RESO

I have been searching around for generic allergy medications similar to something like claritin. I realize the brand name doesn't have gluten ingredients but it is expensive and I'm not sure it will work. My experience with allergy meds years ago was that even the "non-drowsy" meds would still make me very sleepy, so sleepy I couldn't work. I have looked at generic allergy meds at cvs and family dollar, and they contain the inactive ingredients pregelatinized starch and sodium starch glyconate. Of course, no one is there on the weekends to answer the 800 number provided on the box. Are manufacturers required to disclose a wheat sourced ingredient, like with food? Has anyone called either of these to find out where the ingredients are sourced? Thanks in advance for your help.

Pretty sure that websites have these banner ads either required by the web host or to make money and the content is put up by the people that sell the ad space. In other words, a particular site has no control over what the entity selling the banner ads puts up.

I went to Nana's tonight to check out the food since I'd heard they were doing gluten free pizza and I live only 2 blocks away. I spoke directly with the owner, who has celiac disease, and he explained all the precautions they take to avoid cross contamination. They have gluten free options for pizza, wings, salads and desserts. I ordered the pizza and WOW!!!! Best gluten free pizza I've ever tasted. I immediately told friends about it. They also have "regular" menu items so everyone in your family or group can eat there. If you're in the Boston area, don't miss this restaurant! :-)

Wow. I went to Panda Express yesterday and only ate the fried rice. Well, I just looked on their website and in the FAQ section someone asked which foods are gluten-free? They replied "none of our foods are gluten free." Wow, just wow!! I can't accept it...boo hoo. that's just crazy if you ask me! I LOVE Panda Express. Now I wonder if ANY Chinese food is gluten-free?

My parents were very good at cooking all kinds of ethnic foods. When I went through the sauces in the fridge, all, I repeat, ALL, of the chinese sauces contained wheat - Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Hoi Sin Sauce, etc. At a mall type chinese restaurant, if I were to eat anything, I would only eat the white rice. At a regular chinese restaurant, steamed vegetables, white rice, and meat with no sauce would be safe. Sorry Oh, and PF Chang's is awesome.

I also agree with those who have stated Wikipedia is not reliable. Anyone can edit any article, so take it with a grain of salt. If you want to look at research, look at articles on this website and look at scientific journal articles posted online. They may not be perfect, research changes all the time, but they are a lot more credible than wikipedia.

I don't know. The doctors who live and breath this stuff every day telling me that this is what they have found is good enough for me.

This is definitely your right to trust doctors, but I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. If they knew what they were doing they wouldn't call it "practicing" medicine lol. Many people on this board have been misdiagnosed by doctors, laughed at, told they are crazy, told they don't have celiac because they're overweight or because they don't have diarrhea, that symptoms are all in their head, and/or a combination of the above, and more. Then later they are diagnosed. Just because someone has a medical degree doesn't mean they know everything, or much of anything.

I called Starbucks a while back because I had heard something about gluten in one of their drinks. They said the base for (macchiatto?), may or may not be safe, they cannot exactly source every ingredient to make sure it is not cross contaminated. They said it should be the customer's decision whether or not to have any blended drink if they are concerned about food allergies/intolerances. Personally, I drink their hot and iced coffee and stay away from blended drinks, since even if they clean the blenders, there is still a risk that something is left on it. And honestly, their blended drinks have hundreds to thousands of calories and ridiculous amounts of sugar depending on size, so best to stay away from them anyway. A bunch of Starbucks in the Boston area have started carrying packages of gluten-free cookies and such, which is nice of them.

As far as the blenders, I stay away just like I would not drink anything made in a smoothie shop because you just never know...

oh, oops, I should have said this at the beginning, I'm pretty sure the syrup is gluten-free, but don't use them or any other sugar in my coffee. If not sure, I would ask them to look at the ingredients on the bottle. They're usually pretty good about that.

My cousin just glutened me 3 days ago to prove that my doctor was wrong. I don't know how I'll trust her again- never, ever with food- but even generally. My lower half is broken out in dh now and I wish I could "share" it with her!

The rest of my family and in-laws have been very good about it, though.

Go over to her place, lie on her couch, and tell her you're going to roll around on it in your undies so she'll get your rash, then do it(of course we all know it isn't contagious, but she probably doesn't lol)

The most important test is how you feel. If you feel better being gluten free, why would you choose to feel crappy by eating gluten?

