Black Pepper Reactions

[emily 1]

Saw an old post here re:black pepper setting off Cinnamon's celiac reactions. We all react differently but I must say, it is definitely a trigger for me. My symptoms are typically headache, nausea, stock pain and very painful alphous ulcers in my mouth. Along with corn, nightshade vegetables, soy, too much processed sugar and corn syrup. Do not miss the last 3 much but sadly, I must also add nuts and the good for you seeds, like flax, to the list as well. Curoius as to wheher any one else has similiar list of "nos."? 

Has anyone identified any particular foods which actually help them recover from an attacl?

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @emily 1!

"stock" pain?

[emily 1]

Sorry, stomach pain..

 

[knitty kitty]

These articles are helpful.

[trents]

I did a little research and one kind of aphthous ulcer (aka, canker sore) is the Herpetiform canker sore. It is well-known that celiac disease can cause a skin rash known as herpetiformis dermatitis. I can't help but wonder if there is a connection. Celiac disease is also listed in this article as a cause for canker sores: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/canker-sore/symptoms-causes/syc-20370615

Are you observing a strict gluten free diet? You might also look into reducing iodine consumption as that is known to help with herpetiformis dermatitis. Perhaps it will help with your canker sores as well. 

[emily 1]

Very helpful. Oh yes, I am quite fastidious about not falling off the diet. It's just that the list of things I must add to the restrictions seems to grow. 

 

[Mari]

Hi Emily,

What you described is very similar to what I experienced in coping with Celiacs. I think my first symptoms started when I was about 3 and I wasn't diagnosed until I was almost 70. I got along OK util I was about 30  when I began to have more problems that the Drs thought was an autoimmune problem that they couldn't identify. Then I worked in medical labs in Bolivia for 8 months and returned to the US with more problems such as sensitivities to chemicals and increasing food intolerances. I had always had canker sores in my mouth and nose but have not had any now  since I went strictly gluten free. Before I was gluten-free I became very sensitive to hot peppers and then I could not eat anything spicy such as cinnamon, turmeric or black peppers. I have not eaten any nightshades for years. No corn or soy. 

My diet now is lamb stew with rice, squash, green beans, chard, kale, collards with salt. Then eggs , chard, spinach, black beans, summer squash, asparagus, rice and salt. I eat peanuts for snacks. I have been eating nuts but may have to stop. Coconut is OK but too much sugar is not. 

I am very cautious about adding back foods to my diet but hope to add back small amounts of turmeric.

Take care.

[Blue Roan]

Hi Emily!

I was just diagnosed a year ago and could not touch nuts, corn (or anything with corn-based ingredients), lactose, or black pepper in the first 8 or so months. Otherwise I had a lot of abdominal discomfort, dizziness/vertigo (especially with corn and pepper) and inflammation throughout the body. I was pretty much eating plain cooked veggies and chicken for the first few months because they were safe and reliable. 

Over time, I have slowly started to tolerate some of the no-no foods, but my system is still sensitive to the pepper and has a limit to corn/lactose before symptoms occur. When you’re first diagnosed, you will likely be sensitive to a lot of other foods because your gut is healing from the damage and your body needs to reset.

I find that keeping a food diary  and only slowly introducing other foods back into your diet over time is helpful. It is frustrating to feel so limited, but give it some time and patience. It can take the gut years to fully heal in many cases. 

[emily 1]

Yes, unfortunately I was diagnosed about 15 years ago. Some of us I guess the gut never heals and from what I've learned you can actually have a setback which is probably the stage I am at where I actually have become more sensitive to more items.

[knitty kitty]

Canker sores can be more frequent if deficient in zinc, Thiamin B1, Riboflavin B2, Pyridoxine B6, Cobalamine B12, Folate B9, iron and Vitamin D.  

Following a low histamine paleo diet helps heal.  Mast cells in our body make histamine and release it as a part of the inflammation process.  Foods that contain high histamine levels can make inflammation worse.  Mast cells get "itchy triggers" and can release histamine when exposed to some spices and foods.  The vitamins listed above are also required to clear histamine along with Vitamin C. 

Following a low histamine diet like @Mari and @Blue Roanand keeping a food journal like @Blue Roan does are excellent ways to travel on our Celiac journey.

[emily 1]

Wow! That's really good information. I have noticed that my Celiac symptoms are ever increasingly seeming like allergy symptoms as well. Stuffed up head, horse throat post navel drip symptoms. I'm afraid I'm not sure I understand how to follow the links you sent for the expanded version of non-histamine diet? Are those Instagram addresses? Because I don't do Instagram. Thank you so much for that reply. To my knowledge, I'm okay on all of those things. Although I don't think that I've been tested for zinc. I do know when the flu's going around I try taking zinc mixed with quercetin but that seems to put my autoimmune into overdrive. As does some of these over-the-counter things which are recommended for traveling. To boost the immune to prevent sickness. Also things like echinacea and elderberry which you would think would be innocuous

[knitty kitty]

Those are links to articles on this site.  I don't do Instagram either.

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/cross-reactivity-between-anti-gliadin-antibodies-and-proteins-in-spices-may-trigger-symptoms-in-some-people-with-celiac-disease-r5900/

And 

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/beyond-gluten-exploring-lesser-known-triggers-and-cross-reactivities-for-celiac-patients-r6350/