Would you take a pill?

… My mind is swirling with the tidbits I’ve read…. would *you* take a pill to “cure” yourself of Celiac Sprue or your Gluten Intolerance?

I honestly think that I would not. Eating fresh food and being mindful of what I put into my body – and the bodies of my family members – has been a GREAT thing. I wasn’t Ms. Junk-Food Queen before diagnosis, but I thought little about stopping for sandwiches (not burgers… but grilled sandwiches) after my night/Master’s classes on the way home.

I had little interest in figuring out how long I could get the fresh produce to last (and timing my shopping trips each week based on produce and milk selections). Now I meal plan according to these items and the ones I can find in season. I know the flavors will be sweeter and more delectable – thereby tempting my fruit-tofu eating midge to taste test a few more veggies.

I don’t doubt that I am a more wise food consumer – financially and physically.

I acknowledge that there are moments when I wish I could find foods as easily and quickly as I could if I were not gluten-free. Times like when my family is in town (not meal planners, lemme just say that… LOL) and everyone grabs a sandwich from a chain or picks up a pizza to bake at home, etc. Even the roasted chicken meals from the grocer are questionable. (As I’m sure you all know.)

As an adult (and not a svelte one at that), I don’t mind turning down the birthday cakes, random cookies, etc that cycle at work or with family/friends. I have never been a fan of chocolate cake (or ice cream, for that matter) and it seems to be the ONLY choice among my colleagues anyway so maybe that is why I can refuse it without a blink? My sweet colleagues even make a flourless chocolate torte for my birthday which I pretend is a giant super rich brownie before taking part. (Really… I don’t like chocolate cake. Can you tell?)

But when I think about my kids, I start to stumble in my no-pill approach to gluten-free living.

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think a pill is the solution. Nor do I think it would become a choice for us. It just made it easier for me to see why someone would want a pill in lieu of dietary changes. After all, kids face the land mines of social eating just like we do (or maybe even moreso) but they possess LESS skills in navigating sticky situations than do I. (Amazingly true, actually, even though I consider myself a bit of a social-etiquette moron. Just ask my sisters. I am 41 years old and still call my mom and sisters for tips. Yeap. True fact.)

Why wouldn’t I give my daughter(s) a pill? Well, that falls in the “don’t-drug-’em” box. I am a firm believer in avoiding medications unless absolutely necessary. If I or they were insulin-dependent diabetics, I wouldn’t for a moment hesitate to administer or take the insulin required. However, being gluten free is something that CAN (and IS) be controlled with diet and food. A natural approach.

And I really think that it is a great lesson to know what your body can or cannot tolerate. Food is no exception to that. If *only* I would have known about my Celiac ages ago. I could have avoided the millions of occasions during which (or shortly after eating) I felt out-of-sorts, ill, bloated, unable to focus, anxious, etc. I really developed a kind of hyper-sensitive mindset to things that I now know are related to gluten-ingestion. It’s sad, really.

I am happy I was finally diagnosed with Celiac Sprue. Sure, there have been (and I’m sure there still will be) moments along this journey that make it tough. The social/food factor is the biggest one. But being and feeling healthy are no longer “options” for me. Those qualities give me the energy and stamina I need to work, chase after my toddler all day, and keep up with the baby, etc all night. And those are the things in my life that I will truly treasure.

I really believe that my being gluten-free may actually give my kids a leg-up in the land of food awareness and knowledge too. I see quite a few of my colleagues and students who have little/no knowledge of cooking or food because they eat out nightly (yes, you read that right: NIGHTLY) or pick up ready-made meals constantly.

Living in a house where food is made every night together for our family dinners will surely pay off in the end. I’ll get time with my girls, and they will know how to eat and cook with a great amount of love for life.

What about you?
Would you take a pill to stop all this gluten-free madness in your life?

~Just some random gluten-free thoughts late at night.

