Seasonal Allergies Triggering Celiac

[JoD]

I've been gluten free for 9 months and this year allergies are at a high. I was going well and feeling better until my allergies really have bothered me. I now have the worst IBS and haven't taken anything with gluten.

Does anyone know if regular allergies can trigger your celiac? Help! It's horrible and I'm sick of being in the house due to not wanting to go to far.

[trents]

Do you live in a farming area where wheat, barley or rye is being grown? Grains seeded in the autumn (i.e. "winter wheat") may be pollinating by now. Don't know if that would be a possible connection but the thought crossed my mind.

[Mother of Jibril]

I've been having mild abdominal pain for more than a year. The gluten-free diet helped a LOT (I started about the same time as you), but... the pain is back. Not as bad as before, and I'm positive that I'm not being glutened. In February I started having anaphylactic reactions and I've learned a lot of interesting things about allergies. For example, did you know that your abdomen is full of mast cells? They play an important role in menstruation, orgasm, defecation, etc... but things can get out of control. Some new research is showing that abnormal mast cell activity (too many mast cells and/or mast cells that release their contents too easily) is involved in:

- prostatitis (Open Original Shared Link)

- interstitial cystitis (Open Original Shared Link)

- endometriosis (Open Original Shared Link)

- and possibly IBS (Open Original Shared Link)

My allergist recommended that I take 10mg of Zyrtec (cetirizine) per day and 20mg of Pepcid (famotidine) twice a day. The interesting thing about Pepcid and related medicines like Zantac is that they reduce acid in your stomach by blocking histamine production. I can tell when my morning dose is wearing off because that cramping feeling comes back in my lower abdomen The last two nights I've taken a dose of Tylenol to get rid of it. Monday I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist... I'll be very curious to hear what he thinks about all of this.

[JoD]

[Let me know! It's very frustrating!

[Mother of Jibril]

The appointment today was good!

I've had a LOT of testing... celiac panels, urinalysis, stool analysis, chest x-ray... today the doctor suggested we do an endoscopy to look for mastocytosis (too many mast cells in my GI system). I know how frustrating it is when you're in pain and you just keep going from doctor to doctor looking for answers, but hang in there and keep insisting that you need to figure out what's going on! It's definitely possible to get abdominal symptoms from allergies.

BTW... have you ever tried eliminating other foods? I found it helpful to take corn out of my diet. Other common culprits include soy, dairy, eggs, and nightshades.

[mindwiped]

It could be just the allergies, and nothing celiac related at all. I have year round allergies, but when ragweed goes into high gear, I have so much post nasal drip, that I start having stomach issues, since I can't blow my nose enough to keep it from going down my throat. Non-sedating antihistamines (Zyrtec or Clariten) could help, just be sure to check the gluten status on any off-brands.

[Mrs. Smith]

I was just looking this subject up! Im having a bad seasonal allergy attack for the last few days and now today I am nauseas! It must just be the allergies. Im on my period too so Im sure thats not helping!!