Cross Contamination - More Sensitive After gluten-free Diet

[Bex1391]

Hi I have been gluten free less than 2 months now and although my symptoms have definately improved I feel I'm more sensitive now than before diagnosis is this normal? Before being diagnosed with coeliacs, although constipation was bad along with stomach pain and gas diareah only occurred with consumption of beer/some spirits. However since being gluten free I am now super sensitive, the past 2 times I have eaten out in restaraunts although I have been very careful not to eat gluten I get diareah about 20 minutes after. Is it normal to be this sensitive to cross-contamination? And to have debeloped this hightened sensitivity after going gluten free. My biopsy showed almost total villous atrophy.

[ravenwoodglass]

Yes it is normal. Now that your gluten free when you get even the smallest amount of gluten it will cause those antibodies to flare. You need to be as careful as possible and take precautions to prevent cross contamination. Do not cook with gluten flours for others, if fact many of us find that we can't allow gluten flours to be used in our homes at all because the flour particles will be airborne for hours. Do get a dedicated gluten free toaster and replace any scratched non-stick cookware, wooden utensils, cutting boards and strainers. Try and go with as much whole unprocessed foods as you can and if you must eat in a restaurant try to go to one that is knowledgable about gluten. I hope your feeling better soon.

[jebby]

This is totally normal. In my first six months of being gluten free I got sick after playing with Play Dough with my kids and making Christmas cookies, things which I was able to do on a regular basis without symptoms before going gluten free. I also reacted strongly to cross-contamination in the foods I ate; I would feel sick after eating foods with no gluten ingredients, only to call companies afterwards and find out that all of the products I reacted to were actually made on shared lines.

[eatmeat4good]

Yeah, me too.

Increased sensitivity is maddening and we must be ever more vigilant about gluten.

I get sick with exteme symptoms from trace gluten where before I ate it every day. I had chronic muscle and joint pain and migraine headaches that went on for days.

Now I get those just from accidental trace gluten. Like helping sister's kids with their plates when we go to a buffet where I do not eat...just drink. But there is enough gluten around to end up making me sick. I wouldn't dare eat in a restaurant now whereas when I was first diagnosed (by me thanks to Celiac.com) I thought Oh I can do this! I'll just order meat and vegetables...but time and tide have proven no way! No Way I want to spend my birthday playing Russian Roulette with the whole next week just to eat a meal out. Ugh...after a year...I am still super-sensitive.