LauraTX

Most companies will not say a medication is gluten-free.  The standard answer of "There are no gluten ingredients in it but we cannot guarantee there is not and we don't test the finished product", is because pharmaceutical companies don't routinely test for gluten so they are covering their hiney with that statement.  Cross-contamination is not going to be an issue, because as they don't want other medications in the next batch, they have very stringent manufacturing practices in place to prevent that.  There also are not a lot of medications that do contain gluten.

Bottom line: As long as there isn't a gluten-containing ingredient in a prescription drug, you are good to go.  

Helpful Links: Open Original Shared Link

And a great place to look up ingredients in medications(put manufacturer name in label author box):  Open Original Shared Link

Per that website, the Teva 20mg fluoxetine has corn starch specified, and no other suspect ingredients.  gluten-free.  Just like any product, information can change over time so I like to re-verify my pills yearly, and calling manufacturer is the best source of information.  But remember, they will usually not claim a drug is gluten-free, and will include the CYA statement.  Don't let it scare you off from taking a necessary medication.

Pizza/Bread can be one of the hardest things to adapt to when going to gluten-free.  Of course it being cold is not a gluten-free thing, LOL.  

Welcome to the forum!

Acne is a tricky thing.  What works for some may not work for others, and it can have many causes.  Sounds like you are doing your best taking care of your face, so hopefully a few people here will have some good advice.  I have had a few friends use the proactive system with good results (no idea on ingredients of that), and I have another friend that is almost 30 and still uses benzaclin RX acne medication and it is the only thing that helps.  Let your doctor know what products you are using with the RX stuff, because some things may counteract each other, and if one product does not work there are numerous RX products that may help, so it could take a while to figure out.  Also, sometimes birth control pills can treat acne, so that may be something else to ask the doctor about.

If you and the kids are fine and ate the same thing, it may be something else he ate or a bug he caught.   Some people can't do xanthan gum but we already know this is not in your meal, so unless he has a problem with a specific ingredient that you have yet to pinpoint, it may just be bad timing caused by something else.  Usually bad meals don't make you sick until a few hours later or the next day, depending on what is going in.

I like this pie crust recipe without the instant clearjel: Open Original Shared Link

Don't overwork it.. even though you don't have to worry about gluten making it tough, you do want to keep some chunks of butter in there.  Lard makes a really good and tasty crust as well.  Bobs red mill makes a pie crust mix that I have heard is good.

Have you gotten him tested for Celiac disease?  For testing to be accurate, he needs to be consuming gluten.  If that is not in the plan for you guys and you are just going gluten-free without a diagnosis, just know he will have to go back on gluten eating for any future testing to be accurate.  

As far as the grief over not having the old things, it is kind of like losing a beloved pet, it does fade but it takes time.  For an adolescent I am sure it is harder than for adults, but some of it will fade in the long run, especially if he feels a lot better and realizes what the benefit is.

If you are at a restaurant and you do not speak the same language as the staff, unless there is a gluten-free menu or something that you can have faith in, do not do it.  It can help bringing in a person who speaks spanish, but even then, you are possibly dealing with people who have no idea what gluten is, and in the competitive restaurant world, may be hesitant to disclosing ingredients.  Some of the more simple places like taco stands may be easier to get through to, instead of a big sit down place where everything has a sauce on it or is deep fried.  

Especially if you are cooking for a family, mexican is cheap and easy to make.  You guys could do family enchilada night or something.  There are a bunch of canned enchilada sauces that are gluten-free, and any recipe where you see flour, sub in a gluten-free flour blend, and flour tortillas, sub in corn tortillas.  If you see a recipe you would like to make and have trouble adapting it to be gluten-free, feel free to ask us for help.

Lastly, I love chipotle and that is one of my favorites. I don't consider it in the same category as a mexican restaurant, it is kind of in its own awesome place.  Chipotle is also something that is very easy to cook replica recipes of yourself. 

Fenrir, that is a great example of how a friendly relationship with the staff at a restaurant can really make a difference.  It is awesome you were able to educate your favorite places around you.  

Hopefully I can offer some advice on the husband part of this story.  It is going to take him longer to "get it" because he is not living it.  We went through the same thing like the chinese restaurant situation with In N out Burger.  It is in an area we go shopping at and on a Saturday night when all the sit down places have an hour long wait there is no way I am going to one and trusting the busy kitchen.  So I will ask to go to in and out.... when I first tried it I thought it was awesome, and the only place in that area I can get burger and fries.  Well, my husband didn't think it was all that great and would refuse to go.  Finally I talked him into it and when I told him "I know you think this place sucks, and if I could eat at one of those other good burger places I wouldn't want to eat here either.  But out of my choices, this is the only place where I can eat a burger and fries and feel close to normal."  That put it in perspective for him and now he offers to take me any time we are over there.

It is a struggle, but communicate with him what you are going through and feeling.  It will help him understand and eventually take a burden off you.

With the price thing, it is something you just get used to after a while.  Instead of "ouch I have to buy the 6 dollar flour" it is "I am going to buy flour".  You just accept it as reality and maybe give a little more to the grocery budget.  I will steer towards things that are more economical if there is a big cost difference per serving among two safe choices.  Usually the gritty texture is from rice flour, but I am sure some of the other gluten-free flours can do that.  