I was gonna say that, but you already did. :-)

Here's how I solve the "holiday dilemma" - I bring my own food in one of those reusable grocery bags, just in case there is nothing I can eat. I then explain to the host/ess that I don't want to cause them extra work by asking them to cook according to my dietary restrictions, so if they don't mind lots of questions about each dish, I will ask and see if there is anything that will work. If they seem unsympathetic, I just eat what I brought with me. If they don't mind the questions, I eat the dishes that I can. I usually talk to them before the event if I know the person well, if not, I will speak with them when I come in. Yes, it's annoying that people aren't always willing to accommodate, but on the other hand, it's not always possible to accommodate every guest with a group that has multiple food allergies, sensitivities and dietary restrictions.

I'm sorry you have to deal with family that is unsympathetic. That's very difficult.

Has anyone been living with these issues for nearly 22 years? And what do could it be if the blood tests come back negative? And what do I do about the thyroid medication I take? The brand I take has glucose aparently. Do they make gluten free thyroid medication?

Thanks for all the help.

Hi MrsB: I believe I can answer one of your questions. Glucose is a sugar, so it is safe for Celiacs or people with gluten intolerance.

Good luck with everything, hope they get it figured out quickly so you feel better soon.

Yes, vertigo was one of my symptoms when I was still eating gluten. It cleared up not long after starting a true gluten-free diet (it took a while for me to figure out what was truly gluten-free). Hopefully, this will happen for you too. :-)

I completely understand your frustration. I thought I was being very careful, checking labels and everything, but then, for example, found that a type of cheese that I used to buy on a regular basis is now labeled "contains gluten and soy". Ugh.

However, as some of the other posters have stated, certain foods, such as raw, unprocessed fruits, vegetables and meats, are naturally gluten free. Ketchup and mustard are also SAFE. There are a couple of companies that I support when I can, because they are vigilant about labeling, so I will go out of my way to buy their products. Kraft, Hormel, and Con-Agra are the ones I know about. If wheat, rye, barley or oats are not listed on the label, it's safe. The way I look at it, there's enough stuff we can't eat, we don't need to be told that stuff we CAN eat contains gluten. As some on this forum have stated previously, a gluten-free version of SNOPES would be extremely helpful.

You can do this! :-)

Hello,

Sorry you are going through all of this. Threatening to leave the school will probably do no good, sorry if this seems blunt, but the college isn't going to care about one student.

However, whether or not the college has a disability office, you can still find an ADA office in your area. Let the college know that if they don't work with you, you will be filing a complaint. You've tried being nice, and you are getting sick. No one should have to deal with that. And as previous posters have stated, you are covered under the ADA.

I hope you find a quick solution. Please let us know how everything turns out. :-)

My cousin just glutened me 3 days ago to prove that my doctor was wrong. I don't know how I'll trust her again- never, ever with food- but even generally. My lower half is broken out in dh now and I wish I could "share" it with her!

The rest of my family and in-laws have been very good about it, though.

Make sure you go up to her, hug her and then rub some part of you that has the dh on her. Then smile sweetly and walk away lol.

Seriously, that's messed up. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Hi Everyone,

I hope this is the proper place to post this question. I recall seeing a few different posts from people on this board over the last couple of years saying that a doctor had diagnosed them w/ celiac as a child, then a few years later been told by Dr. that they had "grown out of it", then symptoms recurred and/or they were diagnosed again as an adult.

What I am wondering is if it is possible to have symptoms as a child, have them subside for a period of time, then have them recur? This would be WITHOUT going on a gluten-free diet. The reason I am asking is that when I was a young child, I would sometimes have severe stomach pain, and some dr. told my parents I was faking (I wasn't). This occurred on a regular basis, along w/ strep, colds and the like, until I was 10 or 11 years old, then subsided. I then began to have severe symptoms of celiac in my 30s. Maybe it's coincidence (or flouridated water), but maybe not?

Thanks to all for your help. :-)

Thanks so much for the info! I checked and they are not open on Sundays, which is the day that I am going to the game, but I will definitely check it out some other time. Thanks again, that's awesome. I am a big fan of Legal Seafoods' gluten-free menu, which is also expensive, but hey, you gotta treat yourself once in a while. :-)

Hi Everyone,

I am going to see a Celtics game at the TD Garden with a friend at the end of this month and was hoping to possibly have dinner beforehand. Does anyone know of any restaurant within walking distance that either has a gluten free menu or can accommodate without much risk of contamination?

