the floor briefly) bottle cap and a glass of ginger ale (which is G F) can be construed as her family "conspiring against her" to gluten her.

 

 

Seriously, let's be realistic here. This incident is hardly evidence of that kind of malicious behavior.

[GottaSki]

I guess I'm not understanding either...if the home is gluten free how did dropping the cap get gluten on it and when it dropped....how did anything get inside the cap?

 

If your brother said it only touched it a little...was he talking about it touching the floor? or obvious source of gluten?

 

Any family that has removed gluten to the extent mentioned for a family member that is only living there part time seems to be aware....even with awareness....none of us are perfect.  

 

You will likely be accidentally glutened as it does happen, but if you are having frequent reactions...I'd look to other possible food intolerances.  When I removed gluten I replaced glutenous items with other foods that I was unknowingly intolerant of.

[dilettantesteph]

It is really hard when you can't be sure what caused your reaction.  You have to depend on other people to not expose you and you can't know if they have or not.  They don't take it seriously so they aren't careful.  They won't tell you if they may have exposed you to something because they don't believe that it could be a problem.  To figure out what is causing problems you need to have as few variables as possible.  Could you maybe set up a mini kitchen in your room with a dorm fridge and a microwave?  Don't go in the kitchen.  Then if you get sick, you will know that it something that you are eating and not a cap on the floor.  Then again, maybe it was your family and it will make you well.  I would get some crutches or hop around and get your own drinks.  I wouldn't trust people who might expose me to gluten.

 

I hope you feel better soon and stay that way.

[skullgrl]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! The community here is so amazing. I don’t think I was as clear yesterday with my post as I could have been so I will attempt to clarify. (Brain fog is no fun) I probably should have waited until my mind cleared a bit before posting but I was really angry and needed to vent.

I should first say that while my kitchen is gluten-free, the floor of said kitchen is probably not. Also, there were a lot of problems awhile ago with people not washing their hands before putting away the dishes. Mainly my father who would have a beer and then put away the dishes.

Kareng – That is a possibility and it actually happened with me once with mushrooms I didn’t wash as thoroughly as I thought I did. My boyfriend ate the exact same ones and was fine but I really wasn’t. I hope it was just that rather than gluten because the effects went away much quicker than those of gluten.

Pricklypear1971 – That could definitely be part of the issue. My brother wouldn’t be the cause of this but my Dad is likely the culprit if that is the case.

Bartfull/Nikki2777/IrishHeart – I don’t believe there to be any malicious intent, I’ve educated them both, and my mother has as well. I think it comes down to apathy or not thinking about the consequences of their actions. Most of the times I’ve been glutened (not including the beginning, because I had NO idea what I was doing. “Hey, Pizza Pizza has a gluten-free pizza, let’s order that.”) I can trace it back to one of them. Although mainly my father.

GottaSki – It took me a long time to figure out that dairy isn’t my friend right now. I think I might try looking to see if I have any others.

[dilettantesteph]

I see that your reply was only minutes after mine, so you might not have seen it.  Please forgive me for reposting if you did.

 

It is really hard when you can't be sure what caused your reaction.  You have to depend on other people to not expose you and you can't know if they have or not.  They don't take it seriously so they aren't careful.  They won't tell you if they may have exposed you to something because they don't believe that it could be a problem.  To figure out what is causing problems you need to have as few variables as possible.  Could you maybe set up a mini kitchen in your room with a dorm fridge and a microwave?  Don't go in the kitchen.  Then if you get sick, you will know that it something that you are eating and not a cap on the floor.  Then again, maybe it was your family and it will make you well.  I would get some crutches or hop around and get your own drinks.  I wouldn't trust people who might expose me to gluten.

 

I hope you feel better soon and stay that way.