High IgG due to Synthetic Dye Intolerance?

[Jenny]

Hi All,

My seven year old daughter was diagnosed with celiac 1.5 years ago. Although we have taken the gluten free diet very seriously, her IgG levels remain extremely high-->250.  Her iron levels have normalized and she is basically symptom free, so her Doctor isn't too concerned, yet.

Well recently I started to suspect that she has an intolerance to synthetic dyes--namely red 40, yellow 5, 6.  When she is exposed, her sinuses immediately flare up and she has to constantly clear her throat.  It's bad enough that her teachers are noticing and asking her to stop.  After a day or so without dye, her sinuses are back to normal.  Since her symptoms aren't too severe (just annoying), I allow her to have her synthetic dyed treats on Friday after school, so that she is cleared up come Monday. My daughter took going gluten-free like a champ, but synthetic dye free is another story.  

Any way,  I haven't been able to find much research on dye sensitivity, but what I have found suggests that synthetic dye sensitivity triggers an IgG autoimmune response.  Assuming she is intolerant to synthetic dyes, could this be the reason for her high celiac IgG levels? Any thoughts? 

[Ender]

I can't answer your question, but as a former teacher, I had to chime in.

***Begin Rant***

These teachers asking her to stop clearing her throat in class need to have their head examined!!!   WTH? What poor classroom management skills! I would never have asked a student to stop clearing their throat, not unless they were obviously doing it for attention (and you can usually tell when a student is doing that). In the latter case, you ignore them and they'll get bored as hell with their new game soon enough and move on to something else. In the case of a more stubborn student, you say nothing about the throat clear and move right up beside the student whenever he does it. Linger. Teach from beside him for a few minutes. Wait until he's obviously uncomfortable with getting the teacher's attention, teach a bit more, then finally wander off. It tends to nip things in the bud without words and some of them don't even get why they've decided their game is no longer so fun. 

But you know...you actually have to be walking the room and managing your classroom. 

Another option? Those teachers could actually get off their bums and go talk to the student.  I know, novel concept, right! Instead of asking a student to STOP a behavior, you find out what's going on. If you find it annoying, perhaps figure out a way to work with the student to help with their problem....or don't be a teacher. Geez, kids make noise. A lot of noise. Pull up your adult pants, learn to teach with distractions, and get over it. I had to.

***End Rant.***

In any case, about your actual question...what is it that she's upset about not eating? Can you see if there's a recipe for it (or is it candy)?

[mommida]

Ummm..

Look at your daughter's throat.  Are the tonsils enlarged?  Are there creamy spots on the tonsils, back of throat, or tongue.  Does her breath/ throat/mouth have a bad smell?

You may have found an "allergen" for her, but what exactly is the reaction she is having?

If there is any sign of the above you seriously need to look at information on Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  Unfortunately there seems to be a link between Celiac and EE.  Seasonal allergies play a large part of symptoms flaring up bad enough to get diagnosed.  (late summer early fall)  So there may be a window for proper diagnoses, so you need to look now.

[Jenny]

Thanks for the advise.  I, too, was a surprised that her teachers were asking her stop.  I always viewed it as something she couldn't control.  Now that I have (hopefully) found the source to her throat clearing, she'll be able to stop before kids mock her for it.  She is a really sensitive kid, and getting made fun of for something she may not be able to control would be a blow to her self confidence.  It's interesting, Ender, that you picked up on the lack of effective classroom management.  It has been a trying year for my daughter.  Her teacher is close to retirement and I suspect has just given up. 

I can't duplicate her favorite goodies, because it's the brightly colored candy that she misses.  I could probably go to the local co-op and find better tasting, organic, dye free options; however, I think the real issue is that she just wants to be like everyone else.  In her seven-year-old mind, 'It's just not fair.' And, she's right.

Mommida, my daughter's main symptom is a mean post-nasal drip (self-diagnosed), which she has to clear her throat of snot.  More recently she has complained about her eyebrow cramping (weird, right?), which I believe is from her sinuses getting backed up.  I had never considered that the problem might be   Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  

Next week, my other daughter is getting tested for celiac.  I will ask the GI about a link between IgG and dye intolerance and will report back.  

