Food Allergies And Celiac

[dollamasgetceliac?]

I have just been diagnosed with Celiac the problem is that I am Allergic to Peanuts, Treenuts, Shellfish and Fish, Honey and possibly sesame seed) So add to that no Gluten, and Dairy ( The Dairy is for 6months), Also I am Allergic to latex : there are certain foods that it is recimmended I avoid Like Melon, Avacado, Apples and Potatoes. These foods are from the same food family.

I finally got used to the Peanut , Tree nut etc... list and then the Celiac Diagnosis: it hit me hard since I just did not know what to eat anymore? Let alone that I do not know where to eat anymore ( avoiding restaurants). I have also been having hives ( the Allergist said that everything he tested me for is negative accept that I have to forgrt about the bloodtest and go by the symptoms I am having). The hives are so bad that they scare me. Yesturday they did not show up and the only thing that I can think of is I did not eat Corn?

The amount of foods that I react to is crazy I just think maybe the best thing is just to eat what I crave , but I worry about that too because I have been told by the Allergist : People Crave what they are allergic too.

All in all I really wonder if other people have food allergies and hives ( and resent the smell of certain foods) and also wonder what to buy and where?

[ShayFL]

I went through this. Just look at my signature. But I am getting used to it and it has become easier. Add that I just did the Lame Advertisement and I cannot eat Strawberries, Broccoli, Pears, Pine Nuts or Cucumbers for at least 3 - 6 months.

But our world is abundant and there are lots of food choices. I find that I can always eat. And I eat quite well.

In fact, I am going in to make homemade turkey sausage tonight. I bought a new gluten-free recipe book mostly for the baking, but saw this sausage recipe. And since a lot of sausage contains nightshades or corn derivatives. I am happy now to make my own. I can also keep the fat content down and just enjoy the yummy spices.

[dollamasgetceliac?]

I went through this. Just look at my signature. But I am getting used to it and it has become easier. Add that I just did the Lame Advertisement and I cannot eat Strawberries, Broccoli, Pears, Pine Nuts or Cucumbers for at least 3 - 6 months.

But our world is abundant and there are lots of food choices. I find that I can always eat. And I eat quite well.

In fact, I am going in to make homemade turkey sausage tonight. I bought a new gluten-free recipe book mostly for the baking, but saw this sausage recipe. And since a lot of sausage contains nightshades or corn derivatives. I am happy now to make my own. I can also keep the fat content down and just enjoy the yummy spices.

Is the Lame Advertisement the back scratch test? It was such a long time ago that I was tested I forgot all the ins and outs about testing. i was really good about avoiding ( eccept Gluten) that i think that is why the blood test turned out negative?

[dollamasgetceliac?]

Oops I just had a typo. O.k here is the question: My doctor said that the blood test was negative but if I wanted to do a Back Scratch test that would be a way to go either way he said that the only way that I will really know what I am Allergic to is the way I react to a certain food. So What is the A L C A T test?

[dbmamaz]

If you look in my signature, you'll see i'm going through similar stuff, except I never got a positive celiac test.

A few things:

First of all, the allergist gives a test which only looks for IgE response, which is the only response which is actually considered to be an allergy. There are two basic ways to do the allergy test - the blood test, or the scratch test. Actually, my allergist did the scratch test, then for anything which was a 0 or a 1, he then injected a small amount under the skin to look for even milder reactions.

The skin test works better for many people, but the blood test works better for others. But those both will only test for true allergies, which are only caused by a reaction by one specific portion of the immune system.

The A.L.C.A.T test is more generalized, looking for any reaction - not just an IgE reaction. The A.L.C.A.T is rarely covered by insurance, largely because most doctors dont believe in it. Most of us order the test directly from the company and pay out of pocket.

I did both the prick/stick test at the allergist (where I reacted to 90% of the foods) and the A.L.C.A.T test, which does many more foods (the allergist gave me 60, my Lame Advertisement was 175 foods), and i reacted to 1/3. I then made up a chart of everything, and started only with foods which were on both tests, 0 on the A.L.C.A.T and 0 or 1 on the allergy test (since i only had 6 0's on that test).

After only a few days on this diet, I was able to see reactions to things I previously wouldnt have noticed - a vitamin, an herbal tea, for example. Also, i noticed when oranges, which were on my safe list, started cross-reacting to a local plant which was in bloom, causing mouth sores and stomach issues - but it stopped after a month. Of course, then melon started up!

