I Have The "what Got Me This Time" Conundrum

[birdie22]

I've been gluten-free for 11mos. I keep a food and symptom log and it's clear that things are markedly improved over time...far less bloating, headaches, canker sores, fatigue, muscle aches, etc. My home is not gluten-free but our common dinner is always gluten-free. The kids and hubby may have gluten with breakfast or lunch (weekends, weekdays we are all at work/school). Over time I've gotten my own toaster, cooking utensils, strainer and label condiments that might get used on gluteny foods (like butter tub). Hubby, who is the cook, has really adapted well and respects my need for gluten-free and no CC. But every once and a while something gets me in a home cooked meal and it is frustrating when I know the meal was gluten-free. Last night for instance, we ate boneless chicken breast marinated in italian dressing (labeled gluten-free), cooked on the grill (we don't cook gluten items on the grill), with a side of corn (from frozen) and baked potato (cooked in the microwave on a clean plate). I put salt, pepper and butter on the potato. Butter was from the gluten-free labeled tub. We all ate the same meal. No gluten foods at all at the meal. About 45min after dinner my stomach was bloated up HUGE and I was uncomfortable (almost painful from the expansion) and nauseous (also from the expansion). I took a phazyme and it resolved about 1hr later. I mentioned to my husband that something didn't set well with me and he was somewhat unsympathetic and said, how could that be it was all gluten-free.

The only thing that I can think of was that the corn was stored in a plastic rubbermaid container and reheated in the microwave. It was a pretty big portion of corn so most of it wasn't touching the bottom/sides of the container. Could the container have glutened me even if it was cleaned in hot, soapy water? I had a small portion of that corn a few days ago on a santa fe style lettuce wrap but I ate it cold. No reaction that day. And it's not like I haven't eaten leftovers in those same containers before. A few weeks ago I had a similar reaction to gluten-free pasta w/ sauce and I assumed it was the cooking pot. Have I really reached the juncture of having to only store and cook food in my own containers? Can that really be the issue?

The bloating was my biggest issue leading me to try to find a diagnosis. I was convinced I had cancer, hernia, or something. My celiac panel was negative but a good response to elimination diet. I was bloating 14 or more days a month. Now it's only 2-3 at most. It's just frustrating to feel like you are doing the right things and then some mystery something gets me. And it also makes a voice in my head wonder what if it isn't gluten, what if it's something else, maybe not even a food, maybe I should chow down on a bagel and see what happens (don't worry, I haven't)?

[shadowicewolf]

has the grill been used to grill with stuff that has sauces on it? Sometimes those have gluten.

It is generally reccomended to replace tupperware as it is rather inexpensive, however if it had scratches it is possible that there could have been cc.

What type of sauce was it? There could be something in common with that and whateveryou ate.

[bartfull]

Or it could be that someone in the house made a mistake at one point and used your butter with a gluteny knife and forgot to tell you.

And pardon me if I sound preachy, but you should never heat anything in a plastic container. They outgas into your food. I'm not saying that's what got you sick, but it's a good idea to transfer anything you're going to heat in the microwave into a glass or ceramic bowl.

[birdie22]

DH is meticulous with cleaning the grill and I can't think of any gluten sauces that would've been used. The sauce this time was just plain ole italian salad dressing, Wegman's brand, so a nice big gluten-free on the front of the bottle. The kids aren't old enough to use the butter themselves so it's just DH and I and we have a gluten-free one and a not gluten-free one and DH is really good at only choosing the right one. I don't think he'd make that mistake and then not tell me.

I can't think of anything in common between the pasta sauce (also Wegman's and labeled gluten-free) and the italian dressing but I will definitely check the ingredients list. Good idea. I'm actually now recalling that another time I was mysteriously ill was after a dinner with plain white rice. It's possible the rice, pasta sauce, and corn were all cooked in the same pot and that pot has CC issues. But I did eat that same corn the day before w/out issue. Hmmm....tempted to eat the corn tonight, by itself and see what happens.

Bartful, yep, guilty of microwaving in plastic. I know I know.

