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

Unfortunate Paris Dining Experience

NicoleAJ

Recommended Posts

NicoleAJ Enthusiast
NicoleAJ
Posted

I was so encouraged by the responses of Floridanative and Tanya from Chicago when they said that they spent time in Paris without a single cross-contamination issue. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite so lucky.

I did my research, I went to plenty of pricey and upscale places, used my gluten free dining cards in French from glutenfreetravel.com, tried to find things on the menu that would be naturally gluten free, was excessively polite and showed gratitude for their time, and tried as much as possible to speak in French. During each meal, the waiters/managers would carefully listen about cross contamination issues and other hidden sources of gluten and they would always say "no problem," but I still managed to feel lousy during much of my trip to Paris. Of course I had a wonderful time, but in addition to my tours of the sites, I also ended up taking tours of the majority of McDonald's and Starbuck's bathrooms in Paris. Often times it wouldn't be an immediate and violent reaction--just a prolonged illness, leading me to believe it was cross contamination rather than outright gluten.

Of course it didn't help that my non-celiac boyfriend and I actually got food poisoning at an Indian restaurant there half way through the trip. I usually have great luck with Indian cuisine because much of it is naturally gluten free; however, I immediately felt ill and told my boyfriend that it must be gluten, but he said that he felt exactly the same way. For the next 24 hours we shared the immodium caplets and spent a lot of time slowly sipping tea, staying within a radius of accessible bathrooms. After that I'm not sure if I had gluten problems or simply lingering effects of food poisoning, but it still wasn't pleasant.

Unfortunately, I'm just hypersensitive to gluten and to cross-contamination. I often get ill if I try to go out in the States, and Paris was no different.

The resounding exception to this rule was Le Reminet near Notre Dame--I'll post about it on another thread.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


eleep Enthusiast
eleep
Posted

Ech -- my boyfriend and I had two bouts of food poisoning/stomach flu together over the duration of our relationship -- it was a real bonding experience.

One thing I've tried to use to help explain to people that there's an emotional component to my food reactions is to ask them whether they've had food poisoning -- I'll say "you know that feeling just before you have to run for the bathroom when you feel like there's something terribly wrong and you're going to die? Well -- my reactions are like that on a lesser scale -- the anxious panic hits first!"

I don't recommend this strategy, by the way -- it kind of makes people look all crosseyed at you.

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted

rest edited to comply with board rules

...

During each meal, the waiters/managers would carefully listen about cross contamination issues and other hidden sources of gluten and they would always say "no problem,"

I am honestly not surprised at this for resto's in general in Paris. That is the whole reason for the site.

To be honest I have little success myself eating out randomly and the touristy resto's are the worst, they will say anything to get your custom.

NicoleAJ Enthusiast
NicoleAJ
Posted
  • Author

GFP, these actually weren't restaurants on your list--I never seemed to be in the correct area at the proper time for any of those. I can post to your site, but I do need to look through the old receipts to find out where each of these places were.

I think a map of public restrooms could definitely be helpful, as I was leery about using the pay toilets on the streets.

tanyad Rookie
tanyad
Posted

Hello NicoleAJ,

So sorry to hear about your food poisoning experience in Paris. I am glad that you were able to have a good time, but thats a bummer.

Tanya Davidson

Chicago

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
GFP, these actually weren't restaurants on your list--I never seemed to be in the correct area at the proper time for any of those. I can post to your site, but I do need to look through the old receipts to find out where each of these places were.

I think a map of public restrooms could definitely be helpful, as I was leery about using the pay toilets on the streets.

Yeah those toilets are now free after paying for themselves and standards have declnied accordingly.

A friend was visiting me a few weeks ago from Boston and kept asking me about "symptoms", over dinner of all things!

His wife (a surgeon) gave him a telling off and a couple of days later he had food poisioning or a stomach bug and needed a loo urgently... his wife called it serendipity! He ended up in the auto-loo... LOL

Also if you post about Le Reminet please can I copy it! I never manage to get there ... basically because I often dine with friends at the last minute and one of my best friends is a wine supplier to resto's ... this is good because he knows the owners ... and they make efforts (hence the list I have) but also he can talk to them about "additives" which they will usually deny point-blank ... so the booking policy on Le Reminet along with it not being a resto he knows the owner has meant I never manage to check it out!

NicoleAJ Enthusiast
NicoleAJ
Posted
  • Author

GFP--feel free to use my post about Le Reminet. I've added the post separately on this forum. Also feel free to edit it down if you like because I know that it's excessively lengthy.

Wow, that is both unfortunate and humorous that your friend had the experience with the auto-loo. Is it true that madames have been known to take their clients there, or is that just a traveller's urban legend? Whether it was true or not, I felt it wasn't worth it to check on the cleaniness standards of those toilettes if I could possibly help it.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,553
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jennifer CCC
    Newest Member
    Jennifer CCC
    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.