Does A Hot Dog Have Gluten?

[TammyK]

Hello to the Experts...

My daughter has been having seizures for about 4 weeks now. For 5 years we've been dealing with food allergies and environmental allergies that causes her Asthma (amongst other allergic symptoms). I had her on a very strict diet in the beginning but gradually introduced her back to diary and then to spelt. All along she has been doing fine up to last month (or atleast that's what I thought). Seizures were occuring 4 or 5 times a day until we stopped gluten and casein. She was feeling so much better. Then today, I took her to the local school lunch program (with great reservation) with a gluten-free sandwich in toe hoping she could enjoy part of the meal with her siblings. She peeled off the breading from a corn dog and ate the dog before I knew it. About 4 hours later, she had a small seizure. This was the first one in about two weeks. So what do you think? Was it the dog itself or the breading that "was" around the dog? Could a touch of breading stuck on the dog affect her this much?

This week we finally see a Pediatric Nuerologist in the big city out of our little town. I have fretted and squirmed about this appointment, wondering if I should even go. I have been feeling good about our dietary changes and thinking we had found our solution. After the reoccuring seizure today, I am thinking I should take her afterall. We do not want to give our daughter meds for epilepsy. Oh, and we are in the process of having her tested for Celiac Disease. We saw our ND last week and are waiting test results. Would appreciate anything you want to share.

[ravenwoodglass]

We can't just peel away the gluten. Just like we can't take the toppings off a pizza and then eat them we can't do the same with a bun or a coating of gluten. The hot dog itself may have been okay, noone can say for sure without knowing the brand.

Seizures with gluten do happen, I am one of the ones who also gets them. Unfortunately many neuros don't know the relationship between gluten and the brain. If the neuro does an MRI please be aware that a common finding for those of us with neuropredominant celiac will have lesions called UBOs, unidentified bright objects. These in other countries are diagnostic of celiac but here many neuros are clueless. I was on some very strong antiseizure drugs for many years when the diet was what I really needed. I haven't had another since I was finally diagnosed.

There is a a lot to learn about being gluten free but you have come to a great place for info and support. If you do a search on the neurological effects of gluten quite a bit will come up. I would reccommend that you make yourself as familiar with glutens effect on the nervous system as you can before you see the neuro, it will help you to be able to figure out if he is knowledgable about the effects of gluten antibodies on the brain.

[gfp]

As far as celiac disease is concerned the amount of gluten on anything that has been in a bun is many many times more than you need to be sick. Forget the hot-dog the guy handling the hot dog has just touched gluten and then the hot dog... or used the same tongs.

As far as seizures, I have a friend who gets them and it would seem the same tiniest of tiniest amounts (smaller than you can see with the naked eye) is more than enough.

[debmidge]

The hotdog itself could contain gluten (as a binder/filler).

[loco-ladi]

bulls eye is on the corndog, wrapping or not

also check into pasturized dairy products with kids with asthma this could complicate matters also, in addition kids with asthma should get plenty of magnesioum, salads, spinich or a suppliment also helps

[KristaleeJane]

Most hot dogs DO have gluten but you would have to check the ingredients on each particular brand. Regardless if the hot dog was gluten free or not, she is going to get sick from the bun that her hot dog was in. I agree with ravenwoodglass, if the hotdog was gluten free it is going to be SO cross contaminated from the other food in the kitchen the staff who are handling the buns, ect. If you daughter is having seizures from gluten, its time to be way stricter, and that could include not eating out anymore.

Hope this hepls and Good Luck

[larry mac]

...... She peeled off the breading from a corn dog and ate the dog before I knew it. About 4 hours later, she had a small seizure. .... Was it the dog itself or the breading that "was" around the dog? Could a touch of breading stuck on the dog affect her this much? .....

Don't know nothin 'bout no seizures.

As far as Celiacs eating hot dog or corny dog weinies. The breading in corn dogs is corn meal & wheat flour. What makes it worse though, the dog is dipped in the raw wet batter and then fried in batches with hundreds of corny dogs being fried before the oil is changed. So, I would think it's much, much more risky than simply removing a wienie from a hot dog bun.

best regards, lm

[A-Swiss]

Agreed on the coating part. That is why I avoid places that have a serving line or prep line. People dip their hands/spoons/knives into multiple things and once it is done - you are out. Frankly, that has been the hardest part. Places may have gluten free menues, but they may grab something or cut something in an area that has gluten. I stick to grilled meats that are uncut and steamed veggies as best as possible. Stuff that gets stirred tends to have a higher risk of "spoon switching".

