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How Sick Can Hand Soaps Make You?

Almendra

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Almendra Apprentice
Almendra
Posted

I just spent Friday-Wednesday at the home of my in-laws. My mother-in-law is a wonderful hostess and has Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial hand soaps at every sink. They smell so nice. They moisturize...

I seemed to stay a little sick the whole weekend. Snacks and meals that I knew were gluten-free seemed to bother me.

Could it really be the hand soap?

And, assuming that it is, as I now do, should I start carrying around a container of my own soap-for-washing-hands everywhere I go (overkill)? Do gas stations and rest stops now present a new health hazard?

Has anyone had an issue with public restrooms?

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GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I don't know about Bath and Body Works soap, but their lotions contain wheat germ oil. I found out the hard way when the lotion made me break out in hives. Even if you don't get that reaction however, using soaps with gluten can make you sick. Unless you didn't once touch your food or you face or your mouth, some is going to get into your body. And even if you were extremely careful not to touch anything that enters your mouth, what about the people that prepared you food? They likely washed their hands before doing so. I do carry Germ-X hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go. Restrooms at gas stations and many restaurants are nearly impossible to get out the door without touch the door handle (who knows that the person before you washed their hands) anyway, so I just run my hands under the faucet (the friction+rubbing cleans a little even without soap) then when I get out of the restroom I use a little Germ-X from my purse. I know plenty of moms (without celiac or celiac kids) that carry hand sanitizer and wipes with them at all times for their kids, so I don't see how it's overkill to do so for myself.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

There are old posts on this forum that say the BBW soaps are gluten-free.

Almendra Apprentice
Almendra
Posted
  • Author

I have spent this week calling them to check on things. They gave me the list of the scientific names of their wheat, rye, barley, and oat products - but the representative did not give an answer about the source of the tocopherols used in their products, which I've read could be wheat-sourced and contain gluten. She told me she did not know and did not have access to that information. I did not even begin to question about cross-contamination.

I then e-mailed the company. I do not think our communications are finished, but as of right now, the only products they will commit to labeling as gluten-free are SOME items from their 100% Pure line.

A search for gluten-free on their website shows these products.

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    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
      Finding gluten free ingredients

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    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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