-Kate

PS. EDITED TO ADD THE FOLLOWING which also appears as a comment from me below:

Thanks for your input, everyone.
I really do understand why the idea or usefulness of taking a pill would work. I find going to friend’s houses for dinners, etc to be a hurdle…. but have always been accomodated by loving friends and family. I know that is not true for everyone – and I KNOW that being invited over by a new friend who doesn’t “know” (like I have a secret…) is awfully uncomfortable. I really am a social-dork sometimes and I don’t know how to best approach the subject with new friends/new invitations.
I really just want to start a discussion. The research is there – so there is obviously a group who has asked for this.
I wonder if “the pill” would be taken daily? after symptoms? as a prevention (like when going out to eat?) or how it would work as well.
Thanks for the discussion/comments – keep feeding my brain! 🙂

45 Responses to "Would you take a pill?"

K says:

November 10, 2010 at 6:23 am

Yes, in a heartbeat. So I could go have dinner at a friend’s house. So I could eat out without making a fuss. So I wasn’t paranoid at family holidays.
Ina Gawne says:

November 10, 2010 at 6:24 am

Kate – I am with you all the way! Besides, I think gluten free food tastes way better than eating gluten filled foods. I too just did a post on Real Food, at glutenfreedelightfullydelicious.com. There is only one consideration I would have about taking a pill and that is travel. Only because I have had some awful experiences when traveling gluten free. Give me real food any day!
TK says:

November 10, 2010 at 6:34 am

I think I would, but it depends on the pill.

Some of these pills that are in development, I fear, will mask the symptoms or incompletely treat the underlying cause. One pill that I might try is the pill that tightens up the tight junctions in your gut. That would stop the gluten (or anything else with an IgA response) from leaking into the bloodstream.

The “allergy shots” that are being tested down in Australia right now, I probably wouldn’t take. I think that numbing your immune system to not react to gluten won’t fully work, and you may still have anti-transglutaminase or anti-endomysium antibodies running around, still primed, still damaging your gut.

Whether I take a pill or not, I’m never going back to the old, bad way of eating. I feel too good, eating healthy food with lots of fruit, veggies, whole grains, and legumes.

However, it would be nice to not worry about accidental ingestion* or cross-contamination.

*(I accidentally misspelled this as “infestation.” Ha! Freudian slip.)

TK Kenyon
rose says:

November 10, 2010 at 6:39 am

Kate,
I totally agree, I think that’s what’s wrong with this world to many pills ! These doctors want to give you a pill for everything, and then you need a pill for the side effects !
I don’t take them natural way is always my first choice !
Jennigma says:

November 10, 2010 at 7:20 am

Respectfully, if there were a pill that would cure my gluten intolerance, I would be the first one to sign up for taking it. After 15 or so years of living gluten free, the knowledge and habits of eating fresh and seasonal food wouldn’t be taken from me. But I would have the option of adding wheat back into my diet, and rye and barley, which are wonderful and useful grains. It would not be possible for me to go back to mindless eating, and the mindfulness I have is a blessing.

More importantly, I would be able to go to a restaurant without worrying about getting poisoned. I would be able to eat the foods my friends lovingly make for me, without checking ingredients or worrying. I would be able to travel abroad, something I have avoided because I don’t think I could manage to stay gluten free in an unfamiliar country with a language I don’t know.

I have learned so much from being gluten free, and that is the silver lining to it, but it is still a disability. I have heard blind and deaf and other disabled people have the same discussion; there are always benefits to new perspectives, and any kind of disability will give that! But I have this perspective now. If I could take a pill to remove this restriction on my life, I would do it in a heartbeat.
1. Elise says:
  
  November 10, 2010 at 8:58 am
  
  I couldn’t agree more.
Nicole Wang says:

November 10, 2010 at 8:02 am

What a great post. I am with you in the stance of “no pills please”. It is important for all of us to stop and think about what we do to ourselves just to make life easy. I for one have found great joy in our life gluten and allergy free and would not trade that for drugs. Every day/week/year it gets easier! And, our communities have begun to understand in a small, small way what we go through… so much so that our grocery shelves offer more “free from” foods than ever before. Getting back to the way we should eat with fresh, home prepared meals is what will hopefully begin to turn the tide back to a better way of life for many of us. It wince at the thought of well intentioned people asking me why we “won’t just take the pill”… so many illnesses, not just celiac disease/gluten intolerance can be helped by making good life decisions on what we nourish our bodies with.
Elise says:

November 10, 2010 at 8:11 am

I would. It wouldn’t change the way I eat as far as processed and healthy foods, but it would be nice to enjoy the same things as everyone else once in awhile. And not have to worry that I might accidentally get glutened and be sick for days…. Call me crazy…. 😉
1. Jessica says:
  
  January 4, 2011 at 2:48 am
  
  I have to agree, its quiet painful (literally) when you get that cross contaimination even though you are 100% sure everything you have eaten has been gluten free.
Stephanie says:

November 10, 2010 at 8:56 am

I must admit before writing this that I’m not celiac. My wheat intolerance/allergy, however, has me cross-marketed with you. And no, I wouldn’t take a pill to allow me to eat wheat. At least not a daily one.