Aside from that, hot dogs are a 50/50 in my book. I bought Hebrew National (great taste by the way) and Omaha Steak hot dogs and both were ok. However, I ran into 2 brands that used wheat as a filler. You just have to read to find out.

[TammyK]

It's now been bout 8 weeks since seizing began. I have been able to greatly reduce her episodes but occassionally one will come out of nowhere. This morning she has one and she used her family toaster. All I can figure. I am slowly starting to understand things and finding that she is triggered by the smallest amount. It is so frustrating. Gluten is in everything! I'm really wondering if I will be able to keep her off meds.. . And how on earth am I going to convince her older 3 teens in the house that all gluten products have to go?

Are Planter Peanuts safe? I think she had one a day later after eating peanuts. Or it could have been the toaster.

Funny thing. She did not react to barely. ?

TammyK.

[lovegrov]

"Most hot dogs DO have gluten but you would have to check the ingredients on each particular brand."

This simply is NOT true. Nathan's is the only hotdog I've ever found that contains gluten, and it's clearly listed. If anybody knows of another brand, please list it.

The corndog problem was almost certainly the covering and very unlikely to have been the hotdog itself.

[torontosue]

Are Planter Peanuts safe? I think she had one a day later after eating peanuts. Or it could have been the toaster.

Funny thing. She did not react to barely. ?

TammyK.

A lot of nuts do have wheat in their coating. I was accidentally glutened eating almonds this way, thought they'd be a safe snack, half way thru the small bag I noticed it on the ingredient list. I'm not sure if it's to help the salt stick to the nuts or just to keep the salt from sticking together in the production line, but it's safer to eat raw nuts.

A rule of thumb, check ALL ingredients before letting her eat them. You'll find gluten showing up in some really wierd places.

[torontosue]

"Most hot dogs DO have gluten but you would have to check the ingredients on each particular brand."

This simply is NOT true. Nathan's is the only hotdog I've ever found that contains gluten, and it's clearly listed. If anybody knows of another brand, please list it.

The corndog problem was almost certainly the covering and very unlikely to have been the hotdog itself.

I was at Costco the other day and had to go thru about 4 different hot dog brands before finding one that didn't contain wheat as a filler. I don't know if this is just common in Canada, but I see more with then without.

[GFinDC]

Hello to the Experts...

My daughter has been having seizures for about 4 weeks now. For 5 years we've been dealing with food allergies and environmental allergies that causes her Asthma (amongst other allergic symptoms). I had her on a very strict diet in the beginning but gradually introduced her back to diary and then to spelt. Would appreciate anything you want to share.

Spelt is a form of wheat, and has gluten in it!. Hopefully she isn't still eating it! You are not the first person to make the assumption that spelt is ok, I have seen other people post saying they thot it was safe. Also, some medicines/vitamin pills contain gluten. I think they use the gluten to help bind the pill ingredients together. Here is a little from Wiki on spelt:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the wheat species. For the alternate spelling of the word spelled, see Spelling.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Poales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Triticum

Species: T. spelta

Binomial name

Triticum spelta

L.

Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a hexaploid species of wheat.

Open Original Shared Link

[JennyC]

It's now been bout 8 weeks since seizing began. I have been able to greatly reduce her episodes but occassionally one will come out of nowhere. This morning she has one and she used her family toaster. All I can figure. I am slowly starting to understand things and finding that she is triggered by the smallest amount. It is so frustrating. Gluten is in everything! I'm really wondering if I will be able to keep her off meds.. . And how on earth am I going to convince her older 3 teens in the house that all gluten products have to go?

Are Planter Peanuts safe? I think she had one a day later after eating peanuts. Or it could have been the toaster.

Funny thing. She did not react to barely. ?

TammyK.

Cross contamination is very a difficult issue to tackle at first. Anything that is difficult to clean spotlessly, that has scratches, or is porous must be replaced. That includes toasters, cutting boards, wooden spoons, bread machines, deep fryers, most non-stick cookware, cast iron, strainers, and the list goes on. As for your other children, maybe you could designate a small area for them to store gluten containing foods and give them a small space on the counter to work with gluten. I would try to make everything gluten free, including all your meals and baked goods. Flour can stay in the air for days and end up coating everything. It's hard at first but it will soon seem like second nature.

[GlutenGalAZ]

Are Planter Peanuts safe? I think she had one a day later after eating peanuts. Or it could have been the toaster.

TammyK.

Planter Peanuts are a Kraft product, they are very good with labeling.

Couple months ago I got a container of planters and called the 800 line... The lady said that if they were sprinkled with any type of wheat/gluten it would be noted. She said they would also have the "Manufactured on equipment that processes ____" on the label as well. Mine says other tree nuts.

