Ate gluten, still not back to normal after a month

[Aaron275]

Hi,

I recently made a big mistake.

I was diagnosed with Celiac about a year and a half ago. I was trying to make some changes to my diet recently, and I decided to start eating peanuts as a snack. I ate them for about 3 months and then I realized the peanuts I was eating were not gluten-free. It hadn't even occurred to me that peanuts might not be gluten-free.

Since I started eating them I have had severe symptoms. Bloating, indigestion, insomnia, fatigue, depression, blurry vision. And the symptoms get worse after I eat something, even if it's gluten-free.

I never had any of these symptoms before I was diagnosed and was still eating gluten. I have heard that it's common to become more sensitive to gluten when you stop eating it, so I am wondering if that's what has happened here.

I went to the doctor and got tested for other food allergies, and I found out that I do have a peanut allergy as well. I never noticed it before because it is not a severe allergy and I had never eaten peanuts in large quantities before. So the cause could have been the gluten, or the peanuts, or a combination of both.

I stopped eating the peanuts a month ago. I have noticed a small amount of improvement in that time, but I am still nowhere near back to normal. How much longer is this likely to last? I ate the peanuts for 3 months so I know it could take a while to reverse whatever damage I have caused. I just wanted to see what you think might be happening here based on what I have said above.

Thanks

[GFinDC]

It's been nice knowing you Aaron. Duhn... duhn... duhn!   Sorry Halloween humor there.

We are all individuals so a one size fits all answer isn't possible.  But for me, a glutening has caused symptoms for 6 weeks running before.  Peanut allergies are a different thing so not sure on that.  Maybe your doctor could tell you if it's ok to try some Benedhryl or other anti-histamine to see if it helps the symptoms.  But my guess is the peanut allergies effects should be over by now.

Some researchers several years ago found that young people starting a gluten-free diet still had intestinal damage 18 months afterwards.  So it can take quite a while to get over damage.

[Awol cast iron stomach]

Hello,

sorry you are feeling unwell since the exposure. As you said yes sometimes we become more sensitive to gluten cc or other foods or intolerance s develop. I don't eat too many processed foods now, and I have to make my own condiments now. My body also does not like gluten-free processed items, the more ingredients in them the more likely my body will say no. So we buy the gluten-free breads for the other family members and I have to make my own. In general if exposed I usually found I was unwell for two months. That can vary on other factors as well for me. 

Since you said you are having trouble eating after exposure to more foods than usual even if gluten-free that sounds par for the course in my personal experience. After exposure my immune system is keyed up and constantly surveilling for the bad guy gluten, it does not stand down very easily. 

my opinion may help to drop peanuts or peanut butter for awhile , perhaps switch to a different nut or nut, seed butter as the immune system may become hypervigilant and is waiting to lock and load on peanuts again.

 My daughter can't eat peanuts with bananas she developed and intolerance to the combo at some point and they can never reunite in unison for her. She can eat each alone. If she needs a nut butter with banana for a recipe she uses almond.

Lastly, I have to be careful buying nuts as the ones sold in many stores around me are on shared equipment lines etc. I took the advice from some members here and order from nuts.com it Costco doesn't have a safe version of the nut I need.

The body is an interesting thing especially the highly atuned  celiac body.

Best wishes on healing soon.

[Aaron275]

Thanks for the responses.

So is it possible that the peanut allergy could have been caused by being exposed to gluten? And that's why I never noticed it before?

[Ennis-TX]

2 hours ago, Aaron275 said:

Thanks for the responses.

So is it possible that the peanut allergy could have been caused by being exposed to gluten? And that's why I never noticed it before?

I developed a corn and whey allergy after my celiac diagnosis and gluten exposures. We see it quite often that after a gluten exposure many develop new food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerance. I had many other sensitivities and intolerance issues and many resolved over the years.
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/are-food-sensitivities-for-life
The allergies got much worse then started tapering off after 5 years...still allergic but not as bad. I do take daily antihistamines and H2 blockers to lower the risk. I transitioned to a paleo based diet after the first few years as it worked best (yes breads, baked goods, etc from nuts, seeds). I developed a extreme peanut intolerance also that leaves me vomiting for hours with even trace exposures. Like others I transitioned to almond butters, and I also use Sunbutter often which is almost identical to peanut butter in texture.
P

On another note a recent non gluten gut issue left me on carnivore keto diet to minimize inflammation and ease digestion. >.> I still eat cheese made with cashew bases but nut butters and baked goods were too harsh on digestion.

