Oh My Goodness

[Canadiangirl]

It's been awhile since I have posted. I feel like I am in a nightmare! I have been taking the same multivitamin for about 3 years. Its actually 3 pills, through a company of a freind of mine. I assumed ( first mistake) it was fine as when she introduced me to them I was just really begining to understand my Celiac and gluten awareness. A label said " no naturally occuring gluten". I assumed( again...big mistake) it was fine. I ran out of my vitamins about a month ago. I noticed within a week my skin broke out, and I was bruising easily so i ordered a new box. BUT today when it arrived I thought - may as well read the ingredients. To my horror, Maltodextrin AND Modified Food Starch are among the first non-medical ingredients. I felt sick! I called my freind and explained...her reponse? " well, i wonder how much it really contains. sometimes they have to list it b/c its made on the same equipment, or maybe it just has trace amounts" oh my word!!!! I kindly and breifly said, yet again, I cannot even have traces of gluten. Its really not good for me.

Anyways, I have sent the vitamins back. I just cant beleive this!!! And now I am thinking, HOLY COW what have I been putting in my body! Another light bulb just went on as well, I have had this terrible skin condition on my scalp for....ding ding... about 3 years!!!! I wonder if it will clear now?

What can I do to heal? I am soooo choked at msyelf for being so niave! I would sometime throw up the vitamins within 20 minutes of taking them and I thought it was just b/c they were potent! Now I know my body was like " hello!!!! please dont take these!"

Thanks for listening:(

[JNBunnie1]

It's been awhile since I have posted. I feel like I am in a nightmare! I have been taking the same multivitamin for about 3 years. Its actually 3 pills, through a company of a freind of mine. I assumed ( first mistake) it was fine as when she introduced me to them I was just really begining to understand my Celiac and gluten awareness. A label said " no naturally occuring gluten". I assumed( again...big mistake) it was fine. I ran out of my vitamins about a month ago. I noticed within a week my skin broke out, and I was bruising easily so i ordered a new box. BUT today when it arrived I thought - may as well read the ingredients. To my horror, Maltodextrin AND Modified Food Starch are among the first non-medical ingredients. I felt sick! I called my freind and explained...her reponse? " well, i wonder how much it really contains. sometimes they have to list it b/c its made on the same equipment, or maybe it just has trace amounts" oh my word!!!! I kindly and breifly said, yet again, I cannot even have traces of gluten. Its really not good for me.

Anyways, I have sent the vitamins back. I just cant beleive this!!! And now I am thinking, HOLY COW what have I been putting in my body! Another light bulb just went on as well, I have had this terrible skin condition on my scalp for....ding ding... about 3 years!!!! I wonder if it will clear now?

What can I do to heal? I am soooo choked at msyelf for being so niave! I would sometime throw up the vitamins within 20 minutes of taking them and I thought it was just b/c they were potent! Now I know my body was like " hello!!!! please dont take these!"

Thanks for listening:(

I'm so sorry to hear all that. I hope you feel better soon.

[ShayFL]

Try not to be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes. You can correct it now and move on. I hope you feel better soon.

[aikiducky]

Maltodextrin and modified food starch don't automatically contain gluten, they can be made of corn for example. Did you check this with the company?

Pauliina

[Ursa Major]

Maltodextrin and modified food starch don't automatically contain gluten, they can be made of corn for example. Did you check this with the company?

Pauliina

Pauliina, you are right. But why would she throw up after taking them? That makes me think they may have gluten. On the other hand, maybe Canadiangirl is intolerant to corn or whatever the starch is that is in those vitamin pills?

[slmprofesseur]

Usually modified food starch (unspecified source) is usually wheat. You should probably call to find out. I usually go for something that is clearly labeled. Hope you feel better soon!

[ravenwoodglass]

Usually modified food starch (unspecified source) is usually wheat. You should probably call to find out. I usually go for something that is clearly labeled. Hope you feel better soon!

In the US modified food starch in FOOD muct be labeled as wheat if it is and in food if it is not specified it must be corn. This same rule does NOT apply for meds or supplements. There are no labeling regs for those and the binders can change at will. Also with supplements ingredients like wheat germ oil and barley grass etc can and are often in items that are supposed to be gluten-free. We need to use care, contact the maker and verify all ingredients on any meds or supplements we use. This applies especially to generic drugs as they can change binders at will.

[Canadiangirl]

Thanks for all of the replies! This is so nice. I actually did not verify wih the company the source of the maltodextrin and mod. food starch. I paniced! I will do this! how great would it be if i just overreacted!! But i am still pretty sure. The whole scalp/sickness thing makes me very nervous - I'll let ya'll know!

[Canadiangirl]

hello all,

so the compny got back to me very quickly. how nice! however, as suspected:

"The Modified Food Starch in the Double X is derived from corn or wheat

starch, we use both.

At this time, we are not able to certify that all products available

through Quixtar are gluten free. Please note that there are currently no

Canadian regulations regarding the use of the term "gluten-free". We expect

this to change within the next few years, but at this time, a product label

may say "gluten-free" if there is no known source of gluten added to the

product. However, this does not guarantee that the product is actually free

of any trace amounts of gluten."

LAME!

Does anyone know why canada has no regulations regarding gluen free labeling?? Does this mean I can not trust "gluten free" to be gluten free ????

[home-based-mom]

LAME!

Does anyone know why canada has no regulations regarding gluen free labeling?? Does this mean I can not trust "gluten free" to be gluten free ????

I'm not sure about Canadian laws, but as ravenwoodglass posted, in the USA allergens in medications and supplements do NOT have to be labeled. It would seem that everyone but the FDA can see how asinine that is, but whatever . . .

Even worse, once regulations do go into effect, companies will be allowed to label a product as "Gluten Free" if the gluten it contains is below a set minimum, such as 20 ppm. So "Gluten Free" may or may not really be "Gluten Free" so no you will not be able to trust it.

[Canadiangirl]

holy cow. i think this is unbelievably terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!