Neurological Symptoms From Intolerances

[superfob]

Hi,

I just had some almond butter after eating just meat, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and rice during the past two weeks (been gluten free for two weeks, figured I'd eliminate all the other allergens as well). It seems that I am intolerant of almonds, just a few minute after eating it, I could feel an increase in brain fog and a pressure feeling on the right side of brain. I also get these symptoms after eating gluten and dairy products. I've always felt that I've had a strange reaction to almonds in the past, but this time it was definately more noticeable. Its Justin's almond butter and it says that there is no gluten in it on their website, that its processed on lines with peanuts and other tree nuts, but no mention of wheat.

It seems so weird to me that I am having neurological reactions to food but now I am aware that its quite common. It seems weird that I would feel it so soon - according to the leaky gut explanation, shouldn't the food protein have to hit my small intestines, and then leak into the blood before my body has a reaction? I assume it would take more than a few minutes for this to occur.

I also remember having EEG done on my brain, and they found abnormal brain waves in the area where I feel pressure whenever consuming gluten/casein...wonder whats going on there. The CAT scan was normal, though, which is good.

[T.H.]

It seems that I am intolerant of almonds, just a few minute after eating it, I could feel an increase in brain fog and a pressure feeling on the right side of brain. I also get these symptoms after eating gluten and dairy products. I've always felt that I've had a strange reaction to almonds in the past, but this time it was definately more noticeable. Its Justin's almond butter and it says that there is no gluten in it on their website, that its processed on lines with peanuts and other tree nuts, but no mention of wheat.

You might want to call them up to check. They have no legal obligation to mention that the lines process or don't process wheat, unfortunately. So if they don't say it..doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Also, what is processed in their facility? I know that nuts are quite often a gluten risk for me, and I get the neuro symptoms as well, but I only get that from gluten. Nuts without gluten don't give me this problem.

...or it could be the almonds, too. How sensitive to gluten are you usually? My daughter has reacted once to Justin's, but it was a very mild reaction, and she's very sensitive.

It seems so weird to me that I am having neurological reactions to food but now I am aware that its quite common. It seems weird that I would feel it so soon - according to the leaky gut explanation, shouldn't the food protein have to hit my small intestines, and then leak into the blood before my body has a reaction? I assume it would take more than a few minutes for this to occur.

Yup, and yet there are a LOT of people who react very, very quickly, just like you. Personally, I think there is more going on than doctors have fully examined yet. And to support that idea? There was a study done where gluten was swabbed onto the mucosa of the inside of the mouth or injected into the mucosa of the mouth.

In both, Celiacs had measurable auto-immune responses within the 5-15 minutes that were allowed to pass before they were tested (non-celiacs did not). These weren't centered in the gut, and obviously the food hasn't gotten out of the stomach within that amount of time, yes?

I very much wonder for those of us who have neuro symptoms, if that beginning auto-immune reaction from just touching the mucosa in our mouth is what gets us first, and then the gut gets us second, you know? And another study has found that in those of us with neuro issues, on top of the antibodies attacking our gut, the body ALSO makes some different antibodies that specifically target parts of the nervous system when it comes into contact with gluten.

so...could be some allergy reaction, which can happen swiftly of course, but if it's the same reaction as you get to wheat? I'd look close and see if you can't find a contamination issue involved, ya know?

[superfob]

Hmmm, you're right, it might be cross contamination

I will try to contact Justin's and see if there is a chance of that, from their website it seems safe

Do your products contain traces of other nuts?

Our nut butters are manufactured on equipment shared with peanuts and tree nuts. In addition, our peanut butter cups are manufactured on equipment shared with peanuts, tree nuts, diary and soy. We take every step necessary to prevent cross-contamination between productions.

Are your products gluten-free?

All of our nut butters AND peanut butter cups are gluten-free!

It does feel like how I feel when I eat gluten. I'm not quite sure how sensitive I am going to be, as its my first two weeks going gluten free - but it definately seems like I am getting more sensitive as I eliminate it from my body. I didnt usually have any non-neuro immediate reactions to gluten prior to going gluten free, just a feeling of increased brain fog/confusion/feeling the opiate effects of gluten.

