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Work Making Me Sick?

sugarbeach

By sugarbeach
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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sugarbeach Newbie
sugarbeach
Posted

I'm new to this forum and relatively new to the Celiac life (July 2010) and am still trying to figure some things out. I work in a kitchen with deep fried chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. Since about September, work has been making me feel sick. It started that I would have sinus issues or my throat, so I thought it was more related to the heat and grease than the gluten, but it has developed into if I'm working the fryers, my stomach will cramp up within five minutes and I will feel sick for days. I've spoken to my managers about being moved away from the kitchen and more into the front portion of the restaurant, where I feel almost no effects, and they said they could with a doctors note, but are hesitant to believe me. My assumption is that when the food is fried in the oil, it vaporizes and I inhale it, but I'm not 100% sure. Has anyone else had this experience?

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SGWhiskers Collaborator
SGWhiskers
Posted

I'm new to this forum and relatively new to the Celiac life (July 2010) and am still trying to figure some things out. I work in a kitchen with deep fried chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. Since about September, work has been making me feel sick. It started that I would have sinus issues or my throat, so I thought it was more related to the heat and grease than the gluten, but it has developed into if I'm working the fryers, my stomach will cramp up within five minutes and I will feel sick for days. I've spoken to my managers about being moved away from the kitchen and more into the front portion of the restaurant, where I feel almost no effects, and they said they could with a doctors note, but are hesitant to believe me. My assumption is that when the food is fried in the oil, it vaporizes and I inhale it, but I'm not 100% sure. Has anyone else had this experience?

I don't have the exact same reaction, but I do have an airborne reaction. When I'm around the bakery at the grocery store, on the same ventilation as the cafeteria at work, or around certain hot gluten items, I get a milder neuro reaction that is short lived if I remove myself from the environment. If I continue to stay, the reaction gets stronger and lasts longer, but has never been as severe as if I had eaten the gluten directly.

A couple of thoughts:

1) Could you be getting exposure from the battered product before it is placed in the oil? Perhaps in the form of airborne flour.

2) Could you be getting a fine mist of glutened oil floating up into your face and landing on your lips? You would wind up eating that mist. Also remember that our nose and eyes are attached to our digestive system.

Another thought for you is that if you are handeling the gluten all day, could there be some residual left on your fingers after washing and then you wind up cross contaminating your lunch/dinner/water cup?

I hope you get that doctors note and your transfer.

jeannieknits Rookie
jeannieknits
Posted

I'm new to this forum and relatively new to the Celiac life (July 2010) and am still trying to figure some things out. I work in a kitchen with deep fried chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. Since about September, work has been making me feel sick. It started that I would have sinus issues or my throat, so I thought it was more related to the heat and grease than the gluten, but it has developed into if I'm working the fryers, my stomach will cramp up within five minutes and I will feel sick for days. I've spoken to my managers about being moved away from the kitchen and more into the front portion of the restaurant, where I feel almost no effects, and they said they could with a doctors note, but are hesitant to believe me. My assumption is that when the food is fried in the oil, it vaporizes and I inhale it, but I'm not 100% sure. Has anyone else had this experience?

I was the general manager of a restaurant with a bakery in house--and I would have to deal with this all the time! The particles of flour in the air (it's such a fine particulate) was what was doing it for me. I would get sinus and throat reactions if I was back there too long.

we also had a prep cook from Guatemala who, it turned out, probably had un-diagnosed celiacs because the poor guy would just break out something fierce on his arms (above the gloves) and his eyes would swell, etc, when he was dredging things for the fryer in flour mix. he also was always sick, stomach issues, after eating (pastas, bread, etc.) I tried to tell him how to fix his diet, and tried to get the kitchen manager to only give him jobs away from the allergen, to no avail. (oh, well: I can't save everyone!) <_<

good luck--you should definitely try to get a note from your doctor!

j.

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Look up worker's Open Original Shared Link in your state. You may be able to tell your job that you will be delighted to undergo more testing, since showing that your job is hazardous to your health may require them to not only compensate you for your health issues, but also require them to make a lot of changes to protect other people.

Or they could just move you.....

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