Newly Diagnosed...but Something Doesn't Seem Right. Advice, Please!

[MissySue]

Hi! Yesterday my doctor went over the results of a saliva test that I took. The test showed that I am allergic to soy and egg products and I have a borderline gluten allergy as well. I came home and did some research on these allergies and now I'm really confused! The symptoms that all the websites list for these food allergies are not the symptoms I have. For the last 5 years I have had chronic constipation, gas, and bloating. I've had a celiac panel, colonsocopy, and other tests performed. This allergy test is the only thing that has shown ANYTHING so I feel like a little progress is being made...but then again, I don't feel like I am truly allergic to these foods. I don't break out in hives, vomit, have diarreha, or anything like that.

So, my question is...what gives? After reading various web articles I think that perhaps I am just INTOLERANT of these things, rather than allergic to them. I'm just wondering if anyone knows a little more about this.

Also, the diets I was given for these allergies is quite restrictive but it seems that things the gluten-free diet suggests to eat are off-limits for the soy diet or the soy diet good foods are off limits for the egg diet. Agh! Very frustrating.

And my last question...let's say that I just give up and decided to deal with the incomfortableness of these "allergies". Will that have any long term effects on me?

Thanks for any help you can give. I feel QUITE overwhelmed.

[fedora]

Try giving them up and see how you feel. There can be longterm consequences if you ignore the problem. If it is too much at once, just cut out one at a time. I would pick gluten myself. It causes me constipation too. good luck

[BRUMI1968]

I have tested positive (blood) for Celiac, but am "allergic" to nothing according to ELISA tests. According to Enterolab stool test, I'm having an antibody reaction to soy, but not yeast or egg to any discernable degree.

there are things I 100% know I can't eat: honey, for example...ooo the tummy ache. Potatoes give me terrible stool problems. Right now I'm testing out various things for itching (eggs? corn? tapioca? millet? etc.)

My conclusions in all of this are that allergy testing is handy, but personal experience and trusting personal experience is the best and most advanced tool we have in medicine. Testing is great, but knowing the self is better.

Trust your symptoms. IF you do have celiac (lots of folks get false negatives), you will be hurting yourself for sure by eating gluten. Probably, in non-celiac cases, you are hurting yourself since your body is begging you not to eat that stuff (via the only language it knows - pain, bloat, agony, etc.)

[MissySue]

Good points...thank you.

[Green12]

It really does vary from person to person what their symptoms might be with an allergy or intolerance. I would look at a list of symptoms as a guideline and not necessarily the rule.

I don't have a lot of the classic symptoms of celiac disease either (I am most likely gluten intolerant) but I know that when I eat wheat it makes me terribly ill so I go with how I feel and following a gluten free diet has made a huge difference.

I agree with what was suggested, give an elimination diet a try and take gluten and the other foods that came up on your allergy tests out of your diet for a few weeks each and see if it makes a difference with the uncomfortable intestinal symptoms you describe. Sometimes you don't realize how awful you felt, or how much better you can feel, until you eliminate it from your diet.

Also, as far as long term effects, if you do have celiac disease then definitely if you continue to ignore your symptoms and eat gluten you will do lots of damage to your body. If it turns out you are just gluten intolerant there will still be consequences since ingesting the gluten is creating an inflammatory response which stresses your immune system for one.