Communion

[Newbie]

Hi all. It'll be 2 months tomorrow that I've been off of gluten. I'm doctor diagnosed, and I also have osteoporosis. I'm only 20 yrs old. I am still having a hard time getting used to this diet. And like many of you, I have days where I feel depressed. I know that being off of gluten is better for my body, and my overall health. I just don't know why I have days were I feel so down. I used to take Communion at church regularly... and now I don't. In our church, the Body is dipped into the Blood cup so I can't just take the Blood. I told my Priest the situation and he gave me a crumb of the Body, but I still got sick. Not being able to partake of Communion is really bothering me. Also, we don't use wafers in our church, we use an actual bread. I've also tried to feel better by working out, but my joints are so sore. I feel weird saying that when I'm only 20... but that's another thing that gets me down... the doctor said I was the youngest person he's met with osteoporosis... The thing is, there are days when I feel fine and can deal with it all. But there are other days where I could spend just crying... and sometimes, I have. A couple of weeks ago I had some pizza made on gluten-free toast... I was so excited to finally have pizza... and then a few hours after eating a couple slices, I started to feel really sick... So I went back and checked the ingredients and it turned out that the pepperoni package had wheat listed in the ingredients. It was my fault for not checking... but it got me so down. I just can't seem to get used to this diet and I still have days where I feel really down. How do you guys deal with that? I'm seeing an endocrinologist in march to determine if he will put me on medication for the osteoporosis, and to see if there are any other underlying problems. I already know that I should concentrate on what I CAN have and to think of how much better I'm feeling... but I still have a fair bit of down days. Any comments would be greatly appreciated as I find that the people on this board are the only ones who truly know what it's like to deal with celiac. No matter how much I try to explain what it's like to others, they just won't feel the way I feel.

Thanks and God bless,

Newbie

[gf4life]

Hi Newbie,

I know how you feel about not being able to take communion at church. I tried "just a little crumb" too, and got very ill. It can take a long time to feel better after an accident too.

I just really want to be able to not feel down too often. I have a ladies meeting tonight at church and it is a dessert potluck. I tried to make a gluten-free cake, but it didn't come out right and now I'm not sure what to bring. I want to have something that I can eat, but also share with the other ladies. I wish it was a regular potluck, then I could bring some real gluten-free food that would taste good.

I have just been having a lot of ups and downs, and trying to not let the downs keep me down. It is quite a challenge. I am glad to know what the problem is and know that I can be healthy with just dietary changes, but those dietary changes end up changing your entire life! It effects every aspect of how we socialize. And it is very hard to stay positive about it. Especially now while we are still in the first few months of healing. I'm on my 6th week of the diet, so I am right behind you.

I am very grateful to have this message board, and all the great people who are here to give support and advice.

God bless,

Mariann

[LindaB]

Newbie,

I am Lutheran and I explained to our pastor that I cannot have the bread and she completely understood and knew that some churches do have gluten-free communion wafers, however, we do not. So when I go up for communion, the pastor does not offer me bread, but I do take the juice. You are not less of a person because you cannot have the bread, it is just important that you are there.

I have been gluten-free for a bit over a year and am just now feeling pretty good each day. It took a long time for me to heal after 57 years of eating the wrong things and being diagnosed with everything but what I actually had.

Why hasn't your doctor put you on Fosamax which you take once a week if you have osteoporosis. I take this pill and it is supposed to strengthen your bones after the loss of calcium.

Linda

[Newbie]

I'd really like to say thank you to everyone who replied... You've all really made me feel better. I know that there isn't really a solution, but it just helps so much to talk about it with others...

About the Communion... the thing is, in my church, we do not use wafers. I'm Orthodox and we use a round bread... a church member bakes the bread the night before ( a lot of them ) and at the beginning of the mass, the priest chooses the most perfect one ( most round etc ) and he uses that one to pray on and we take Communion from that one. So it's not really a wafer that I can bring in... The other problem with just taking the Blood is that in the Orthodox church, the Body is DIPPED into the cup of Blood... and so it then has crumbs of the bread in it... I got permission from our Bishop to just take the Blood, but since the Body is dipped into it, I don't really see how that solves the problem. I guess I have to leave that up to God to solve because it's beyond me.

Libby... about the joint pain... the weird thing is that when I was meeting my gastro specialist, she asked me if I ever have joint pain. I said some lower back pain but probably because I'm sitting in lectures at university all day. And then, like a month later, I started getting really bad joint pain... and when I would simply WALK on the treadmill at a fairly slow speed, my knees would lock! I literally had to massage them to get them to unlock. It was the weirdest feeling...Some days are fine of course... not really much pain. Other days I have to lay down a lot with a heating bag because of the pain... I usually have the pain around my hips and knees and wrists... I hope your results turn out ok and I hope this helped.