Thanks in advance for your help!

R

...keep in mind that universal health care may make it that flu shots and other immunizations are mandatory to keep the population as a whole healthy. I do not want anyone to dictate to me how I must medicate myself.....govt. sponsorship=govt. control.

First of all, everyone is entitled to health care, it's a right, not a privilege.

Govt sponsorship = government control? While there may be some truth to this, does this mean that you will not accept medicare when you retire? I'm not trying to be a jerk here, just asking.

What most people don't understand is that with health plans in the US (HMOs, PPOs, etc.), doctors in your plan get paid a stipend per month per patient in the plan, so they get paid whether they see you 3 times in a month or not at all. Doctors actually have an incentive NOT to see you, so why would they make everyone come in for "mandatory' shots? Medicine is a business, just like any other and they will do what is profitable for them, period.

George,

I highly recommend acupuncture for anxiety treatment (unless you have any needle phobias, of course). Also, it took many months for my anxiety to dissipate after going gluten free - although I am now realizing I probably got glutened unknowingly many times. so I also suggest you review your diet - If you did not prepare it yourself from fresh ingredients, you should ask - write the restaurant/company, look on their website, call them, etc. Also there are certain ingredients to watch out for such as "natural flavors", etc. Others on this forum are more knowledgeable than I about this stuff and they will help you.

Again, I highly recommend acupuncture for anxiety, it helps a lot. Also meditation (whatever that is for you, whether it's praying, or just sitting quietly, or watching the ocean/trees, the idea is to clear your mind and relax)

I hope you feel better soon.

I've never had a flu shot in my entire life. I get the flu about once every 5-10 years. Since it's so long in between, I always forget that the first week is the worst, then you start to feel better but it takes another 3 weeks or so to completely recover.

Last Memorial Day weekend, I caught something that caused a low grade fever, sinus issues and sore throat. I worked in an afterschool program, so could it have been the swine flu? I have no idea, all I know is I fought back with chinese herbs, etc. and was able to break the fever by the afternoon of the second day.

Since I've never had a flu shot, why should I start now? I think the shot is a personal choice, and that people with compromised immune systems should probably get it, but hearing talk of mandatory vaccinations on the news is not cool, in my humble opinion. Just sayin....

Another reason for the NEED for universal health care.

Since getting glutened once by a glass that I was drinking water out of, but I'm sure was used previously for beer, I ask them to put my drink in a glass that has never had beer in it. You might get a smaller drink (I usually ask them to put it in a martini glass), but it's worth it not to get sick, as far as I'm concerned. I also make sure they don't put my water in glasses that previously held beer (At one place the waitress was nice enough to get me a plastic cup).

I have not had a problem since I started asking for my drinks/water this way. Also, I usually order a margarita, which is safe, as long as you don't drink too many, lol. Just my two cents.

Yes, there are germs everywhere, unless you want to live in a bubble, lol. There is also hidden gluten everywhere... sigh, lol

Since America is the country of lawsuits, my opinion would be to change the thread to "doctors who are knowledgeable" and maybe come at it that way. Of course, it's not slander if it's the truth, and I am not the biggest fan of many western docs. I completely understand that your intentions are very good. Just my two cents.

My family owns Kosher deli's. Yes, pastrami is gluten free. As someone else said you generally can never classify an entire food group as gluten-free, but as someone else said, I've yet to find a pastrami that isn't gluten-free.

Thanks!

Hi everybody:

I am going to Fall River, MA for one month and I need to find locations to buy gluten-free products. I found a supermarket online called Shaw's, does anybody know if they sell these products?

Thanks,

Nestor

Hi Nestor,

Most of the Shaw's have a gluten free section, small but there are basic things like gluten-free pasta and crackers. Also the Stop and Shops usually have gluten-free sections. You might check online to see if there is a Trader Joe's close by, they have some awesome gluten-free french rolls (more in the shape of hamburger buns) that you can't get on the west coast (I moved to MA from CA a few months ago). Also, a lot of the larger/chain restaurants have gluten free menus, with Legal Seafoods being the best in my opinion. Also there's Not Your Average Joe's (not sure if there's one of either of these in Fall River since I don't live there and am new to the area), PF Chang's, etc. There are also some smaller natural foods type stores that carry gluten-free products. I am sure someone that has lived in this area longer than I have will have more/better info for you.

Enjoy your trip!

R