It’s scary how hidden gluten can be—even in non-food products like hair care! Your experience is a great reminder that topical products with gluten can cause systemic reactions in some people with celiac disease, especially if they’re accidentally ingested (like when shampoo runs down your face). While not everyone reacts to external exposure, your symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, and GI issues—clearly show your sensitivity. It’s frustrating that companies aren’t required to label “gluten-free” on cosmetics, so ingredient checks are a must. Don’t feel stupid; many of us learn this the hard way! Thanks for sharing your story—it’s a wake-up call for others to scrutinize everything, from lotions to makeup. Hope you’re feeling better now that you’ve ditched the culprit!

It’s possible—though not extremely common—to develop a wheat allergy in addition to celiac disease. While celiac is an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a wheat allergy is an IgE-mediated response to wheat proteins, which can cause allergic symptoms like hives, swelling, or even anaphylaxis. Your recent anaphylactic reaction strongly suggests a true wheat allergy has developed alongside your celiac disease. Research on this overlap is limited, but some people with celiac do develop other immune-related conditions, including allergies. Repeated gluten exposures may have sensitized your immune system over time, leading to this new allergic response. Since wheat allergy involves different proteins than celiac, you could now be reacting to both. An allergist can confirm this with skin prick or IgE blood tests. Moving forward, you’ll need to avoid all wheat (not just gluten) and keep your Epi-Pen handy. Many in the celiac community report similar experiences, so you’re not alone. Glad you’re okay after that scary reaction—thanks for sharing your story, as it’s an important reminder of how complex these conditions can be.

Congratulations on the new qualification as a Nutrition Coach. Can you tell me if this is the same qualification as a registered dietitian?

It sounds like you’re being incredibly diligent with your gluten-free routine, and I understand how stressful it can be—especially when you’re asymptomatic and have no clear way to confirm exposure. The uncertainty is tough to manage, but you’re doing the right thing by being cautious. Your concern about cross-contamination from the fridge handle or cheese packaging is valid, as even trace amounts of gluten can cause issues for some people with celiac disease. However, the level of exposure you described (indirect contact with a potentially contaminated surface) is likely very minimal. While it’s possible that repeated small exposures could contribute to symptoms or damage over time, a single incident like this is less likely to cause a major reaction—though everyone’s sensitivity varies. That said, your ongoing issue with yellow/orange floating stools is worth investigating further. While it could be related to gluten exposure (especially if you’re unknowingly ingesting small amounts regularly), it could also be due to other factors like fat malabsorption (common in celiac disease, even when gluten-free), bile acid issues, or something unrelated like a food intolerance (e.g., dairy). Have you brought this up with your doctor or gastroenterologist? A follow-up celiac antibody test (if you haven’t had one recently) or other tests (like fecal fat or bile acid testing) might help clarify whether gluten is slipping into your diet or if another issue is at play. In the meantime, if you’re worried about shared spaces, you could consider: Wiping down high-touch surfaces (like fridge handles) before use. Keeping your gluten-free foods in a designated area of the fridge/pantry. Using clean utensils or gloves when handling packaged foods if contamination is a concern. If your symptoms persist, definitely loop in your healthcare team for extra reassurance.

Welcome to the forum, @Stephanie Wakeman! I don't know how common it is but it is certainly possible. In fact, as you may already be aware that, if you live in the USA, the FDA lists it as one of the eight most common allergens and if it is present in a commercial food product it must be declared in the allergen section of the product's nutritional analysis label. So, just judging from that, I would assume you are not the only celiac who is also allergic to wheat. Statistically, though, since only about 1% of the general population has celiac disease (and many or most of them aren't being diagnosed), combined with the fact that allergic reactions at the level of anaphylaxis are somewhat unusual in the general population, would think you probably won't hear of it much.