Those studies you mentioned do sound very interesting. I definately feel different in my brain way before the food reaches my small intestines - and I don't have Celiac, at least by current standards. Good thing is at least, I can now gauge my own reactions to food. I've always felt that food had an effect on my energy and mood from a young age - I just didnt know what it was. I actually ate a lot of bread when I was young and remember loving it, kinda makes sense to me now that I can feel its effects (makes me feel somewhat more better after eating it).

I wish they would come out with that TTG-6 antibody soon - the one that targets the nervous system. Maybe it'll help diagnose a lot more people with neuro problems.

[eatmeat4good]

Another option is salicylate sensitivity. Almonds and coconut are very high in salicylates. Are you intolerant/allergic to aspirin or Ibuprofen? Some fruits are very high in salicylates. It can make you feel intoxicated, have asthma, and a huge inflammatory response. Depression and anxiety too. Neurological symptoms come with the ingestion of high amounts of sals...it is also very high in wintergreen. Google salicylate sensitivity and see if it applies to you. Before I knew I had Celiac, I found I was having a chronic aspirin poisoning reaction. I had been taking Ibuprofen to treat the body aches and pains and joint pains and migraines that were later determined to be Celiac. There was severe brain fog and inability to think clearly as if I were in a stupor. It got increasingly worse when I took it daily of course. Gluten gives me neurological symptoms too.

This may be totally irrelevant to you. But then again maybe not, so I thought I would mention it. You may have the tree nut allergy and you might react to all nuts the same way. Something to watch. It is so difficult to figure out sometimes, so that is why I wanted to mention another aspect. Good luck.

And Shauna? You are amazing with the amount of research you do and all the information you share with us. Thank you.

[ravenwoodglass]

There was a study done where gluten was swabbed onto the mucosa of the inside of the mouth or injected into the mucosa of the mouth.

In both, Celiacs had measurable auto-immune responses within the 5-15 minutes that were allowed to pass before they were tested (non-celiacs did not). These weren't centered in the gut, and obviously the food hasn't gotten out of the stomach within that amount of time, yes?

This is how they test for celiac in some countries. Gluten rectal suppositories are also used. After a short time they then biopsy the area and look for the antibodies. Gluten can pass through the mucous membranes and the reaction starts as soon as gluten contacts them whether someone has neuro symptoms or the more typically thought of gut effects. A much more accurate way of testing than the barbaric 2 to 3 month challenge we have to do here. It is also the reason I make sure to use gluten free topicals to prevent glutening myself from rubbing my eyes or nose or from mucous membrane contact in the shower.

OP does someone who doesn't eat gluten also use that almond butter? You could have been CC'd by that. What did you put it on? If you put it on toast have you gotten a new toaster just for your gluten bread? What have you eaten in the two days before you reacted? Sometimes what we are having reactions to isn't what we just ate but what we ate yesterday or the day before as intolerance reactions are often delayed.

[kwylee]

Since finding out I am gluten intolerant, also to casein & soy, (with 95% of my symptoms being neurological within mintues of ingesting any of it), I now have found that I cannot tolerate what I would classify as STONE FRUIT, (peaches, plums, anything with that big pit - also cannot tolerate raw apples. The feeling isn't neurological, rather like someone kicked me in my stomach, and as I found out, almonds are in the stone fruit genus somehow, and the same kick in the stomach happens to me now if almond is ingested. I used to eat all of that, and just like the original poster, would sometimes feel badly afterward, but definitely not to this degree.

Good question and lots of good info in the responses, thanks.

[YoloGx]

I too react to almonds (and other nuts) neurologically. For me it is the high salicylic acid (SA) content in them that bothers me, like what eatmeat4life suggested. Am hoping for your sake that you don't have a SA response like I do. However if almonds and other nuts continue to be a problem for you, its definitely something to check out. Alternatively it could be an allergic reaction to that specific nut, or CC as previously suggested.

[superfob]

eatmeat4good and yolo,

how did you find out you had an intolerance to SA? I'm guessing the only way I'll figure it out is if I try the low SA diet, but wow it seems soo limited. How long did it take for you on a low SA diet to feel better?

