Touching & Eating Gluten

[Guest Wheat Free Me]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could explain the conflicting information about touching and eating gluten. I found an article on this site that said only a small percent of people who have celiac disease experience pain if they touch or smell gluten. This in my case is correct. The slightest amount of gluten, even if I smell or touch it, causes extreme stomach pain and horrible headaches. The question is does everyone have that same problem? I've been looking threw the message boards and I can't help but notice that, shampoo, soap, and lotions although not digested still cause people to have problems. So would it be safe to say that most people who have celiac disease are affected, pain wise, when using ANYTHING that contains gluten? Or is it that most people will get some sort of reaction but they won't experience horrible pain? I'm on a gluten free diet. I never cheat!!!!!!!! And if I touch or inhale any form of gluten I can't function. Does everybody have the same problem?

[Franceen]

I do not have any problems with touching gluten. I feed my 94-yr-old father whole wheat toast and cookies and triscuits, and Ritz and sandwiches and many other gluten'd foods. I touch them a lot to make and feed them. I also assume I "breathe" them too (but not much!). It turns out that most of my favorite lotions, soaps, shampoos, creams don't have gluten in them, but I have used some that do and did not react. I do not check makeup for gluten and haven't had a problem. Then again, I have DH, and have no evidence of damage to intestines/cilli at last test. I have been gluten free DIET-wise since December and my awful awful DH rash has just about completely disappeared.

Although many on this forum disagree and probably rightfully (for them), my Dr. believes that are "degrees of sensitivity" - and that seems to have proven true FOR ME (ONLY!!). I have accidentally ingested a very very minute amount of gluten in a sauce (one time, small amount in sauce, small amount of sauce eated) and not had a reaction. And I've CHEATED (waffles while traveling) and had a huge reaction.

HOWEVER< I DO react to too much iodine and I get DH rash if I put iodized salt on my skin!

GO FIGURE. My Dr. says I have a sensitivity level that only I can determine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Basically I don't EAT gluten. That seems to work for me - but definitely not for others. We are all different.

[zip2play]

my Dr. believes that are "degrees of sensitivity" - and that seems to have proven true FOR ME (ONLY!!).

I agree with your DR! I have also learned it might be the type of gluten for me. Raw forms of flour (or nearly raw) just about kill me. I can't make cookies or cakes, breathing in the flour causes me MAJOR issues. Pancakes, since not cooked at high temps, KILL ME as well! But I can have an occassional bit accidentally of stuff that is cooked at high temps and don't have major issues. So, I complete agree. Just as there is various levels of peanut allergies and such, gluten intolerance I too believe has levels.

That being said, I don't eat gluten of any form. NOt worth the trouble!

Monica

I should add, I touch my children's already made cookies, sandwiches and such and have no problems.

Monica

[kbtoyssni]

I don't have any problems with touching gluten. I even like to smell my friend's gluten treats. I have no desire to eat them, but they do smell good

I always assumed that touching gluten would only affect people with DH, but you've just proved me wrong.

[hez]

I do my best to avoid touching gluten. Not because I have a reaction, I just get sick of washing my hands. I do have to make sandwhiches for the kids and their snacks. After handling I wash my hands carefully. I did get rid of my lotion, make up and shampoo that had gluten. Mostly because I got sick from licking my fingers (I was eating) after recently putting on lotion. For me it is just easier not to use products with gluten.

Hez

[Cornhusker]

My feeling is that most of the people who have stories to tell, have those stories because they are highly sensitive. Nobody wants to tell a tale where nothing happens. Therefore when viewed from the perspective of this message board, the extreme elements of the disease tend to carry more weight.

In my opinion, I see no reason to believe that celiac disease doesn't follow a somewhat normal statistical distribution. Meaning you'll have a portion on one end of the bell curve that is relatively unaffected and asymptomatic, a good portion of people in the middle, and another small portion on the other extreme. Those on the extreme end are the ones with the problems, questions, and concerns. Therefore, they're the ones who do a good deal of posting.

[Nantzie]

I found that if I touched something gluten, and didn't wash my hands before I ate something myself, I got sick. So I just wash my hands before I eat, or while cooking something gluten-free. With a 2yo and a 4yo, who both eat gluten, I'm touching gluten quite often. I never get any symptoms just from it getting on my skin though.

Nancy

[key]

I really wish that some one knew whether wheat is absorbed through shampoo into your body. I changed this two months ago and felt much better, but was doing some other things too, so wasn't sure if that was the culprit. Then I have been using it again a couple of times, but also ate at Chipotle's two times this past week. I am not sure where it came from and it is frustrating to not know. I seem to be someone very sensitive, but sometimes I just don't know. You don't want to be a basket case, but you want to do what is best. I am frustrated that I can't seem to eat out anywhere without getting gluten. I wish they would come up with a pill to take just for eating out. When I get gluten, I suffer with C and stomach discomfort for the three days following.

Sorry I am no help.

Monica

[ArtGirl]

I really wish that some one knew whether wheat is absorbed through shampoo into your body.

It is my understanding that the gluten molecule is too large to be absorbed through the skin. I think the probelm with shampoo is that it can easily make its way into your mouth. Do those with DH break out from contact on their skin? or is it the result of ingesting it.

I don't think I'm super sensitive to gluten where breathing it is a problem. But I do wash my hands carefully after touching any gluten laden food - I only just realized that there's gluten in dog biscuits and now I also wash my hands after giving the dogs their treats and when filling their food bowls. [the gluten-free life is full of challenges].

I also agree with Cornhusker's observations that those who have more severe symptoms and are more sensitive to glutening post more - because they need more support and have more questions. I post few questions becuase it's mostly been already discussed and reading through old threads has answered almost all of my questions and educated me about things I didn't even know I needed to know.

[lovegrov]

Some people are also allergic to wheat. This could explain reactions from breathing or touching.

richard