Did I Get Glutened?

[Desy]

I'm a n00b. Have been gluten-free just over two weeks and I have found it very, very difficult. Haven't eaten anything processed in past 15 days, except a little low-fat frozen yogurt, some white wine, and today, some chocolate-covered almonds & chocolate-covered raisins.

However, I think the chocolate-covered almonds & raisins did have gluten in them, despite not being listed on the ingredients, because I am feeling some symptoms: very itchy skin, very tired, very sleepy, bloating, gas and it feels like I am going to have diahherea.

The ingredients of the milk chocolate-covered almonds (not different from the chocolate-covered raisins, save the almonds), are: milk-chocolate (sugar, milk ingredients, cocoa butter, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavour), roasted almonds, canola oil, maltodextrin, gum arabic, glucose syrup, confectioner's shellac.

Does anyone have any thoughts on these ingredients? If they contained gluten, wouldn't the words"(contain gluten)" be included within the ingredients? I'm very confused.

Now I know not to eat anything processed anymore.

[daphniela]

Did you check the ingredients on the yogurt? Some yogurts and ice cream contain gluten.

[psawyer]

In the US, wheat must be clearly disclosed, but other sources of gluten can hide. It is possible that there was malted barley in the "natural flavour." From how you have spelled that word, I am going to guess that you are *not* in the US, so the rule on wheat may be different. Having said that, wheat in flavour is not common.

There is also soy in that list--some react to soy as well as gluten.

You have only been gluten-free for two weeks. If there was damage to your villi, that is probably not enough time for healing. During the healing period, you may have a gluten-like reaction to a food which is gluten-free, but your system is temporarily unable to handle. For me, it was at least six weeks before the random symptoms abated.

[Desy]

Did you check the ingredients on the yogurt? Some yogurts and ice cream contain gluten.

Yes. The questionable ingredients in the frozen yogurt where natural flavour & maltodextrin. Do manufacturers have to disclose that they contain gluten, if they do? Or can they just list these ingredients as is? It doesn't sound as though I can trust these ingredients.

[Desy]

In the US, wheat must be clearly disclosed, but other sources of gluten can hide. It is possible that there was malted barley in the "natural flavour." From how you have spelled that word, I am going to guess that you are *not* in the US, so the rule on wheat may be different. Having said that, wheat in flavour is not common.

There is also soy in that list--some react to soy as well as gluten.

You have only been gluten-free for two weeks. If there was damage to your villi, that is probably not enough time for healing. During the healing period, you may have a gluten-like reaction to a food which is gluten-free, but your system is temporarily unable to handle. For me, it was at least six weeks before the random symptoms abated.

No, I don't live in the US; I live in Canada. Do food manufacturers have to clearly disclose gluten & wheat under their ingredient lists in Canada?

I wonder if I am allergic to soy as well. I seem to have a few symptoms when I have vinegar as well.........perhaps I'm allergic to yeast as well???? Oh man.

Can I still exhibit symptoms then while healing, even if I don't have gluten or any other food to which I am not allergic? OMG, this is complicated.

Yes, it's only been just over 2 weeks that I've been gluten-free. I don't know how long my recovery will be, but all I know is that I have been EXTREMELY sick for over a year and a half.....the sickest I have ever been in my whole life. I honestly believed (before discovering possibility of gluten intolerance/celiac) that I was dying (because of how brutal I was feeling), so I can only imagine how damaged my villi must be. :/

[psawyer]

If you have been sick for 18 months, it is likely that you have advanced damage to your villi. It will take time to heal. During my recovery period, there were times when it did not matter what I ate--even plain rice--I would throw it back up.

Canadian label rules are different from those in the US. They are stricter in most cases. A food sold in Canada must be labeled in compliance with Canadian regulations, no matter where it was made. Wheat will be clearly labeled. If you see "gluten-free" on a label, then the product must not contain any ingredient derived from wheat, rye, barley or oats, no matter how tiny the amount. In Canada, the law forbids oats to be labeled "gluten-free," but there are "pure" oats available.

Things that are sometimes questioned, but which I do not worry about in Canada, include:

maltodextrin

caramel colour

artificial flavour

natural flavour (except in cereal and chocolate, where it could be malted barley)

I prefer to buy from companies, such as Kraft, who will by policy always clearly disclose any gluten source. Open Original Shared Link If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, it is not there, nor hidden in "flavors, starches, etc."

[ang1e0251]

I wondered if you are reacting to dairy. I cannot have fresh dairy products like yogurt. When I'm really sensitive, even the milk in milk chocolate can get me. I haven't reacted to that in awhile but in the early stages of the gluten-free diet, like you, I did.

[Desy]

If you have been sick for 18 months, it is likely that you have advanced damage to your villi. It will take time to heal. During my recovery period, there were times when it did not matter what I ate--even plain rice--I would throw it back up.

Canadian label rules are different from those in the US. They are stricter in most cases. A food sold in Canada must be labeled in compliance with Canadian regulations, no matter where it was made. Wheat will be clearly labeled. If you see "gluten-free" on a label, then the product must not contain any ingredient derived from wheat, rye, barley or oats, no matter how tiny the amount. In Canada, the law forbids oats to be labeled "gluten-free," but there are "pure" oats available.

