What's Your Worst Cross-contamination Story?

[Guest BERNESES]

OK. I've gotten the gluten-free diet down pretty well but lately I've been getting sick and I'm pretty sure it's cross contamination issues. So, I'm wondering what I'm up against here. My worst one was last week. I was dog-sitiing two dogs who get lots of treats. I started to get sick (and I KNOW I was eating gluten-free) and I figured out it was the dog treats. It's ridiculous! Whenwas the last time you saw a dog grazing in a wheat field? So, i want to hear them ALL! I've got a few more but I want to hear from you first. Best, Beverly

(I call my husband Wheatabix when he eats wheat and I won't kiss him!)

[Guest nini]

My worst story??? Hmmmmmm That would have to be the day of my nieces birthday party when I made gluten-free cupcakes for my daughter and me... and my sister decided to ice them for me AFTER she had iced the regular cupcakes...

[Rikki Tikki]

The biggest issue for me is my kids putting their knife into my peanut butter, they don't seem to get how serious it is for me. Then they get upset when I get all freaky.

Then my granddaughter was over the other night and we had barbequed hamburgers, I put hers in the bun and then cut the bun with my knife, I saw what I had done after I put the knife on my plate, and sure enough there was a small little crumb on my plate so needless to say I didn't use that knife or plate. But it almost slid right past me. It's hard to imagine how I almost did that one!

[Pegster]

Last Thanksgiving I made gluten-free creamed corn to take to my in-laws house. A well-meaning but careless relative pulled a serving spoon out of the canister of flour (they had just thickened the gravy) and stuck the spoon right in my casserole, sprinkling flour all over the peas and sweet potatoes on the way!

[frenchiemama]

My worst one was at a restaurant. It's a restaurant that I have eaten at several times without getting sick, and another celiac I know eats there (orders the same thing as me) and has never gotten sick.

Anyway, I got sick after eating there once but I wasn't sure it was from that restaurant because we had been out all day and I had eat two meals out. So a couple weeks later we went there again, but this time I picked through everything and inspected it before I started eating. I found a peice of bread about the size of a pencil eraser and several smaller crumbs mixed in with my meat! I asked the waitress about it and apparently the pork is kept right next to the toast station. The meat is supposed to be covered of course, but apparently that rule isn't really followed. So if the bread contamination wasn't bad enough, I can only imagine what else might be in there! Bleh!

[Guest Viola]

My worst one I think is when my parents were visiting. Mom always drank lemon tea, and as I like lemon I started drinking it with her. Well I started getting sick and this went on for a few days .. I just couldn't track the problem. Finally my Dad was leaning up against the counter one day watching TV and he started reading the lemon tea box durning a commercial ... would you believe the third ingredient was toasted wheat germ! I never even thought of reading a LEMON tea box, I mean it's lemon and tea ... right!? NOT ... now I read every thing and rarely ever drink herbal teas of any kind.

[nettiebeads]

OK. I've gotten the gluten-free diet down pretty well but lately I've been getting sick and I'm pretty sure it's cross contamination issues. So, I'm wondering what I'm up against here. My worst one was last week. I was dog-sitiing two dogs who get lots of treats. I started to get sick (and I KNOW I was eating gluten-free) and I figured out it was the dog treats. It's ridiculous! Whenwas the last time you saw a dog grazing in a wheat field? So, i want to hear them ALL! I've got a few more but I want to hear from you first. Best, Beverly

(I call my husband Wheatabix when he eats wheat and I won't kiss him!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[skbird]

Well, I hope this isn't too off-topic but I thought I'd post two short stories of when I got nightshade-sick from contamination, I get sick the same way from nightshades that I do from gluten. (and I don't have any clever or weird stories about gluten, YET!)

#1 - I was at a party in the kitchen helping the hostess - she was chopping up tomatoes and habenero peppers from her garden to make a salsa (both are nightshades) and I offered to help by washing the cutting board. I washed it in her super hot tap water (almost scalding, it was very hot) and soap, then my hands really well. It was hot in there so after that I wiped my face - I was sweating! And then my face skin started to burn. I thought that was weird but since I didn't eat the pepper or tomato, no harm, right? Wrong! was sick for a few days after. I wasn't aware that I could get sick by getting it through my skin as it affects my gut and stomach. That's why I'm careful about wheat products now.

