Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Cross Contamination


Nancy Kotlowski

Recommended Posts

Nancy Kotlowski Apprentice

My husband was diagnosed with Celiac and we are trying to keep him Gluten Free. There is a lot of confusing information about alot of stuff. For example, his symptoms are not that severe. For example he does not have any reaction to walking into a bakery like Panera Bread but I have learned that some people have a bad reaction to going into Panera bread. So my question is his body still suffering the same type of damage as the person who has an adverse reaction? All the spices I use have some form of gluten but if he does not have a reaction to them is the damage to the small intestine still happening? He and I argue about this all the time. He thinks that once he is healed (the intestine) he will be able to go back to gluten and I am telling him he should not even be eating food with most spices on them. HELP please

Nancyk325


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Sharon Marie Apprentice
My husband was diagnosed with Celiac and we are trying to keep him Gluten Free. There is a lot of confusing information about alot of stuff. For example, his symptoms are not that severe. For example he does not have any reaction to walking into a bakery like Panera Bread but I have learned that some people have a bad reaction to going into Panera bread. So my question is his body still suffering the same type of damage as the person who has an adverse reaction? All the spices I use have some form of gluten but if he does not have a reaction to them is the damage to the small intestine still happening? He and I argue about this all the time. He thinks that once he is healed (the intestine) he will be able to go back to gluten and I am telling him he should not even be eating food with most spices on them. HELP please

Nancyk325

It took me a year to realize all my kitchen spices were of course contaminated! I was never afraid to use the same measuring spoon or cup's to measure out multiple ingredients before I knew I was Celiac! So the odds were they were all contaminated! So out they went!

Kitchen mixers and toasters need to be replaced. All plastic containers or utensils that held glutened foods should be discarded. Pots and pans with scratches are not safe! I stay with all glass dishes and drinking vessels.

It is overwhelming at first but it does get easier.

I was told to clean my kitchen of all gluten. That means all cabinets and cupboards and drawers. The linings etc. It did take me a while to realize how flours and grains sift and land everywhere.

It is worthwhile and will make a difference in your life. From the physical and the mental and emotional aspects of your life.

You can do it!

Hang in there! :)

Sharon Marie

The Fluffy Assassin Enthusiast
He and I argue about this all the time. He thinks that once he is healed (the intestine) he will be able to go back to gluten and I am telling him he should not even be eating food with most spices on them. HELP please

We are just random yoyos on the Internet; there's no particular reason he should believe us. This is the freaking Mayo Clinic: Open Original Shared Link

Maybe he'll buy it from them. He can never eat gluten again. At all. Ever. Some of us are silent celiacs, having little gastroenterological effects from gluten. I never did until my 40s, though I did look like a famine victim throughout childhood and all my adult life after 25 or so. Maybe he's like me.

However, this doesn't mean that gluten isn't having an effect. I was also a total depressive from age 11 until giving up gluten, and spectacularly nervous. This is a result of vitamin B12 depletion. Once I quit gluten and B12 reserves built back up, I became more or less boundlessly cheerful. So perhaps he can have that to look forward to.

Going gluten free isn't really that hard, and finding gluten free spices is really easy. You just can't buy spice mixes. As I recall, McCormick says that all their unmixed (single ingredient) spices are gluten free. (See? Open Original Shared Link It sounds like you're willing to go gluten free with him and he's the one dragging his feet. If so, kudos to you, and hopefully he'll come around soon. If so too, the advice above is absolutely right; you have to clean out the kitchen of all things gluten and replace any pots, pans, or other kitchen implements that might be contaminated. (We really need a registry around here, don't we?)

Welcome to the board. If you need further advice on going gluten free, just ask. If he continues dragging his feet, there's also a forum here for Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs where you might be able to find further advice. Good luck to him and to you.

Gemini Experienced
My husband was diagnosed with Celiac and we are trying to keep him Gluten Free. There is a lot of confusing information about alot of stuff. For example, his symptoms are not that severe. For example he does not have any reaction to walking into a bakery like Panera Bread but I have learned that some people have a bad reaction to going into Panera bread. So my question is his body still suffering the same type of damage as the person who has an adverse reaction? All the spices I use have some form of gluten but if he does not have a reaction to them is the damage to the small intestine still happening? He and I argue about this all the time. He thinks that once he is healed (the intestine) he will be able to go back to gluten and I am telling him he should not even be eating food with most spices on them. HELP please

Nancyk325

I would advise your husband to read the book: Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green. It is extremely informative regarding the disease process and how you can or cannot be glutened. You are correct....there is a lot of misleading information out there and it's hard to tell fact from fiction sometimes. This book is excellent and I recommend it to everyone with a gluten problem.

You cannot have a reaction by simply walking into a bakery or Panera Bread shop. If you worked in a bakery daily and breathed in flour dust on a regular basis, you would have a problem. Gluten has to get into the GI tract to cause an autoimmune reaction so if you are going into a Panera to have a cup of coffee with someone and eat nothing there, it shouldn't be a problem.

Spices by themselves or good blends generally have no gluten in them. Cheaper blends and mixtures of spices may have flour added or anti-caking agents you have to check on. I buy all my spices from Whole Foods market and have never come across a spice with gluten. It can happen, though, and this is why you have to become a label reader. Actually, your husband should be reading labels also but it sounds like he is in semi-denial. This is extremely common but at least he is following the diet in general....my family (parents and siblings) refuse to believe they have it also and will not follow the diet at all. Good luck to them!

