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How Much Does It Take To Get A Reaction?

AZ Gal

By AZ Gal
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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AZ Gal Apprentice
AZ Gal
Posted

Hello,

This message is out there for anybody to answer. I've been dx'd celiac for about 1.5 years now and usually I do pretty good, I only get myself sick on accident about 3 times a year. However, because of the holidays I'm guessing, I got gluttened somewhere. I can't figure out what it was: eating out, eating at my Aunt's or hand washing my dishes with my children's dishes (not gluten-free kids).

So this is me, I'm a violent reactor:

Day 1: migrain headache

Day 2: horrible bloating and cramping

Day 3: Runny bowels for at least 3/4 of a day...by the end of the day I'm exhausted, but it's over.

The thing is, I've never really wanted to experiment and see how much will make me sick. I've no desire to "cheat" and sneak cookies or cake because I have such a swift and violent reaction. So, it could be something big, like I missed the soy sauce in the Christmas ham and porked out (pun intended) or I'm just getting the crumbs from the dishcloth mixed with my dishes.

I know that a while back they were doing a government survey on how much of a trace of gluten is allowed in food and still be considered okay...so, am I getting sick over crumbs, do you think??? Or did I just miss something big?

Opinions? Personal experiences?

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celiacgirls Apprentice
celiacgirls
Posted

I can't say for you but I know I had symptoms for 2 1/2 weeks from what had to be cc from some french fries. I ordered them from a drive thru and they were supposed to be gluten free in a dedicated fryer. It was the only questionable thing I ate and my stomach hurt afterwards. The next day I woke up with depression and fatigue which lasted 2 1/2 weeks.

So I think it's possible it was just crumbs. I'm hoping they settle on something pretty strict for the government standards.

GlutenWrangler Contributor
GlutenWrangler
Posted

I doubt you missed something big. Tiny amounts cause big reactions. Cross contamination is hard to avoid over the holidays. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I hope you feel better.

-Brian

Guest Kathy Ann
Guest Kathy Ann
Posted

When I'm glutened, symptoms last a good week or more and I'm presently battling continual glutening. I haven't found out from what, but it has to be something VERY small, because I'm VERY careful. For me it obviously doesn't take much. I am considering a very strict diet like paleo or even stricter to see if I can make some headway.

num1habsfan Rising Star
num1habsfan
Posted

It takes me 1 crumb to make me have a few days of reaction, or even the touching of one crumb or a little bit flour in the air or a little bit smoke from burning grains. Its just insane. and if I end up eating some gluten or drinking, its even worse. Its lasted a week, or more--and sometimes I cant even eat from the reaction.

~ lisa ~

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted
or I'm just getting the crumbs from the dishcloth mixed with my dishes.

Opinions? Personal experiences?

AZ Gal, I do all my dishes by hand, and all the other members of my family eat gluten, and I don't think I have had any problems with that.

I do remember once when my cup went through the dishwasher at work, and it came back with a noodle stuck on it. Of all the cups for that noodle to pick, it would be mine. So I am more careful about the dishwasher.

I am very careful in what I eat, but it seems a little bit of gluten,as in a crumb or cross contamination gets me in a big way. If I had eaten a sandwich I could understand the big reaction, but it seems to take just the tiniest bit of gluten to do as much damage (as in stomach complaints) or more. Which is not fair as those circumstances make it all the more harder to figure out where the gluten came from. For myself, I blame the colourings or flavourings in processed food, but that could be clutching at straws. In all honesty I don't know for sure where the glutenings come from.

Cathy

Felidae Enthusiast
Felidae
Posted
AZ Gal, I do all my dishes by hand, and all the other members of my family eat gluten, and I don't think I have had any problems with that.

I do remember once when my cup went through the dishwasher at work, and it came back with a noodle stuck on it. Of all the cups for that noodle to pick, it would be mine. So I am more careful about the dishwasher.

I hand wash all my dishes too and my husband eats regular bread. I wouldn't think it would be from that either. But, I have seen crumbs in my dishwasher after the dishes are clean which is why I started hand washing again.

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AZ Gal Apprentice
AZ Gal
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone for your experiences. It sounds like just the tiniest amount can cause a reaction. I'll keep that inmind. I'm eatin off of paper plates and switched to a "dedicated" sponge HA!! For the immediate future until I get a process worked out with dishes, etc. And if it was something over the holidays, well, I'll never know!

num1habsfan Rising Star
num1habsfan
Posted
I hand wash all my dishes too and my husband eats regular bread. I wouldn't think it would be from that either. But, I have seen crumbs in my dishwasher after the dishes are clean which is why I started hand washing again.

Maybe this will help you: I discovered bread crumbs and such in the water is the culprit of my itchy hands and rashed hands and DH acting up. Try washing dishes wearing heavy gloves (like the yellow rubber work gloves or whatever). See if that'll help you.

~ lisa ~

eLaurie Rookie
eLaurie
Posted

My first "glutening" a few weeks into starting the gluten-free diet this summer occurred when I ordered a salad with no croutons but was brought one with them. I explained to my waitress that I couldn't eat croutons and why, so she took away the salad and brought me one (probably the same salad) with the croutons picked off. I thought the few remaining crouton flakes probably weren't enough to hurt me and ate it, but paid for it all night and the next day in potty time.

Here is an excerpt from "When Temptation Calls" from Columbia University's educational literature Guidelines and Goodies:

"We know that it's only natural for a person embarking ont the gluten free diet to ask: is it OK to cheat a little, every now and then? How much gluten is too much?

We must answer, with a lot of sympathy but also very firmly: it's never OK, and any gluten at all is too much. Please bear in mind, it takes as little as one-eighth of a teaspoon to cause changes or damage to the intestine or the skin. For those who aren't in the habit of using measuring spoons, one-eight of a teaspoon is equivalent to something like half a peanut - a really small peanut."

I got the Columbia materials at their Celiac Symposium in November. Am not sure if they can be purchased but the contact info is celiac@columbia.edu - telephone number is 212.342.4529. Their website is www.celiacdiseasecenter.org

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

I ate one small piece of a flourless torte made by a friend who didn't specifically re-wash all of her utensils and bowls prior to making the torte and I could tell I was CC'd, although the reaction didn't last for very long.

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