Should A Warning Label Be Made For Celiacs?

[Finally-45]

I will be having oral surgery next month. I'm wondering whether dental hospitals like to be aware that a patient has Celiac in a similar manner that they like to be aware of diabetes, latex allergies, and so on.

Celiac/gluten sensitivity hasn't been on any of the questionnaires so far, I'm not sure if that's because the awareness of Celiac is still growing or if there really isn't anything to worry about.

I noticed my pharmacy also doesn't ask about Celiac, nor did they seem to care when I brought it up. Yet, I've read on some posts that people are careful to buy gluten-free capsules for OTC products. Are prescription products automatically gluten-free?

[kareng]

Put it under allergy. Then write out wheat, rye, barley, oats. Wheat & barley are probably the only things that might be a concern. Then, don't assume that they get that that applies to dental stuff they put in your mouth. Call the dentist and ask if they have checked for gluten. My dentist had checked and had copies of letters from companies.

With pharmacies- before you pick up & pay for the medicine, ask what it is & for the compnay name. They may also have a phone number for you. Sometimes there is a drug number of some sort they can give you. Call & find out for yourself if its not on this list:

www.glutenfreedrugs.com

[pricklypear1971]

If you have DH make sure you list iodine as am allergy. Dentists can use iodine in packing.

[Meatballman]

Prescription meds. are not always gluten free.Sometimes the pharmacy is not even aware and it becomes necessary to call the manufacturer.It can be a pain but I check with each refill.Believe it or not sometimes they change the ingredients from time to time.So double check just to be safe.

[BabsV]

And be careful with 'generic' prescriptions. For one of the medicines (birth control pills) I take the name brand is gluten free but at least a couple of the generics aren't. For maintenance drugs like this I use a mail order pharmacy and they were really responsive -- the pharmacist I spoke with on the phone was really attentive and understood the whole issue, he tagged my file so that a big warning comes up saying not to dispense anything containing gluten, etc. They were great compared to one of the pharmacies near my house...they didn't seem to care one whit about the issue. I'm not going back there for prescriptions, ever. I luckily have several more choices of pharmacies to choose from!

[DerpTyler]

I am pretty sure the reason why they're not too worried is because celiacs are not technically allergic to gluten, correct me if im wrong, but we are intolerant to it. like what I mean is that if you are extremely allergic to latex you could have a severe reaction and possible die whereas, if they give you gluten you may be sick for a day or two.

[Di2011]

I am pretty sure the reason why they're not too worried is because celiacs are not technically allergic to gluten, correct me if im wrong, but we are intolerant to it. like what I mean is that if you are extremely allergic to latex you could have a severe reaction and possible die whereas, if they give you gluten you may be sick for a day or two.

and die of digestive / bowel cancer like my grandfather

[Celtic Queen]

Unfortunately I don't think a lot of doctors and nurses take this kind of stuff seriously. I went to the dermatologist last week and wrote on my new patient form that I was allergic to Novacaine, wheat, barley, oats and rye. (I know I'm not "allergic" but I thought that was the easiest way to get across that I couldn't have any.) The nurse didn't even look at my record. Right before she was about to stick me with numbing agent, she asked me if I was allergic to anything. I told her all of the above. She immediately put the needle down and said she's come back with a new numbing agent that didn't have Novacaine.

If she had bothered to look at my record, she would have seen that I was allergic to Novacaine. Luckily she thought to ask. And fortunately if she had given it to me, I wouldn't have died of any sort of anaphalactic shock or anything like that. I just would have been sporting some pretty hives for a while.

Before I left I noticed that she had written "Allergic to Novacaine" on my folder in big letters. I kind of frustrated me that she didn't put anything on there about the wheat, etc. Probably because she's never even considered if there's wheat in any of the medicines or products they use. I go back next week and will definitely get her to add it and do some education to teach her why it's important.

[T.H.]

we are intolerant to it. like what I mean is that if you are extremely allergic to latex you could have a severe reaction and possible die whereas, if they give you gluten you may be sick for a day or two.

I think that's the general thought for most ER's, pharmacists, doctor offices, and such, when they see the celiac disease label.

That's not actually the case, however. Some celiacs have symptoms for a day or two, but their gut is damaged, which means they are nutrient deficient until that heals, which can be days, or weeks, or even months, depending on the severity of the damage. There are all sorts of issues that can come up because of that.

And for some of us, the symptoms are much more severe than a day or two of illness. For example, I'm ill for weeks, sometimes over a month, just from one round of gluten cc. Some people suffer life threatening symptoms, like excessive bleeding in the gut. It's rarer than the typical gut discomfort, but not unheard of.

I used to put down celiac disease on medical charts, but doctors who aren't specialists in celiac disease specifically don't really understand just what the results can be, usually, and so I completely understand putting down 'allergy' at this point. People are trained to think that allergy will have more severe consequences. Since my reactions are severe consequences, I'm comfortable putting it down, now, when I go to an ER.

[susiecat]

unfortunately, that happens quite often. my husband is terminally ill and he's been through many long trips to mayo clinic. although, i can say at mayo clinic they are better than most at paying attention to charts regarding allergies and such, occassionally problems like this happen there too. you will always have to mention what you are allergic to BEFORE you are given something, don't wait for them to ask. =)

[susiecat]

I do think there should be a warning label for celiacs. Possibly if we band together and press on the FDA, we may get that accomplished????

[DerpTyler]

and die of digestive / bowel cancer like my grandfather

well obviously if you visited the "docter" on a very regular basis it would be harmful in the long run but, if it was a one time thing you shouldnt go into an Anaphylactic Shock and die if you ingest some gluten. now dont get me wrong i disagree that its not taken into account but i guess they just have other more severe things to worry about

[Gemini]

I will be having oral surgery next month. I'm wondering whether dental hospitals like to be aware that a patient has Celiac in a similar manner that they like to be aware of diabetes, latex allergies, and so on.

Celiac/gluten sensitivity hasn't been on any of the questionnaires so far, I'm not sure if that's because the awareness of Celiac is still growing or if there really isn't anything to worry about.

I noticed my pharmacy also doesn't ask about Celiac, nor did they seem to care when I brought it up. Yet, I've read on some posts that people are careful to buy gluten-free capsules for OTC products. Are prescription products automatically gluten-free?

As far as the oral surgery goes, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I have had many oral surgeries since going gluten-free 6 1/2 years ago and have never been glutened once. The products used for surgery, unless you have an allergy to them, do not contain gluten. I am referring to injectables used as numbing agents. Even the stuff they use to pre-numb the site to be injected is gluten-free. For your reference, I am an extremely sensitive, full blown Celiac who reacts to tiny amounts of gluten or CC...never had a problem at the oral surgeons office.

If by any small chance you were to be glutened, like many have said, it isn't anaphylaxis and the worst thing that would happen is you would have your usual gluten reaction. You would recover within a few days and your small intestine would not be damaged for weeks on end and you wouldn't suffer from nutrient deprivation. That's a bit of overkill.

You DO have to be careful of meds because some contain gluten components. I would expect that they will give you an antibiotic and a pain killer and I can recommend the TEVA brand of antibiotics..they are gluten free but make sure to check each Rx here on the forum or by calling the company. I always use Vicodin for the pain because it is gluten-free. It's easier on the tummy also.

Don't rely on anyone but yourself to determine if a product is gluten-free. Doctors, dentists and pharmacists are generally clueless about these things. Or you can ask here as this forum is one of the most reliable places to get information on meds. We know what we can take! Relax and don't worry...you'll be fine! Good luck with your surgery.