Where's The Gluten?

[Sarahsmile416]

Not celiac, recently diagnosed with EE, but suspect I am sensitive to gluten so am trying a gluten free diet to see if it eliminates my problems.

Went to a restaurant and asked for their gluten free menu...if said they could do any of their burgers without a bun, so I figured I'd be safe as I'm not sure how sensitive I am to CC yet. Anyway, so I got a turkey burger with cheese and guacamole on top with brocolli on the side. I know the brocolli is okay, so I'm wondering where else the gluten could be because while my reaction hasn't been severe, I'm having tons of reflux and mild D. So where could the gluten be?? Can anyone help?

[mushroom]

As incredible as it seems, some companies/people feel the urge to put gluten in guacamole. I was surprised myself when a know gluten freer asked if my guacamole was gluten free. I said yes (before I was eating gluten free) and he said "How do you know?" I said because I made it myself. He then decided to eat it. When in doubt, ask, or don't eat it.

[Sarahsmile416]

I was afraid of that, mushroom...that was the only thing I could think of short of CC..,only thing I am wondering is what type of gluten they might put in there...my mom makes it all the time and just adds lemon and garlic...well live and learn! I think I will avoid guacamole unless I or my mother makes it!!

[kareng]

Have you checked what causes reflux? Fatty things, spicy things, large meal, eating to close to bed, etc. maybe it had nothing to do with gluten and that is what is causing you issues?

[Sarahsmile416]

I really don't do any of those things though. I don't eat large meals, almost never eat fatty foods and haven't eaten spicy foods in some times. And honestly, reflux is a side issue for me...the bigger issue is still C and D. Plus, there was inflammation in my intestines...

[kareng]

Sorry. You said you had " tons of reflux" so I thought maybe, with the EE diagnosis, you would want to try that diet.

If I remember, you are getting the copies of the medical records to find out what the inflammation in the sm intestines is, correct? If I'm thinking of someone else, make sure you get them. And ask that GI what you are supposed to do about this EE and inflammation. There has to be a cause for the inflammation. It's nuts these docs that give you a " diagnosis" and no instructions.

[Sarahsmile416]

Sorry. You said you had " tons of reflux" so I thought maybe, with the EE diagnosis, you would want to try that diet.

If I remember, you are getting the copies of the medical records to find out what the inflammation in the sm intestines is, correct? If I'm thinking of someone else, make sure you get them. And ask that GI what you are supposed to do about this EE and inflammation. There has to be a cause for the inflammation. It's nuts these docs that give you a " diagnosis" and no instructions.

Hi Karen-

Yes that was me...I probably won't get them until the new year, but hopefully will talk to the doctor on Wednesday. The problem is exactly that - I know there is inflammation - but I don't know the extent of it. And yes , all diagnosis, but no instruction save, take this pill for the reflux...no word about everything else, which was my presenting problem and NOT the reflux. Kills me because I thought she was a good doctor..I was really impressed. Not impressed so much anymore. It always annoys me when doctors leave it to other people to talk to patients and not themselves!

[dilettantesteph]

I know that when my mother made hamburgers she added bread crumbs.

[ajnemajrje]

Many restaurant nowadays have food prepared off site. There might be gluten in the burger

OR

They might have had it prepared as usual, remembered all of a sudden that it was to be without a bun and then took the bun away.

That has happened to me at a restaurant once. The only reason I knew was that there was a crumb fromthe bun the they forgot to brush off or I would not have known.

[Sarahsmile416]

I admit I was pretty suspicious that something like that may have happened when I noticed a piece of lettuce on the burger when there was not supposed to be. At least made me suspect there was some error occurring there.

[cavernio]

BBQ sauce or regular spices can have gluten, and both could have been added to the patty itself. Furthermore, they're the sort of items wheat-heads might not even consider as having gluten.

It might not be gluten at all though. I know I didn't have any issues with lactose at all until going gluten free. (I've since discerned why, because gluten causes celiacs intestines to create much larger gaps than usual, so the lactose was probably getting into my bloodstream whole, whereas when immediately stopping the gluten and with the intestines not breaking lactose down or the lactose getting absorbed, that's when it causes problems.) The cheese (if not an aged cheese) may have been the culprit.

[Sarahsmile416]

BBQ sauce or regular spices can have gluten, and both could have been added to the patty itself. Furthermore, they're the sort of items wheat-heads might not even consider as having gluten.

It might not be gluten at all though. I know I didn't have any issues with lactose at all until going gluten free. (I've since discerned why, because gluten causes celiacs intestines to create much larger gaps than usual, so the lactose was probably getting into my bloodstream whole, whereas when immediately stopping the gluten and with the intestines not breaking lactose down or the lactose getting absorbed, that's when it causes problems.) The cheese (if not an aged cheese) may have been the culprit.

Actually I was thinking lactose might have been what caused it. Tonight I had chicken with polenta and corn and green beans and I had a reaction...then my SIL told me the sauce the chicken was in had sour cream. Thus, I have determined, I may need to cut out lactose as well. Sigh...

[mushroom]

Actually I was thinking lactose might have been what caused it. Tonight I had chicken with polenta and corn and green beans and I had a reaction...then my SIL told me the sauce the chicken was in had sour cream. Thus, I have determined, I may need to cut out lactose as well. Sigh...

Why don't you do a trial of totally dairy free? It could be coming from the casein or the lactose. Maybe not even gluten??? I don't know if you have trialled gluten without dairy? That could be a possibility.

[Sarahsmile416]

Why don't you do a trial of totally dairy free? It could be coming from the casein or the lactose. Maybe not even gluten??? I don't know if you have trialled gluten without dairy? That could be a possibility.

It's a possibility, although I have had reactions (horrible ones) from eating pretzels when no dairy was present. I do plan to cut out dairy after tonight though.

Though, this may be a stupid question - what are caseins?

[mushroom]

Not a stupid question. Milk is made up of milk sugars (lactose), protein (casein) and fat. You need different enzymes to digest the different parts of the milk. The milk enzyme is made in the part of the small intestine that is destroyed by gluten so the lactose part is not digestible until you heal your gut. The casein is digested by a different enzyme and some people do not have this enzyme and are therefore dairy intolerant and no amount of healing the gut will restore this enzyme.

So if you are celiac, you are generally temporarily lactose intolerant as well. Since you were fairly gluten light there is really no way of knowing if your test results were accurate, so I guess you are just going to have to experiment with your diet and find out what things are bothering you. The easiest way would be to eliminate both gluten and dairy, and then see what happens.