Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

What About Smellling Gluten Products?

detritus

By detritus
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

detritus Apprentice
detritus
Posted

Hi, I was just diagnosed, and I'm trying to get a handle on everything. I've thrown out the 10 flours and innumerable condiments in my house. But do I have to throw away my favorite (and expensive) non-stick skillet? Can I clean it with alcohol? I understand tossing porous items like wood spoons and cutting boards, but how crazy do I have to get? If the tiniest molecule is bad, what happens if I smell bread baking? Those molecules are going straight up my nose.......Any thoughts/help/ideas? Thank you!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Hi, I was just diagnosed, and I'm trying to get a handle on everything. I've thrown out the 10 flours and innumerable condiments in my house. But do I have to throw away my favorite (and expensive) non-stick skillet? Can I clean it with alcohol? I understand tossing porous items like wood spoons and cutting boards, but how crazy do I have to get? If the tiniest molecule is bad, what happens if I smell bread baking? Those molecules are going straight up my nose.......Any thoughts/help/ideas? Thank you!

Breathing the "smell" of gluten is not a problem, but loose flour in the air can be. It can get into the mucus of your nose and then you end up swallowing it. I would think that you would avoid those extreme situations.

Alcohol will not remove the gluten, but a good scrubbing with soap and water may remove the gluten. Give your pots and pans a good cleaning and it should not be a problem. And in most cases, a good run in the dishwashed woudl be ok.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

If there are no scratches or little edges that can catch food, probably fine. I got all new pans because: 1. old but very good, pans were 20 years old 2. Getting new, very good (read expensive) pots & pans made me happy. Need to find happiness or humor in this when we can. Good luck!

jststric Contributor
jststric
Posted

I am gluten-intolerant but very sensitive. I wash all my pans with hot water and soap and do just fine.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

depends on how you're smelling that bread. If you're just walking into a kitchen that happens to have a loaf in the oven/machine, or if you walk past a bakery, it is unlikely that it'll have an affect. But if you stick your nose directly in the bread as it is mixing, whith the flour flying around, yes, that may have an affect in the soft tissue of your nose, and possibly eyes.

ksymonds84 Enthusiast
ksymonds84
Posted

I love to smell real gluten bread when my husband gets it fresh at a restaurant, and that is just enough for me now and then will happily eat my gluten free meal. I've become much more relaxed now that I've been at this for over two years but still very careful with cross contamination. I agree that loose flour in the air is not good though, I went into a kitchen where they were mixing bread and did have a problem a few hours later. Must have inhaled some unintentionally. I put my pans through the dishwasher (we are a shared facility kitchen) and have never had a problem but did toss super old ones that were very scratched and don't use wooden spatulas or spoons.

detritus Apprentice
detritus
Posted
  • Author

I love to smell real gluten bread when my husband gets it fresh at a restaurant, and that is just enough for me now and then will happily eat my gluten free meal. I've become much more relaxed now that I've been at this for over two years but still very careful with cross contamination. I agree that loose flour in the air is not good though, I went into a kitchen where they were mixing bread and did have a problem a few hours later. Must have inhaled some unintentionally. I put my pans through the dishwasher (we are a shared facility kitchen) and have never had a problem but did toss super old ones that were very scratched and don't use wooden spatulas or spoons.

Thank you! You answered the gist of my question, which was really: how fanatical should I be about this? I can't wait till I'm at the 2-year mark and can relax. Right now it feels like I've been offered a chance to be healthy, but I'm afraid of blowing it by not being diligent enough. Like, what if I think I'm being gluten free and the whole time I'm still poisoning myself? And I don't know how long it will be until I notice any changes, so there's nothing to compare against. That's why this forum is so wonderful, because I can read other people's experiences and not feel so alone and unsure about this process.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ksymonds84 Enthusiast
ksymonds84
Posted

Thank you! You answered the gist of my question, which was really: how fanatical should I be about this? I can't wait till I'm at the 2-year mark and can relax. Right now it feels like I've been offered a chance to be healthy, but I'm afraid of blowing it by not being diligent enough. Like, what if I think I'm being gluten free and the whole time I'm still poisoning myself? And I don't know how long it will be until I notice any changes, so there's nothing to compare against. That's why this forum is so wonderful, because I can read other people's experiences and not feel so alone and unsure about this process.