#2 - I was at another party and someone brought a bunch of long, green spicy peppers that they were filling with cream cheese to grill on the BBQ. They were in the kitchen when I came into the house (pool party, most people were outside) and I walked near the kitchen and heard them all choking on the strength of the pepper fumes. So I steered clear. Later, when they BBQ'd them, I was near the smoke and decided to leave the area and get back in the pool. The next day I was as sick as a dog from pepper poisoning.

Remind me to not ever get into a protest somewhere where pepper spray is being used, I'll probably end up in the hospital!

Anyway, these experiences make me super cautious with gluten, I feel concerned when I'm in a grocery store and I can smell freshly-baked bread. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to make me sick, too!

Stephanie

[dogear]

I just ate a marzipan with wheat flour last week and started throwing up about two hours later. For the next three days, I felt a wee bit driftier and my stomach was bothering me in a way that it peroidically did from the time I was ten until-well about a month after going gluten-free. Only this was worse than I remember.

Originally, I started the gluten-free business, essentially because I wanted to. Not because I was even expecting any health improvement.

But I don't remember ever feeling particularly drifty before. My stomach didn't usally bug me this much, and I certainly don't remember throwing up after eating pizza or cake, let alone a marzipan with just a little bit of wheat in it!!!

Did I do this to myself? Did I make a mistake going gluten-free? Have I perversely turned myself into a gluten-intolerant person, by this? Or was it just a fluke?

[Guest BERNESES]

wow- Stephanie- that's crazy! I didn't even know what nightshades were let alone that you could have that kind of reaction to them. Ugh! No PETA protests for you!

Dog ear- I don't think you made a mistake at all. It sounds like you needed to go gluten-free (by the way- what do you mean by driftier?). I've noticed that the longer I've been gluten-free the more just a tiny bit of gluten gets me and I'm more susceptible to cross- contamination. Another one of my horror stories is drinking Tropicana lemonade. Why in the world would lemonade need gluten? Didn't even think to check online and the darn label said "natural flavors" Drank it, felt ill immediately, threw up 2 hours later like crazy and was sick for three days after.

So let's see- I've never seen a dog grazing in a wheat field or a lemon growing in one either. Please let me know if you have ever had these highly unusual sightings

[Guest BERNESES]

Stephanie- I just read this article:

Open Original Shared Link

I never knew! I learned something valuable today! How did you find out you were allergic? I suspect I may have more food allergies or intolerances and I'm wondering what they might be. Thanks, Beverly

[Guest GITRDONE]

Like you all I have had the same reaction after eaten something glutened. Sick within a couple of hours. We went to The Outback for Mother day (1-1/2 hours from home) and I barely made it. I had asked if what I was ordering was gluten-free, but it beings mothers day they were very busy and things must have gotten mixed up.

Some times I really feel that those around me "just don't get it", which I know is a whole other thread.. But now I just try to refrain, I pack my own lunch, dinner or whatever I am attending.

Good luck , Hang in there it only gets easier with time & knowledge and unfortunatlly experience.

Susan

[frenchiemama]

  Another one of my horror stories is drinking Tropicana lemonade. Why in the world would lemonade need gluten? Didn't even think to check online and the darn label said "natural flavors" Drank it, felt ill immediately, threw up 2 hours later like crazy and was sick for three days after.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid Tropicana! I was poisoned by their OJ. Why would orange juice have gluten in it???? I broke out for weeks.

[Guest BERNESES]

Oh I HEAR you! What the heck is up with them? They have like 2 US plants that will guarantee that their 100% pure OJ is gluten-free. How hard can it be to make gluten-free orange juice? Just squeeze some flippin oranges!

[skbird]

You can tell Michelle/Bean is on vacation because she'd join the Tropicana rant! Out of protest I won't even buy their gluten free juices now.