I’m with Kate, though, on the benefits of having the pill available. If it could help counteract the systemic effects of being accidentally hit by it. I would use it for travel. I would use it if I thought my waiter was a fool ;).

I don’t think I’d use it to have donuts or pizza on a random day, however. I’d just go home and make my own! I do take “calculated risks” here and there when I’m not sure what’s in my food–I eat a little chinese food knowing that I can tolerate the amount of wheat in soy sauce for one meal but not 2, or have a few bites of the two crustless cheesecakes at the Cheesecake factory, knowing their no-stick pan spray has a little flour but the cheesecake itself doesn’t. I’d take it then.

I love what it’s done for me, too.
Kate says:

November 10, 2010 at 8:59 am

Thanks for your input, everyone.

I really do understand why the idea or usefulness of taking a pill would work. I find going to friend’s houses for dinners, etc to be a hurdle…. but have always been accomodated by loving friends and family. I know that is not true for everyone – and I KNOW that being invited over by a new friend who doesn’t “know” (like I have a secret…) is awfully uncomfortable. I really am a social-dork sometimes and I don’t know how to best approach the subject with new friends/new invitations.

I really just want to start a discussion. The research is there – so there is obviously a group who has asked for this.

I wonder if “the pill” would be taken daily? after symptoms? as a prevention (like when going out to eat?) or how it would work as well.

Thanks for the discussion/comments – keep feeding my brain! 🙂
1. Jennigma says:
  
  November 10, 2010 at 9:15 am
  
  I would think it would need to be daily as a preventative, to keep the gut’s immune response to gluten from getting started. And of course my decision to take the pill, or not, would depend on the side effects. I guess I’m imagining a side effect free pill that would just guarantee that I wouldn’t react to gluten. And yeah, I’d be all about that. As careful as I am, I still worry about the small exposures I get, because I know that gluten intolerance is a risk factor for cancers of the digestive tract. Preventing that would be a reason in and of itself.
CatieP says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:20 am

I think I would take the pill – but hopefully it wouldn’t be a daily thing. Most likely I still wouldn’t eat gluten on a regular basis but options help. I travel for work several times a year – to cities I’ve never been in – and I worry about eating safely. I’ve only been on one trip since being diagnosed so I’m sure I’ll get better at researching before going but for now, a pill would help.
Shirley @ gfe says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:37 am

No, no pill for me. We need less pills, not more in our society. Going gluten free has been a gift like no other I have received. I used to not have a clue what I was putting in my mouth. Now I do, and I choose much more carefully. Now I know what real food is and that’s what I want to be eating most of the time. Yes, there are some times where eating gluten free can be more challenging, but it’s usually when I’m focusing on what I can’t have versus what I can. I’ve traveled all over and eaten real food safely time and time again. Pills are a noose around one’s neck IMHO and none are without side effects. Plus, how beautiful it is to focus on and eat real food that’s naturally gluten free!

Thanks for the discussion post, Kate! Hugs,
Shirley
Aryn says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:39 am

I would take the pill sometimes. Although I don’t like to take pills regularly, if it would give me the ability to go out to dinner, attend a party, or travel to a foreign country without worry, then I would gladly take it on those occasions.
hunterslyonesse says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:57 am

No pill for me either. Thanks to ensuring a whole foods diet, then going gluten-free to see if it was connected to my hypothyroidism, I’ve been able to manage my health and become HEALTHIER without having to take a pill to do so. Michael Pollen has said our spending on food is in correlation with our health care spending. The less we spend on food, the more we spend on health care and vice versa. In the last year I’ve discovered how true this is. I wouldn’t trade this for the world, even if it meant being able to eat what everyone else is eating at a holiday dinner or a night out.
Holly says:

November 10, 2010 at 10:20 am

I have Gluten Digest Pills, by no means do we take these routinely. They are to be taken when there is a chance you will get gluten. Before I risked these when out I tested it at home. I took a pill and ate a mini drumstick ice cream cone and nothing happen I think the next day I was “gasy” but I didn’t get horribly sick like I would have. We keep these for emergencies if we are away and cant find something I know for sure is GF I take a pill then eat whatever has the lowest risk. Or if we are eating at someone else house, even if I know they tried to make if GF I take it as a precaution. I would never take the pill and then purposely eat Gluten because I think the pill prevents the symptoms but I don’t believe it prevents the damage.
Melanie says:

November 10, 2010 at 10:24 am

I definitely agree with not “wanting” or “choosing” to take a pill because I have definitely adopted a much healthier way of eating having been diagnosed with Celiac. I eat almost all natural, unprocessed foods exclusively now with the exception of a bowl of chex cereal with almond milk on occasion. However, that being said, I would definitely take a pill in order to avoid the nasty side effects and physical pain that are unavoidable when I ingest hidden gluten, no matter how careful I have been.
LauraSue says:

November 10, 2010 at 11:19 am

This is an interesting discussion. I’d like to pull it back a bit based on your use of the example of insulin-dependent diabetes. This is always the “gold standard” of the pill-avoidant. I’d do it if absolutely necessary, just like an IDDM. I’ve used this argument myself, but now I think differently because diabetes, just like celiac, is totally a food-related illness! They are both illnesses of the Western Diet. They are related to our dependence on and early and long-standing reliance on sugars and on grains as dietary staples. What a pill would do would be to mask the societal symptom–that our diet is making us very, very ill. Some of us have changed our diets to rely mostly on fresh, whole, real foods. However, many celiacs simply replace one type of grain with another. We celebrate the newest bread or hamburger bun to come out GF. We party down when GF oreos hit the market or GF cake mixes. It will not be long, at that rate, before we can no longer tolerate corn or rice or teff or bean flour.

A whole new way of eating for the entire western world is what is called for. Then we won’t have to be afraid to travel or to be invited to a friend’s house or to eat out. I know this is a pipe dream, but people like Jamie Oliver and books like “In Defense of Food” are getting the word out there. If we don’t change the way we eat as a culture, many, many will be sick and die from our diet–it won’t just be celiacs any more.
Heather Jacobsen says:

November 10, 2010 at 12:30 pm

Is there actually a magic pill? I have heard about one out there in Europe, but I have heard that it doesn’t really work. I wouldn’t risk taking a pill unless I was absolutely sure that it would work, as being ‘glutanimated’ even once by even a little bit has long term repercussions for me. Plus what is the pill made of? What are the side effects of the pill itself?

Changing one’s diet is the best way, and now most of my friends and family are totally understanding of my situation. Yes, it is annoying to not be able to eat onion rings or grilled paninis in restaurants, but what I would like to see in the long run, instead of a quick-fix pill with unknown effects, just more and more restaurants offering gluten-free breads for sandwiches, etc. and better and better gluten-free breads out there to choose from.
Raechelle says:

November 10, 2010 at 2:14 pm

Well, since my husband was diagnosed with idopathic seizures 17 years ago, he naturally started taking pills; now all this time later-afer doing research we are discovering that the seizures could very well be related to FOOD-so we started on a gluten free, corn free, soy free, casein free diet in order to try to get him OFF the pills. So, the answer is no-he would not take a pill if he didn’t have to-and it’s starting to look like he might not have to take those pills after all! After 8 months of experimenting with this diet-and still learning how hidden corn and msg and other neuro exciters are-we are getting some positive results.
We were never junk food junkies either-but it is pretty amazing how well hidden many of these industrial foods are; I have to make my own curry paste even! But, if his seizures disappear for good, it will be worth it for sure!
Allison says:

November 10, 2010 at 5:32 pm

I feel very good about the adaptations I’ve made in my diet– and I have a lot more organizing to do than most because I live in a country where there are no GF products available, so I have to bring all my flours in myself. I don’t eat a lot of breads, pastas, etc, anymore, and when I do I make them myself. Most of my friends and family adapt for me, and I always bring the dessert. 😉 However, if there was a pill that I could take on occasion– for travel, for a truly special occasion (I want to enjoy my son’s wedding cake one day!!) or to fully enjoy a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime, gluten-y meal, I would love to have that option. I don’t really see myself taking something every day– I feel better without gluten and don’t really want to reintroduce it to my diet, but I would love to have to option to be carefree every now and then.
Silly Yaker says:

November 10, 2010 at 7:23 pm

I’m from Australia & there is a truck load of research & clinical trials happening over here with pills & injections etc so it’s hard to avoid all the research. That said, my concern about taking a pill etc is that even with all the clinical trials happening now, what happens in 10, 20, 30 years time, before I start taking something now I want to know how it would affect me in the years to come.

1 in 100 Australians have coeliacs disease, this is a huge target market for food manufacturers and we’ve been reaping these benefits. So regardless of my personal choice whether or not take medication, I fear that the enormous improvements we have seen in Gluten Free products will start to diminish as the market may subside.
Karen says:

November 10, 2010 at 7:42 pm

I agree with Allison. I think that I would SOMETIMES like to take the magic pill. Like when I’m going out to a restaurant or to a friend’s house to eat.

I also wonder about my little guy — what if his sensitivities turn in to full blown allergies. Having a pill to prevent reactions to those cross contamination issues or things that I tried to check and prevent but happened anyway would be great insurance. Just thinking about the number of times that I’ve tried to find a place to eat out where they don’t use soy! And even when I think that I’ve found a solution, my son has a reaction that shows that despite my best efforts, it didn’t work. A pill would be a great safety net.

I still do feel better with all of the changes that I’ve made to my diet — I was pretty refined carb centric.
Michelle says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:05 pm

I know that I would choose diet control over a pill any day, but again it would depend. If it was out there to take regularly so that I could enjoy gluten again, then I would say “thanks, but no thanks.” If it was to assist in decreasing my symptoms when I have been poisoned, then I might be tempted, but it would depend. For the most part, I am quite opposed to the pharmaceutical industry. I do not take any pharmaceuticals, choosing to rest or use natural remedies such as essential oils no matther what my ailment is. I strongly believe that pharmaceuticals are pure poison when it comes to preventative medicine.

However, having said that, I am not opposed to extreme situations. In 2006, just before my celiac diagnosis, I was assaulted and seriously injured. I spent weeks suffering because I refused to take the pain killers that I had been given. This caused me to suffer greatly and simply exacerbated the situation. I finally broke down and took the analgesics, but simply so that I could get some sleep. It made a huge difference in my recovery.

I do feel that it is important for our bodies to be able to tell us that there is something wrong, but this is also a personal choice that we all must make. It depends on our experiences and our tolerance. If someone is suffering, then I say take the pill to ease that suffering.

Just some thoughts/ramblings.
auntjayne says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:57 pm

I do not like the idea of taking pills. Prior to my Celiac diagnoses I was taking an average of 8 pills per day.
Once I started living pill free as well as gluten free, I swore that unless my doctor can prove to me that I will die without it, I won’t take any more pills. (That being said I do need to take liquid supplements due to the fact that my villi have not healed and I can’t seem to absorbe the nutrients I need)
I also like the fact that every bit of food that I eat (with the odd rare exeption) is made by me. I know those foods do not contain additives, preservatives, colours, GMOs etc.
My answer is a resounding NO WAY!!
Shannon J. says:

November 10, 2010 at 9:59 pm

Tricky, tricky. I, too, am a staunch supporter of “leave the drugs out!” However, I am also only GF for 3 months and although I’ve seen definite benefits to living GF, I am very aware at age 40, the difficulties.
Eating out with family/friends and holidays would be so much easier, although I’ve never backed down from a challenge so I’m giving this a definite go. If it were a diet, it would be the first diet to which I’ve actually stuck for more than 30 days. Unfortunately, it’s my every day life so sometimes a pill would be a big ‘oh yeah, baby’ but I’m in agreement with so many of the above posts that I’m not sure I’d actually do it.
Helen says:

November 11, 2010 at 8:57 am

After 12 years of not being able to safely eat out ANYWHERE I would take a pill just to have a semblance of normal life e.g. being able to eat out in a restaurant, at friends etc.

