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Glutened By Cottage Cheese?

WhoKnew

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WhoKnew Rookie
WhoKnew
Posted

Hi, I'm new around here and this is my first post, thanks for reading it.

I have researched past posts about cottage cheese, and see they are quite old, so hopefully it's ok to start a new one.

I'll get to the cottage cheese shortly, here is a bit of background...

I was diagnosed 18 months ago with celiac. I didn't take it seriously at first, but have been hard-core gluten-free for over 12 months now. It has been profoundly life-changing. The very short version is... 30 years of sickness disappeared overnight. The multiple misdiagnoses, and unnecessary medications and surgeries I was subjected to during that 30 years, are a story for another time.

An inevitable part of the learning curve has been accidentally getting Glutened, or Glutening myself. My body's reaction is immediate, I know within 30 minutes, and I am then bedbound for five days with the same symptoms: extremely swollen neck glands, belly pains, bigtime muscle aches, a feeling of "hot" inflamed joints, extreme fatigue, and the rest of it.

It always takes five days to pass, and I've come to realize this must be how long my immune system takes to figure it out. I go from easily running 6 miles a day, to not being able to hobble six steps... overnight. It's crippling, and scary when it happens, because it reminds me of how life used to be nearly all the time... but it happens less and less the more I learn.

Sorry I'm taking a long time to get to the point, which is cottage cheese. I think...it's detective work isn't it, figuring this out...

Nine days ago I got extremely sick after eating salami, olives with pimento, and cottage cheese. None of these three items usually make me sick. But I was eating a different, untried brand of ALL THREE at once ...silly girl. Another new lesson...don't introduce more than one new thing at once!

I researched salami and discovered it can contain gluten, either in the salami, or from cross-contamination, or from some kind of flour or something used to keep the slices separate.

I then researched the olives and discovered vinegar, or whatever they are floating in...can occasionally contain gluten.

Finally I researched cottage cheese and discovered it's usually gluten-free, but a few brands can contain gluten in the stabilizers, such as Organic Valley (as stated on their website).

So of course, I had absolutely no idea which of the three potential offenders had Glutened me.

Five days passed, and I became suddenly well again, which is what usually happens, the sickness suddenly goes away like fog lifting. The next day I ate a baked potato with the same cottage cheese, (yes I know, what an idiot) and within 45 minutes was sick as a dog. So I'm crashed out in bed again, twice in two weeks, and it's very scary.

By process of elimination the culprit seems to be the cottage cheese. The brand is Humboldt creamery organic fat-free cottage cheese. Has anyone been Glutened by this product?

There isn't anything else new I've eaten. I've checked all new things that have come into the house including some new household cleaners, and they're all ok. The only other thing I can think of, is my cleaning lady used a lot of mold and mildew spray with bleach in the bathroom... And both times, she did this the day before I became sick. Could that have made me sick for five days, given that I have a compromised immune system?

Sorry if I have breached any etiquette with such a long post. I would really appreciate any and all thoughts, experiences, and feedback. Thanks for reading.

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bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

I found Humbolt Creamery online but not their cottage cheese. I suppose you could go to their website and click the "contact" button, or better yet, if there is a phone number on the carton, call them.

I use Daisy Brand cottage cheese when I have cottage cheese. There are no additives at all.

Welcome to the forum by the way. I hope you can figure this out and that you start feeling better soon. :)

WhoKnew Rookie
WhoKnew
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for responding, I emailed the manufacturer today, I will post what they say when I hear back.

I've narrowed it down to one of two things making me so sick...

1) Humboldt creamery fat free cottage cheese, or...

2) also discovered my cleaning lady has been using products containing ammonia and bleach together! The two times I got sick in the last 2 weeks have been right after she was here. So I went through all the products, called her, and asked what she was using in the bathrooms. Lysol, then Scrubbing Bubbles she said. Eek.

I'm wondering if the toxic fumes could have knocked my already weak immune system sideways, making it feel the same as being Glutened. Just a thought.

I found Humbolt Creamery online but not their cottage cheese. I suppose you could go to their website and click the "contact" button, or better yet, if there is a phone number on the carton, call them.

I use Daisy Brand cottage cheese when I have cottage cheese. There are no additives at all.

Welcome to the forum by the way. I hope you can figure this out and that you start feeling better soon. :)

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