You are so welcome! This forum is how I survived when I was first diagnosed and there are so many wonderful people here who care and want to help you through it. I remember Lisa telling me that the gluten free diet has a huge learning curve and it is VERY steep. Boy was she right! I made plenty of mistakes such as reese's peanut butter bells at christmas (normal reeces cups are fine) contained wheat flour but didn't know it until after I consumed. :o Diligently reading labels even on things that were gluten free the last time I bought it is so very important. Sounds like you are doing fine and someday gluten free just becomes second nature!

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

Thank you! You answered the gist of my question, which was really: how fanatical should I be about this? I can't wait till I'm at the 2-year mark and can relax. Right now it feels like I've been offered a chance to be healthy, but I'm afraid of blowing it by not being diligent enough. Like, what if I think I'm being gluten free and the whole time I'm still poisoning myself? And I don't know how long it will be until I notice any changes, so there's nothing to compare against. That's why this forum is so wonderful, because I can read other people's experiences and not feel so alone and unsure about this process.

It's so hard isn't it? Beware of chicken when you eat out. I was eating chicken at Wendy's and some other places the first couple of weeks and didn't know it had wheat starch on it.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

Pretty much every single fast food restaurant in the US (probably everywhere else too) puts wheat in or on their chicken in some form or another. Even the "grilled" chicken that's supposed to be healthier for you.

KFC ingredients Open Original Shared Link

Wendy's ingredients Open Original Shared Link

McDonald's ingredients Open Original Shared Link

etc etc etc

Most chain restaurants have websites to check the ingredients.

Chik-Fil-A claims that they have a few menu items that are gluten free.

Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Jacki Espo
      - Jacki Espo replied to Itsabit's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      3

      SkinSafe

      For me I gave up oat products and it finally cleared. I had a whole body reaction for months. Two additional culprits for me: shared grill at a restaurant or a shared toaster. Hope you have relief soon.
    2. Russ H
      - Russ H replied to Itsabit's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      3

      SkinSafe

      It can take between 6 months and 2 years for the dermatitis herpetiformis rash to resolve. The symptoms of dermatitis herpetiformis arise from deposits of certain antibodies building up in the skin. These deposits attract immune cells leading to inflammation and blistering. It can take 10 years for the deposits to be reabsorbed although symptoms resolve long...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Itsabit's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      3

      SkinSafe

      Welcome to the forum, Linda! Many on this forum can sympathize with you. It can be extremely difficult to get reliable information about gluten when it comes to meds, supplements and oral hygiene products. This is especially true since so much of this stuff is generic and comes from over seas. I will deflect with regard to your question about meds...
    4. Itsabit
      - Itsabit posted a topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      3

      SkinSafe

      Hi. I’m 70 years old, and a 22 year survivor of head and neck cancer treated with chemo-radiation, which resulted in non-existent submandibular salivary glands and extreme dry mouth and altered oral mucosa. I have been using dry mouth toothpaste, Rx oral dentrifices and moisturizers for years. I’ve recently been diagnosed with severe celiac dermatitis her...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to Cathijean90's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      1

      I’m terrified it’s too late for me😭

      Welcome to the forum, @Cathijean90! I went 13 years from the first laboratory evidence of celiac disease onset before I was diagnosed. But there were symptoms of celiac disease many years before that like a lot of gas. The first laboratory evidence was a rejected Red Cross blood donation because of elevated liver enzymes. They assume you have hepatitis...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,314
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    stephla
    Newest Member
    stephla
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      70.8k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jacki Espo
      SkinSafe

      By Jacki Espo · Posted

      For me I gave up oat products and it finally cleared. I had a whole body reaction for months. Two additional culprits for me: shared grill at a restaurant or a shared toaster.  Hope you have relief soon. 
    • Russ H
      SkinSafe

      By Russ H · Posted

      It can take between 6 months and 2 years for the dermatitis herpetiformis rash to resolve. The symptoms of dermatitis herpetiformis arise from deposits of certain antibodies building up in the skin. These deposits attract immune cells leading to inflammation and blistering. It can take 10 years for the deposits to be reabsorbed although symptoms resolve long before this.
    • trents
      SkinSafe

