Seasonal Allergy Symptoms + More

[KatieM]

Hi all,

I'm very new to all this as I've only suspected I have Celiacs for less than a week now, so bare with me.

Back in March once pollen season hit, I was staggeringly struck down with horrible allergies seemingly out of the blue. To the point where I was physically sick, unable to eat, etc. until I started montelukast and also a steriod inhaler. I haven't had asthma symptoms since childhood (I'm now 25), so it was a shock to me when they came along with my allergy symptoms. I left it at that I was unlucky and began taking allergy drops to hopefully help next year be less tough on my body/lungs.

Since then, I've struggled on and off with random stomach issues and low energy, but I always chalked it up to allergies...until last week. I was hit  one night with a pins and needles feeling that extended from the top half of my arms to my back and in my legs, and along with it came a burning feeling when I would lay down at night. I've had the worse sleep of my life these past couple weeks. Once I started googling and celiacs came up, I've attempted cutting it out. The pins and needles seem to be improving, but I'm still strugging with feeling very weak, a sort of shaky feeling in my body, the feeling of breathlessness (further exacerbated by allergies of course) and just general blahness. I even got tested for covid to be sure and thankfully negative. My doctor did a blood test that came back today as normal--no celiacs and not even low iron or B-12. I had been eating gluten up until the test (the weekend before I had 6 beers, pizza, a bagel sandwich and more lol), especially since it hadn't even crossed my mind until after. 

I guess my main questions are---did anyone experience seasonal allergies as a symptom? Do these other symptoms line up with celiacs? Of course everyone's body reacts so differently, but I am curious. I am going to continue to eat gluten-free and I hope to see more improvements. I was doing a litter better on Monday and decided to have some potato chips before bed--Tuesday I woke up and was down for the count with low energy. Can foods that are still gluten free affect you while "being glutened" if they're highly processed/oily/etc?

I know this is a lot! I have a lot to learn, but I'm hoping to gain some insight as I start this journey.

Thank you in advance to anyone who replies! I truly appreciate it.

[trents]

Celiac Disease and seasonal allergies would engage entirely different immune response subsystems. I doubt there is a connection there. Even though your blood tests were negative, that does not necessarily rule out Celiac Disease. We have forum members who experienced the same thing with negative blood antibody tests but when their small bowel was biopsied it showed the classic damage to the villi caused by Celiac Disease. If people start eating gluten free before the blood tests that can invalidate the results.

Yes, processed food ingredients can mimic Celiac GI distress.

It is also possible that you do not have Celiac Disease but do have gluten sensitivity.

[knitty kitty]

KatieM, 

Your asthma, the pins and needles feeling, fatigue and stomach issues can all be indicative of Type Two Diabetes and Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency and Celiac Disease.  

Low Thiamine symptoms include "sailor's asthma," fatigue, neuropathy (pins and needles), and gastrointestinal symptoms (gastrointestinal beriberi).  You can have low thiamine with or without having Celiac Disease.

A diet heavy in carbohydrates but lacking sufficient thiamine can lead to low Thiamine.  Alcohol consumption can lead to low thiamine.  Potato chips, pizza, beer, and bagels are all high carbohydrate foods.    

Thiamine is needed to produce insulin, and to turn carbohydrates into energy.  Without enough thiamine, the body can't produce enough insulin, so your blood sugar can get too high, leading to insulin resistance and Type Two Diabetes.  Seventy percent of Diabetics have low thiamine levels.

Celiac Disease can cause malabsorption of thiamine.  

There are several different blood tests for Celiac.  Ask your doctor to do the full panel of tests for Celiac.  A DNA test can reveal genes for Celiac.

Ask your doctor to test for low thiamine.

Ask your doctor to test for Type Two Diabetes.

Keep us posted on your journey.

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

[Scott Adams]

I had severe seasonal pollen allergies until I was diagnosed when I was around 27. I used to have to take both food and pollen allergy shots. My nose was more or less permanently clogged during much on my youth, but I didn't have obvious symptoms from the food allergies, beyond the constant nasal drainage issues. My allergist told me back then, long before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, that the scores on my food allergies, especially to wheat, were some of the highest that he'd seen, and he even recommended that I rotate my diet and only eat wheat once or twice a week, which I didn't do. 

The good news is that I'm mostly allergy-free now, and only have minor pollen allergies during June only.