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Multiple Food Allergies

bigapplekathleen

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bigapplekathleen Contributor
bigapplekathleen
Posted

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with celiac disease in August 2003 by blood test. At that time, I also reacted to 22 foods on the skin scratch tests. My reaction to the gluten-free diet was amazing - nearly everything medical problem I had cleared up. Then I started reacting to lots of things and developed stomach problems again (off and on). The PALEO diet was the only one that seemed to calm down my body. I have gone off and on this diet for the past year. IN Dec 2004, I was diagnosed with parasites and my stomach finally calmed down after taking the mebendazole. At that time, I also had a biopsy and it was perfectly fine (no sign of damage). Then a few weeks later, symptoms re-appeared with a vengeance. I saw my Celiac doctor again (one of the best ones) and he recommended more comprehensive food allergy testing and a gluten challenge. I just got the results of the food allergy tests and I am overwhelmed. I have strong allergies to EGG WHITE and BLACK PEPPER. I eat over a dozen egg whites per week (sometimes 2 dozen) and I eat pepper on everything. I also reacted to 40 other foods at a much more slight level. The biggest question I have is why I am reacting to foods I am eating on such a regular basis? This seems common of 'leaky gut' syndrome, from what I have read. I have been eating wheat again - little by little - but my first reaction was that I passed out from eating 2 pieces of pizza. Then I waited 2 more weeks and I have been consuming small amounts of wheat. I haven't reacted to any of the things in the past few days. I am shocked, stunned and not sure what to do with the test results. I kind of knew I might be allergic to egg, since I have had allergic reactions to vaccinations for the past 10 years or so. What do I do with all of this information? Should I really avoid the foods that were minor allergens? I don't know that I completely trust these RAST tests, but I know there's nothing better out there.

Sorry to vent...it's just so frustrating to keep dealing with allergy on top of allergy on top of allergy.

Kathleen

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gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

Hi Kathleen,

What did the doctor tell you about avoiding the foods you tested mildly allergic to? I think I would probably try to cut out the eggs and pepper, but I think it is common to not necessarily totally cut out the other allergens, but to rotate them, so you are not eating them too often.

I've been wondering how you have been doing since you said the pizza made you pass out. E-mail me so we can talk more!

God bless,

Mariann

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

A lot of people with celiac disease have more than one problem. I react severely to gluten and lactose, and I just noticed lately that I am reacting to refined sugar.

I've also had those skin prick allergy tests and I think I tested postive to about 70% of the stuff they tested. Apparenty I'm allergic to every type of pollen they tested :o The skin prick test showed a postive reaction to wheat and yeast. I avoid wheat like crazy since I am celiac, however, I do eat things with yeast. I find that I don't really react to yeast.

My advice would be to stay gluten free since gluten actually causes physical damage and to try and avoid foods that seem to cause problems.

bigapplekathleen Contributor
bigapplekathleen
Posted
  • Author

Hi guys,

thanks for your replies. I am going to try avoiding the eggs and black pepper (though they are basically in EVERYTHING, aren't they?). I am back on wheat and will have another biopsy soon. Since I have been on wheat, I have had 2 infections. In fact, just came home from the walk-in clinic for an extremely sore throat. My immune system is not doing well...

I am planning to call my nutritionist and start a rotation diet. I have a great "allergy" cookbook with sample plans, but since my allergist wants me to avoid ALL (50+) of the foods I reacted to, I have to be really careful creating my plan. I will start to add the foods back in - one by one - after everything has settled down.

Thanks for your advice!

kathleen

Guest ajlauer
Guest ajlauer
Posted

When we found out about my daughter's food allergies, we kept saying "what CAN we feed her???" When we got the answer to that question, life became easier - meat, fruit, and veggies. Can you eat those things?? The first 5 days of her food challenge, she pretty much just ate fruit salad! I bought her some special (and expensive) cookies from www.glutenfreeforme.com so she could at least have 1 of her favorite "food groups".

Is your doctor saying you need to avoid those 50+ foods forever? Or just during a food challenge? Those tests surely aren't accurate enough to avoid it forever!

bigapplekathleen Contributor
bigapplekathleen
Posted
  • Author

HI,

Thanks for your reply. Your suggestion is a good one. I will go through my allergy-free cookbook (which has a great rotation diet) and highlight what I CAN eat and then go from there. I just emailed my nutritionist for help. HOpefully, she can give me an appt soon.

My allergist said I need to avoid all 50+ foods right now, but I will re-introduce them one at a time after everything calms down. I am in the midst of a gluten-challenge right now, so I am not sure this is a good time to deal with the other allergies. None of them are life-threatening, but it certainly is a quality of life issue. I am living off allergy pills right now as it is.

Thanks!

Kathleen

gluten-intolerant, allergic to 50+ foods, most medicines, latex

peripheral neuropathy, several other medical disorders loosely related to gluten intolerance

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    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
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      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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