Panera's

[Guest cassidy]

I am a sales rep and often buy bagels to bring to my customers. I never eat or drink anything from there because I'm sure there is cross contamination. I felt glutened last week and couldn't figure out what happened, it didn't seem like my normal reaction. My mother mentioned Panera's.

Is it possible to get glutened just be being a a Panera's? I don't know if I'm being paranoid or just stumbled on something that makes sense. Would you feel comfortable going in there?

[cgilsing]

I don't know about inhaling gluten, but I do know Panera's is about the worst place for CC that you could be! I worked there in college (before diagnosis ) and EVERYTHING is covered in bread/wheat. Maybe you could have gotten something on your hands from the countertop/box of bagles/cahier's hands/etc. and then put your hands to your mouth. Just a thought.....I know just being in Panera's would probably make me nervous

[Veronica]

WOW! I'm so excited that I can help you. I'm new to Celiac, but I was told from my gasto dr that you CAN get glutened by inhaling it.

He told me that if I were to bake something for my family with regular flour, if I inhale it, the flour particles go into your nose, down your throat and you actually digest it. Therefore, you react to it.

Now I don't know what or where Panera's is, but if you were in contact with any flour dust, it is possible to react to it. I hope this helps.

[jerseyangel]

Veronica--That's what I always thought about inhaling the gluten! I no longer keep wheat flour in my kitchen at all. It makes perfect sense.

[Lollie]

i'm not sure about inhaleing, say aroma's, but it makes complete sense that if you inhaled the dust, it would be in your system, so you would react. I would think. But I also think there is a real danger of cross contamination from a bakery- the ideas about the box, cashier.....I think are all real dangers!

I loved Panera's in my former life, so I don't go near that place any more! You said that you get stuff for your clients, maybe you could take fruit and rice cakes instead! It would be healthier in general and something you could eat too!

Lollie

[julie5914]

Oh wow, I never thought of that. No wonder I still have intermittent problems. My kitchen is not at all gluten free. My husband tries very hard, but he will often bake a glutenous cake in there and have flour everywhere! And I have so much peer pressure all the time to go to places like Schlotsky's or Panera. People are always saying, "well isn't there something you can eat, like a salad?" Um, well maybe, but who knows what the salad has touched, and by the way, who wants salad!?!

[Guest Pixi]

WOW! I'm so excited that I can help you. I'm new to Celiac, but I was told from my gasto dr that you CAN get glutened by inhaling it.

He told me that if I were to bake something for my family with regular flour, if I inhale it, the flour particles go into your nose, down your throat and you actually digest it. Therefore, you react to it.

Now I don't know what or where Panera's is, but if you were in contact with any flour dust, it is possible to react to it. I hope this helps.

AHHH Really? If I wasn't paranoid before, I sure as heck am now!! Lol, I'm a waitress.. I think I'm going to start wearing a mask to work.

No, seriously.. this freaks me out.

[mookie03]

So funny, i used to LIVE off of Panera when i lived in St Louis (there it is called St Louis Bread Co) and the other day i was in DC and stopped into Panera to use the restroom...well that Panera smell, i would recognize it ANYWHERE, was so strong that my friend actually asked if it was gonna make me sick! She said "wow, if there is an aroma that could cause a gluten reaction, i think this would be the place!" I guess that doesnt answer your question about whether it DOES cause a reaction (i didnt get sick from using the restroom) but i wouldnt go out of my way to go there!

[Guest cassidy]

My mother has dh and she also feels like her throat is closing when she has gluten. She went into a Panera and had her normal gluten reaction. So, I guess the answer is yes, it can happen. I wasn't doubting her reaction when I posted this, I was just in denial and wondering if it made sense for those who don't have skin reactions.

I struggle to feel normal in a job where I have to eat lunch with clients every day. I have started picking something up at health food stores and eating that while they eat the food I brought them. I've gotten glutened too many times, 100 miles from home, in the middle of the day, so I'm just not willing to risk it.

No more bagel runs for me, they can have the grocery store variety, and like it!

[GFManiac]

I do eat at Paneras occasionally. I love their Greek salad and they have a handful of soup varieties that are gluten-free. I always make the person preparing my salad change their gloves first.

The smell does make me nervous too though... now I am having second thoughts. I have no where else to go though !

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

Thank you for posting that question. I had something happen to me the night before last and this confirms my experience.

I live alone 6 months out of the year, and I am a fanatic about what goes in my body. I keep a journal. My 85-year old daddyO winters with me in Florida and lives with me the other 6 months. He says he's not a Celiac. I know he is. I made him go fro m a celiac disease profile we are waiting for the results. Anyway he eats wheat bread, crakers, cheerios, english muffins and crumbs are everywhere in the morning when I get up. I clean like crazy. I think I'm being CC. He says I'm crazy...

He's an incredible cook (he was a VP in the food industy) we take turns cooking.

The other night I was making something yummy in the oven. I walked out of the kitchen for a few minutes to do something. Then he yells "Somethings burning in the oven!" I run in the kitchen and open up the oven to get a blast of bread cooking and without re·al·iz·ing what I'm inhaling it was a half a loaf of Italian bread he put in the oven with my food without me knowing. I saw bread crumbs in the bottom of the oven and closed the door.

Within a minute or two I felt like I was going to pass out from one of my seizures from toxic food. My legs felt like they were rubber and going to give out, and I would passout. My head started to pound... I made it to my bed my body was quivering like I was going to have one of my episodes and lose control of my bowels. I have never had a reaction to inhaling bread cooking before. Within two hours laying down with an ice pack on my head and drinking Pedialyte oral eletrolyte and it passed. I threw out my food in th eoven I wouldn't eat it fearing CC from air bor particles. The next morning I had steatorrhea diarrhea and I know I was glutened.

He didn't believe me. Today I made him read some of THE AUTOIMMUNE CONNECTION (great book) in it Dr Brown the celiac disease guru was quoted thorugh out the chapter on celiac disease. Tonight he said he won't bring bread in the house anymore. I also believe I'm getting CC from the crumbs and the dishwasher (hot water heater) water isn't hot enough or something.

Thanx for the info about inhaling gluten. It comfirms it for me! I'm going to print out this thread and let his read it...