Post-nasal Drip/ Congestion As Symptom?

[RoseRobin]

Hello,

this is my first time posting. My 16 year old son has been suffering from chronic/ continuous post-nasal drip, congestion,and mucous in his throat for over two years. He has had two rounds of allergy testing (negative) and GERD testing (negative). He sees a chiropractor regularly. Thinking his symptoms might be related to dairy, he cut that out of his diet, except for occasional cheese. Somehow we came across the idea of gluten intolerance/celiac, so he has gone for blood tests but we have not yet gotten the results. Since the tests, he has made a stringent effort to eliminate gluten from his diet --not just the obvious sources, but also "hidden" sources, such as coloring and flavoring (we've been searching online and e-mailing food companies to inquire about glutne in their products). However, after two weeks, he still feels no different---still endless post-nasal drip, mucous, congestion.

Are these common symptoms, or even occasional symptoms, of gluten intolerance/ celiac? If so, how long might he have to wait in order to see any improvement in his condition now that he is doing his best to eliminate gluten? How can we know if there's some "hidden" source we are missing? I have downloaded a number of lists from the internet indicating such sources, I read all the food labels, and we are trying to be as careful as possible, but so far, no success. Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

[samcarter]

Hello,

this is my first time posting. My 16 year old son has been suffering from chronic/ continuous post-nasal drip, congestion,and mucous in his throat for over two years. He has had two rounds of allergy testing (negative) and GERD testing (negative). He sees a chiropractor regularly. Thinking his symptoms might be related to dairy, he cut that out of his diet, except for occasional cheese. Somehow we came across the idea of gluten intolerance/celiac, so he has gone for blood tests but we have not yet gotten the results. Since the tests, he has made a stringent effort to eliminate gluten from his diet --not just the obvious sources, but also "hidden" sources, such as coloring and flavoring (we've been searching online and e-mailing food companies to inquire about glutne in their products). However, after two weeks, he still feels no different---still endless post-nasal drip, mucous, congestion.

Are these common symptoms, or even occasional symptoms, of gluten intolerance/ celiac? If so, how long might he have to wait in order to see any improvement in his condition now that he is doing his best to eliminate gluten? How can we know if there's some "hidden" source we are missing? I have downloaded a number of lists from the internet indicating such sources, I read all the food labels, and we are trying to be as careful as possible, but so far, no success. Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

Even occasional dairy can exacerbate mucous production, as I have found. Also, you need to make sure any soy cheese or substitute dairy foods do not have casein in them--the protein in dairy. A lot of soy cheese pizzas, for instance, have casein in the soy "cheese". I have just given up all fake cheese substitutes, except for homemade ones.

Regarding hidden gluten, I know that Kroger brand foods, if you have the UPC code, you can call the company and they will tell you if there is gluten in the seasonings or additives. They may not be able to tell exactly what is in it, but they can tell you yes or no on the gluten issue. Most companies will do this. You may also want to check shampoo for tocopherol (Vitamin E) which is often derived from wheat. Sometimes the company will tell you if it's derived from wheat or soy.

As for how long it will take for the gluten free diet to help, that varies from individual to individual. Some feel better right away, some take months or up to a year to feel better. I hope your son finds some relief soon!

[Mother of Jibril]

Has your son ever tried taking antihistamines? I'm taking 10mg of generic Zyrtec (cetirizine) each day to prevent hives and hopefully lessen my monthy anaphylactic reactions It also helps with the stuffy, runny nose! I didn't notice it until I had to stop taking antihistamines for a week (for more allergy testing) and the nasal symptoms came back. Ugh. It feels like having a minor cold ALL the time. The congestion was even interfering with my sleep. Now that I'm back on the antihistamines, problem solved

Diet might be playing a role. As other people noted, dairy is a common mucus-producing food. But... it shouldn't hurt anything to try an antihistamine too. Allergy testing is not an exact science.

[samcarter]

Has your son ever tried taking antihistamines? I'm taking 10mg of generic Zyrtec (cetirizine) each day to prevent hives and hopefully lessen my monthy anaphylactic reactions It also helps with the stuffy, runny nose! I didn't notice it until I had to stop taking antihistamines for a week (for more allergy testing) and the nasal symptoms came back. Ugh. It feels like having a minor cold ALL the time. The congestion was even interfering with my sleep. Now that I'm back on the antihistamines, problem solved

Diet might be playing a role. As other people noted, dairy is a common mucus-producing food. But... it shouldn't hurt anything to try an antihistamine too. Allergy testing is not an exact science.

Does Zyrtec work better than Claritin? I've been taking generic Claritin for years now for my allergies, but recently it doesn't seem to be working. I've been pondering trying Zytrec.

