Multiple Food Allergies--how To Determine If I Have Celiac?

[Lady TS]

I have had pretty bad hayfever my whole life(seasonal).

3 pregnancies and living in a different(polluted, humid, more pollenated) state for 6+ years later, I developed multiple food allergies. They were very gradual, but greatly increased after the birth of my third child.

I thought I had it narrowed down to Oral Allergy Syndrome, then that didn't seem right when I reacted to broccoli. Then I suspected Salicylates. Then I just got frustrated and went to my family doc, who referred me to an allergist.

Through skin testing(IgE, right?), I tested allergic to: Corn, Soy, Peanuts, Peas, Pistachios, Pecans, Hazelnuts, Coconut, Celery, Cauliflower, Garlic, Mushroom, Potato and Tomato

I was told to avoid all of the above, AND THEIR FAMILIES and after 3 weeks to begin adding foods back in. If I reacted, I needed to have a week of no reactions at all before trying to add a different food. Since last April, I have added MAYBE 5 foods.

I was also told to avoid foods that I know I react to, such as berries in the rose family, pitted fruits such as peaches, sometimes melon(mold?), sometimes grapes(mold?), sometimes avocado(corned?) and usually banana(on the watch for latex allergy in my future)...

This allergist also suggested the allergy shots for my very extensive pollen/mold/epithelial/dust mite allergies, and hope that when those started working then my body would mellow out and I could eat normally again.

The last month or so I have seemed to be reacting to more things, especially things in the air such as the smell of my dishwasher detergent and my hands react to the dishsoap and I can't handle the smell of it(have since changed to better ones for me). I felt like the shots were actually making my body feel worse. I should have made it to my maintenance dose by the end of December, but I am stuck about two vials behind because my left arm was itching for days(and it shouldn't be doing that).

I have been frequenting the Avoiding Corn forum on Delphi and watching the progress of some people there trying AAT(Advanced Allergy Therapeutics) and finally decided to give it a whirl. According to this doc, I have problems with corn(not surprised there) and with the wheat/mixed grains, as well as a whole host of other things that I have suspected but had no 'proof', kwim? And some things I had never heard of being allergic to...(vitamin A, plant phenolics, salicylates, glutamates, milk/dairy, soy and protein were the others I can remember). He also said I have weak adrenals, gall bladder and likely thyroid, as well as digestive problems(I went in feeling fine, but after my treatment I had heartburn.)

So, anyway, when I saw the grains problem, (not just corn, as I had supposed--but haven't been able to add wheat or oats back in with any sure success), my first thought was "Maybe I have Celiac and that is what is REALLY at the heart of my problems--or at the very least maybe it's one part of the puzzle?"

I have had constipation issues all my life and thought it was 'normal for me'. Even on probiotics and it got even worse if I ate more fiber! Even drinking the 8 glasses of water a day! When I tried to add wheat in a few weeks ago, I actually experienced burning pain near my left shoulder blade, gas/bloating and, of course, constipation. It went away when I took the wheat out....

All of this to ask.....Since I have been essentially off of all grains with the exception of my trials of oats and of wheat, is there a test to tell with any accuracy whether I have Celiac disease? And if so, what is the name of it and how much does it cost(ballpark figure--I don't have insurance and would like an idea).

Thanks for reading this far! I'm looking forward to reading the replies!

[Mother of Jibril]

Welcome to the group!

Our stories have a lot in common. Five months after my son was born (third pregnancy) I was diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism. Then I figured out that I'm intolerant to gluten... and then corn... and then recently (after a scary anaphylactic reaction) I've discovered that I'm allergic to peanuts, almonds, celery, parsnips, and four kinds of mold. I'm sure the pregnancies had a lot to do with it. I've also been living in a humid climate with lots of pollen and air pollution since 2004!

