Getting More Sensitive?

[Skylark]

I've been gluten-free for a few years now. I'm probably celiac but I went gluten-free on my own and am not willing to eat wheat for blood tests/biopsy. It makes me too sick.

I used to be able to tolerate a little gluten CC but lately I keep reacting to small things. I was at a restaurant last night and ate potato skins, only finding out after I'd had two that they were fried as well as broiled in a fryer shared with breaded foods. Sure enough, four hours later I had horrible diarrhea and I am writing through a haze of brain fog today. I used to eat the french fries at that same restaurant and I didn't have a noticeable reaction.

I've reacted twice after eating at Thai restaurants lately, and both times the restaurant claimed the food had no flour or soy sauce in it so the source of gluten would be CC. I never used to have problems after eating carefully chosen Thai food.

I'm getting afraid to eat anything I haven't cooked myself. Is this typical, starting less sensitive and becoming more sensitive with time? I'm so sad and frustrated, partly from gluten reactions, and partly because I'm starting to be afraid that I'm not going to be able to eat out at all.

[Lgood22573]

If I don't cook it myself, I feel there is always a chance of getting hit with gluten, even if the restaurant swears it is gluten free. It's just not worth it, but it is almost impossible to never eat out.

[jerseyangel]

Is this typical, starting less sensitive and becoming more sensitive with time? I'm so sad and frustrated, partly from gluten reactions, and partly because I'm starting to be afraid that I'm not going to be able to eat out at all.

While I wouldn't say it's typical, it's certainly not unusual. Many people find that when they go gluten-free they become more sensitive to smaller and smaller amounts--as in cross contamination. It happened to me--I'm almost 5 years in and I am very sensitive. I take my own food to other people's homes, but I do eat at my local PF Changs and Outback. Those locations (always check with yours) are knowledgable about preparing food for Celiacs and do an excellent job of keeping things separate.

[tictax707]

From what I hear from others, it is common to be more sensitive with time. I don't know a lot about Thai food, but I might also tend to think that there might be something else hiding in the food that has gluten in it. Sometimes rice noodles have wheat in them. Last week I was at a place that had rice noodles, and I asked what's in them, and he said "rice" and asked as nicely as I could to just see the ingredient list, and they dragged out the giant bag, and sure enough, the second ingredient was "wheat starch." Also - fish sauce and oyster sauce can have gluten in them too.

I hear your fears on eating out. I am always afraid the first time I eat someplace. I usually can't bring myself to try too many new places at once - one new place every few weeks or so, if I am feeling really adventurous. I am back in my little reclusive mode after the whole rice noodle incident mentioned above. (Didn't eat the noodles of course, but was then suspicous of everything else he told me about the sauces, etc.)

But on the up side, I can tell you that I've been gluten free for 8 years, and am still slowly and steadily venturing out to eat places this entire time.

[MagpieWrites]

It can also be other food allergies or sensitivities coming to the fore, as well as cross contamination.

For example - I'm allergic to eggs. Not violently, but the problem is definitely there. Didn't really pay much attention BEFORE the celiac, because, after all... I always felt nauseous.

Now that I know about the celiac, and don't eat gluten - eggs are a BIG no-no for me. What was lost in a sea of generally always feeling unwell now smacks me in the face and screams when I ingest it. Is there any chance you have other sensitivities that might need to be look into?

[Skylark]

Thanks for the answers. It's comforting to hear that some people do get more sensitive to gluten. I didn't know that fish sauce and oyster sauce can have gluten in them so that probably explains my sudden issues with Thai food.

The only other food sensitivity I've noticed is an odd, inconsistent sensitivity to mixed nuts. I read somewhere that the processing equipment used for seeds and nuts is sometimes treated with flour to absorb the nut oils and prevent them from sticking. The inconsistency of the reaction and my tolerance of nuts in gluten-free foods like Larabars makes me suspect gluten CC rather than a true nut sensitivity.

I can pretty much cook and eat anything I want at home with no adverse reactions as long as it's gluten-free (and oat-free). The more I cook simple, whole gluten-free foods the better I feel. There are gluten-free restaurant lists for where I live, so I'll just stick to them much more carefully when I eat out.

[sandsurfgirl]

From what I hear from others, it is common to be more sensitive with time. I don't know a lot about Thai food, but I might also tend to think that there might be something else hiding in the food that has gluten in it. Sometimes rice noodles have wheat in them. Last week I was at a place that had rice noodles, and I asked what's in them, and he said "rice" and asked as nicely as I could to just see the ingredient list, and they dragged out the giant bag, and sure enough, the second ingredient was "wheat starch." Also - fish sauce and oyster sauce can have gluten in them too.

I hear your fears on eating out. I am always afraid the first time I eat someplace. I usually can't bring myself to try too many new places at once - one new place every few weeks or so, if I am feeling really adventurous. I am back in my little reclusive mode after the whole rice noodle incident mentioned above. (Didn't eat the noodles of course, but was then suspicous of everything else he told me about the sauces, etc.)

But on the up side, I can tell you that I've been gluten free for 8 years, and am still slowly and steadily venturing out to eat places this entire time.

Can I please see the (insert foul words here) person who puts wheat starch in RICE noodles? I think whoever is doing that should be flogged with his noodles. That just pisses me off.