I’m normally anti-pill but to be able to share a meal in a restaurant with my hubby and/or friends would be worth it.
Walden says:

November 11, 2010 at 10:09 am

I have a bit of mixed feelings on the subject. For myself, it has made eating healthier and simple the desire to be healthy easier. I doubt I would take it myself, but that is because I find I often don’t miss these items as much as I thought I would.

However, I am unsure if I were to have kids how I would feel about it. I too believe in not medicating unless it is absolutely necessary, but I often worry about the difficulties children would have with it verses adults.

Overall, I would say no because there are many alternatives and the options are continuing to grow.
TJ Aragaki says:

November 11, 2010 at 10:48 am

I would definitely take a pill – our lives are SO hectic that having to make everything from scratch has created unnecessary stress – also not healthy. And the thought of traveling internationally and not being able to try everything… well that just sends me into a tailspin of depression.
Don’t forget – having a pill, or even taking a pill, doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthfully or teach your children to make healthy food choices. I understand, however, for many of us it was the catalyst to checking labels and changing lifestyles.
Jen says:

November 11, 2010 at 12:46 pm

I wouldn’t. Nor would I give my girls one at this time. They can make their own decision later but I don’t believe that one should take a medication (with who knows what kind of side effects) in order to eat something that your body naturally can’t tolerate and that is controllable without it.

Yes, it is sometimes a HUGE pain with a lot of worry being GF in this age but I’d rather not subject myself nor my kids to meds unless absolutely necessary.
Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen) says:

November 12, 2010 at 8:07 pm

No way! Crohn’s Disease changed my life in the most amazing ways. I am healthy now and can eat what I like- though what I like to eat has changed dramatically through the process of healing. Would I take a pill so I could go back to eating junk food? No way!
Melanie says:

November 13, 2010 at 5:24 am

I already said in an earlier post that I would take a pill, not necessarily every day, but to counteract the effects of accidentally ingesting gluten. This would not give me the license to go and eat junk food, processed food, or bakery treats as I wished, I don’t think I would ever go back to that. However, suffering from multiple other food allergies, I am always prepared to deal with the after effects of cross contamination (which happen a lot.) I carry a double epi-pen and benadryl with me at all times. Why wouldn’t I want to be just as prepared had I ingested gluten? True, I wouldn’t have an anaphylactic reaction to gluten, but I do feel like I am having a heart attack, fatigue, nausea, and days of intestinal distress. I would definitely welcome something that would lessen that had I ACCIDENTALLY ingested gluten.
Kelly Heavener says:

November 13, 2010 at 3:24 pm

I wouldn’t take a pill either. Like many other diseases (high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes), proper diet would prevent people from having to take pills. I went the other day for a constant heartburn and gas. I was told last year I had to cut back on yeast. Well, I have been having panic attacks and the heartburn. My doctors just want to give me medication. I have decided to try to go gluten-free. Well, I am already feeling better. I am starting to be back to my old self. I tossed the anxiety and acid reflux meds. Yes, I am willing to go out of my way, stop eating at fast foods restaurants, and plan my meals better. When the family rolls in to town, they will just have to understand. I have a pill-popping family and I choose not to live my life that way unless absolutely necessary.
1. Kath Phelps says:
  
  December 18, 2010 at 11:53 pm
  
  Good. For. You! Hang in there. You’re on the right track.
Kristina says:

November 13, 2010 at 6:32 pm

Yes, absolutely. It’s been 2 decades and I still miss certain foods.

From what I’ve heard of the pill that’s in the works, it would be for special occasions, not for use on a regular basis- kind of like the one for lactose intolerant people, for if you want to “cheat.” Though eating in restaurants is getting easier, man, would it be nice not to have to worry and to be able to eat what I wanted!

I figure that it’s really not a case of ‘if,’ but ‘when.’ And when it’s out, stop one is the bakery at Cub Foods for a raised, glazed donut, and stop two is dim sum! 🙂
Taximom5 says:

November 14, 2010 at 10:12 am

No pill for me, either.