Anyways, its really hard to eat so few foods. i only add foods when I"m feeling good, so i can see reactions, so its going slow. Plus, now that i'm taking my son off gluten and the things he reacted to on the A.L.C.A.T, i'm forgetting to add new foods for me lol!

PErsonally, i really like testing. Some people prefer to keep a food journal and write down everyhting they eat and look for patterns. I could never remember to write it down!

Last thing (if you got this far!) Celiac and gluten intolerance can cause so much damage in your gut, that foods get through in to your bloodstream before they are completely digested. This makes your body react to the food as if it is an invader, like an infection . . . CAUSING allergies. Many people find that, after they've been off gluten for a year, other allergies will fade away. I sure hope so.

[ravenwoodglass]

!

Last thing (if you got this far!) Celiac and gluten intolerance can cause so much damage in your gut, that foods get through in to your bloodstream before they are completely digested. This makes your body react to the food as if it is an invader, like an infection . . . CAUSING allergies. Many people find that, after they've been off gluten for a year, other allergies will fade away. I sure hope so.

This actually was the case for me. With the skin prick tests they tested me for about 100 substances and foods before the allegist put me on the elimination diet. In my case the scratch tests were almost worthless because out of all of the items tested the only thing I didn't show allergic reactions to was beech trees. Try to make a meal out of those. Within a few months my allergies to almost everything was gone. I am still allergic to cat dander and soy but they are now the only things I have a histamine reaction to. I hope some of your allergies resolve in time also. My allergist said my immune system was in hyperdrive due to the gluten and this resulted in not only my allergies but also my autoimmune problems that are also now in remission.

[dollamasgetceliac?]

You are right! I am getting allergic to something new every day

It is wierd that my Doctor did not suspect Celiac until now , or at least why didn't my Neurologist tell me about Celiac ?I had daily Migrains for years , he did say I suspect it is a malabsorbtion, it is almost like he was there telling me the main cosequence of Celiacs. I am offered to do a back scratch test but I am waiting to get the strength to go to the Doctor AGAIN.

[April in KC]

Hi there, "dollamas...", liked your leet...

My 7-year-old son has Celiac, peanut allergy (anaphylactic, RAST class 6, >100 kU/dl), soy allergy, pork allergy, orange allergy, environmental allergies, penicillin allergy and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

I have Celiac and have no IGE food allergies. I have some intolerances - hard to nail down, but corn and dairy seem to cause delayed reactions. Prior to Celiac dx, I had migraines, miscarriages, etc. (edited to add...I'm having a barium study next week out of suspicion for Crohn's...but I think it's just related to above mentioned intolerances...) I eat a lot of the same foods as my son. My DH has Celiac, too, so we and our three sons are all gluten free.

If you were sick for a while - make sure you are looking at vitamin levels (vitamin A, D, E, K, folate, B vitamins, iron, etc.) and your bone health. I have osteopenia and vit D insufficiency bordering on deficiency. My son had vitamin E deficiency.

Sorry that gluten is going to complicate your life further - but stick with it and you'll find your foods. With your history, it's probably going to make you feel healthier, too!

Do you get GI symptoms, neuro, or both?

I don't know how bad your tree nut reactions are - are you okay with tree nut warnings (shared facility but no ingreds)?

We don't use anything made in a facility with peanuts, but we have a wider comfort zone for the other IGE allergies, since they haven't caused anaphylaxis. Kinnikinnick stuff is all peanut free - they have a decent frozen pizza crust you can top & bake. Also peanut free - Enjoy Life, Namaste, and 123 Gluten Free. Let me know what food you're craving - maybe I can help you find something.

April

[April in KC]

I am getting allergic to something new every day

The combination of high total IGE (likely if you have peanut allergy) and a leaky gut from Celiac is a bad combo - you probably are inclined to develop new allergies. I know my son is.

If you like to research leaky gut - look up the word "zonulin" - and you will find out how evil gluten is - because zonulin props open spaces in the intestine wall - allowing other foods to get outside the gut - where your immune system can target them.

Since my son still has a malabsorbtion syndrome (even post gluten-free - it's called eosinophilic gastroenteritis) - my son's allergist/immunologist recommends a ROTATION diet to keep from developing new allergies.

You might consider it. It's a pain, but basically you don't eat the same proteins every day.

[dollamasgetceliac?]

The combination of high total IGE (likely if you have peanut allergy) and a leaky gut from Celiac is a bad combo - you probably are inclined to develop new allergies. I know my son is.

