Jump to content

  • 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

Paper Cut! Am I Glutened?

MariaOfColumbia

Recommended Posts

MariaOfColumbia Rookie
MariaOfColumbia
Posted

I just got an impressive paper cut while opening the mail at work. This was right on the edged of the gummed area, and I almost certainly got a few molecules of the gummed stuff inside the bloody cut.

Is this enough to provoke an immune reaction? Not that it really matters, though. I've already managed to gluten myself today anyway. :rolleyes: But in theory, is opening the mail something I should be a tad more wary of?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

You are probably okay. We have all heard the tales about gluten in the adhesive, but in over ten years I have never found a documented instance of this actually being the case. I consider it an urban myth.

MariaOfColumbia Rookie
MariaOfColumbia
Posted
  • Author

Well, if the cut heals terribly, then we'll know my immune system is attacking the area visciously. ;)

I wonder how the body knows where the gluten is coming from, anyway, when it attacks the villi? Maybe from its point of view, it's obvious that the gut is the source of the contamination.

I wonder if gluten introduced in a cut would provoke a response in that area? If gluten is so horrible that one's villi must be damaged to keep it out, then you'd thing a cut would be just as scary.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Well, if the cut heals terribly, then we'll know my immune system is attacking the area visciously. ;)

I wonder how the body knows where the gluten is coming from, anyway, when it attacks the villi? Maybe from its point of view, it's obvious that the gut is the source of the contamination.

I wonder if gluten introduced in a cut would provoke a response in that area? If gluten is so horrible that one's villi must be damaged to keep it out, then you'd thing a cut would be just as scary.

For an autoimmune reaction to occur, you absolutely have to ingest gluten into your GI tract. It happens no other way so you are safe from a paper cut, even those which occur from a gummed area. As Peter stated, the gluten in the envelope gum is an urban myth. If a cut heals slowly or with a lot of inflammation, it's most likely from germs or from not cleaning the wound properly.

You may want to read Dr. Peter Green's book, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. It is one of the best books out there which describes this disease, in easy to read language, and how the whole process works. It ought to be required reading for all Celiacs.

MariaOfColumbia Rookie
MariaOfColumbia
Posted
  • Author

I've got it on reserve at my local library now, thanks. It ought to become available soon. Looks like there are 2 editions out there.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

A paper cut absolutely is NOT a threat.

richard

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

I've got it on reserve at my local library now, thanks. It ought to become available soon. Looks like there are 2 editions out there.

The second edition of the book is just an updated version. I bought both books and found there was little that was really new in the second edition.

Both are excellent reads and highly informative for those with Celiac......not boring, either!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ciglee Newbie
Ciglee
Posted

seriously? NO.... you can not get glutened from a paper cut. I advise you not to read these posts...there are a lot of hysterical people on here...they want to be

diagnosed with celiac sooooo badly...I guess they just need a disease...instead of realizing that maybe they shouldn't eat such crap. Stay calm..and carry on...

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

For an autoimmune reaction to occur, you absolutely have to ingest gluten into your GI tract.

That...might not actually be true. To get intestinal damage, oh heck yeah. But there are studies recently on those with celiac disease who have neurological damage, and some of that damage actually seesd to be caused by anti-ganglioside antibodies. The theory I have heard is that gluten in the bloodstream due to a more permeable gut can, in some celiacs, trigger other antibodies to attack other parts of the body, like the anti-ganglioside antibodies do.

(an abstract of one of the studies on anti-gangliosides:

Open Original Shared Link )

I do not know if gluten in the bloodstream that enters outside of the gut would be an issue, but from what I'm reading, it sounds like more and more they are starting to suspect that gluten contact with other bodily systems is triggering something that is different than that of gluten contacting the GI tract.

Not something I'd worry much about with a paper cut, though, I wouldn't imagine, especially if one doesn't have neurological symptoms.

As Peter stated, the gluten in the envelope gum is an urban myth.

I do have an acquaintance who tested a foreign made greeting card with a home gluten test kit, and the glue tested positive for gluten, so it can happen. I don't think it's common, though.

However, heh...maybe we should be more concerned about the paper:

Seriously...can't we just make stuff out of mud and leave it at that? ;)

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

As annoying and sometimes surprisingly painful a papercut may be, you're not at risk for glutening yourself by one. Here's hoping you heal safely!

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    2. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,870
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KABoston
    Newest Member
    KABoston
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.