Crazy Itchy Swollen

[DDD]

I know most celiacs feel it in their stomach when they are glutened. Believe me, I do too. But the worst part of an accidental glutening is itchiness. I also break out in a huge rash on my inner thigh (all over my body too, my skin becomes super super sensitive but I get these red welts on my thighs that are so ugly!)

Also, my throat swells up within a few hours and doesn't go away for a few days.

Then, there is one night where I go back to my emotionally unhealthy, crazy, bad gut feeling, doom and gloom old self before I went gluten free. Luckily my family and boyfriend know this is coming and help me deal with it and are super supportive but just that one night of crying for absolutely no reason is so draining.

Usual the last one only happens is if I ingest gluten in large quantities (like I don't realize my drink has gluten or if a stupid restaurant manager completely lies to me; there are good ones and bad ones that only want your business and will lie to get it). It very rarely happens to me anymore because I am so very carefuly now.

BUT the itchiness and swelling happens with the slightest accidental glutening, like bread crumb sneaks in there or the grill wasn't cleaned.

Anyone else get itchy or have throat issues? What do you do to help? I've look in to DH but they don't blister up, it just looks like hives. I can handle bloating and GI issues because I take an intestinal repair complex that works wonders and I eat lots of flax and Lame Advertisement but the hives are so ugly and drive me nuts. and swollen throat makes it hard to sleep. any suggestions???

[DDD]

not sure why it says lame advertisement. i eat s-a-l-b-a in my smoothies because it is good for digestion for me.

[Roda]

Could you have a wheat or other gluten allergy instead of celiac? The throat swelling and hives sound like an allergic reaction.

[Michi8]

That does sound like an allergic reaction...and a pretty bad one! I would be concerned about anaphylaxis if your throat is swelling. Have you seen an allergist? Has any doctor suggested you carry an epipen?

I would also suspect allergy to meds with the reaction you list about your knee surgery. Itchiness after surgery meds isn't unusual (morphine can really cause itchiness...patients are typically given Benadryl to counteract that), nor is some swelling if you've been given IV fluids, but a serious reaction indicates something more serious!

Michelle

[DDD]

I haven't seen one but maybe I should. I still suffer from a lot of the stomach problems associated with celiac which is why I figured I had it but they become secondary to the other stuff I mentioned. Now I wonder if it's possible to be allergic and have celiac too?

Thanks for the your help though. It all started after the meds from surgery! Anesthesia, femerol, vicodin, percocet and two types of antibiotics that they had to change because of an allergic reaction to the first one (I don't remember some type of spore I think). Needless to say I am very very apprehensive to take any pill and painkiller after that. When the itchiness began for the very first time I took Benadryl but it did not help one bit and it kept me up all night long. I know of only one other person that has an adverse effect to Benadryl but apparently it does happen to a few people.

The only thing that cured this was a Gluten-Free and casein-free diet, and a super strict one at that. It's like I have the symptoms of both an allergy and celiac...I wonder if there is anyone else that has happened to???

Thanks for your responses so far!

[Michi8]

I haven't seen one but maybe I should. I still suffer from a lot of the stomach problems associated with celiac which is why I figured I had it but they become secondary to the other stuff I mentioned. Now I wonder if it's possible to be allergic and have celiac too?

Thanks for the your help though. It all started after the meds from surgery! Anesthesia, femerol, vicodin, percocet and two types of antibiotics that they had to change because of an allergic reaction to the first one (I don't remember some type of spore I think). Needless to say I am very very apprehensive to take any pill and painkiller after that. When the itchiness began for the very first time I took Benadryl but it did not help one bit and it kept me up all night long. I know of only one other person that has an adverse effect to Benadryl but apparently it does happen to a few people.

The only thing that cured this was a Gluten-Free and casein-free diet, and a super strict one at that. It's like I have the symptoms of both an allergy and celiac...I wonder if there is anyone else that has happened to???

Thanks for your responses so far!

Yes, you can have both celiac and allergy. But even if it's "just" a severe allergy to wheat, and not celiac, you would need to eliminate it from your diet. The thing with an anaphylactic allergy, though, is that each time you're exposed to the allergen could end up being your last time...a closed airway can be deadly if not treated immediately.

I would consider seeing an allergist for testing for foods and meds. My son had to be tested for penicillin allergy (he had a reaction to his first dose when he was a baby) and now carries an epipen, and we need to be hyper-vigilant, when he is being medically treated, that he is not given penicillin accidentally. When my son was in emerg. due to mono, the attending ENT was prescribing penicillin for his throat, even though I repeatedly said that my son was allergic. Thank goodness the resident was listening properly and got everything corrected!

Michelle