Do Allergies Mean It Can't Be Celiacs?

[3groovygirls]

Hi everyone! Remember me, I have the 11 month old that couldn't have gluten (it originally seemed) or she'd get horrid diarrhea, instant butt rash, she had Failure to Thrive and wasn't gaining weight. So we cut out gluten and she started gaining etc.

BUT in the meantime they sent us to an allergist. We found out she's allergic to wheat, rice and eggs. Then more mildly allergic to soy, sweet potatoes, lima beans and peanuts. (Those were a very, very mild allergies he said she'd outgrow, the wheat, eggs and rice were pretty strong allergies)

So my question is, if she's allergic to wheat, which has gluten, obviously when we cut it out she gained weight. So does having an allergy mean that that was most likely the cause and she probably DOESN'T have Celiac's? Or do a lot of people allergic to this stuff have Celiacs and you're MORE likely to have it?

I have to get up the courage to try oatmeal and see if she tolerates it. Or what are some other test foods that I could try that DON'T have wheat or rice but contain gluten to see if she still reacts?

Thoughts?

Linda

[Tim-n-VA]

An allergy and celiac are responses by different body mechanisms. You can have one or the other or both.

[Ursa Major]

People with celiac disease can have a wheat allergy in addition to the celiac disease. There are others here who have that (even though it is a minority).

I know a young woman who has celiac disease and is severely allergic to wheat as well. If she touches anything with wheat she'll get an awful outbreak of DH within minutes. But if she accidentally ingests any gluten, she will have terrible gastrointestinal problems in addition to a DH outbreak.

[dbmamaz]

  3groovygirls said:

Or what are some other test foods that I could try that DON'T have wheat or rice but contain gluten to see if she still reacts?

Barley has gluten and isnt wheat. Dont they make barley baby cereal? I thought they used to. You can also cook it really well and try feeding it to her

I tested positive for allergy to wheat, barley, malt and yeast (among many others) and sensitive (on the A.L.C.A.T) to gluten. I stopped hanging out here for a while, but as others pointed out, i still face many of the same issues, so theres still good support here.

Good luck keeping your little one happy and healthy

[RiceGuy]

Well, if she reacts to wheat, then the diet is the same as far as I can see. I'm sure though, that over time there will be accidental glutenings here and there, and that's when you'll find out if the sensitivity goes away. IMO, it will not, even if it is an allergy. Many doctors seem to think gluten intolerance goes away too. Let's not forget that doctors didn't believe in allergies until relatively recently. Not long ago, chiropractors couldn't obtain a medical license at all.

If I'm not mistaken, an allergy would not cause delayed growth and such. That's far more than what I'd call an allergy.

[mcs1984]

i know i am new here and i am still dealing with a lot with my son but when i brought up with his GI Doctor that his 2nd cousin has a wheat allergy she told me that it would still be pretty much the same thing because its a lot of the same diet and sometimes the wheat is just stronger in some people. She also told me that one of the reasons along with many other we are doing the scoop because that was the only way they found it on him.

And at least 3 1/2 years ago they still made a barley baby cereal made by Gerber.

[jayhawkmom]

Yep, they still make barley baby cereal.

My daughter is allergic to wheat, and she has Celiac. Much like Ursa stated, if she touches wheat... she breaks out. If she ingests it, she gets hives along with the horrible gastrointestinal stuff.

It's so NOT fun.

[3groovygirls]

Thanks everyone!

It's funny, even being allergic her symptoms are all GI related. She gets bad diarrhea and a horrid butt rash. So either way, it's the same diet! I'll have to try the plain barely cereal and see what happens... I'm having trouble now that everything that is gluten free seems to have SOME sort of soy in it!!! And she's allergic to that too!

[dbmamaz]

  3groovygirls said:

Thanks everyone!I'm having trouble now that everything that is gluten free seems to have SOME sort of soy in it!!! And she's allergic to that too!

Yup - time to get an allergy cookbook and make your own . . .

[RiceGuy]

  3groovygirls said:

Thanks everyone!

It's funny, even being allergic her symptoms are all GI related. She gets bad diarrhea and a horrid butt rash. So either way, it's the same diet! I'll have to try the plain barely cereal and see what happens... I'm having trouble now that everything that is gluten free seems to have SOME sort of soy in it!!! And she's allergic to that too!