[fletcher96]

On 11/6/2015 at 9:52 PM, Jenny said:

My seven year old daughter was diagnosed with celiac 1.5 years ago. Although we have taken the gluten free diet very seriously, her IgG levels remain extremely high-->250.  Her iron levels have normalized and she is basically symptom free, so her Doctor isn't too concerned, yet.

Well recently I started to suspect that she has an intolerance to synthetic dyes--namely red 40, yellow 5, 6.  When she is exposed, her sinuses immediately flare up and she has to constantly clear her throat.  It's bad enough that her teachers are noticing and asking her to stop.  After a day or so without dye, her sinuses are back to normal.  Since her symptoms aren't too severe (just annoying), I allow her to have her synthetic dyed treats on Friday after school, so that she is cleared up come Monday. My daughter took going gluten-free like a champ, but synthetic dye free is another story.  

 

On 11/8/2015 at 2:53 PM, Jenny said:

Mommida, my daughter's main symptom is a mean post-nasal drip (self-diagnosed), which she has to clear her throat of snot.  More recently she has complained about her eyebrow cramping (weird, right?), which I believe is from her sinuses getting backed up.  I had never considered that the problem might be   Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  

Next week, my other daughter is getting tested for celiac.  I will ask the GI about a link between IgG and dye intolerance and will report back.  

I have been clearing my throat a lot since I was 17, particularly in the morning after I brush my teeth. I still have not found out why toothpaste would irritate acid reflux. I currently use a kid's toothpaste, which helps. When I cut out dairy, the post-nasal drip went away except for when I eat greasy foods, gluten, and oil, among other things that I haven't been able to pinpoint yet. But I clear my throat after eating or drinking anything, including water sometimes. My AP English teacher my senior year of high school made some comment once about an old man clearing his throat all the time. I felt like this comment was indirectly directed at me because I had that class in the morning after brushing my teeth. Teachers like that can be mean, I'm sorry! I knew a 24 year old guy who did it very frequently, too. He was very, very skinny. I'm guessing it's related to celiac. I also knew a girl in 7th grade who did it, but she said it was tourettes. I have to spit like 15 times after I brush my teeth. I don't understand why this happens! It's not dye because I'm eating potato chips right now (oil). I have learned to do it more quietly throughout the years. Some foods do make it way worse, though. I also get pain in my eyes, usually my right eye, toward the direction of the sinus. Did you ever find out the cause?

[knitty kitty]

23 hours ago, fletcher96 said:

 

I have been clearing my throat a lot since I was 17, particularly in the morning after I brush my teeth. I still have not found out why toothpaste would irritate acid reflux. I currently use a kid's toothpaste, which helps. When I cut out dairy, the post-nasal drip went away except for when I eat greasy foods, gluten, and oil, among other things that I haven't been able to pinpoint yet. But I clear my throat after eating or drinking anything, including water sometimes. My AP English teacher my senior year of high school made some comment once about an old man clearing his throat all the time. I felt like this comment was indirectly directed at me because I had that class in the morning after brushing my teeth. Teachers like that can be mean, I'm sorry! I knew a 24 year old guy who did it very frequently, too. He was very, very skinny. I'm guessing it's related to celiac. I also knew a girl in 7th grade who did it, but she said it was tourettes. I have to spit like 15 times after I brush my teeth. I don't understand why this happens! It's not dye because I'm eating potato chips right now (oil). I have learned to do it more quietly throughout the years. Some foods do make it way worse, though. I also get pain in my eyes, usually my right eye, toward the direction of the sinus. Did you ever find out the cause?

It's a Sulfur sensitivity.  Those food dyes all contain sulfur.  Toothpaste frequently contains sulfur as sodium laurel sulfate (SLS).  

http://www.thepatientceliac.com/tag/celiac-disease-and-sulfite-intolerance/

New Celiacs are often low in certain vitamins and minerals due to malabsorption.  The mineral molybdenum and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are needed to help metabolize Sulfites and clear them from the body.  

Try a toothpaste without SLS like Jason's.  

Hope this helps! 

P.S. this is an old post.  Always check the date.  You're welcome to start a new thread about old topics.  ?