Cigars

[Ennis-TX]

Well I was given a cigar for my birthday, well I gave up smoking years ago but decided oh well. After a few hits I felt my lymph nodes, and a few other early signs and stopped. Did a bit of research and seems wheat based flour is a common glue used on cigars. Hoping the gut issues that happens when consumption occurs will not be present. I have washed my hands several times and used mouth wash four times and now praying nothing more then the light fog I feel coming on will occur. Any one else had this happen?

[Ennis-TX]

Update on this, I did not get the gut pain I normally get, I have had mildly loose stools, slight fog, little bumps on my upper back, and extreme fatigue since then.

[Scott Adams]

I indulge occasionally with friends and have never had any issues with cigars.

[Awol cast iron stomach]

I find when I am damaged cc or exposed to gluten (after strict removal for 4 years) , I am sensitivite to lots of things. It opens can of worms for me food wise and environmental.  I have respiratory problems with dust, perfumes, air freshners, fresh cut grass, smoke from cigarettes/ cigars , industrial cleaners and fresh roadwork asphalt/tar. The smoke can just be on clothes and I smell it several feet away. 20 years ago I had to shower when I came home from working in bar or restaurant smoking section.  This year I had to painfully explain to my current boss I had to step outside to fresh air due to her perfume, air freshener etc. That was a tough one.

 The exposure to gluten is like a portal that just domino effects me once I get damaged. The immune system becomes hypersensitive in all capitals. When I have a good stretch I can take these environmental trigger exposures in stride, once I get annihilated by gluten like I have had in 2016 with my cc and gluten challenge  it floods back.

 These environmental exposures predominantly  trigger symptoms migraines , nausea, shortness of breath, light headedness . It has been clarified by my recent DR (looking at me for celiac/ food intolerance s) some of my former diagnosis of IBS, asthma, environmental allergens for me was not found currently.  They are careful to "undiagnose" me but the results show I can inhale/exhale just fine to pass the tests so it's not asthma. I don't recall in literature those with asthma being cured, so one can infer I never had asthma. I told them funny I've only used my medicine twice in  8 years it didn't seem to work. They carefully replied that inhaler has a different medicine than the one we find you need. Simply put it was the wrong medicine prescribed 8 years ago, that instinctly I knew not to take.

I believe some of my environmental inherent funky triggers goes back to my past history of wearing wheat powdered gloves in my lab based years. (Latex can rev up my immune system by my observation as a delayed hypersensitivity ) that's why I'm grateful most Dr use nitrile now. I don't use latex Bandaids etc.

It's possible they use wheat in the glue as you know it's everywhere, but it's also possible you maybe sensitive to smoke at this juncture. For me I have a history of personal knowledge of environmental respiratory irritants that I know link to likely a time period I also was exposed to fine airborne powdered wheat based gloves multiple times a day in school/ part time work in conjunction with being in smoke filled bars and dating a smoker in that time period. This was also the time period I began being hospitalized for gastroenteritis and then diagnosed with IBS. 20 years later smoke can haunt me if my gi tract is vulnerable like it is right now. I don't smoke, my spouse doesn't, fortunately even my dad stopped. My smoking coworker can literally take my breath away even though she doesn't smoke at work its on her clothes.

Were you exposed to smoke regularly at a former non diagnosed celiac time to smoke when you were very ill? Work in bar, parent smoke, significant other etc? You may forget but the immune system may not have. One of my immune pathway remembers the time.

Lastly you answered my fried food inquiry  trigger last month. It occurred again bad nausea and gi when a local fast food chain next to my bank exposed me inadvertently to airborne environmental burger fumes. Pumping out at a busy lunch hour. Note to self no bank visits at typical mealtimes. My kids could smell the scent of grilled burgers too so it wasn't just me imagining it. I however I got nauseous. As you helped me then,  realize I could be sensitive. I hope I can give you some food for thought now. You may have to avoid smoke now  as I found currently fried glutinous  fast food fumes can make me ill too. These environmental exposures can be maddening.

Feel better soon. Be well.

[Awol cast iron stomach]

Oh and most importantly happy belated birthday!

[Scott Adams]

Not to promote smoking in any way, but this is an interesting article:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/24190/1/Could-Less-Cigarette-Smoking-Mean-More-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

There is some research that shows smoking tobacco may somehow protect people from celiac disease...strange but true.

[cyclinglady]

Well, here is a more current study (2014 vs. 2001 and 1996) comparing smoking (smoking and snuff use) and found that smoking or snuff does not impact celiac rates one way or another:

Open Original Shared Link

Here is a rebuttal to the study Van Zantac published:

Open Original Shared Link

So, as a non-scientist and a Mom, I would recommend not smoking anything.....even pot ( marajuana) which is now legal in my state (maybe some gluten-free marajuana brownies, for medicinal purposes only, of course! ?!)