Beverly - I just saw that article the other day, too. It's a good one, finally there is awareness building about nightshades. I "figured it out" 6 years ago. There is no really coherent way I did this, but an older friend of mine was telling me how he avoids nightshades because he has arthritis. You know how you learn something that seems pretty unimportant, then a few days later it suddenly plays into your life? Well, a few days after he told me this, another friend brought us a bunch of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant from their garden. I made this killer spaghetti sauce, the kind you simmer forever on the stove. I ate a huge plate, and an hour later was DYING with a terrible headache. I had headaches all the time, my whole life. I also had an aversion to potato skins, especially russet potatoes, either on baked potatoes or french fries, even hashbrowns, potato salad, etc. This is because two or three times in my life I had gotten what I thought was the stomach flu after eating them, barfing, etc, for 24 hours. You know how getting sick after something puts you off of it, right?

I would still eat the insides of potatoes, fries without the skins, etc. Never a big fan of tomatoes unless cooked well into sauce, etc. Never a huge pepper fan either, caused me weird burps. Didn't like eggplant, just scared me to look at it.

Anyway, I got that horrible migraine and felt terrible and decided it had to be nightshades. I did a lot of research but couldn't find anything on the web. I just avoided them and found that as time went by I was more sensitive than ever, even little bits would make me feel bad for days. I found paprika is a pepper and must be avoided. Then I was taking kava kava for stress and it always gave me a headache so I looked it up - it's a nightshade, too.

I have learned that my mom's dad couldn't eat peppers and my dad's dad hated tomatoes. My dad now is having trouble with bell peppers. But other than that, no one in my family seems to have any problems with foods - well, my brother is beginning to have problems with refined sugars and has cut out most alcohol. I think I am either just a whole lot more sensitive or I just pay more attention or something. Actually, I think once you learn that a food can have that many effects on you, you start understanding that others can, too. I am still in the process of sorting this all out - I thought I'd figured out everything that was harmful tome but I have been having a lot of problems the last couple of months so who knows? I have not been able to reliably eat either dairy or chocolate for the last month, talk about depressing!

Anyway, glad that info was helpful, in some form. I have talked to allergists about nightshades and they say it's not an allergy, go to a gastroenterologist. The gastros say, call an allergist! Whatever! Glad I have enough smarts to figure it out myself...

Stephanie

[frenchiemama]

I had headaches all the time, my whole life. I also had an aversion to potato skins, especially russet potatoes, either on baked potatoes or french fries, even hashbrowns, potato salad, etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, I've ALWAYS had headaches as well. Even when I was a little kid. Then they decreased some when I went gluten-free, so I thought that they would eventually go away. But they haven't, and this week they have been particularly bad. In fact, for the past 4 days or so I've woken up with a splitting head ache. I've been wracking my brain for a while now trying to figure out what it could be that is still bothering me and giving me these headaches.

In reading your post on nightshades it just dawned on me, Friday I ate a big greek salad that was loaded with tomatoes and Sunday my mom made me a batch of mashed potatoes with the skins on (russet, that's why I thought of it just now) and I've been eating the leftovers every day since then.

I also have known for years that I can't eat bell peppers. Raw, cooked, red, green, yellow, it doesn't matter. If I eat even a little bit I will wake up in the middle of the night and barf (sorry if gross) totally undigested peppers.

I'm going to try going without them for a while and see if there is any improvement. Where can I get a list of exactly what veggies I need to avoid?

[BrianH]

I didn't realize Celiac could be that sensitive to such mild exposure. Are there different levels of the disease? I have been consuming vast quantities of wheat and gluten since I was diagnosed 13 years ago and havent had bad reactions since the first few years.

[KaitiUSA]

I didn't realize Celiac could be that sensitive to such mild exposure.  Are there different levels of the disease?  I have been consuming vast quantities of wheat and gluten since I was diagnosed 13 years ago and havent had bad reactions since the first few years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The smallest bit of gluten can cause damage..no varying levels with celiac. You have it or you don't. The only thing that varies are symptoms. Some people never get symptoms and others are more sensitive to the smallest amount.