Linda about the Fosamax. My meeting with the Endocrinologist in march is to determine what, if anything, they want to put me on. Right now I am taking calcium with vitamin D. I'm hoping that helps. So I'll see what they'll put me on in a couple of weeks.

Once again, thanks to everyone who replied. I guess I could try just taking the Blood, even though the Body was dipped into it... I know that God doesn't judge us on if we took Communion. It's just that I've taken Communion since I was a child and it's a regular part of my life... I just feel weird when I don't have it. Do you guys think the Blood would be contaminated if the bread was dipped into it.... Like if I took a sip of the blood that didn't have any visible crumbs in it... would that be contaminated nonetheless? ( and I can't really ensure it won't have a crumb in that sip until it's in my mouth... and of course when it's in my mouth I must swallow it no matter what because I believe it's the Blood ...)

Take care everyone... I will probably have other down days where I'll post again and basically sulk for a bit.... but it helps so much with you all here to listen and help. God bless.

[gf4life]

Newbie, I was just thinking (and I'm not sure about the way your church works) but would it be possible for you to take a sip of the blood first, before they priest dips the body in the blood? I mean it might be wierd always being first in line, but it might be a solution. You will get contaminated by the small particles of gluten in the blood. Anyhow, I am fortunate that in my church the blood is in separate little cups, so if I choose to have just the blood I know it is safe. And I was speaking to the Pastor's wife and although we have to check, she didn't see why we couldn't just switch to gluten free wafers for the whole church. (Does anyone know where to get any?)

I was wondering about your joint pain starting after going gluten-free. Now I've had joint pain really bad since I was 4, but since it is one of my main symptoms I have asked a lot of questions about it, and one of the questions I have for you is are you eating more potatoes and/or tomatoes now than you did before going gluten-free? If you are then that may be contributing to your joint pain. See I guess they are both a part of the "nightshade" family of veggies and they contain some sort of acid that can cause joint pain in some people. I do notice the joint pain is worse for me when I eat potatos or potato starch or flour in recipes. I had a piece opf gluten-free cake that was rice and potato flour this morning and my shoulders and knees are killing me right now. Just a thought, but worth looking into. Try eliminating those things for a week or so and if you feel better than you could try one and see if the pain comes back.

I was so happy to see so many people responding with such encouraging words. I really do love this site.

God bless all of you!

Mariann

[zippyten]

Hi Newbie,

Thanks for what you said. It's comforting to know others have many of the same feelings of ups and downs. I did a little more research on the Communion issue, and I am a surprised that it may be more complicated than I thought, it seemed like it wouldn't be too difficult a problem to resolve in my own church. I found something in the book "Gluten-Free for a Healthy Life" (Kimberly A. Tessmer, RD) that makes me think it might actually be a hard to just substitute a gluten-free host for one with wheat. It says:

[Newbie]

Ellen:

Well, in the Orthodox church, the priest first puts the Bread/Body into the Wine/Blood cup. And he gives himself communion first, then he gives to the men. After that, he comes over to the women and gives them the Body (he places it in our mouthes... in the Orthodox church, nobody but the priest is permitted to hold the Body in their hands). Then he takes a sip of the wine for himself with the spoon (so at this point, the Body is in the Blood cup). Then he gives to the people and we use a communal spoon (the same way you use a communal cup)... So in our church, it's traditional to first place some of the Body into the Blood cup. The thing with the Orthodox church is that they stick to tradition very much... that's why they are the Orthodox church... they do things the very traditional way. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that they won't accomodate people... They agreed for me to just take the Blood, but once again there are issues of contamination... I will talk to my priest soon about it and see what he thinks. They're pretty good with helping people out and accomodating people who have some circumstances.

About how you said you didn't feel that sick in the beginning... I know what you're saying... But you'll find that the longer you stay off of gluten, then when you accidently ingest a little, you feel it a lot more! (I'm referring to people who did show some symptoms at least... even if they weren't too pronounced). I used to eat sandwiches on normal bread and feel not too good, like stomach pain and all... After I went gluten-free, if I have a crumb of bread, I spend about 2 days feeling really miserable ... a lot of stomach pain, dizzy, having to go to the bathroom a lot... so the effects seem to increase when you remove gluten from your body and then accidently have a small amount. People on the board have actually discussed this before and someone here said that it's as if our bodies are so happy to be rid of gluten that they feel it's like poison with even the smallest amount. I hope you find a solution to Communion and I'll let you know if I've found one.

