I'm New And Need Some Advice!

[ECD]

i've been sick with various symptoms ranging in severity for about seven years, around the time i had dental surgery (which also triggered a penicillin allergy. almost all of my original symptoms are explained by celiac disease. i've been holding off on getting tested for a number of reasons. i stopped eating gluten anyway and, when i'm careful, i'm free of any pain and fairly normal. however, recently i've experience symptoms more closely resembling an allergy and not an intolerance.

at a restaurant yesterday, i foolishly ordered rice that was clearly seasoned (i do know better) and i ate it even though i knew i would probably pay for it later maybe about five or ten minutes into the meal, my lips got tingly, my throat got scratchy and painful, i couldn't swallow properly and i thought i was going to pass out right after throwing up. i popped a coupe of benadryl that i always carry in my purse and that seemed to halt the reaction, make it slightly better. since then, i've been battling a very raw sore throat, stuffy nose, puffy eyes, post nasal drip, and shortness of breath/dizzyness. i've continued to take benadryl and it seems to help... although it only adds to the fuzzy headed feeling

sorry this is so long!

anyway, all of that leads me to believe that i might have both gluten intolerance and a wheat allergy. i still think i have gluten intolerance because for a while i was vitamin and mineral deficient despite taking a daily multivitamin and eating plenty of fruits and veggies - that wouldn't indicate an allergy would it?

i'm going to the college doctor tomorrow and i expect he'll refer me to an allergist. i don't think i can have any tests done, though as i've been taking benadryl and not eating gluten so won't any tests be (potentially) false negatives? also, what are the chances they'll diagnose a wheat allergy but not even test for celiac disease? does it even matter?

when i discovered a penicillin allergy the doc wouldn't test because he was afraid he would induce anaphylaxis from even a skin test (i got sick when my roommate made penicillin in her science class). are they likely to diagnose a food allergy without testing like that? i was pretty close to blacking out at the restaurant and my roommate wanted to take me to the hospital, but just as she was getting up to leave, i began to feel a bit better and i talked her out of it. i'm afraid i might need an epipen or something, which they probably won't prescribe since i probably won't be able to get tested because of all the antihistamines in my system.

should i just not go to the doctor tomorrow?

[Darn210]

GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! Almost passing out in a restaurant is not normal.

If you've been gluten free for a while then a celiac blood panel won't be valid. I believe if you are currently on benadryl (and please tell your doctor this) then they can't do the scratch testing on you, but I believe there is a blood test that is still a valid even if you are taking meds . . . ask the doc!!

[ECD]

thanks so much for replying! i know i probably should have gone to the hospital, but because of the symptoms for the last several years and the docs never finding anything, i hate going because, once again, they might not find anything and i'll feel crazy. it's no excuse, though, and i'll go see the doctor tomorrow regardless of how i feel in the morning.

does gluten intolerance ever have shortness of breathing, dizziness, vomiting, swelling, etc., as symptoms or is that stuff just wheat allergy?