Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Glutenfree In Punta Cana Dominican Republic

red island

By red island
in Traveling with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

red island Newbie
red island
Posted

Hi Everyone, I booked a trip to Punta Cana shortly after I was diagnosed. Before I knew just how many things gluten was in and before I fell victim to the dreaded cross-contamination and its consequences. Now I am a month away from my vacation and need some advice on what kind of foods I should be fairly safe eating. It is a large resort with mostly buffet style but also some restaurants. I would like to avoid the buffet but I have read that the restaurants may be hard to get into - we plan on trying to make reservations as soon as we get there. I am also taking my own cereal and tons of snacks - worst case scenario I eat sparingly but still enjoy the sun and sand. Any advice from those of you who have been there would be much appreciated.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


red island Newbie
red island
Posted
  • Author

Oh!!! Worst case scenario would not be eating sparingly - it would be the dire consequences of cc!

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

Can you contact the resort and restaurants ahead of time? Oftentimes, high-tourist-traffic vacation spots are ahead of the curve regarding catering to gluten-free guests. Definitely try to call ahead....

  • 1 month later...
Marier.ga75 Newbie
Marier.ga75
Posted

Hi

Did your trip to pc happen? Pls share your tips. I have to go to to a family event at dreams punta Cana palm beach with a child with celiac who gets very very ill from accidental gluten and I am stressed.

Thanks

red island Newbie
red island
Posted
  • Author

I just got back from Punta Cana last week and am still sick from it. I went to the Grand Paradise Bavaro which is a beautiful resort but totally not set up for people with food issues. Very hard to get into the restaurants on the resort and the buffet was well spaced out - fruit way separate from other foods, bread all to itself on a separate table but you cant control what people do once they get there. Major contamination issues there - the milk was in a big vat and you ladled it onto your cereal or into your glass. There were always bits of cereal floating in it. and staff always in a hurry, no facilities in the room to prepare my own food so I basically ate out of my suitcase all week and lived on rice and fruit. I did not contact the resort before I went and I really regret that but with this place I feel that it would not have helped. There were just too many people going through and not enough staff. I would love to go back to Punta Cana, it is beautiful beyond belief but I would stay at a higher class resort.

red island Newbie
red island
Posted
  • Author

Oh and I forgot to add that I would definitely look for a room with a kitchenette, they must have some rooms like that. I had taken mac and cheese that I thought I could just heat up in my room but that did not happen cause it turned out I had to add hot water and then microwave it and that wasnt possible. My next trip I will be taking a collapsible kettle with me so I can at least eat a few things in my room besides snack food.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,663
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Funnybone
    Newest Member
    Funnybone
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Medication

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Welcome to the community! Generally, for a gluten challenge before celiac disease blood tests, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is considered safe and should not interfere with your antibody results. The medications you typically need to avoid are those like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) that can cause intestinal irritation, which could potentially complicate the interpretation of an endoscopy if you were to have one. However, it is absolutely crucial that you confirm this with either your gastroenterologist or your surgeon before your procedure. They know the specifics of your case and can give you the definitive green light, ensuring your surgery is comfortable and your celiac testing remains accurate. Best of luck with your surgery tomorrow
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      Thank you for the advice. I’ve actually never checked for nutritional deficiencies, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always taken vitamin and mineral supplements — otherwise my symptoms get worse. This week I stopped eating gluten to confirm whether my symptoms are really caused by it. Starting next week, I’ll reintroduce gluten — it’s sad to go back to how I was before — but at least I’ll be able to take the necessary tests properly. I think the diagnostic process will be long, but at least I’m happy that I finally decided to address this doubt I’ve had for years.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.