Glutened By Vodka?

[julie5914]

Hi guys -

I am sure I was glutened last weekend on vacation, but I am not sure how. I was stupid and has a Cosmo drink without thinking about what was in it (Absolut Vodka) and so I assumed that was what did it. However, I have seen in more than one place on these boards that vodka is gluten-free because of the distilling process. My aunt made dinner that night, which included salmon cooked on a gas grill with a peach salsa, grilled veggies with butter (and oil I think), and I can't remember what else, but it all seemed ok. Plus she shops at Earth Fare, so I feel pretty certain most of the ingredients were organic. The only think I can think of is that she maybe used butter from a contamined jug.

What do you think it was - vodka or dinner? I am in some serious pain, and it was last Thursday!

[gf4life]

It could have been the dinner. And buying organic foods doesn't mean they are safe. Gluten is organic! It could have been crumbs in the butter, or gluten particles in the pans she was using, or something in the peach salsa, etc...

Also since you were on vacation, did you eat anywhere else? Gluten contamination is a risk we all take everytime we eat away from home, and/or food we haven't personally prepared in a safe kitchen. That is just my opinion. I know others feel differently.

I'm not sure about the vodka. I don't drink hard liquor, only the occasional glass of wine. So I have never researched liquor for gluten content. I'm sure someone else can help you with that.

God bless,

Mariann

[gf4life]

Sorry, it accidentally posted twice.

[julie5914]

Yes, I ate out Sun, Mon, Tuesday and Friday. I feel sure that Sun, Mon and Tues were ok, and I started reacting Thursday night, so if I was glutened Friday, it only made what happened Thursday worse.

The aunt that cooked was a nurse who had a friend with Celiac, but I doubt she knew all the nuances of the disease. I guess it isn't really that important if it was the vodka or the dinner. I will just stay away from vodka anyway and be more nosy when someone else is cooking!

On a lighter note, I lost 3 pounds on vacation. I always stuff my face and do little exercising on vacation and I always lose weight! Wish applying the same principles worked at home, but they don't! Must be the stress release!

[gf4life]

I agree that it doesn't really matter when. I get glutened almost everytime we go on vacation, but I refuse to let that deter me! I try to be careful, but there is only so much you can do.

This last vacation we were gone almost 10 days and I only felt like I might have gotten contaminated one day, the first day. I am usually sick for about two weeks, and I only had a tummy ache for two days, and no D (although my DH rash that has been persisting did get worse) so either it was gluten, something other than gluten that didn't agree with me, or I ate too much beef (which I have trouble digesting)! There was also the fact that I skipped a few meals and that never sits well with me. I also forgot to take my digestive enzymes and probiotics with me when we left, so that didn't help.

Oh well. The kids start back at school next week and we won't be traveling again for a while. Only the dreaded family party this next Sunday! Gluten everywhere!! And they always try to convince me that there isn't gluten in all the food. Needless to say I bring our own food. I have given up trying not to offend them. We need to be able to eat and they are starting to come around. I usually bring a gluten-free dish to share so they can see our food is just as good. They still have a hard time understanding that it is not a temporary thing though. We keep telling them that we will be on the gluten-free diet FOREVER.

I let my husband take the kids to a family party last February while I was recovering from surgery, and he fed them all BBQ chicken (marinated in soy sauce, the family is Filipino) and they all got sick...he didn't seem to understand when I told him don't feed them ANYTHING from the party. I had sent food for them and it all came back in the bag. The kids didn't even realise that it was there, and I guess my husband didn't want to offend his parents when they were pushing him to feed the kids. "But it was just chicken". Yeah, chicken with gluten sauce! He is more careful now.

God bless,

Mariann