Swollen Fingers

[flxmanning]

So whenever I have gluten, I get the "normal" reaction of an extremely distended stomach, dizzyness, mind fog, and some other unpleasantness, but the weirdest symptom is my fingers, face, and pretty much everything swell up. I called in sick to work one day, but had to go in later to pick up my phone...no one even recognized me because I was so swollen all over! Does this happen to anyone else or was it maybe some other allergic reaction to something else that I don't know I'm allergic to?

[Ursa Major]

I also get very swollen fingers when glutened. I can feel the resistance when I bend my fingers, it isn't necessarily so noticeable that others see it, though.

[Guest Kathy Ann]

[Nooner]

For five years before I was diagnosed, I had serious water retention that raised my blood pressure and required heavy duty diuretics. The water retention and blood pressure was never quite under control, even when I followed a diet of less than 500 milligrams of sodium a day. The only time I felt better was when I ate plain, unseasoned rice.

Now that I know what's causing it, I recognize bloating as one of my symptoms of eating something I my body doesn't like. It can be gluten or any of my other intolerances. My entire body swells, but I notice it most in my fingers and feet, because my rings and shoes feel too tight.

[jerseyangel]

I get swelling (bloating) in my fingers and also my ankles and feet sometimes. It's actually worse when it's hot outside. My fingers will also swell if I'm out walking briskly.

This pattern hasn't changed at all for me since going gluten-free.

[ravenwoodglass]

This happens to me too and is extreme when I get glutened. I still have some of the finger swelling still in the mornings but it goes away soon. For me this is also kidney related, when it happens they bleed so I wonder if the filtering system just got a little messed up from all those years of trying to filter the reactionary products out of the bloodstream.

One thing though that has me concerned about your question is the facial swelling. This sounds more like an actual allergic reaction and you should bring it to the attention of your doctor. He may want to make some provision like an emergency med or epipen in case your throat should decide some day to swell also. Be sure to mention it to him or her on your next visit or in a phone call to the office monday morning.

[Guest Kathy Ann]

[anerissara]

If I get a bad dose of gluten, I retain water like CRAZY! My face gets puffy (but not so bad that other people notice much) and I can feel it in my hands, where my fingers get stiff and don't bend like usual (that's a bad description, sorry...it's hard to describe!). My hands also itch and break out with little blisters, which doesn't help the not being able to bend my fingers right problem.

Definately I retain water when I'm glutened....I gain 3 pounds (and it's always right at 3!) and just feel like a blimp, like PMS only any time of month. This is not the same as "swelling" as in an allergic reaction, though...if you're swelling up so bad that your face isn't recognizable I think you should probalby consult an allergist...that sounds like it's more serious than retaining water. Although I know I for one *feel* like my face isn't recognizable...it just looks, well, not "me" when I'm retaining that much water!

[zansu]

I called in sick to work one day, but had to go in later to pick up my phone...no one even recognized me because I was so swollen all over!

At least they knew you weren't faking it!

[Felidae]

I get swollen fingers too. But, I'm not sure if it from gluten or not. The strangest thing is that this only started happening in August and I'm still trying to find a reason why.