The Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act

Last month, representatives Nita Lowey, and Tim Ryan, introduced The Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act. This act would make it easier to identify Gluten in drug products. There are some medications that contain hidden Gluten, and could cause a Celiac some problems. Labeling drug products with ingredients could help both doctors and patients with finding treatments for various illnesses.

Celiac Disease has increased as much as four times in the past decade. The only treatment for Celiac Disease is a life-long adherence to a Gluten Free diet. For some individuals, exposure to Gluten can be life threatening.

On representative Ryan's webpage, he discusses his vision for this legislation:
“Celiac disease is a growing issue for our country and as elected officials it is our duty to give those affected all the resources they need to treat their disease. The United States already mandates that food products containing wheat are adequately labeled and there is no reason why we shouldn’t do the same for our medications. I am proud to introduce legislation that can help avert the serious health risk millions of Americans are forced to endure every day while taking unlabeled, potentially harmful medications." -Congressman Tim Ryan (OH).

Lowey also made a statement about the new legislation proposal:
“For millions of Americans, avoiding gluten is a medical necessity. Just as consumers deserve to know if their food contains gluten, it is critical that consumers know if medications contain gluten. This legislation would help protect Americans’ health by giving them information on the label to ensure their medications help -- not hurt – them.” -Congresswoman Nita Lowey (NY).

This legislation would be a welcome to those of us in the Celiac community. It is bad enough to have hidden Gluten in food, the last thing we need is to be "glutened" from medication.

Source:
http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/representatives-tim-ryan-oh-13-and-nita-lowey-ny-17-introduce-gluten-medicine

(photo courtesy of: http://eatgfcf.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/medication.jpg)

Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one). What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone. Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease: Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure) Emmy Rossum (actress) Wil Wheaton's mom and sister Meg Cabot (author) Sarah Joy Brown (actress) Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with

To Eat Gluten Free Oats, or Not To Eat Gluten Free Oats?

When you're diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you are given a list of what food you cannot eat. Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Oats. However, you find that there is such a thing as gluten free oats. You wonder if it is safe for you to chance eating it. You think to yourself: "It's gluten free, so it cannot be too bad, right?" Depending on how sensitive your Celiac is, it may be bad. While a majority of Celiacs may be able to stomach gluten free oats, and granola, there are a small percentage of us that cannot handle GF oats and granola. I fall into the sensitive category. I loved eating oatmeal, before I was diagnosed with Celiac. After I was diagnosed, I was lost. It was not until a month or two after my diagnosis, where I discovered gluten free oats. I picked some up, and started eating it every morning for breakfast. It was not until day 3 of eating GF oats, where I began to feel sick. My stomach was cramping, I was fatigued, I was nauseated. I thought I had been "

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photo credit: southparkdigital Greetings Celiac Warriors! Recently, South Park did a gluten free episode that got a lot of attention in the gluten free and Celiac communities. For the most part, the reaction has been positive. Many folks, including myself, found it hilarious. You may be wondering what the episode was about. I'm going to give you the cliff notes version: The episode starts off with the kids returning to school after their start up company fails. Then the show cuts to the teachers lounge where the teachers are discussing Mr. Mackey who has gone gluten free. Mr. Mackey comes back and starts blaming all the world's problems on gluten. A co-worker becomes annoyed by all the gluten free talk and starts screaming at Mr. Mackey to shut up. Mackey states that behavior problems are due to gluten consumption. A female teacher expresses interest in going gluten free. Later on, the boys are on the radio promoting an "epic" party. Callers ask the boys i

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