[Adalaide]

I have concerns about microwaving in plastic that are not the traditional "zomg ur gunna get cancer!!!" concerns. Mine are more grounded in our celiac world. When you microwave in plastic you will notice maybe not the first time, but over time that the plastic becomes damaged. Well, just because you can't see it the first time doesn't mean it hasn't begun to happen. For the same reason none of us would dream of using a plastic spoon that was left in a pot and got melty in a shared household, none of us should use plastic containers that have been used in the microwave in a shared household. I have a strict absolutely no shared anything policy. This includes all dishes. I microwave in my plastic containers as much as I like because I know there is no chance that anything with gluten will ever ever end up in those containers. If that weren't the case we would have a strict no microwave policy. (Which we should have anyway but it's just too darn easy to get frozen spaghetti sauce out and set it to defrost for 5 minutes.)

[gfgina]

It could be the butter, Mayber you are sensative to dairy???

[birdie22]

I have concerns about microwaving in plastic that are not the traditional "zomg ur gunna get cancer!!!" concerns. Mine are more grounded in our celiac world. When you microwave in plastic you will notice maybe not the first time, but over time that the plastic becomes damaged. Well, just because you can't see it the first time doesn't mean it hasn't begun to happen. For the same reason none of us would dream of using a plastic spoon that was left in a pot and got melty in a shared household, none of us should use plastic containers that have been used in the microwave in a shared household. I have a strict absolutely no shared anything policy. This includes all dishes. I microwave in my plastic containers as much as I like because I know there is no chance that anything with gluten will ever ever end up in those containers. If that weren't the case we would have a strict no microwave policy. (Which we should have anyway but it's just too darn easy to get frozen spaghetti sauce out and set it to defrost for 5 minutes.)

Sound advice. I have a few small glass containers that I use for things that are specifically my leftovers, things I bring to heat at work, etc. That worked great when I was eating totally different foods from the gluten family. Now that the items that we have for dinner, which is what generates the leftovers, is in family size quantities we have a need for much larger storage containers and therefore using our old/regular stuff. Time to convince DH to buy new!

[ravenwoodglass]

There is also the possibility that you have an additional intolerance. I kept thinking I was being glutened even by gluten free stuff in the beginning but it turned out I am sensitive to soy. I don't know about the pasta sauce but I do know I can't have many salad dressings because of the soy oil in them.

[bartfull]

If I freeze anything, even liquids like spaghetti sauce, I put them in ziplock freezer bags. They don't leak, and when I need to defrost I can dump them from the bag into a bowl. Sometimes I end up peeling the bag loose but I always get it out.

I'm laughing at myself a bit here. I am so careful about things like microwaving plastics, GMO foods, I buy mostly organic, have given up rice in light of the arsenic scare...and I still smoke. What an idiot I am!!

[joolsjewels]

For myself, i am gluten and lactose intoletant. Also, i have to avoid msg like a rash due to migraines. I would think you are dealing with a cc issue or another food sensitivity. If i consume too much lactose, ahh bless, i might as well forget doing anything for the rest of the day. I get bloated, abdominal pain, the runs, gas, thats even with four lactaid. My allergist told me just to pack it in. Giving up gluten was easier than giving up dairy. Also, i should avoid corn. I rarely eat it, but when i do i am bloated and constipated. Not allergic, mind, its just bothersome. I really hope you figure it out.

[birdie22]

I'm pretty sure it was the corn. Now, no idea what about the corn...the corn itself, the pot it was cooked in, etc. But we had a different meal (hot dog sans bun, squash, and leftover corn) for dinner last night. I purposefully took the corn out of the plastic container and put it into a glass bowl to reheat in the microwave. I had a small serving. I was feeling bloated and nauseous before the meal was even over. Not nearly as bad as the other night but still detectable. Today I have a nice crack in the left corner of my mouth. I never used to get those (I'm more a canker sore sufferer) but I've noticed that since going gluten-free that if I get glutened I either get a canker sore or a mouth crack. Fun times.

Definitely time to replace the pots.

[red island]

I never resolved my cc issues until I stopped using plastic containers - in the microwave or when baking. Since I switched to glass containers I have been fine. And yeah, I also use ziploc bags for storage and to freeze things.

[cindylou7]

I have the same problem with a bloating reaction and I just "know" that I must've gotten glutened somehow. Did I breathe it in? Did the treat that I fed the dog contain gluten and I forgot to wash my hand before eating? Did I get some gluten dust on me (we live on a farm and my husband and kids often come in with cattle feed dust on them and their clothes).

Or maybe it's something else entirely...some unknown disease...Some common disease...No disease at all...Maybe it's in my head...

This has got to be the most infuriating part of this disease. Even when you are watching everything you do, you still have some random symptom pop up!