Ah yes... just like me as a child, putting everything into the mouth!  I was also a hair chewer.  Original Germ-x does not contain gluten, my hand sanitizer of choice.  The hints blessedmommy gave you are great for shampoo and pet food.  I use a store brand unscented lotion that has no gluten ingredients.  Just start out by taking a look at the products you use, and what is on the grocery store shelves that you have easy access to.  No need to buy those special organic natural vegan gluten-free brands... there are plenty of regular personal care products out there that don't contain gluten ingredients.

No gluten suspects there, but like cyclinglady said, there are a lot of high potential for allergy ingredients in there.  If you usually don't have any problems with personal care products, you are probably fine.  However, if you have random allergies to various products, I would use a small test spot first to see if it agrees with your skin.  For skin oil, coconut oil is great, one ingredient and glides on thin and absorbs just enough into dry skin.  I recommend that as well.

It is possible, although not common to have an allergic (histamine) reaction to the DH reaction. Two separate things, even if simular.

Mitchgam, you have indicated before that your issue is a wheat allergy.  That is a completely different issue than celiac disease and DH.  Therefore, your advice is not going to apply to most people who are only having Celiac Disease/DH problems.  

Noooo not gluten-free rice krispies!  Ah well never really bought them just like having the option.  I have read that growth in the gluten-free products market is slowing down, so I highly suspect the "bubble" in the market will pop eventually, and we will see a lot of the gluten-free products from mainstream brands pulled.  Hopefully the good gluten-free brands that we all know and love will survive all of it.

As for gluten-free cheerios, they will probably be fine to eat.  While I don't like that they are not sourcing gluten-free grown oats, I understand that a huge production could never get enough gluten-free oats to meet their demand.   They are using a technology that has been honed and perfected in manufacturing processes for quite a while, which i suspect may be an automated optical/mechanical sorting, or something similar.  Obviously they are going to stay tight lipped about that trade secret, but it would make me feel better if they at least released info on how often things are tested, etc.  Bottom line, though, is if they didn't have total confidence this was FDA compliant, they wouldn't do it.  So, after a while of them being out I may try them.  A lot of gluten-free cereals lack in fiber and such and it will be nice to have another option.

Good to hear you finally got an answer.

I never  heard  of this!  but  I  have been in  allergist practice  where  there are  signs  no  perfumes, no nuts, no  dairy  are permitted   in this office...a bit  different  than in  a grocery  store....people  can be  so  crazy... for instance  we  were eating  at a Texas  Roadhouse  where  peanuts  are everywhere  &  shells  thrown on the  floor... A couple  of  people  got  seated  next  to us  &  the server  asked  if  they  had ever  been there  before, they  all  say  yes...the  thirteen year  old  or  about  that  age  breaks out into hives  & starts  grasping  for  air  ... the  servers  run over to help  &  the  adults  start  yelling  you  have  peanuts  on  every table this  boy  has a peanut allergy... huh? Why  would  adults  who knew the restaurant  ever  take a kid  into a  place who served  peanuts? An ambulance  rushed  the kid  to the  nearest  hospital...just  stupid....

I have been to a Texas Roadhouse before- long time ago, and they had big yellow signs on the door warning about peanuts.  There is another chain Logan's Roadhouse, that we used to go to a lot pre-celiac days.... and they have the same peanuts all over.  But no warning signs, nothing at all.  I would sit there and ponder how long it will take for someone to die and they get sued.  Seems pretty irresponsible for a big chain.

The lotion lady.... seriously?  Way to make us all look bad.  I guess she is okay with the gluten-free flours and mixes being in the same store as flour and stuff. Just silly.  Probably read something on the internet from a shoddy source and took it seriously, because you know, the internet never has anything untrue posted on it!

/endrant

Perfect example of a careless employee that can screw things up, even at the best of places.  Glad you at least saw it before consuming!!

Sorry to hear you are so ill.  It could be that on top of the mild glutening you also caught a bug which helped you be extra sick.  Sounds like you are doing the right thing by hydrating, hope you feel better soon!

If you have untreated Celiac disease, hair loss can be a symptom.  However, with it being in just that area, it makes me wonder if it is from something else.  If you wear ponytails or do stuff where tension is on your hair often, that can cause hair loss. Usually when you see a young lady with thinning, fuzzy hair in the temples and above the forehead, that is what that is from.  Could be something to think about.  Other times hair loss and hair line patterns are genetic.

Welcome to the board, Angie!

A lot of us also have autoimmune disorders along with our Celiac Disease.  I have lupus as well as Celiac, and the advice I can offer is to let you know that you have to take care of all your conditions at once to be healthy.  So, dive on in to gluten-free eating and take it seriously, and you may see improvement overall and in things you thought were from your AS.  It will take some time to tell, but you are on the right path to healing

Feel free to ask any questions!

That looks really good, Ruth.  Bookmarking this for when I get a waffle iron and can make those crispy waffles... LOL

Not many people on the board have been on TPN or IV vitamins other than iron, but if you are to the point that you need it, you are probably going to feel tons better with it.  Sorry I can't give you too much more info, but I do hope it makes you a lot better.

I haven't felt the need to try the Fasano diet.  I do have problems with things like acidic foods and fatty foods, so there are other things besides gluten I don't eat.  

Hello, I cant seem to find where I can apply to donate celiac blood or plasma to get paid, can someone please direct me? Id really appreciate it thankyou

As Karen said, you probably will not get answers from the original posters, but if you use your internet search and put in your city name and "plasma center" you should find some places to call and contact for information.

Edit to add this link.  Just clicked through on the original link and this is the new page:  Open Original Shared Link

Remember that "up to $500" is a hype marketing phrase and most people who sell their plasma get around 40 bucks per donation.