Newbie on this board: Question for those with wheat allergy, not sprue

[molly2004]

Hi, there! This is my first time on the disABILITIES board. I've been "diagnosed" with a wheat allergy, but not sprue. The blood panel came back negative, and considering I'm Asian, chances are I don't have sprue. The resources on the Internet indicate that if you don't have sprue, you need not be as vigilant about cutting gluten from your diet. I would like to know what that means.

Do you have to be concerned about cross contamination? For example, at home, do you avoid sharing toasters? Do you have to buy your own peanut butter? What about "hidden" sources of wheat in restaurant prepared food. Do just ask for everything gluten free?

Any thoughts would be really helpful!

Thanks!!!

 

[mechurchlady]

With my celiac I cannot have ANY gluten as it damages my stomach. Wheat allergies are like other allergies in that there is not long term damage. It depends on how wheat sensitive you are. I do not scour the table I eat at but do worry about cross contamination. A person with a wheat allergy might be fine with a few croutons on a salad every other day while others might get sick just from one tiny crumb.

It will be up to you to find out how severely allergic to wheat you are. If it is bad then you would read up on peanut allergies and see how they work on preventing cross contamination. I rarely if ever hear of people getting so violently ill as people with peanut allergies. Just inhaling peanut dust or touching a counter that has been touched with peanut butter or just holding a peanut can send a person into anaphalatic shock. I use their info on allergies to guide me on how to be safe.