I know it is hard but I wouldn't waste your time arguing with him. You cannot make people comply if they don't want to. Make sure whatever he gets on your end is gluten-free and if he doesn't follow the diet like he should, go to the nearest funeral home and get a brochure. Then ask your hubby to pick out his casket so you'll know what his choices will be before it's too late for him to make a choice. :lol: Not meaning to be a smart-a_s about it but sometimes you can convince people with humor! Good luck and buy him that book to read! ;)

Nancy Kotlowski Apprentice
It took me a year to realize all my kitchen spices were of course contaminated! I was never afraid to use the same measuring spoon or cup's to measure out multiple ingredients before I knew I was Celiac! So the odds were they were all contaminated! So out they went!

Kitchen mixers and toasters need to be replaced. All plastic containers or utensils that held glutened foods should be discarded. Pots and pans with scratches are not safe! I stay with all glass dishes and drinking vessels.

It is overwhelming at first but it does get easier.

I was told to clean my kitchen of all gluten. That means all cabinets and cupboards and drawers. The linings etc. It did take me a while to realize how flours and grains sift and land everywhere.

It is worthwhile and will make a difference in your life. From the physical and the mental and emotional aspects of your life.

You can do it!

Hang in there! :)

Sharon Marie

Thank you so much for the advice. I think I have it under control then you think of one more place that needs going through. I would never had thought to give the kitchen and all the acroutaments in it the once over. Bring it on!

Nancy Kotlowski Apprentice
I would advise your husband to read the book: Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green. It is extremely informative regarding the disease process and how you can or cannot be glutened. You are correct....there is a lot of misleading information out there and it's hard to tell fact from fiction sometimes. This book is excellent and I recommend it to everyone with a gluten problem.

You cannot have a reaction by simply walking into a bakery or Panera Bread shop. If you worked in a bakery daily and breathed in flour dust on a regular basis, you would have a problem. Gluten has to get into the GI tract to cause an autoimmune reaction so if you are going into a Panera to have a cup of coffee with someone and eat nothing there, it shouldn't be a problem.

Spices by themselves or good blends generally have no gluten in them. Cheaper blends and mixtures of spices may have flour added or anti-caking agents you have to check on. I buy all my spices from Whole Foods market and have never come across a spice with gluten. It can happen, though, and this is why you have to become a label reader. Actually, your husband should be reading labels also but it sounds like he is in semi-denial. This is extremely common but at least he is following the diet in general....my family (parents and siblings) refuse to believe they have it also and will not follow the diet at all. Good luck to them!

I know it is hard but I wouldn't waste your time arguing with him. You cannot make people comply if they don't want to. Make sure whatever he gets on your end is gluten-free and if he doesn't follow the diet like he should, go to the nearest funeral home and get a brochure. Then ask your hubby to pick out his casket so you'll know what his choices will be before it's too late for him to make a choice. :lol: Not meaning to be a smart-a_s about it but sometimes you can convince people with humor! Good luck and buy him that book to read! ;)

LOL that is funny about the casket. He is scared to death of getting cancer it is just new to us. I did read a good chunk of the book by Dr. Green. As a matter of fact my brother had Celiac Sprue when he was a child and his doctor told my mom that he out grew it. When I read in Dr. Green's book that you never out grow it I called him immediately and told him to call his doctor and get the testing under way. Thanks for the advice and chuckles.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,808
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jacqueline29
    Newest Member
    Jacqueline29
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the  forum @maylynn! Have you had a follow-up endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel to check for healing of the villous lining? If not, it's about time one was done. As Scott mentioned, I also wonder if you have food intolerances in addition to gluten. Oats (even gluten free oats), dairy, soy, corn and eggs are some of the most common ones in the celiac community.
    • Scott Adams
      Is your gluten-free diet strict? Do you eat out in restaurants? If so, you could be getting contamination, and over time that can slow recovery. You may want to get a follow up celiac disease antibody panel done to make sure that your levels have gone down since your last tests. Also, have you had various nutrient levels checked via a blood test, and have you been taking vitamin & mineral supplements since your diagnosis?  The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.    Do you still have celiac disease symptoms?  Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful:    
    • maylynn
      Hello!  I am here as a last result, hoping for some advice, similar stories, etc. When I was 17, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. By the time we figured it out my iron levels were so low I had to get infusions, and I had lost 20lbs. in two weeks going from a 5'11 130lbs woman to a 110 lbs. Now, I am 21 and have gained 4 lbs since. Every time I eat a meal, I get three bites in and feel so full that I feel sick. I can't eat a full meal. Something else has to be wrong right? This can't just be more "normal" right? I have done test after test and no doctor in my area can figure anything else out. They have told me I most likely have shrunken my stomach by now with how little I am eating so that has to do with some of the sick feeling. What have you done to gain the weight back? Foods? Workouts? 
    • Bronwyn W
      Thank you so much, Scott. I find it incredibly daunting navigating this celiac space and I find comfort in your wealth of knowledge. Thank you 🙏🏻
    • Scott Adams
      I am not sure about that brand specifically, but this article may be helpful:  
×
×
  • Create New...