We do suggest a whole foods only diet to boost healing, and some go as far as a Paleo AIP diet or Fasano diet.

[cyclinglady]

3 hours ago, Aaron275 said:

Thanks for the responses.

So is it possible that the peanut allergy could have been caused by being exposed to gluten? And that's why I never noticed it before?

What allergy tests were done?  Were they done by an allergist?  Unfortunately, allergy tests are not very accurate.  That is why you should work with an allergist.  Learn what a true allergy is and how IgG blood testing works (or does not):

https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/IgG-food-test

“IgG antibodies signify exposure to products—not allergy. IgG antibody testing will identify what you ate recently – there is no correlation between an IgG test result and your ability to eat that food without distress.”

Source:

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/igg-food-intolerance-tests-continue-to-mislead-consumers-into-unnecessary-dietary-restrictions/

You ate a lot of peanuts for weeks and then got tested.  It could be the reason the test revealed a peanut “allergy” (assuming it was an IgG food allergy test).  

https://www.allergicliving.com/2019/01/16/new-food-allergy-tests-hold-hope-of-reliable-results/

I am not a doctor, but it sounds like you were exposed to gluten.  Symptoms can become worse or even different when exposed after a diagnosis of celiac disease  following a gluten free diet.  It can take months to recover.  

Gluttony can also get you.  Eat foods in moderation and vary them.  That is my old-fashioned “mother” advice.  

https://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies/testing

I have both intolerances and allergies.  An allergy for me usually affects my stomach (vomiting) skin (hives), swelling (throat or skin), itchy (eyes or mouth), nasal drip, and blood pressure (faint).  My food intolerances usually cause gut issues, body aches and fatigue.    They can trigger my Rosacea which is a good visual indicator.  

I hope this helps!  

Edited November 6, 2019 by cyclinglady

[Aaron275]

On 11/7/2019 at 1:59 AM, cyclinglady said:

What allergy tests were done?  Were they done by an allergist?

The allergy test was a RAST test.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioallergosorbent_test

Is this a reliable test?

It was done by my GP. I had no knowledge of allergy testing and this is what she suggested so I just agreed to it.

My peanut allergy was classed as 'Moderate' on a scale of Negative, Low, Moderate, High or Very High.

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by Aaron275

[RMJ]

RAST allergy tests are usually for IgE, so a true allergy, and are pretty accurate.

[cyclinglady]

Hum, most allergy testing, including RAST, is “iffy”:

“About 50-60 percent of all blood tests and skin prick tests will yield a “false positive” result. This means that the test shows positive even though you are not really allergic to the food being tested.”

https://www.foodallergy.org/life-with-food-allergies/food-allergy-101/diagnosis-testing/blood-tests

https://www.verywellhealth.com/radioallergosorbent-rast-test-what-to-expect-1324068

I would consult an allergist since you received a positive result for peanuts on the RAST test.  You could have a peanut allergy.  

But, if you have been off peanuts for a month and have lingering symptoms, my bet is on autoimmune as the cause of those symptoms and not an allergy.  Besides those symptoms seem more like active celiac disease than an IgE allergy.  

“Since I started eating them I have had severe symptoms. Bloating, indigestion, insomnia, fatigue, depression, blurry vision. And the symptoms get worse after I eat something, even if it's gluten-free.”

“I stopped eating the peanuts a month ago. I have noticed a small amount of improvement in that time, but I am still nowhere near back to normal.”

[Aaron275]

There's another reason that I think the peanuts might have been part of the problem. I've been exposed to gluten before (without the peanuts) and I had almost no symptoms. However, those were only one-off occurrences and not for weeks at a time like this was. So maybe it is just the gluten.

I hope I don't have a peanut allergy because I would like to be able to eat them again at some point.

Edited November 9, 2019 by Aaron275

[BenGorm]

Check of Leaky Gut information and diets.

Coeliac/gluten has caused me to become intolerant to lots of other foods. It's a bit of a vicious cycle when the damage has no repaired. Simply cutting out the offending foods is not enough. You need to heal your gut through some pretty hefty measures. Doctors fail to make coeliac patients aware of this which is why many never heal properly and become intolerant to so many new things.

Also check out lectins, which peanuts are heavy on. These can also irritate and damage the gut.

[Aaron275]

Thanks everyone, this has been very helpful and has given me a lot to think about.