If you like to research leaky gut - look up the word "zonulin" - and you will find out how evil gluten is - because zonulin props open spaces in the intestine wall - allowing other foods to get outside the gut - where your immune system can target them.

Since my son still has a malabsorbtion syndrome (even post gluten-free - it's called eosinophilic gastroenteritis) - my son's allergist/immunologist recommends a ROTATION diet to keep from developing new allergies.

You might consider it. It's a pain, but basically you don't eat the same proteins every day.

I get both. G I and Neuro, the Allergies are seriouse enough that my Doctor gave me an EPI PEN. So I do avoid CC.( made in a facility with nuts is a nono, although my nutrisionist said that I can outgrow a nut Allergy but that is not what the Food Allergey and Anaphylaxis Network said. i am getting mixed up here because I heard from other people that their kids outgrew their allergies? ( to nuts , peanuts, shellfish and Fish).

I wonder what can the doctor do about the Leaky Gut and how do they prove it?

[dollamasgetceliac?]

The combination of high total IGE (likely if you have peanut allergy) and a leaky gut from Celiac is a bad combo - you probably are inclined to develop new allergies. I know my son is.

If you like to research leaky gut - look up the word "zonulin" - and you will find out how evil gluten is - because zonulin props open spaces in the intestine wall - allowing other foods to get outside the gut - where your immune system can target them.

Since my son still has a malabsorbtion syndrome (even post gluten-free - it's called eosinophilic gastroenteritis) - my son's allergist/immunologist recommends a ROTATION diet to keep from developing new allergies.

You might consider it. It's a pain, but basically you don't eat the same proteins every day.

Sorry for my ignorance , I can not find anything on Leaky Gut or Eosinophilic Gastrointeritis on the M ayo C linic web so please tell me is this the condition that I imagine that you can use the whole role of toilet paper and you still need to wipe/ sorry no other way to put that in words? Is that dangerouse?

[Juliebove]

Daughter and I both had the RAST test done for food allergies. That's a blood test. Neither of us are celiac, but she is allergic to wheat and gluten so she has to avoid those, as well as peanuts, soy, dairy, eggs, and bananas. We both have inhalant allergies also.

I don't think she has ever had hives, but I have and so has my mom. I can get quite bad ones at times and have even gotten them in my eyes. The best thing for me to do is stay indoors and especially avoid places like the woods. I once got hives in my eyes after being accidentally hit in the face with a tree branch. BIL was walking ahead of me, pulled back a branch to get through and accidentally let go of it. I guess getting whapped in the face caused the pollen to get in my eyes.

I generally don't do anything for the hives unless they are in my eyes, then I wash them out with baby shampoo and flood them with allergy drops. I can't stand to take allergy pills of any kind because of the drowsiness and other side effects they cause me.

As for the food allergies, it gets easier with time. We dine at a very few places where we know we can get a safe meal. Mexican restaurants are usually a good place for us if they are willing to make special meals for us. I know of two restaurants that serve Hormel canned chili. I know, it seems terrible to pay restaurant prices for something I could eat cheaply at home, but I know I won't get sick from it. Unless they screw up and put cheese on it, and that has happened a few times. Salads are okay at some places. I am wary of places that use croutons and cheese. But some places do not. Fresh or canned fruit is another option, but we do have to be wary of bananas. They are sometimes in mixed fruit. The Old Spaghetti Factory here has some gluten free pasta. There are other places with gluten-free menus, but it seems they are all cheese laden or so paltry that we don't bother to go there. A plain hamgurger patty is usually a safe bet. And we don't have problems with potatoes.

At home, I make most of our meals from scratch. I do buy Ian's products. I like the chicken nuggets and daughter likes the fish sticks and French Toast.

[dbmamaz]

At home, I make most of our meals from scratch. I do buy Ian's products. I like the chicken nuggets and daughter likes the fish sticks and French Toast.

I looked at Ians in the grocery store yesterday . . . wow, $6 for a tiny box of fish sticks? I was just trying to decide if it would be easier to buy fish sticks for my son's tacos, instead of making extra fish for dinner - i made extra fish! So simple, I just bought some haddock (its one we can both eat), dregged in corn meal, dregged in a potato flour and water slurry, then in home-made gluten-free breadcrumbs and fried in a pan. 3 of the 5 of us loved it, the other 2 ate baked fish.

Ok, but maybe thats why i dont have time to do anything huh lol