It sounds like you've been off gluten for almost a year. In that case, a blood test won't do you any good (unless you want to go back to eating gluten for a few months). Genetic testing can't give you a diagnosis, but it might give you some explanation and reassurance. The DQ7 gene, for example, is associated with gluten intolerance, cow's milk intolerance, lupus, pollen allergies, and oral allergy syndrome. I have it, and I'm pretty sure my son does too because he's extremely sensitive to casein and corn... I haven't even dared to try gluten.

How are your kids doing? If they're eating gluten it would be a good idea to have them tested, regardless of whether they seem to have symptoms or not.

[Gentleheart]

All of this to ask.....Since I have been essentially off of all grains with the exception of my trials of oats and of wheat, is there a test to tell with any accuracy whether I have Celiac disease? And if so, what is the name of it and how much does it cost(ballpark figure--I don't have insurance and would like an idea).

Thanks for reading this far! I'm looking forward to reading the replies!

[trents]

Food allergy testing is fraught with problems and shouldn't be taken as definitive. It may be helpful to the extent that it suggests patterns of things, especially if your actual symptomatic experience fits in with patterns you see in the allergy panel results. A lot of us with celiac disease will show allergies to so many foods it is impractical/impossible to eliminate all of them from your diet when you approach it from an elimination/challenge perspective. Also, inhalent allergies are mediated by a different branch of the immune system arsenal than food allergies are. Speaking for myself, I find it more practical and effective to treat the symptoms than the cause. Now, I know a lot of people wont' find that acceptable but everyone must come to his or her own conclusions. The fact is, when you have celiac disease your immune system has been turned on its ear and it will just give you problems no matter what you do. You will have flare-ups from time to time and there will not necessarily be a discernable triggering event.

[Mother of Jibril]

Food allergy testing is fraught with problems and shouldn't be taken as definitive. It may be helpful to the extent that it suggests patterns of things, especially if your actual symptomatic experience fits in with patterns you see in the allergy panel results. A lot of us with celiac disease will show allergies to so many foods it is impractical/impossible to eliminate all of them from your diet when you approach it from an elimination/challenge perspective. Also, inhalent allergies are mediated by a different branch of the immune system arsenal than food allergies are. Speaking for myself, I find it more practical and effective to treat the symptoms than the cause. Now, I know a lot of people wont' find that acceptable but everyone must come to his or her own conclusions. The fact is, when you have celiac disease your immune system has been turned on its ear and it will just give you problems no matter what you do. You will have flare-ups from time to time and there will not necessarily be a discernable triggering event.

Hmmmm....

Are you talking IgE allergies or IgG?

When it comes to IgE allergies, it doesn't matter if the allergen is touched, inhaled, or ingested... any of these pathways can cause your body to release massive amounts of histamine. It all depends on how sensitive you are. If your symptoms are minor... hives, itching, runny nose... and you really have a lot of allergies, then I agree it might be easier to treat the symptoms than the cause. BUT, when it comes to anaphylactic reactions, you're planning Russian roulette if you don't treat the cause by avoiding your trigger(s) as much as possible.

[pele]

I have heard that allergies will increase if the adrenals are fatigued, and celiac is very hard on the adrenals. Are you being treated for "weak adrenals" and thyroid problems? That might help a lot!

[Lady TS]

I have heard that allergies will increase if the adrenals are fatigued, and celiac is very hard on the adrenals. Are you being treated for "weak adrenals" and thyroid problems? That might help a lot!

I am not being treated for weak adrenals yet. It was discussed at my AAT appt last week, but I am allergic to so many things that I suspect there was no supplement that I could take! Also, the AAT doc cannot treat celiac, but I am sure he can point me in the right direction if I want to go there--he actually asked if I had had a stool culture done, so maybe that is on the horizon.

I talked about thyroid testing as well with this doc. I had a conventional thyroid test last June and it came out fine, but according to the AAT doc, their broad range of normal is unacceptable and many people have symptoms in that broad range of normal---their particular test(the AAT office) is much narrower...

I really feel like the "other" allergens that the AAT doc found are probably IgG(which are generally delayed, right?). And they are just now surfacing as bothering me intestinally because my body is getting more and more run down... Just my theory as all this info is bouncing around in my brain...

