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Trying To Find The Hidden Source

Austin Guy

By Austin Guy
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Austin Guy Contributor
Austin Guy
Posted

Can 30 year old, nicked up stainless steel utensils harbor hidden gluten? How about a 20 year old dishwasher? I start the day OK and somehow get glutened even though I am incredibly careful as to what I eat. Any insight would be appreciated.

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Jenniferxgfx Contributor
Jenniferxgfx
Posted

Yes to the utensils AND the dishwasher. :(

The dishwasher's tricky. I ran a ton of vinegar through the rinse agent dispenser and it seemed to help me but I'm not sure if the vinegar helped or all the empty loads... It was like contaminated food was left in places I couldn't see or something. For what it's worth, I don't think it was the dishwasher itself but the remnants of the cat food on the bowls. Making sure the cat food goes down the disposal and not into the dishwasher is good for my sensitivity AND for the life of the washer.

Btw, how's your silverware drawer? Crumbs tend to hang out for years there....

Austin Guy Contributor
Austin Guy
Posted
  • Author

Great point about the silverware drawer. The toaster used to sit above it on the counter. Looks like it is time to hand wash everything and store it elsewhere.

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

Do you kiss anyone who wears lipstick or chapstick? Or the cheek of someone who wears makeup or lotions? Are you using a shampoo that isn't gluten free?

Just a few possibilities....

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I put soapy water in my stainless steel pots and boiled them for an huor or so. Scrubbed them good with steel wool too. They are fine even though I used them for gluten in the past.

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

Do you have a trap where the water drains from the dishwasher? I know of one gal who managed to clean out that trap and found a ton of gluten food in it. After she cleaned it out, it seemed to help some.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Are you eating specialty "gluten free" breads and baked goods? All the major brands have a limit of either 10 or 20 ppm of gluten, so there can be traces of gluten. There would be more gluten in a loaf of bread that happened to test at 10 ppm than you'd get on old utensils or a pot. Have you tried a few days eating nothing but naturally gluten-free foods like rice, potatoes, veggies, and meat you prepare yourself?

Agreed that you need to check and clean the dishwasher trap (which you should be doing regularly anyway).

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Kansas Rookie
Kansas
Posted

Have you eliminated dairy? After three years of throwing out about everything, I thought I was still getting gluten, and I am extreme, I have my own garden, raise my own beef and chicken, hardly ever try anything processed. I discovered through this forum, that it may be dairy that is causing the remainder of my compliants. I thought the dairy would be limited to digestive tract, but not so. Now, I am trying to figure out how many things that I have put on my unsafe list that I may be ok with!

Marz Enthusiast
Marz
Posted

My stainless steel stuff is fine, I did get rid of non-stick pans and cutting boards.

Are you sharing a toaster with gluten bread? Someone in the family double-dipping knives into jam or butter containers? Pet food - possibly handling pellets and then some other food item?

I had to clean drawers out carefully and fridge doors - somehow a lot of breadcrumbs got trapped in the fridge linings/drawers. I'm sure your fridge is much cleaner than mine though ;)

Austin Guy Contributor
Austin Guy
Posted
  • Author

I am OK with dairy, but not soy. I wiped the entire kitchen down with a cleaner and paper towels, then did it again. Same with fridge. Am not using paper plates and plastic utensils trying to get this figured out. I use the same shampoo I have used for a couple of years and even if I don't shower I can get a gluten type of response 25 minutes after eating.

I don't buy gluten free bread, crackers, etc. because it is too expensive and I don't miss the stuff anyway.

Austin Guy Contributor
Austin Guy
Posted
  • Author

Can 30 year old, nicked up stainless steel utensils harbor hidden gluten? How about a 20 year old dishwasher? I start the day OK and somehow get glutened even though I am incredibly careful as to what I eat. Any insight would be appreciated.

Finally FOUND it, but it wasn't gluten. I studied all the vitamin supplements I have been taking and most contain magnesium stearate. Suddenly I had a flashback to adding epsom salt, which contain loads of magnesium, to bath water a few years ago. My skin absorbed enough magnesium to cause diarrhea.

I tried to figure out when I added all the supplements to my diet and counted remaining vitamins in a bottle and subtracted that from how many the bottle holds. It has been around 40 days and that time frame coincides with the same pattern of solid stool in the morning followed by D later. I have been eating breakfast and taking vitamins after using the bathroom. I know that too much magnesium causes diarrhea and I guess I must be pretty sensitive to it. Went off supplements and got regular the very next day.

What a relief!

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Wow! That's an impressive bit of sleuthing. I'm glad to hear you figured it out.

Jenniferxgfx Contributor
Jenniferxgfx
Posted

Holy cow that's really good to know. Glad you figured it out!

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

Some brands of magnesium cause diarrhea and some don't. A good healthfood store clerk can help select a brand that doesn't cause diarrhea if it turns out that you need to take a magnesium supplement in the future. Nature's Way Magnesium Complex and Blue Bonnet liquid magnesium are both good products that don't cause diarrhea.

A healthfood store clerk recently told me that some people specifically choose certain brands of magnesium because they need help with their "movements."

So glad you found out what was causing your problem.

Austin Guy Contributor
Austin Guy
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for your comments. I wonder how many others might be plagued by this knowing that many will start supplementing after a diagnosis.

No more plop, plop, fizz, fizz, but oh what a relief it is!

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I had problems with supplements too. Though in my case they didn't all have magnesium stearate. I think that it was minor cc as I am sensitive to very low levels.

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