To the OP, if your son is taking an antihistamine, it's worth it to maybe try a different one to see if it works better.

[Mother of Jibril]

Does Zyrtec work better than Claritin? I've been taking generic Claritin for years now for my allergies, but recently it doesn't seem to be working. I've been pondering trying Zytrec.

To the OP, if your son is taking an antihistamine, it's worth it to maybe try a different one to see if it works better.

I was told that Zyrtec and Claritin are equally effective (and shouldn't cause drowsiness), but every individual is different... so if the first one doesn't give you relief try another one. I've also read that it's pretty common for antihistamines to lose their effectiveness if you take them for long periods of time. A slightly different medication (like Zyrtec instead of Claritin) can fool your body's defenses.

Another interesting thing I recently learned is that there are different types of histamine, called H1, H2, H3, and H4. H1 is associated with hives, asthma, and rhinitis... H2 is associated with symptoms in your gastrointestinal system. Zyrtec and Claritin are both H1 blockers. Some medications (like Pepcid) that are used for heartburn are also H2 blockers. I'm undergoing some testing right now to see if I have an ususual number of mast cells in my abdomen... which would explain a lot

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[gfb1]

Hello,

this is my first time posting. My 16 year old son has been suffering from chronic/ continuous post-nasal drip, congestion,and mucous in his throat for over two years. He has had two rounds of allergy testing (negative) and GERD testing (negative). He sees a chiropractor regularly. Thinking his symptoms might be related to dairy, he cut that out of his diet, except for occasional cheese. Somehow we came across the idea of gluten intolerance/celiac, so he has gone for blood tests but we have not yet gotten the results.

this is an interesting question at several levels. a larger percentage of celiacs are IGA-low/deficient compared to the population at large. IGA was originally discovered in mucosal tissues... and may, in an 'aseops fable'-kind-of-way, be responsible for an increase in eye/ear/throat issues.

there is little if no consistent evidence for this; but, is certainly a reasonable, testable hypothesis.

as for the diff between benadryl/claritin/zyrtec -- much has to do with personal preference. claritin/zyrtec (due to their structure) can be provided in 12-24 hr doses; whereas, benadryl (which many folks find to be more effective) is only available otc in 4 hr doses.

curiously many hospitals are using prescribed doses of benadryl to help patients sleep at night (as opposed to other, more addictive, substances!)

[RoseRobin]

Has your son ever tried taking antihistamines? I'm taking 10mg of generic Zyrtec (cetirizine) each day to prevent hives and hopefully lessen my monthy anaphylactic reactions It also helps with the stuffy, runny nose! I didn't notice it until I had to stop taking antihistamines for a week (for more allergy testing) and the nasal symptoms came back. Ugh. It feels like having a minor cold ALL the time. The congestion was even interfering with my sleep. Now that I'm back on the antihistamines, problem solved

Diet might be playing a role. As other people noted, dairy is a common mucus-producing food. But... it shouldn't hurt anything to try an antihistamine too. Allergy testing is not an exact science.

Yes, he tried antihistamines and also steroidal nasal sprays with no relief.

[samcarter]

Yes, he tried antihistamines and also steroidal nasal sprays with no relief.

Since his diet is not completely dairy free, as he eats cheese occasionally, I would first work to make sure is diet is completely dairy free. Read labels for "casein" and "whey" (both from milk). Give his body a few weeks to make sure the dairy clears out of his body, and keep an eye on his symptoms.

If he doesn't see any relief, then eliminate gluten. The reason I don't recommend eliminating both at the same time is you'll be less sure about which is the culprit, or if it's both.

When he was tested for allergies, was it a simple scratch test, or a blood test, or did they inject the allergens under his skin? When i was tested for my allergies, they claimed I didn't react to cats after doing the scratch test, but when they injected them, it showed a stronger reaction. Sometimes an allergy that can't be detected with a low=level test can be causing problems.

[RoseRobin]

Since his diet is not completely dairy free, as he eats cheese occasionally, I would first work to make sure is diet is completely dairy free. Read labels for "casein" and "whey" (both from milk). Give his body a few weeks to make sure the dairy clears out of his body, and keep an eye on his symptoms.

If he doesn't see any relief, then eliminate gluten. The reason I don't recommend eliminating both at the same time is you'll be less sure about which is the culprit, or if it's both.

When he was tested for allergies, was it a simple scratch test, or a blood test, or did they inject the allergens under his skin? When i was tested for my allergies, they claimed I didn't react to cats after doing the scratch test, but when they injected them, it showed a stronger reaction. Sometimes an allergy that can't be detected with a low=level test can be causing problems.

It was the skin prick tests; he also had "delayed" blood tests for dairy, wheat, and egg (all negative). How would I get the doctors to administer an injection allergy test?