The one thing I'd be worried about, is if it's both gluten and wheat. Then suppose barley doesn't cause a noticeable reaction, but still damages the gut? Just something to think about...

Gluten intolerance along with a reaction to soy does occur in a lot of people. You can avoid soy easily if you make things from scratch. If you have a blender or food processor, you can make 'baby foods', and I'd bet it would be far cheaper too. If you list some items which you can't find without soy, I'm sure others will be able to suggest brands, recipes, and alternatives.

[debmidge]

  3groovygirls said:

Hi everyone! Remember me, I have the 11 month old that couldn't have gluten (it originally seemed) or she'd get horrid diarrhea, instant butt rash, she had Failure to Thrive and wasn't gaining weight. So we cut out gluten and she started gaining etc.

BUT in the meantime they sent us to an allergist. We found out she's allergic to wheat, rice and eggs. Then more mildly allergic to soy, sweet potatoes, lima beans and peanuts. (Those were a very, very mild allergies he said she'd outgrow, the wheat, eggs and rice were pretty strong allergies)

So my question is, if she's allergic to wheat, which has gluten, obviously when we cut it out she gained weight. So does having an allergy mean that that was most likely the cause and she probably DOESN'T have Celiac's? Or do a lot of people allergic to this stuff have Celiacs and you're MORE likely to have it?

I have to get up the courage to try oatmeal and see if she tolerates it. Or what are some other test foods that I could try that DON'T have wheat or rice but contain gluten to see if she still reacts?

Thoughts?

Linda

Linda:

My husband has celiac (gluten intolerance) and is also allergic to wheat, soy, yeast,

corn, egg yolk, milk, some nuts, some spices (garlic) ......so yes, there can be gluten intolerance concurrent with food allergies.

The food allergies could go away, but gluten intolerance does not.

Food allergies can cause "gut" reactions like celiac does.

Any oatmeal you try should be the type which states it's for people who have celiac, like the specially marked bags of Bob's Redmill and there's another brand name out there but I don't recall it.

Maybe someone else on this board will remember it or it could be an advertiser on this board.....

My husband was tested by a "at-home" test made by York Nutritional Laboratories. However, I view the results with a grain of salt because it shows that he's allergic to stuff he has not eaten in over 30 years......but they say it's possible to be forever allergic to it....

Deb

[feedmykids]

DD Tested negative to wheat in an allergy test, but Positive for Celiac - However she is also Allergic to eggs, peanut, dairy, and tomato. SO far she seems OK with soy. The gluten-free Oats are made by Cream Hill Estates. It is grown and processed in a completely gluten-free environment. YOu can also try Vans's Dari Free milk powder. WE use it because my OTHER DD is allergic to soy (among other things). It is dairy free, soy free, gluten free, etc.. many Ener-G foods are gluten-free, DF, and SF. Just keep looking and you will find what you need. I still think that the best meals are ones that use no substitutes and use ingredients that are just naturally safe. GoodLuck! HTH

[gfgypsyqueen]

I am one of those people that has a contact allergy to wheat in addition to Celiacs (Biopsy positive). My family is also full of other food allergies - nuts being the worst (anaphylactic).

I have a toddler who showed signs of celiacs since 9mths. At 2 yrs I finally managed to get her biopsied. The results were inconclusive, but she has the gene for Celiacs. She has been gluten-free/CF for 9mths - against drs wishes. In that time she has grown more, ate better, slept better, and overall has made a HUGE imporvement in her health. Even though the Drs still argue with me about wether or not she actually has Celiacs, I see a huge chnage in her for the better. So we will continue with her gluten-free/CF, nut free, shellfish free diet.

In my personal experience, I was so sick before getting a diagnosis of Celiacs that everything bothered me. I couldn't eat so many foods for throwing up or cramping up immediately afterwards. After being gluten-free for a few months all of a sudden those foods that I was allergic to or intolerant of no longer bother me.

The reason I am tellign you all of this is that your child might be sick enough in her intestins that everything is bothering her. Keep her gluten-free and avoid all of those other foods for at least a couple of months and see how she does. If she is not a Celiac, she will be able to go back to eating gluten later. But for now, what you are doing seems to be working.