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From:
Valerie Wells <[log in to unmask]>
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Date:
Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:36:28 -0800
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

List Mates,
        I've received a few more responses to my original post questioning
Lawry's gluten status.  So I wanted to include them.  I also wanted to
share my personal experience with this product now that I've had a little
more time to organize my thoughts.
        When I started the GF diet 1 1/2 years ago, I felt happier & healthier
than I had in many years.  My chronic depression, mental fogginess,
fatigue, sinusitis, gingivitis, vaginitis I'd been fighting for several
years disappeared!  I was able to stop taking the antidepressants,
antibiotics, sinus medications and pain pills that I had used almost
daily for two years and begin full time employment.  But, for some reason
I didn't understand at the time, about a year after beginning the GF
diet, I began little by little to be revisited with the same symptoms I'd
suffered before going GF.  I once again was vulnerable to every viral
infection that came around after enjoying excellent resistance to
infections for a year.  This continued for over five months.  The fatigue
forced me to cut back my work schedule to part time.  I searched for
answers, running from doctor to doctor trying to find out what was
happening to me.  I thought that perhaps I was developing another auto
immune disease such as Lupus, hypothyroid or diabetes, but all tests came
back negative.  Then one evening just a couple weeks ago, I made my
famous chicken recipe more heavily seasoned with Lawry's seasoned salt
than I usually did.  I got a pretty bad belly ache that evening & found
myself unusually fatigued & unable to focus at work the next few days.
As I reviewed the situation, I remembered that I'd had similar reactions
to my chicken dishes in the past months, but had chalked it up to
overeating, too greasy a meal, stress, my supplements, etc.  I thought I
had followed the diet perfectly so had a hard time even considering that
I could be getting gluten from some hidden source.  Lawry's had been
listed as gluten free on several reputable lists & web sites and I had
used it for well over a year w/o having symptoms, so why now?  Then I
remembered having purchased a new container of Lawry's about 5 months
earlier -- about the same time I began having symptoms.  I did a little
investigating & found that Lawry's no longer guarantees that their season
salt as GF because they sometimes buy ingredients from different
suppliers.  I stopped using the Lawry's season salt and within a week
felt much better.  That's when I posted the original post about Lawry's.
Now, almost two weeks later, I feel even better.  I've since experimented
with the various ingredients found in Lawry's by using turmeric, paprika,
corn starch, etc. in excess to see if I have an allergic reaction.  I've
had no reactions to the spices at all.  I'm now convinced that the
container of Lawry's seasoned salt I purchased this summer was
contaminated with gluten.  And that the tiny amount of gluten in that
container was the cause of my 5 1/2  month illness.
        This "shows to go ya" that only tiny, minute amounts of gluten used
occasionally can cause profound illness.  Is it worth it to me to eat
"just a little" gluten here and there?  No!  I'll adopt my high school
English teacher's rule about coma usage and apply it to my gluten
consumption: WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
        Below are a few of the additional contributions I've received related
to this topic. [My comments in brackets.]
------------------
One person suggested this experience was a personal isolated event that
isn't significant to the celiac list.  I don't see it that way.  Five
months of illness that forced me to cut back on my work schedule from
full time to part time is significant to me if there's even a chance that
it's related to Lawry's seasoned salt.  [I almost lost my job entirely!]
Besides that, I've posted recipes on the list using Lawry's season salt &
I feel a sense of responsibility to correct this error.  My hope is that
my experience will help others avoid similar pitfalls.  If I had read
from someone else's post that Lawry's was NOT GF, I may have stopped
using it sooner & avoided months of grief & pain.  I want to hear from
others who have had reactions to various products presumed GF.
-----------------
Penzey's Spices ( which are fantastic all the way around) makes a blend
called Old World Seasoning which is like Lawry's but less salt.
Penzeys.com   ~Lynn
------------------
I'm newly diagnosed with celiac.  What is the problem with chicken that I
need to be aware of?  I have not seen or read anything about this.
~brian
[Some fresh chicken, pork & turkey is injected with solutions to "enhance
flavor."  The ingredients in these solutions is questionable & some who
have tried & failed to ascertain the ingredients by calling the meat
packers.  Many celiacs have reacted to these treated foods.  The label
will tell you if it the chicken has additional ingredients or not.  After
having a nasty reaction to treated chicken, I always buy fresh "all
natural" chicken with no additives.]
-----------------
Is it possible that you are reacting to MSG?  ~Gayle
[I doubt it because the label says "NO MSG."]
-----------------

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