Well THAT'S annoying

[cupcake_goth]

I'd been feeling a little under the weather lately, and last night my neck started welting up. "But but but!" I thought, "I'm following this dratted gluten-free diet to see if that helps with this very problem! It was working! What happened? Aaaaugh!"

And then I realized: I’d had sushi with tempura bits and soy sauce over the weekend, both of which sneakily contain gluten. I knew that, but thought a tiny bit of gluten wouldn't be the end of the world. But there had been Worcestershire sauce as seasoning in multiple dishes the past few days, and wouldn’t you know it, the dratted stuff has wheat in it.

A rather large oversight and label-reading fail on my part, and now I’m paying for it. Last night involved repeated applications of Aquaphor ointment on my neck, no bath (hot baths make the inflammation a lot worse ::sobs:: ), and Benadryl at bedtime.

I'm astonished that my system is that sensitive to gluten right now. But believe me, I hope that those small amounts of gluten are what triggered this, and not some other thing that my doctor and I have not yet figured out.

However, this flare-up is NOT going to stop my planned Goth Upkeep today. I'm just not going to be dying the hair at the very nape of my neck, because that is asking for trouble and I know it.

Comments

[girlgoth.livejournal.com]

Immune system freakouts suck. Especially when they catch you off guard. I hope the ointment and benadryl work quickly since the exposure is over.

Mine is dust mites. It usually means that I have to dust with a mask on, and clean/vacuum with mask/gloves. But now that we're packing and moving, it's harder to keep everything off me. Anywhere where there is a break in the skin (like my winter-cracked hands), it's now red, itchy, and swollen/welty. Benadryl is keeping me functioning, and I keep telling myself this will be over soon! If I can keep the immune system freakouts to a minimum, I'll be ok.

Good luck with the hair dye!

[theda.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain :)

[ditaykan.livejournal.com]

...it's interesting that you say your Worcestershire sauce has gluten in it unless you're importing it from Britain, since the US version shouldn't (and in fact, I've just checked my bottle. As I suspected, it doesn't).

The 'a tiny bit of gluten wouldn't be the end of the world' thing is something a lot of people new at being gluten intolerant or fresh-diagnosed Coeliac say. The sad fact is, just a little bit is enough to damage our intestines and it's not a "well, I was so good this month. I shall have a slice of Domino's pizza" thing. If you do that, you're essentially right back at square one, and a tiny amount can cause a big reaction.

[solstice-lilac.livejournal.com]

I had no idea Worcestershire sauce has wheat in it. That is really stealthy. And it seems kinda unfair to have gluten sneak into the fine print when you weren't feeling completely well to begin with! I hope the ointment and Benadryl calm it down fast. And that Upkeep day makes you feel comforted and refreshed! This has been the winter of antibiotics for me too, and I'm going to be ready to dye my hair, do my nails and enjoy a skin treatment as soon as this last round is done.

[ditaykan.livejournal.com]

Well, it doesn't strictly have wheat. The UK brand has malt vinegar made from barley (the grass family having gluten is wheat, rye, barley, and triticale). The US version has spirit vinegar, which is indeed gluten-free.

So I'm very curious as to how old that bottle was and/or from where it was acquired. My own kitchen bottle says that it is gluten-free and has never caused me to suffer a reaction.

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

Worstershire is made with soy sauce, which is made with wheat. :(

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

*HUGS* Wheat comes in many disguises. Here is a list to help you out: http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html

[ditaykan.livejournal.com]

I'm transcribing directly from the bottle (well, my bottle):

Ingredients: Distilled white vinegar, molasses, water, sugar, onions, anchovies, salt, garlic cloves, tamarind extract, natural flavorings, chili pepper extract.
CONTAINS: ANCHOVIES

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

The organic, no high-fructose corn syrup brand I prefer has wheat. Grr.

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. :) Your bottle may be gluten free, but if Jilli had one with wheat hiding in it (in soy sauce, natural flavorings or some other secret place) then it could have been enough to set her off.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Which brand is that? As I said in a previous comment, I was using an organic brand specifically because it didn't have HFCS. But if regular brands have dropped the HFCS AND don't have wheat or gluten, then that problem is solved!

[ditaykan.livejournal.com]

It's just the plain old original: Lea & Perrins. :)

[alumiere.livejournal.com]

Is it possible it's soy instead of/in addition to gluten? It seems to be in so many foods these days, often not listed as soy (for instance lecithin is made from soy). We thought I was gluten intolerant, tests came back negative repeatedly, eventually elimination diet showed it is soy in even trace amounts that fucks me up.

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

"When Auto-Immunities Attack" next week on Animal Planet. See the mighty CFIDS rear up and eat the face off someone! Watch as Lyme disease sneaks up on an unsuspecting woman!

Tune in and be AMAZED as new FOOD SENSITIVITIES consume people's lives!!!


:|


bah humbug. bastards.

When sushiing

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

Ask for Tamari.

Tamari is soy sauce made with soy, the good stuff, not cheap arse wheat beer with soy and caramel.

However be wary, I've seen crap wheat filed soy sold as Tamari.

[ghost-girl.livejournal.com]

Well, boo for the reaction, but yay for figuring out that it is most likely a wheat interolance! :)

[bluepixystix.livejournal.com]

Since you can't eat gluten right now and you seem stressed, this might help: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/e682/

*waves*

[mschaos.livejournal.com]

Hi there, we have a few friends in common and I clicked on you and saw that you are doing the GF thing as well

and I wanted to say I FEEL YOUR PAIN on how ever little damn thing has wheat in it - hell, I wanted to get some non dairy ice cream and some of THEM have gluten in it (some sugars and the like come from wheat)

hope you don't mind, but I added you.