[jterrano]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on a gluten-free diet for about a year. I never had any GI problems, I was anemic. Now that I've been on the diet, I noticed recently that if I do eaten gluten (I have cheated on rare occasions) that I get horrible stomach pains and nausea. This has happened only a couple of times, so I'm not sure if it's because I had gluten or just a coincidence. My doctor orignailly told me that if you didn't have GI problems before you would not develop them once you went on a gluten-free diet. Now I'm questioning what he has said and after reading some responses it seems like I might be more sensitive and I did get sick because of the gluten! I never got sick before!

[Guest BERNESES]

Yeah- I'm wondering about the getting more sensitive thing myself as before I knew, I would eat pizza and feel pretty bad but now I think a tiny amount can still make me sick. It's been kind of frustrating because I thought that not eating gluten would make me feel better (and it does!) but now even a tiny amount causes symptoms. I'm starting to feel like I need a bubble to live in! Beverly

[KaitiUSA]

Jterrano-When I first went gluten free gluten did not really phase me..I was sick no matter what I ate. After being gluten free for a while I continued to get more sensitive to it and sick with the smallest amount. The doctor that told you that you would not get GI symptoms was wrong, you can get symptoms with increased sensitivity. Not everyone may continue to get more sensitive but I know for me as well as alot of people have got way more sensitive with time on the diet.

[Guest BERNESES]

Kaiti- Not that I would wish that on you, but I'm glad to be in good comapny. I was starting to think I was insane.

[skbird]

Beverly - people *tell* me I should be in a bubble! All the freakin' time! We laugh because it's sort of funny...

About nightshade veggies - here's the list:

potatoes (90% of the offending part is in the skin)

tomatoes, including tomatillos

bell peppers - all colors

spicy peppers (jalepeños, peppericinis, cayenne)

eggplant

tobacco

kava kava

paprika

others: Jimson weed, petunia

Not nightshades, or subs for nightshade veggies:

black pepper - good spicy pepper sub

yams/sweet potatoes - potato sub

turnip, jerusalem artichoke, cauliflour - also good potato subs

yellow squash or zuccini - good eggplant sub

cumin - good spice for making chili

I have not found a decent spaghetti sauce sub yet, so I use either alfredo or pesto. I use these on pizza, and they are great. In the UK there is a product called Nomato - they have made nightshade free baked beans, ketchup, spaghetti sauce and hot sauce out of things like carrots and various other things.

I have thought about making a sauce out of kiwi - seems similar to tomato in some ways but never have gotten around to it.

Things like nachos are chips, cheese, garlic (lots) and onion (lots) with olives tossed in for good measure. Things like this become better the more you make them and lose your taste for spicy chilis. Also, "chili" is usually seasoned with garlic and onion, plus cumin, black pepper, and some apple cider vinegar for a little kick. Sure, it's not tomato based, but it's still pretty good.

So there are some ideas on that front. Feel free to email me if you want more ideas... I have been living this way for 6 years now and never meet anyone else who avoids nightshades like I do (same extent as gluten for me!)

Stephanie

[KaitiUSA]

Kaiti- Not that I would wish that on you, but I'm glad to be in good comapny. I was starting to think I was insane.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes I know what you mean...some of my extended family still look at me like I have 7 heads and get this laugh when I start talking about celiac and how they should be tested and how I am extremely sensitive. Don't feel alone though, I definitely have increased sensitivity to gluten too.

[Guest GITRDONE]

I completly agree, the longer on a gluten-free diet the more sensitive I have become to any wheat. But as for the eggs, I quit eating them about 6 months before being postive for celiac disease, because of the horrid stomach aches I would get. And I used to consume eggs like crazy, it seemed like just one day I couldn't tolerate them anymore. I am going to do a food sensitivty test next time I am scheduled for the GI visit, I have foud other foods that I have become sensitive to as well. How about the "wheat free" soy sauce anyone??

I wish I could just take a pill and not have to eat, it would be like everyone elses fast food.

Take care and education seems to be everything. Susan