Things that are sometimes questioned, but which I do not worry about in Canada, include:

maltodextrin

caramel colour

artificial flavour

natural flavour (except in cereal and chocolate, where it could be malted barley)

I prefer to buy from companies, such as Kraft, who will by policy always clearly disclose any gluten source. Open Original Shared Link If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, it is not there, nor hidden in "flavors, starches, etc."

Thank you for your response.

Wow, it sounds like you were super-sick. I don't throw up, but my symptoms are so bad that I spend a lot of time in bed rest. It is mainly the horrendous fatigue, tiredness and weakness.

So you are able to eat maltodetrin, caramel colour, artificial & natural flavours without a problem? What about hydrolized vegetable protein? When I read that that could be a concern, I was very confused.....since when is wheat/gluten a vegetable????

[Desy]

I wondered if you are reacting to dairy. I cannot have fresh dairy products like yogurt. When I'm really sensitive, even the milk in milk chocolate can get me. I haven't reacted to that in awhile but in the early stages of the gluten-free diet, like you, I did.

I don't know. I am unsure if my symptoms are still from eating gluten (I'm only on my 3rd week of going gluten-free) or from the dairy. I don't eat much dairy, only organic plain low-fat yogurt, the occasional low-fat cheese (usually feta or cheddar) & the two times I cheated with the low-fat frozen yogurt.

Thank you for your respose; I will keep this idea in mind....

[wendstress]

Hi - welcome to the lovely Gluten Free World

I found out I had celiac disease at the beginning of 2009. The learning curve is pretty steep. I think it probably took me 6 weeks before I was doing a decent job at eliminating the gluten.... Through forums like these I continue to learn.

Most of all, I just wanted to say to you to have realistic expectations. I have been doing this for 7 months now and I still have celiac-related symptoms. My symptoms are gradually getting better, but bodies take time to heal. I had so many ups and downs during the first 3-4 months that going gluten free didn't feel worthwhile. I'm telling you this not to discourage you, but to remind you that it will take time and to allow yourself to be patient.

Also, wanted to share a few items that have recently (last 6-8 weeks) helped me accelerate my healing:

1) Nearly cut out the caffeine. When I had to give up gluten, I turned to caffeine for comfort. Bad, I know. It didn't help me to heal at all..... Now I have a can or two of caffeinated soda a week, but considering I was drinking 4-5 caffeinated drinks a day, this is a huge improvement.

2) Minimize dairy. I've heard a lot of conflicting theories on this....but basically those with Celiac Disease can have a secondary intolerance to lactose. I have been advised by my Gastro to minimize dairy while my gut heals, and then slowly re-introduce it down the road (6 months? 12 months?) and see what my response is. It seems that there are plenty of people with celiac disease that eliminate dairy altogether, as well as those that have been able to reintroduce it after their guts healed. I can't say I was a believer until I felt vile the evening after having a dish of ice cream cone. So, I'll have a little butter, or a dollop of sour cream on a potato without having any problems.....but no more glasses of milk or bowls of ice cream!

Goood luck in your journey! Having a place like this to turn to will make it much easier for yoU!

[JillianLindsay]

Ugh, sorry you are not feeling well, we can all relate!

I am also in Canada and have been gluten-free for a month. I don't eat anything that lists "natural flavour" or "artificial flavour" in the ingredients to be on the safe side, unless I contact the company directly or the info is online somewhere.

Try to be patient while your body heals and avoid ANYthing that you're not 100% sure is gluten-free for now. Once you heal and you become more skilled at label-reading, researching, etc. you can add more variety in your diet and eat those snacks you are craving

Good luck!

Jillian

No, I don't live in the US; I live in Canada. Do food manufacturers have to clearly disclose gluten & wheat under their ingredient lists in Canada?

I wonder if I am allergic to soy as well. I seem to have a few symptoms when I have vinegar as well.........perhaps I'm allergic to yeast as well???? Oh man.

Can I still exhibit symptoms then while healing, even if I don't have gluten or any other food to which I am not allergic? OMG, this is complicated.

Yes, it's only been just over 2 weeks that I've been gluten-free. I don't know how long my recovery will be, but all I know is that I have been EXTREMELY sick for over a year and a half.....the sickest I have ever been in my whole life. I honestly believed (before discovering possibility of gluten intolerance/celiac) that I was dying (because of how brutal I was feeling), so I can only imagine how damaged my villi must be. :/

[Wolicki]

No, I don't live in the US; I live in Canada. Do food manufacturers have to clearly disclose gluten & wheat under their ingredient lists in Canada?

I wonder if I am allergic to soy as well. I seem to have a few symptoms when I have vinegar as well.........perhaps I'm allergic to yeast as well???? Oh man.

Can I still exhibit symptoms then while healing, even if I don't have gluten or any other food to which I am not allergic? OMG, this is complicated.

Yes, it's only been just over 2 weeks that I've been gluten-free. I don't know how long my recovery will be, but all I know is that I have been EXTREMELY sick for over a year and a half.....the sickest I have ever been in my whole life. I honestly believed (before discovering possibility of gluten intolerance/celiac) that I was dying (because of how brutal I was feeling), so I can only imagine how damaged my villi must be. :/

MALTODEXTRIN was a problem for me in my first month of recovery. Now it's OK. I don't understand why, I merely know it's true. Celiacs is tricky. I am still trying to figure it all out.