Linda:

You had asked why I wasn't on Fosamax... well, today I was reading the Oprah magazine online, and it said that Fosamax is only effective for post-menopausal women... So maybe that's why? Check it out...

quote: "That's my worst fear," says the NORA study's Siris. "A woman in her 30s or 40s finds out she has low bone density and her doctor puts her on expensive drugs she doesn't need. It's incorrect for a healthy premenopausal woman to be on Fosamax."

Link:

Open Original Shared Link

Take care and God bless.

~Newbie

[shery]

I am so happy to read of people who are having the same kind of problems with receiving communion as I am. I knew from elimination diet testing that I had a problem with wheat 20 years ago and tried to eliminate it from my diet. I didn't think communion would be a problem. However, 2 years ago I discovered that it was. I go to a traditional Catholic Church and the blood is only received by the priest. And a small amount of the body is put into it first. My priest agreed to use a separate small chalice for me, put only the blood in it and I receive separately at the end of the line of communicants. This works very well, I just have to remind him each time just before Mass.

My next concern is this: I finally got a Dr. diagnosis from Entero Lab with Dr. Fine. It confirmed that I had sensitivity to gluten with a reading of 37 units of antigliadin IgA (normal is below 10). And that is after 2 years of what I thought was a gluten-free diet ! It also showed sensitivity to yeast, dairy and eggs. So, my question is, does the blood (wine) contain yeast, and if so will it be a problem for me.

Shery

[guppymom]

We take weekly sacrament, bread and water. I spoke with my Bishop and he was very understanding. We aren't the first celiacs in our congregation, so I owe alot of thanks to those who were here before, and laid all the ground work for us. I bake our own little loaf of gluten-free bread, and the priests break and bless it with the rest of the congregations bread. Ours is kept seperate in little cups so we don't have to deal with contamination, which would probably not affect my girls but would have me over the cliff. They make a note of where we are sitting and make sure that our bread is on the correct tray. The rest of the congregation knows that it is for us and so far we haven't had anyone accidentally take ours.

[KayJay]

I am sorry if this is not the right place to post this but I didn't know where to put it. I was wondering if you take Communion at church? Our church has the little hard crackers. Just curious if anyone takes communion or just lets it pass.

thanks

[LisaP]

How do you guys deal with this. At my church we tear off a piece of bread and then dip it in the grape juice. Obviously, I cannot participate. Anyone dealt with this problem already? What was your solution.

[Meenucat]

I was just wondering about Communion wafers the other day - I haven't been officially diagnosed as being Celiac yet, so I ate one yesterday and I didn't get sick - so maybe I'm not Celiac? But at the time, I was wondering if that would be the last time I could have the Eucharist - I guess I'll have to wait for the test results and go from there - but I was happy to see this post and happy to know I wouldn't be alone if I was no longer able to receive Communion

[zippyten]

I found contact information online for a Benedictine order of nuns in Missouri who make a very low-gluten host (it's something like 0.01 percent gluten). I passed the info along to my pastor, who's being accommodating, and he's going to order some for me (we haven't quite worked out the details of how I'll be receiving communion yet).

Unfortunately, although Protestant churches will usually allow a rice-based host, the Catholic Church requires some portion of wheat to still remain in the host. For some people with celiac, this will still be unacceptable. I've decided to go with it since I don't appear to have a severe case of celiac disease and don't react severely (although I've definitely known when I've accidentally had gluten since being on the diet). I'm going to try receiving communion occasionally using these hosts and see what happens, but I know that isn't an option for everyone.

For me, it's been very difficult -- much more so than I would have guessed -- abstaining from receiving communion in the two months since I was diagnosed. On Easter I decided to drink some wine, but even that's a little risky since a few people always seem to dip their host in the cup (in our diocese, you are not supposed to do that). Anyway, I can let people know what happens with these hosts when I get hold of them.

But, remember that not getting sick if you ingest gluten (even something as small as a Communion wafer) is no guarantee. As you probably know, many people with celiac don't suffer any obvious symptoms and their bodies are still being damaged by gluten, so be careful.

Ellen

[Susan123]

I am Catholic and I take communion. Fortunately, I am able to tolerate it once a week. I know with Catholics the pope has allowed Catholics to drink the wine only in mass. Unfortunately, for me my church does not offer wine so I am lucky I can tolerate the communion wafer. My friend who is a Methodist actually makes her own wafers and takes them to church with her. The priest blesses them before the mass and keeps them on table during mass in a separate container. Talk to your pastor and see what your options are. I know it is a hard thing to break (taking communion). I know my reasoning for continuing to take it is that if God can't protect me nobody can.