As to the accuracy of the skin test results, I find that I pretty much react to each of those foods if I am cooking them for the family or someone else is cooking them and I am in the vicinity. If I get in the steam of garlic or tomatoes, say, I get a reaction. Heck, if I am in the grocery and they start baking bread(or was it garlic bread?), I get immediate brain fog and struggle to get the rest of the things on my list! I can't use conventional haircare/body products due to the coconut derivatives(and corn derivatives). I am not sure what potatoes do to me, but tomatoes get me, and a hungarian pepper I used to be able to carefully slice with no problems I ended up with what felt like blisters on the contact points of the hand that held the pepper. I didn't have that burning sensation like I would get with, say, a jalapeno, just this weird smooth-blister feeling. After much washing, it went away before dinner was served, but it was still weird! Soy definitely causes my skin to break out(figured that out when I went dairy-free for 6 mos or so...) Also, I am not sure what my response is to plain ol' cooked corn, but any derivative will set me off with insane palate/ear itching and tons of mucus! Then there are the delayed/intestinal issues when I mess up somewhere.....

I really want to get to the bottom of this and address it there! Most days I am like "how did I get into this mess???? I was the epitome of health until THIS happened!?! What did I do wrong???" Ugh!

I don't want to be reliant on meds the rest of my life if I can help it--if I can treat with diet and exercise, that would be my goal.

[ravenwoodglass]

The only thing I have to add is from my own experience. It took a long time for me to get diagnosed with celiac. The biggest clue the allergist had was that when he did the scratch tests I was allergic to 98 of the 99 substances he tested me for. That was his big clue that he was dealing with a celiac although he didn't tell me at the time. He put me on the elimination diet and when gluten was added back in we had our answer which was then confirmed when a second challenge demanded by my GI had serious effects. After a few months gluten free I had lost 96 of the allergies I had been suffering from. My allergist explained that my immune system was in hyperdrive and reacting to everything including my own body because of the celiac. Your own gluten challenge was positive, you reacted. As mentioned Enterolab can't diagnose you but they may be able to give you some valuable info. To be tested by conventional medicine you will need to go back on gluten for at least 3 months to have any chance of an accurate result.

[Mother of Jibril]

The biggest clue the allergist had was that when he did the scratch tests I was allergic to 98 of the 99 substances he tested me for.

In my case, the allergies didn't show up until after I went gluten-free. In August I had some allergy testing and not one single thing showed up... I didn't even have any welts to measure. I've been off gluten for six months now and I'm really, really strict! I don't eat at restaurants (well... I get a cup of hot water and use my own tea bag from home), the only processed food I eat is soy yogurt, and I'm getting VERY diligent about cross-contamination. So... why am I suddenly allergic to a bunch of things, including peanuts (which tested negative in August)? Welts galore!

Here are the main ideas that I'm checking out over the next six weeks...

1) Mastocytosis or a mast cell disorder (Open Original Shared Link), which might explain why I have a non-cancerous lump in one of my lymph nodes that isn't going away on its own

2) Adrenal glands are not putting out enough cortisol to dampen the reactions

3) Fresh damage to my intestines from two rounds of antibiotics (trying to get rid of the lump)

4) An imbalance in my reproductive hormones... pregnancy triggered my initial symptoms, but I've been having more problems lately in this arena

5) Maybe my immune system will calm down if I'm really diligent about avoiding mold... did you know that foods like soy sauce, black tea, and chocolate are processed with aspergillus mold?

My intestines feel great! No more celiac symptoms. If I could just get rid of the itchiness, rashes, and anaphylactic reactions I would be VERY happy

Lady TS... I was always really healthy too! But... that seems to be how a lot of autoimmune disorders work. You get some TINY little warning signs and then your health collapses.

