Potential Gluten Reaction: Enlarged Spleen

[researchmomma]

Hi, my daughter's reactions to being glutened seem to be getting more severe. We are very strict and cautious but we travelled recently and I left her for one hour with my relatives and she got glutened. She is 13 years old and when she is exposed now, she gets horrible stabbing pain in her side near her appendix which is her mesenteric lymph nodes as evidenced by CT. This is how we know she gets glutened and then come all the other symptoms: constipation, lethargy, paleness, overall malaise. LIke she has the flu.

This time, it was bad. She had the stabbing pain and now her abdomen and back (bilateral flank pain) occurred.

She is being tested for mono (UTI and kidney infection ruled out) and we should have the results. However, I don't think it is mono. She tested positive for strep (maybe that could cause the enlarged spleen?).

Anyway, I am just wondering if anyone else has a glutening response of enlarged spleen. It seems pretty out there but thought I would ask.

Thanks!

[nvsmom]

I had an enlarged spleen only once (that I know of) and that was when I developed ITP (thrombocytopenia). If she has that, her blood and platelet counts will be low because the spleen is destroying platelets... it's a rare disorder and unlikely but if she is at anemic it could be something to give a quick look at.

I hope she feels better soon... Poor kid.

[researchmomma]

I had an enlarged spleen only once (that I know of) and that was when I developed ITP (thrombocytopenia). If she has that, her blood and platelet counts will be low because the spleen is destroying platelets... it's a rare disorder and unlikely but if she is at anemic it could be something to give a quick look at.

I hope she feels better soon... Poor kid.

Thank you for replying. The mono was negative but her Free T4 is low. More testing. Thanks again. I don't think that swollen spleen is from gluten. I think it has something to do with whatever she is fighting. I hope.

[Findin my way]

nvsmom beat me to it. I too had ITP and only got an enlarged spleen then. I used to get really sick when my platelets were low. I would start with a tickly throat and then 3 hours later have a fever of 104F, without fail! If she's fighting something that is even mono-esque ask what her platelet count was/is at.

I can't say that my spleen gets enlarged now after a glutening as I don't have one. I definitely get inflammation in other areas when glutened though.

[nvsmom]

I missed the strep test mention there... when I was a kid I tested positive for strep every day of my childhood; if they tested it, it was positive and they had me on antibiotics for a full year... and then I still tested positive. I mention it as a warning that if she doesn't have strep symptoms (which I usually didn't) then she might not need antibiotics for it.

Is your doctor testing TSH, Free T3, and TPO Ab as well? Hypothyroidism (even subclinical when the TSH is within range but high and FT4 and 3 are low normal) can make you feel pretty slow and weak. I often described myself as a sluggish too... you feel very "blah". I felt poorly when my TSH was above a 3.

Best wishes.