If your allergies are completely out of control, investigate gluten intolerence

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sneezydiva

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Hi everybody,

It has been ages since I used to post on here, but I wanted to let everyone on here know my story. I had HORRIBLE allergies. I was on Zyrtec, Singulair, Flonase, Astelin, and Patanol, getting allergy shots, and I still had horrible symptoms. I was exhusted all the time. I did sinus irrigations twice a day, and yet I still got sinus infections. Then while in grad school, I started getting gastro symptoms for the first time ever. My stomach hurt so much, everyone thought I developed an ulcer from the stress of school. An endoscope, however did not show an ulcer. In the meantime, I had read something about celiac disease, and asked for a blood test. It was "borderline" so they told me I didn't have that. But I had read some books about gluten intolerence, and was convinced it was the problem despite the negative celiac results. I was going to go on the gluten-free diet, but my husband convinced me to consult with one more specialist, at a military hospital. He was skeptical, but ran the food allergy tests, and wheat came up positive. At that point, he actually examined my record for the first time, including the celiac results, and told me he couldn't give me an official celiac diagnosis, but the wheat allergy diagnosis was enough as far as the recorRAB were concerned, and "it would be wise if you avoided all gluten."

I have been on the diet for about 2 1/2 years now, and it has literally changed my life. I no longer feel exhusted all the time. I rarely get headaches or sinus infections. This time of year is still a bit rough, I still have to take the medicines and use the Rx nosesprays, and do the sinus irrigations, but my allergies feel more "normal" like when I was a kid, I get a runny nose, and sometimes stuffy, but I can go on with my day, and my life.

Please, if you were like me, and told that there was nothing more that could be done for you, investigate celiac/gluten-intolerence. It could change your life.
 
My daughter sounRAB like you. She is almost 10 and is constantly battling allergies & wheezing. She is using her inhaler and nebulizer daily and allergy meRAB don't help. She has been diagnosed as having a wheat allergy, but won't give up the morning snack at school which is bagels, crackers & cheese, or muffins because she already feels weird enough having eczema. I have stopped buying cereals with gluten and almost never bake anymore. My husband always blames our dog when our daughter flares up. But, hello?? It is spring and there's mold and pollen outside:rolleyes:
Maybe I'll have to bribe my daughter and get her off the morning snacks at school and buy her something special of her own.
 
We use gluten free cracker, pasta, and bread. The gluten free products are mostly made with potato or rice. Cereals are hard to find without wheat, but if you read labels, you can find them. Rice Krispies, Rice or Corn Chex, etc. People with gluten sensitivity or allergy must stay away from wheat, barley, and rye. Oats are good too.
 
I went gluten free the begininning of March. I saw a difference in gastro symptoms within two weeks. Unfortunately, two weeks later I came down with a horrific virus which hit my lungs and sinuses hard and made me feel so tired that I got tested for mono. I was given antibiotics week 3, which helped but didn't clear my sinuses totally. The lungs didn't improve at all, but that is because I didn't have an infection in my lungs. My doctor called in a second round of antibiotics but i didn't find out about it until a month later!! My lungs have finally cleared at week 8 which means the virus that caused all this has finally gone, however, I just took the second course of antibiotics, and once again, it has not cleared things. I think at this point the allergy season is compounding problems.

I was really expecting that going gluten free would help my allergies, but at this point, this is the worst my allergies have ever been. I usually don't have to stay inside on high pollen days until ragweed hits, but I haven't been out of the house for a good week. (which is so depressing because I've already missed out on 8 weeks of biking being sick).

I DID have anaphylaxis from an allergy shot in the fall, so maybe my allergies are worse from having gone through that??

I'm so tired of being sick!
 
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