Completely Frusterated!

[linsmad]

I am new to this board...My husband was diagnosed about 5 years ago with celiac disease. Since that time I have been helping him adjust to his "new lifestyle". I have learned how to bake gluten free breads, cakes, cookies, and make most his his food favorites gluten free. This has been fairly successful, until the past year. The past year has been the most difficult yet. I thought the beginning was difficult, but I find that as time goes on he is more and more sensitive to accidental "glutenings". I have read on this board that other people have trouble with trace amounts of gluten in their system. My husband becomes like a totally different person (One I find incredibly difficult!!!) He makes PMS look mild during these "attacks". Is it normal for your body to become much more sensitive to gluten as time goes on? We have seperate toasters, butter containers, different utensils, etc...With the exception of my entire family going gluten-free can anyone make any other recommendations??? Could there be cross contamination from sponges that are used to clean both gluten-free and non gluten-free foods? Does anyone know of any resources that can help me reduce this as much as possible? I am at my wits end!!! Does anyone know of anything that could be helpful once there is accidental glutening? I am sorry that I am rambling, but as I have said...I am definitely at the end of my rope!!!

Any help would be really appreciated!!!

[gfgypsyqueen]

Wow you've been braving this battle for 5 years without this site! I'm not sure I would have made it that long! I've also had Celiacs for 5 yrs. The becoming more sensitive to gluten the longer he is gluten free is normal. My reactions are HORRIBLE!!! What helps my accidental glutened days/weeks is Motrin and allergy meds. But I have a contact allergy too. The kitchen sponge kills me when it has been used on normal pasta pots and bowls. My hands crack open and bleed. Sometimes my first idication that I have been contaminated is the severely high irritation level and willingness to argue over anything. I have found several levels of glutening (ate gluten, slightly contaminated food, contact).

Does your spouse agree that it has been a hard year? Does he see the symptoms that you see? If so, sit down and talk about what would make it easier for him to get through his reaction? Minimal talking? Try to avoid taking the bait for the arguement? Try tracking his food, drink, and reactions for a few weeks. You may find the culpret that way. Drinks always shock me when they contain gluten.

Also, since it has been such a hard year, look at what he uses or consumes regularly and call EVERY manufacturer. Recheck all your kitchen supplies and storage arrangements. Look for the places for gluten to stick and hide. Maybe replace som of the scarred up cutting boards and hard to clean slotted spoons, etc.

Hopefully you will find what is causing the problems soon.

[Phyllis28]

The best thing to do is take the household totally gluten free. An alternative is to take the kitchen gluten free. I am the one with Celiac and I do the cooking. After many years of sharing the kitchen with my gluten eating husband I finally tossed him out. He has his own "sandwich" making station outside the kitchen. It includes an apartment size refrigerator. a small microwave and a large kitchen cart with cabinets. He has his own flatware, dishes, knives, cutting boards, ect.... All gluten food and any food that will touch gluten is kept here.

Hope everything improves.

[rinne]

Hi, what a great partner you are to take on learning how to bake gluten free!

Good suggestions above, I wonder how is B levels are? I am under the impression that it is very common for celiacs to have low levels of vitamin B, I know that mine were and that once I addressed that the extreme mood swings and rages subsided. Don't get me wrong, I still get angry but I don't lose my tiny little mind over tiny little things anymore.

[linsmad]

thank you all for your great suggestions. I think that I will relegate a section of the kitchen to gluten. And also, get some new colanders and cutting boards. I didn't even think of those places as gluten hiding spots...Good suggestions. Hopefully this will help. I think that I will try to use a separate sponge for when I am cleaning gluten items, so as to avoid any additional cross contaminations. My husband is aware that he does become hostile when he has a contamination issue, although is so argumentative that he often denies that it is the issue. After a few days it passes, and he usually feels terrible that he was so angry and difficult. He even made an appointment with his internist to discuss these situations with him. The internist wasn't sure about the "glutening". I was frusterated that his internist really didn't think that much about it. Rather than glutening he thought maybe he was having blood sugar spikes, and advised him to try and eat regularly =

[Wonka]

Do you still bake gluten items for yourself? I found that I was glutening myself just having regular gluten flour in the house. The stuff gets in the air and I ended up ingesting it.

I scrubbed out all my cupboards and designated one to the gluten items (I didn't want the crumbs falling onto the glutenfree items). I also replaced cutting boards, toaster, any plastic utensils that I cooked with and my colander. I've had alot less cross contamination since then. Oh yes, I also have two dish cloths in the kitchen. One for my glutenfree counter and dishes and one for the gluten counter and dishes (these get replaced everyday or more often if alot of gluten is consumed and spilled by my children - and they have to do the clean up I don't touch their counter).