I don't remember if I have ever taken aspirin or ibuprofen actually, I may have never taken them in fact. I don't feel like I have any reactions to fruits which are high in SA, but maybe I'm just not aware of it.

[eatmeat4good]

Yes, well, you see all that medication I was using for pain and "fibromyalgia" well, it was causing 50% of my problem and the other 50% was gluten.

It was elimination of medication first, then fruits, then perfumes and basically all chemicals and preservatives. I knew about SA first.

About a year later I realized I only felt good if I only ate meat and nothing else. (see my name )

Did that for about 3 months and thought that can't be good for me. Had a few days of full meals with veggies, bread, fruit, and dessert. Was sick as a dog. Sores in my mouth, on my elbows, back and face. Felt nauseous,dizzy, migraine, drunken feeling, muscle pain, joint pain, Googled until I found Celiac.com and read all night then eliminated gluten.

6 months into it and getting better. Now I play around a little bit with the SA fruits and vegetables to see if I can tolerate them. It seems to be better. So maybe it was gluten all along, who knows. But in the reading I did about SA it said that 1 in 100 are sensitive to salicylates, so I throw that out there in case someone is taking Ibuprofen or Aspirin for pain and having the symptoms of sensitivity.

It doesn't sound like SA sensitivity applies to you. But yes, elimination and challenge seems to be the only way to figure things out. I know there are no tests for the sensitivity.

But hey if you don't see any reaction then maybe you are one of those 99 who don't have it!

I think there is a book about this The Healthier I Ate, The Sicker I Got.

[T.H.]

This is how they test for celiac in some countries. Gluten rectal suppositories are also used. After a short time they then biopsy the area and look for the antibodies.

Jeesh that is so much better! WHY can our doctors not do this?

do you recall which countries do this? I'd be interested to reference it the next time I'm talking to my son's doctor, actually!

And EatMeat4good - honestly, I wish I had more time to research!

I find myself very frustrated sometimes when I look back our the history of my family. My father was diagnosed 9 years ago. I had symptoms for over 20 years. My daughter, looking back at pictures, has physical signs that were visible when she was 2-3 years old. My son has had trouble since he was an infant.

If we'd done research back then, or if my father's doctor had even suggested we test the family, I really wonder how much better we'd be. But it never happened. And the doctors never suggested any testing, any ideas for the physical and emotional issues we dealt with.

I think, since I can't do anything to fix what has happened, really, the research is sometimes my way of coping. I want to stay on top of the most recent research as much as I can so that I know what's going on with our disease. It feels like the medical community is still in the middle of learning about it, really. And I don't want to have to rely on doctors that have let down my entire family for this information, you know?

And after that, well...I always did love to talk about my hobbies more than I should, LOL.

Glad it's been useful for you, though.

[gfnow21]

Hi,

I just had some almond butter after eating just meat, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and rice during the past two weeks (been gluten free for two weeks, figured I'd eliminate all the other allergens as well). It seems that I am intolerant of almonds, just a few minute after eating it, I could feel an increase in brain fog and a pressure feeling on the right side of brain. I also get these symptoms after eating gluten and dairy products. I've always felt that I've had a strange reaction to almonds in the past, but this time it was definately more noticeable. Its Justin's almond butter and it says that there is no gluten in it on their website, that its processed on lines with peanuts and other tree nuts, but no mention of wheat.

It seems so weird to me that I am having neurological reactions to food but now I am aware that its quite common. It seems weird that I would feel it so soon - according to the leaky gut explanation, shouldn't the food protein have to hit my small intestines, and then leak into the blood before my body has a reaction? I assume it would take more than a few minutes for this to occur.

I also remember having EEG done on my brain, and they found abnormal brain waves in the area where I feel pressure whenever consuming gluten/casein...wonder whats going on there. The CAT scan was normal, though, which is good.

Crazy I ate it and the next day i feel like my stomach is killing me, I don't think it is certified gluten free. Not sure whats the issue but i got that upper stabbing knowing pain that i would have if i ate gluten.