[Lady TS]

In my case, the allergies didn't show up until after I went gluten-free. In August I had some allergy testing and not one single thing showed up... I didn't even have any welts to measure. I've been off gluten for six months now and I'm really, really strict! I don't eat at restaurants (well... I get a cup of hot water and use my own tea bag from home), the only processed food I eat is soy yogurt, and I'm getting VERY diligent about cross-contamination. So... why am I suddenly allergic to a bunch of things, including peanuts (which tested negative in August)? Welts galore!

Here are the main ideas that I'm checking out over the next six weeks...

1) Mastocytosis or a mast cell disorder (Open Original Shared Link), which might explain why I have a non-cancerous lump in one of my lymph nodes that isn't going away on its own

2) Adrenal glands are not putting out enough cortisol to dampen the reactions

3) Fresh damage to my intestines from two rounds of antibiotics (trying to get rid of the lump)

4) An imbalance in my reproductive hormones... pregnancy triggered my initial symptoms, but I've been having more problems lately in this arena

5) Maybe my immune system will calm down if I'm really diligent about avoiding mold... did you know that foods like soy sauce, black tea, and chocolate are processed with aspergillus mold?

My intestines feel great! No more celiac symptoms. If I could just get rid of the itchiness, rashes, and anaphylactic reactions I would be VERY happy

Lady TS... I was always really healthy too! But... that seems to be how a lot of autoimmune disorders work. You get some TINY little warning signs and then your health collapses.

I didn't know that chocolate was processed with mold---is this all chocolate, even cocoa powder?

I know that black tea is associated with mold, and I already avoid all soy. With my mold allergies, I also avoid most vinegar(with the exception of a hair rinse--have to do *something* for hair cleansing!--tried lemon juice today) and fermented foods, with the exception of Dannon whole-fat plain yogurt and my own kefir, because I know I need the probiotics and can't find a source that doesn't set me off. Oh, and yeast seems to get me as well...I suspect corn is my problem there...

I know my first allergist was surprised at the extent of my allergies--they said something like I won the prize for the most allergens they'd seen in awhile(I didn't think until later to ask if the prize was that I didn't have to pay for the test. )

I am going to ask my AAT doc tomorrow about celiac, and next time I actually see my first allergist I will ask there, too.

OH, and I did go on abx in like November for persistent jaw pain/sinus issues. It took care of the jaw pain, but I was left with what I think was systemic yeast problems. I was faithfully eating my yogurt every day and I didn't get the full-blown vag yeast infection, but I started getting ringworm breakouts. The allergist would only give me a recommendation for the cream, and wouldn't give me a systemic fungal med... Interestingly, since I got my kefir grains a few weeks ago and have been having some each day, the ringworm has left!(Maybe I should count my blessings that I didn't go on another med!)

Thanks for all of your responses, they are very informative and reassuring!

[Mother of Jibril]

Here's an interesting link about how mold is used to process chocolate:

Open Original Shared Link

Yesterday I made a chocolate cake (gluten-free, casein-free, corn-free!) for my son's first birthday, so today is the start of my new chocolate-free life As much as I really HATE to get rid of it, the mold IS a problem. Plus... just about all chocolate has traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and/or dairy (sometimes wheat too). Grrrr.....

[Lady TS]

Here's an interesting link about how mold is used to process chocolate:

Open Original Shared Link

Yesterday I made a chocolate cake (gluten-free, casein-free, corn-free!) for my son's first birthday, so today is the start of my new chocolate-free life As much as I really HATE to get rid of it, the mold IS a problem. Plus... just about all chocolate has traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and/or dairy (sometimes wheat too). Grrrr.....

Very interesting information! Makes me want to stick my fingers in my ears and go "lalalalala"

The only chocolate I have been having lately has been cocoa powder(preferably Hershey's since it is on the corn-free safe list) and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips when I can afford them. I was making my own zucchini brownies from scratch, but that's out now since I am avoiding grains again...

As to tea--I caught myself actually looking at Gypsy Tea in the natural foods section of Kroger, then I remembered that most tea bags are corned and that tea itself really is probably a no-no for my. Bummer!

[Mother of Jibril]

Tea bags have traces of corn??

I guess I never thought about what they might be made of...