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, Linda! Many on this forum can sympathize with you. It can be extremely difficult to get reliable information about gluten when it comes to meds, supplements and oral hygiene products. This is especially true since so much of this stuff is generic and comes from over seas. I will deflect with regard to your question about meds and oral products but take you in another direction. Have you tried a low iodine diet. Iodine is known to exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis and some find that a low iodine diet helps reduce the number of outbreaks. By the way, have you had your celiac antibodies retested recently? If they are elevated that might be a clue that you are getting gluten in your oral hygiene products or meds.
    • Itsabit
      SkinSafe

      By Itsabit · Posted

      Hi. I’m 70 years old, and a 22 year survivor of head and neck cancer treated with chemo-radiation, which resulted in non-existent submandibular salivary glands and extreme dry mouth and altered oral mucosa. I have been using dry mouth toothpaste, Rx oral dentrifices and moisturizers for years.  I’ve recently been diagnosed with severe celiac dermatitis herpetiformis. I was being treated with oral Dapsone, but it was not effective and I developed some serious side effects. So, the medication was stopped and I was started on Doxycycline (another antibiotic) for inflammation. I’ve been using Rx Betamethasone steroid ointment with little to no effect. I have tried every oral and topical antihistamine treatment available OTC. None have touched this horrible relentless itching. That is my history.  Now to my question. Does anybody know about gluten free toothpastes and mouth moisturizers? I ask because a very common dry mouth brand stated to me that they were indeed gluten free. But as I am not getting any better with my dermatitis herpetiformis, I was wondering if I was getting glutenized some way other than diet as  I have been following a strict clean gluten free diet, but I am not seeing any improvement at all. So, I started looking up the toothpastes and moisturizer ingredients individually and nine (9) of the eleven (11) or so listed showed up as   containing gluten or that may have gluten! Am I getting glutenized orally by these products?  As an aside, I checked on my favorite lavender scented baby lotion which is supposed to be gluten free, but many of those ingredients when investigated separately, show they  do contain or may contain gluten as well. I stopped using the lotion. But I cannot forgo my dental care. I was unable to get any information from the manufacturer of my current brand of chewable multivitamins either. They told me to check with my doctor. If THEY don’t know what’s in their product, how do they think a PCP will?  In light of all this, I am confused and angry that I might keep getting contaminated with gluten through products I am using that are supposedly gluten safe. *I should also state that I have a nickel allergy since I was about 12-13 years old. And I developed a contact allergy to latex (gloves) when I was a student nurse at 19 years old.  I know and I’m sorry that this is so lengthy. I’m trying to do everything I can to combat this condition, and I’m feeling very confused, anxious and angry about not getting adequate information as I try to educate and advocate for myself. I’m hoping someone here is more knowledgeable than me of how to navigate through all of this. Can anyone offer any advice?  Thank you for your time.  Respectfully,  Linda
    • trents
      I’m terrified it’s too late for me😭

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Cathijean90! I went 13 years from the first laboratory evidence of celiac disease onset before I was diagnosed. But there were symptoms of celiac disease many years before that like a lot of gas. The first laboratory evidence was a rejected Red Cross blood donation because of elevated liver enzymes. They assume you have hepatitis if your liver enzymes are elevated. But I was checked for all varieties of hepatitis and that wasn't it. Liver enzymes continued to slowly creep up for another 13 years and my PCP tested me for a lot of stuff and it was all negative. He ran out of ideas. By that time, iron stores were dropping as was albumin and total protein. Finally, I took it upon myself to schedule an appointment with a GI doc and the first thing he did was test me for celiac disease. I was positive of course. After three months of gluten free eating the liver enzymes were back in normal range. That was back in about 1992. Your story and mine are more typical than not. I think the average time to diagnosis from the onset of symptoms and initial investigation into causes for symptom is about 10 years. Things are improving as there is more general awareness in the medical community about celiac disease than there used to be years ago. The risk of small bowel lymphoma in the celiac population is 4x that of the general population. That's the bad news is.  The good news is, it's still pretty rare as a whole. Yes, absolutely! You can expect substantial healing even after all these years if you begin to observe a strict gluten free diet. Take heart! But I have one question. What exactly did the paperwork from 15 years ago say about your having celiac disease? Was it a test result? Was it an official diagnosis? Can you share the specifics please? If you have any celiac blood antibody test results could you post them, along with the reference ranges for each test? Did you have an endoscopy/biopsy to confirm the blood test results?
×
×
  • Create New...