Gluten is as toxic to me as rat poison. I wouldn’t take a pill to block the symptoms of rat poison just so that I could eat rat poison without obvious symptoms, no matter how good they make the rat poison taste. Just because the pill blocks the obvious symptoms does NOT mean that it blocks all the damage the rat poison can do, and the same goes for gluten.
Christi S says:

November 15, 2010 at 10:32 pm

I suppose I have a different perspective since i thought I had found such a pill in the digestive enzymes, only to realize that they lessen my symptoms instead of eliminating them. At first the enzymes were to be emergency use only, but then I got to where I was eating almost whatever I wanted and would just take a pill.It is too much of a slippery slope for me.

Not to mention, who knows what the long term effects these pills have. If my children start taking them now at 11 and 7, could it cause problems later after they have been on it 20, 30, 40 or 50 years? Since I am 37 I have the potential to be alive for another 50 years, what would it do to me after that long.
Laura says:

November 16, 2010 at 8:05 am

I would take a pill. I cook just as much now as I did before. You make a good point about being forced to pass up on meaningless junk like cookies and cake at the office, but other than that, I don’t think I eat any healthier now.
Gluten Free Steve says:

November 16, 2010 at 8:15 pm

We talk about this from time to time at our house. And I waffle back and forth with my answer. I really don’t know….but it’s a great topic to discuss. Great article, my blogging friend.

xo!
Medication for gluten sensitivity? | The Gluten-Free Southern Cook says:

November 16, 2010 at 9:24 pm

[…] Leave a comment There is an interesting post from a few days back at Gluten Free Gobsmacked: Would you take a pill?, which I just ran […]
glutenfreesc says:

November 16, 2010 at 9:25 pm

A very interesting post!

While it might be a convenient option at times, as a number of other commenters point out, I don’t think I would want a daily pharmaceutical treatment for my gluten sensitivity. I would like to have the option of taking something in case I’ve accidentally glutened myself up, more in the realm of antihistamine or even antidote than any kind of perceived “cure”.

I actually have a number of concerns about how this might play out. This comment turned pretty long, so I have made it into a (longer) post instead of clunking things up here. 🙂
http://glutenfreesc.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/medication-for-gluten-sensitivity/
Mom (Gretchen) at The Gluten-Free Edge says:

November 17, 2010 at 9:18 am

An emergency pill would be just fine with me as I have adjusted to having a healthy kitchen over the years. Gluten has caused my whole family to be more concious not only of what they choose to eat but also the quality of their choices and that is definitely a good thing.

Also, in agreement with Taximom5, I really don’t want to constantly keep refilling the pill bottle like it was a necessary condiment.
Portia says:

November 17, 2010 at 7:01 pm

I just came across your blog and wanted to comment about taking a pill to be able to eat gluten.

I would take one for certain things but frankly I do not miss gluten that much. The things I do miss occasionally are New York pizza, my biscuits that took me years to perfect and maybe a sub roll. I’d take a pill for these things but other than that, I would rather not have the gluten every day.
Kath Phelps says:

December 18, 2010 at 11:50 pm

Interesting thread and discussion. I figured the pharmaceutical industry would be working like a banshee hen to cash-in on the incredible increase in food related auto immune diseases. Now that the number of people with gluten intolerance/celiac disease have taken steps to take their own health back…the “industry” has realized we are an untapped market. Thus…another “pill”. Another good question to ask on this thread.. to hopefully give each of us pause is…what has your past experience been with pharmaceuticals that mask ANY of your health-related symptoms rather than discovering and eliminating the CAUSE? I can answer for myself…I have ended up with a whole host of other symptoms related to the prescribed pharmaceutical. Then those “new symptoms” need a pharmaceutical to mask what I’m experiencing…and so it goes. What we’re talking about here is BIG BUSINESS AND BIG P.R.O.V.I.T.S. To be blunt …THERE IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH OUR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY THAT IS MAKING PEOPLE SICK. And That. Is. The. Underlying. Cause. Of. Food. Related. AutoImmune. Disease. Regardless of what the AMA and/or big pharma is peddling these days, that is what all of us should be concerned about… If not for ourselves, for our children. The pharmaceutical industry would like nothing better than to create a cash cow out of people who are gluten intolerant…and it looks like they’re moving in that direction. No. I will not be taking any of their pills. I’ve worked hard to take my own health back from the sick-care system we refer to as our “healthcare system” and I don’t intend to relinquish it again.

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