In regards to hot dogs, something you might want to be careful about is MSG = Monsodium Glutamate. It is not gluten related but some people do not feel well and react to MSG. I was feeling really sick last month and noticed that the Hillshire Farm sausage we were using had MSG in it.

Hope you figure out what is causing the problems.

[lovegrov]

I was at Costco the other day and had to go thru about 4 different hot dog brands before finding one that didn't contain wheat as a filler. I don't know if this is just common in Canada, but I see more with then without.

OK, I should have specified that my post is for the U.S. In the U.S., the only hotdog I've EVER found with gluten is Nathan's. So yes, if you found 4 brands of hotdogs in Canada with wheat, that's peculiar to Canada.

richard

[KristaleeJane]

I also am in Canada, and find that hotdogs almost always contain wheat which is clearly listed on the packaging. I believe the last brand that I saw was Maple Leaf.

[TammyK]

Spelt is a form of wheat, and has gluten in it!. Hopefully she isn't still eating it! You are not the first person to make the assumption that spelt is ok, I have seen other people post saying they thot it was safe. Also, some medicines/vitamin pills contain gluten. I think they use the gluten to help bind the pill ingredients together.

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Oh, no, spelt was the first food to come into question, it quickly was eliminated. She was diagnosed allergic to wheat (causing Asthma) so I thought spelt would be safe. (No problems for several years). Clearly not! Can you have an "allergy" to gluten? (I've only seen it in terms of Celiac).

MSG has caused reactions and it has been eliminated as well. MIlk too. Soy also, corn is a maybe. Before I know it, she will only be able to eat vegetables that we grow ourselves....

Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs look to be safe! Plantar Peanuts have natural flavoring.

Great idea to designate a "gluten" space. I don't bake with gluten but sometimes there is bread in the house. Good thing no one is a big sandwich eater. Toast is loved though.

[GFinDC]

Good going getting rid of the spelt wheat. It is wheat, but has a lower amount of gluten in it than the modern varieties. If she is just getting off it though, it could take a while for her intestines to heal up.

Sounds like the school may need some education about her situation. I think the allergic reaction can happen with very small amounts of wheat. According to this Mayo clinic page, there are 4 proteins in wheat that could cause an allergy reaction.

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"There are four different proteins in wheat that can cause allergies: albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. If you have a reaction to gluten, which is found in wheat and other grains such as oats, barley and rye, you may have gluten intolerance or celiac disease rather than a wheat allergy."

[ericajones80]

of all places, I figured a school would be educated about celiac

[larry mac]

I spent a long time reading the ingredients on hot dog franks/weinies and also link sausages at our Walmart. Of many, many products only one, Nathans contained wheat. And not as a "cheap filler" as was suggested, but as a protien ingredient.

Don't know what they do in Canada, but even the cheapest products here don't have wheat (cerial) fillers. That's not to say that some of the stuff they put in there is healthy. Mechanically separated chicken/turkey has no business being in a hot dog IMHO. Pork and beef, that's what I grew up eating. And look how I turned out. Uh Oh, never mind.

best regards, lm

[TammyK]

Good going getting rid of the spelt wheat. It is wheat, but has a lower amount of gluten in it than the modern varieties. If she is just getting off it though, it could take a while for her intestines to heal up.

Sounds like the school may need some education about her situation. I think the allergic reaction can happen with very small amounts of wheat. According to this Mayo clinic page, there are 4 proteins in wheat that could cause an allergy reaction.

Open Original Shared Link

"There are four different proteins in wheat that can cause allergies: albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. If you have a reaction to gluten, which is found in wheat and other grains such as oats, barley and rye, you may have gluten intolerance or celiac disease rather than a wheat allergy."

I have no idea what her intestines are like. She appears healthy. Growing like a weed and chunky. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. TONS of energy. G-Track seems okay to me but just lately starting telling me of stomach pains.

Home schooling has turned out to be a real blessing. No school to worry about. I have been hschooling since the beginning but there is no way I could send her off all day with the problems we are currently having even if I wanted to. Worry me sick!

My dd had RAST blood test years ago saying she is "allergic" to wheat. After 4 yrs. I'm still not sure what that really means! (OH, I've done plenty of reading but since the possibility of Celiac came into the picture I am utterly confused). Are they differnt or the same? There seems to be differnt opinions on the matter. I gave her barley last week and we had NO problems. 3 large servings over a 3-day period. However, one little bite of a cookie this week gave her a seizure she will never forget. ?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now I am exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. My daughter has Asthma, Epilepsy and now possibly Celiac Disease. "Gluten Intolerance" seems to be an understatement with such extreme symptoms.