Immunologist

[lacey]

Ok guys I need some advice! I have Celiac and have avoided gluten like the plague. It's been years and I still feel terrible all of the time.

I decided to see an immunologist and had extensive testing done. I was just certain they would have found something...but never did...thyroid is good and apparently I have no other illnesses, but I was really hoping to have a more official name for what I'm  going through.

They did a skin prick allergy test on my back for 60 allergens from foods, to mold, to pollen, pet hair, to grass...and the list goes on and on. I'm terribly allergic to every one! In fact they said I'm basically allergic to Colorado and should live in a bubble but can't.

My doc seems to think this is why my gut is a mess, I keep gaining weight, and feel like crap everyday. Can this be? I avoid the foods that came up anyways, and don't struggle with any type of seasonal allergy. I'm so confused.

I'm supposed to start getting injections two times a week, and was told over time this will make my immune system stronger and healthier. However, after all of this testing I blew up like a ballon and had to stay home from work today. I can't go through this each week ...

Not sure if this is allowed but I have a picture of how my back reacted and it shows what I'm dealing with here. 

Oh...and should add I am prescribed to take antihistamines heavily each day. Not sure if that's a good thing for my body or not...

Thank you!

[Gemini]

Hi Lacey,

     I have many allergies myself and am currently doing the SLIT therapy, which is sublingual allergy drops.  It is the same thing as allergy shots but formulated for sublingual use.  I cannot get to an allergist once weekly because I work for a living so decided to try this method.

I have been gluten-free for 11 years now and my gut feels fine....no problems there.  But I am challenged on the allergy front and now that they have added the dreaded mold mixture to my serum, I am dragging around and feel less than stellar.  I am severely allergic to molds. I would not imagine molds would be a huge problem for someone living in Colorado but if you are reacting to some of them, they can really make you feel horrible.

The trouble with scratch testing is that it doesn't tell you how bad the allergy is....you just react and they know you have a problem.  I had a 15 mold panel blood test done but many docs do not believe in that kind of testing. It is very hard to trip a blood allergy test but I did and it showed I am allergic to 14 out of 15 molds.  Lucky me, huh? But it gave me actual numbers with regards to severity so now I can repeat the testing periodically and see if those numbers improve.

Are you now receiving immunotherapy (allergy shots) as treatment?  I have done those in the past and they did work very well but it does take some time.  I would stick with it because its better than dosing heavily with allergy pills. As far as antihistamines are concerned, I take Benadryl at night before I go to bed. Children's Benadryl because I am a thin Celiac and the adult version knocks me on my ass.  If they are dosing you out on antihistamines during the day, you are going to be drowsy.  Maybe try taking one at night before bed?  That way, it helps you sleep and you are not walking into walls during the day.

Allergies are somewhat connected to the gut because your immunity begins in the gut.  80% of your immune system function comes from the gut so this is why a good diet is essential. You can see why allergies can be a huge problem with Celiac because of the gut issues we have.  Celiac messes with your gut and then you can develop allergies as a result.....the old leaky gut problem. I am not having any gut issues but you are.  So...maybe the food allergies are messing with your gut and in turn, your allergies have spun out of control.  Have you lived in Colorado a long time or most of your life?  The longer you live in the same place, the more likely you will develop allergies. You essentially become overloaded from constant exposure to the same things. I have lived in New England all my life so that has not helped. My BIL lives in Colorado and when I visit, I feel great! No mold to speak of or at least, different strains.

The only advice I can really offer is work on the gut and that should help you with the allergies. Continue immunotherapy because it can work very well. I understand what you are going through and the sucky thing is that with allergies, there is no immediate fix. The trick is to build up a tolerance with the shots. Use an antihistamine at night and no, they will not hurt you, long term. I have been using them for about 3 years and if I go off of them, I get hives.  The other thing that might be worth looking into is histamine intolerance. That can happen with Celiac and others on the forum have had that issue. Maybe someone else can chime in on that and give you better advice. You could try a low histamine diet and see if that helps you feel better.

Sorry you are suffering....I know how you feel. I hope you get some relief from the treatment and feel better soon!

[lacey]

Thanks Gemini!

its good to know that I may be on the right track! Thank you for your advice and kind words. 

I've lived in a Colorado forever...so that could play a part in all of if this. I still can't get over how badly I responded, but hopefully this means I'm on the right track. 

I'be tried researching the subject in regards to Celiac as well, but haven't had much luck. Starting injections next week and will keep everyone updated if I find success...though I know it will be a process. 

Thank you again!

[RMJ]

Hi,

Since you say you don't have seasonal allergy symptoms, I have some questions.  I used to work for a company that made the extracts used for skin testing.  (Extracts are standardized and if the tests are done correctly they CAN tell the degree of allergy).  Did you come up highly positive on every single test?  If so, did they do a control without any extract to make sure you're not one of the rare people whose skin reacts just to the scratch?  Also, did they do a blood test for total IgE?  Yours should be high if you really have that many allergies.

[Gemini]

The scratch testing doesn't give you much  to the degree of severity.  If you have the dermal injection type testing, they can measure the weal and have a scoring system for degree of severity.  WIth blood testing, you have to do IgE and IgG. I didn't even trip the IgE but the IgG testing was through the roof for molds. People don't always react typically with allergy testing, just like with Celiac Disease. 

You can also have mild allergies to many things and that can be as bad as a single allergy that is severe. it's the "rain barrel" theory. If there is underlying disease conditions or inflammation, mild allergies can be temporarily worse enough to make them test severe.  As far as not having seasonal allergy symptoms, they can be atypical.  My typical symptoms are fatigue and hives, not congestion or sinus infections like most people get.  Allergies are still difficult to figure out sometimes.