[txceliacmom]

I'm Methodist and we receive the bread and grape juice too. I talked with the pastor about and now they offer a corn tortilla to dip in the grape juice for my daughter. She said it doesn't taste that great but it is better than being sick...And I guess taste is not the real purpose of communion anyway.

[wildones]

Here's a link to some gluten free communion wafers. I have been thinking about this too. I haven't taken communion the wafers since going gluten free (with one exception) and have only taken the blood (in individual cups). I figured I would try it and see how I reacted (not good!!) A friend of ours prepares communion for our church and has a gluten intolerance that he hasn't totally accepted yet. I think it should be fairly easy to have the entire congregation have gluten free communion at our church fortunately.

Open Original Shared Link

Lorraine

[KAthyB]

According to Dr. Alessio Fassano of the U of Maryland and a well known authority on Celiac disease, the low gluten host made by the Benedictine Nuns is safe for consumption by celiacs. It took ten years to create a host with enough wheat to be sanctioned by the Catholic Church but low enough in gluten (barely any) to be safe for celiacs. My daughter has received this host without any problem. The priest keeps it on a pic on the altar during the Consecration and she goes up to the altar to receive. She never cheats and takes the diet very seriously but we feel we can trust this host. It seems a lot more complicated for the Orthodox rites. If you decide to just receive the wine, be sure to receive it before anyone else since it will be contaminated by the lips of those who received the host and then the wine.

KathyB

[Jo Ann]

We are Protestant (Christian Church) so the wafers and wine are separate. We can bring our own gluten-free bread/wafer and already have individual small wine cups. The bread and wine are only symbols of Christ's body and blood, so I don't understand why a church cannot be understanding of those with celiac disease who cannot tolerate wheat. It is not safe for a common cup to be used in church. So many serious diseases i.e. hepatitis, HIV, etc. can be spread by the common cup, and the church should consider the health of the congregation. Make this a matter of prayer; God understands and cares.

[veggf]

I decided with my Episcopal minister that I would bring my own rice bread wrapped in plastic and it would get blessed with the rest. He keeps the plastic wrap after handing me my gluten-free host. It works well. The curiousity of children has been interesting as they interupt communion to ask why mine is different:) I do not take wine/blood because of the risk of crumbs. My minister has been very helpful.

Best Wishes!

[Tye-Kon]

Hi,

Since I was diagnosed almost 3 months ago, I haven't taken the bread at communion, only the wine. I didn't think about the contamination aspect of the wine though. I'm Episcopalian and in our church everyone drinks out of the same cup, and some people choose to dip their communion wafer, now I have to really think about not drinking the wine besides not taking the communion wafer. More and more I am learning what to do and what not to do from all you great people who write in and give advice. Thanks! Tye-Kon

[kvogt]

I wanted to reply to a previous response... In the Catholic faith, communion, the body and blood of Christ are not merely symbols, but are sacrements. We believe the bread and wine are transsubstantiated, that is changed into the body and blood of Christ during the consecration. The reason the host must be made of wheat is a matter of church tradition - perhaps subject to change in the future. But for now, it is what it is.

[jen-schall]

I know this particular discussion was originally started a few months ago and may be better now, but I still felt compelled to add to it.

First of all, I wanted to tell you that celiac often causes depression, sometimes simply because the body just can't get going with no nutrients being absorbed. it's not because it's the person's fault or because something hasn't been done correctly. I know a lot of people have really benefitted from seeing a therapist or counselor at least a few times, and some have really been helped by anti-depressants.

it's also important to know that it does get easier, and you will start to feel lots better! since you posted in February I think, maybe you are already starting to notice this.

I do want to discourage you from taking the Communion wine because it will be contaminated, and for many celiacs, even the tiniest tiniest molecule of gluten will cause damage - even if the person is asymptomatic or doesn't notice it! A crumb of the Body *will* make you sick, as you found out, and a sip of the Blood will, too. I know this is really sad, that for apparently no reason, a tradition that's meant a lot to you since childhood is something you can no longer partake in *in the same way.* But a lot of church leaders I'm sure ought to be flexible so you can participate, whether you are allowed to bring your own substitutes in or some other arrangement is made. I think the important thing to realize is that God isn't going to judge you negatively for this. Pray about it. make peace with yourself and God about it, and you will find a way to make peace with the social aspects of it as well. Not underestimating how much this means to you spiritually, I think your primary goal is physical health. You can't worship as meaningfully if you're constantly ill, you know? and God especially wants you well and happy!

what kind of doctor has examined your bones? Did you get a bone density test done, or have different tests?

and as for "It was my fault for not checking... "

please don't think that way; it isn't useful to you! a major, major change of life such as this takes a lot of adjustment. I thought I was completely gluten-free for four months when I discovered all along the nutrition bars I'd been eating AND the soy milk I'd been drinking had barley in them. It's an accident. It's how we learn. It's not to our discredit - it's just life, and how it works.

