Wish I Knew What Got Me Xmas Eve

[birdie22]

Xmas Eve hubby cooked a wonderful dinner of cornish hens that were pre-stuffed with long grain wild rice, golden raisins, and craisins. We had that with roasted red potatoes and white wine. The hens came from our local grocery which does very good labeling including allergy statements. DH read the label, no wheat, and no allergens listed. W/in 30mins of eating dinner I was extremely bloated, visibly distended, and nauseous. Not to mention immediately fatigued. I couldn't wait to go to bed.

So this morning I was so so frustrated that something so seemingly benign made me ill that I decided to enjoy a nice piece of lemon poppyseed bread (not gluten-free) as that's my all time favorite treat. I know, I know, stupid move. But, I'm not diagnosed celiac and I've been having such doubt over what my bloating trigger is. Well, 30min after that treat I was again bloated and nauseous.

I just wish I knew what was wrong with my dinner that set me off.

[mamaw]

First off, you know you made a mistake in the gluten poppy seedbread... It is very easy to make gluten-free...

I'm not sure if you did your potatoes in white wine or had iotto drink but sulphates kill me....so I have to watch the wine& use only the sulphite free ones.... I drink very very little maybe once every year a taste....

The other thing would be check the wild rice....

Hope you feel better soon..

[Takala]

If you purchased a "pre- stuffed" bird there is no way that it was prepared in a manner that was cognizant of the risks of cross contamination for people trying to avoid gluten UNLESS it came from a gluten free restaurant or facility... sorry. It could have been anything in that ingredient list because you do NOT know how it was processed and handled before it ended up in your bird - if they were from bulk bins, or whatever.

I've told my spouse he needs to start rinsing off any meat well, BEFORE cooking, from the local grocery with the butcher counter for this reason- while I watch them wrap things, and they're not sloppy, there is still obviously so much potential for cc it is risky, otherwise, as this facility also prepares sandwiches and "ready to cook" items in the very same area that contain gluten. The meats are all in the same display case and they have pre stuffed, pre wrapped items next to it in another case... they also do rotisserie chickens which are, alas, not completely gluten free because of the local specialty seasoning/meat rub they use on everything isn't gluten-free, either.

[StacyA]

Consider the possibility of the dried fruit being cc'd during processing. I have done just fine with Ocean Spray craisins, however I suspect I got glutened by Sunmaid Tropical Trio dried fruit two years ago. The 'Tropical Trio' mixture did not contain raisins, but what I got from the experience was to be leery of dried fruits, particularly Sunmaid - not that I'm trying to bash that company at all, I am just being careful.

Perhaps it would be good to keep a log of times you have symptoms and the foods you had in the 24 hours before (or less, I get symptoms nearly exactly 2 hours later) so you can have a record of products to watch. If you keep such a log, make sure to write down the brand names since memory can fade - like what brand raisins, craisins, rice, etc. If you have those products again and you're just fine, you can delete them from your list or make a note. In fact, for this reply I clicked on the 'Suspicious Foods List' document I keep on my computer to find the brand and name of the dried fruit mixture that I suspect zapped me.

[Celtic Queen]

I like the suspicious foods list. That's a good idea. I already keep a log of glutening "incidents" and "safe foods." A suspicious foods list might be a good addition to those.

[Duhlina]

I just wish I knew what was wrong with my dinner that set me off.

I wish I knew what got me Christmas Eve too! After church we went to my MIL's house and she had out munchies for everyone. I was good and steered clear of the crackers, etc. I had cheese, a handful of nuts and a glass of egg nog (which I suspect she was miffed about me insisting I read the label on before I'd drink). I got glutened and I have NO idea what did it. We are suspecting the nuts as they had salt/seasoning on them.

I'm with the other poster who suggested it may have been the pre-stuffed bird that got you.