I wish you the absolute best and hope you find good support networks. Things will get better, and I think especially because you have a meaningful spiritual relationship in your life, you will thrive again.

take good care!

[Newbie]

Thanks Jen! Your words are encouraging! As for the bone density issue, I had bone density tests done and they showed very thin bones, at the level that indicates Osteoporosis... My family doctor told me I have Osteoporosis, and he recommended me to an Endocrinologist to see if I should take special medicine or just supplements ( an endocrinologist is a specialist who acts kind of like a consultant, he/she collects all the reports and tests done for you and examines them as a whole to determine what to do)... My endocrin. decided that we shouldn't exactly call it Osteoporosis because he believes the very low bone density is a direct result of the celiac disease, and that within a couple of years, using daily calcium and vitamin D supplements, I should be back to almost the normal level. So that's the story with that.

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies! It'll be 5 months of being gluten-free for me in a couple of weeks. It's been quite the challenge and everyday I learn something new, and everyday I have to find ways to deal. As for Communion, what I do now is if I haven't had a gluten accident for a bit ( like a few weeks ), then I'll take only the Blood at Communion... basically I'll risk it once in a while. But if earlier that week I had a gluten accident, then on the weekend, I won't have the Blood to kind of give my system a rest. I know that the Blood could be contaminated, but I always show symptoms when I have a gluten accident. I know some people don't but mine are VERY obvious.... so believe it or not, knock on wood, I haven't gotten sick from taking the Blood yet. It's just a risk I'm willing to take, and I've been lucky so far that I haven't gotten sick from the Blood. I'm sure lots of people may disagree, but I think we all need to make a decision about what to do in these circumstances, especially if having a spiritual life is important to you. Good luck to everyone, and I hope you can all find a way to deal with the Communion issue.

~Newbie

( I really should change my signature... I guess I'm not THAT new anymore!!! )

[dana-g]

This issue has weighed heavily on my heart since I went gluten-free four months ago, and with one (disasterous) exception, I haven't taken communion in all this time, either. I sit in the pew feeling like I'm being punished. I do go up for a blessing, but it is something I wonder if I will ever get used to. What I am trying to focus on now is that I think God has a different plan for me than the one I have had in mind all this time, one that doesn't include a traditional form of worship for now. And my job isn't to question His way or fight it, but to make peace with it and pray for the wisdom to accept it. I think maybe then I will find a way to gain the support of the clergy to make the changes necessary in order for me to take communion again. I do know that every time I fight God's will I end up more confused and in pain than when I started out. And I can't help but feel that He is using me to educate my parish about celiac disease and that I need to handle this with grace and patience. This is a very painful and confusing experience, and I wish all churches would just get with the program and go gluten-free already. But it is also an emotional issue, and for Catholics, a much more complex one which cannot be easily resolved. We can just hang in there and be prayerful and hopeful. Blessings to you all--Dana

[zippyten]

Dana,

I can definitely relate to that feeling of sitting out during Communion and feeling punished. It really bothered me a lot more than I ever would've expected and I hadn't been able to receive communion since I was diagnosed. Anyway, I found the information about the Benedictine nuns making the hosts that are so low-gluten that they are safe for people with celiac, and yet still fulfill the requirements of the church. My pastor ordered them for me and yesterday I received communion for the first time in months.

It was a little confusing as I'm supposed to keep the hosts in the freezer and bring one to church in a pyx that comes with the supply. It's kept on the altar during mass. I went up to receive communion last on the line so the priest would be able to go get my host, which was the difficult part, as the ushers kept trying to get me to go ahead of them, putting me in the position of trying to explain during communion why I absolutely had to go last! I think they thought I was crazy...but I'm sure these kinks will be worked out. It felt very good to be part of the Eucharist again.

Anyway, I wanted to say if you'd like to give it a try I'm happy to give you the information on where to order the hosts so you can let your parish know. Since I know the nuns have worked closely with experts on celiac in developing these hosts I trust that they're ok, so you may want to consider it. I do know there are Catholic churches here and there that are willing to use a rice host, but most of them still follow the rule on viable matter for the Eucharist and I wasn't interested in changing parishes. Good luck.

Ellen