Other Allergies Disappearing After Gluten Free?

[GlutenFreeManna]

I've been gluten free for almost 8 months now. I have had an allergy to pork for a few years. My throat used to close up when I ate it. Well this weekend I accidentally ate pepperoni (long story, but I thought it was turkey pepperoni until I tasted it) and I had NO reaction. I did freak out and got myself some benedryl about twenty minute later just to be safe, but in the past my throat closing up and difficulty breathing happened right after I ate it and it didn't happen. I was fine. So now I'm wondering if this is due to being gluten free. Has anyone else had food allergies or intolerances go away?

[mushroom]

Well, no.... yours is the first I have heard of. Usually we discover others...

[GlutenFreeManna]

  On 8/17/2010 at 3:38 PM, mushroom said:

Well, no.... yours is the first I have heard of. Usually we discover others...

I know! That's why I'm asking. I'm not about to go testing it by eating a bunch of pork. But now I wonder....

[JBaby]

Mine are showing themselves: red dye#40 and high fructose corn syrup.

[tina a]

[ So now I'm wondering if this is due to being gluten free. Has anyone else had food allergies or intolerances go away?

actually my doctor told me that some of my other food allergies may go away after i eliminate gluten from my diet for "awhile", however long that is. so yes, i believe it.

tina

[Skylark]

  On 8/17/2010 at 3:32 PM, GlutenFreeManna said:

I've been gluten free for almost 8 months now. I have had an allergy to pork for a few years. My throat used to close up when I ate it. Well this weekend I accidentally ate pepperoni (long story, but I thought it was turkey pepperoni until I tasted it) and I had NO reaction. I did freak out and got myself some benedryl about twenty minute later just to be safe, but in the past my throat closing up and difficulty breathing happened right after I ate it and it didn't happen. I was fine. So now I'm wondering if this is due to being gluten free. Has anyone else had food allergies or intolerances go away?

Yes. During my elimination diet, I identified cow dairy, soy, wheat, and eventually gluten as problem foods. I am more sensitive to wheat than rye or barley, probably because I have some degree of wheat allergy as well as gluten intolerance. I had also been allergic to shellfish and had not eaten them for over ten years.

After a while gluten-free, maybe 6-9 months, my BF cooked some pork chops with butter instead of olive oil and I didn't know about it. I didn't react. I cautiously tried other dairy and tolerated it fine. This emboldened me to try soy and sure enough, I could eat it again. I was still avoiding shellfish. I was at a friend's restaurant a couple months later and he hand-cooked me a gluten-free meal one night. It turned out to be shrimp, sauteed in a light tomato sauce (yum). Since the allergy was never strong enough to be dangerous, I went ahead and tried them. No reaction! I have also lost the oral allergy syndrome reaction I used to have to melons.

The other interesting thing is that my wheat allergy has become stronger in the past six months. I seem to have lost my natural desensitization by going super-strict with the gluten-free diet and now getting glutened gives me puffy eyes, post-nasal drip and asthma on top of the GI reaction. (Yet another reason to avoid the stuff.)

[ravenwoodglass]

Before I was diagnosed I was tested for true allergies. I reacted to 98 out of the 99 things I was tested for. Within a year of being gluten free my allergic reactions were down to 3 things, dogs, yew trees and cats. But the allergies are now so mild that I have no issues with having my little dog sleep with me and the cats are okay as long as they are not wrapped around my head. The yew bushes I have to avoid in the spring but as long as they are not in flower I am fine. The only food allergy I have is soy, I am also intolerant to that but that didn't develop until after I had been gluten free for a while. My allergist said that my immune system was in hyperdrive before diagnosis and that was why I was reacting to so much.

[seashele2]

After my body was able to absorb what I was eating, my allergies started. Before diagnosis, I could eat anything. Since diagnosis and going gluten-free 6 years ago, I have become allergic to dairy, soy, MSG, beef and am beginning to show reaction to corn.

Michelle

Western Washington State

[i-geek]

  On 8/17/2010 at 3:32 PM, GlutenFreeManna said:

I've been gluten free for almost 8 months now. I have had an allergy to pork for a few years. My throat used to close up when I ate it. Well this weekend I accidentally ate pepperoni (long story, but I thought it was turkey pepperoni until I tasted it) and I had NO reaction. I did freak out and got myself some benedryl about twenty minute later just to be safe, but in the past my throat closing up and difficulty breathing happened right after I ate it and it didn't happen. I was fine. So now I'm wondering if this is due to being gluten free. Has anyone else had food allergies or intolerances go away?

Yes. I can eat pistachios now and have tentatively tried walnuts with no problems so far. I never had anaphylactic reactions to them, but I did have a bad contact allergy. I also thought for years that I was intolerant to peppers but am having no problems with them now that my gut is healed. I also drank a cappuccino last night made with regular milk, no Lactaid pill, and had no problems (first time in YEARS).

Interestingly, my spring seasonal allergies were pretty much non-existent this year (in past years they were severe enough to warrant a sick day or two) and the current weed allergies are mild enough that I don't need medication.

[i-geek]

  On 8/17/2010 at 4:46 PM, Skylark said:

The other interesting thing is that my wheat allergy has become stronger in the past six months. I seem to have lost my natural desensitization by going super-strict with the gluten-free diet and now getting glutened gives me puffy eyes, post-nasal drip and asthma on top of the GI reaction. (Yet another reason to avoid the stuff.)

Sounds very familiar. Last year it got to the point that I had to constantly medicate myself with antihistamines and sinus meds because I was constantly puffy and stuffed up. That all went away once I went gluten-free and flares right back up if I'm CC'd.

[gcdigital]

  On 8/17/2010 at 3:32 PM, GlutenFreeManna said:

I've been gluten free for almost 8 months now. I have had an allergy to pork for a few years. My throat used to close up when I ate it. Well this weekend I accidentally ate pepperoni (long story, but I thought it was turkey pepperoni until I tasted it) and I had NO reaction. I did freak out and got myself some benedryl about twenty minute later just to be safe, but in the past my throat closing up and difficulty breathing happened right after I ate it and it didn't happen. I was fine. So now I'm wondering if this is due to being gluten free. Has anyone else had food allergies or intolerances go away?

Yes I used to have terrible sinus allergies and I had realized after 1 year gluten-free it was allergy season and I was ready with all of my usual remedies and nothing ever happened. My yard was filled with pollen and everyone I know suffering, and I had nothing. Now 2 + years gluten-free and never a sniffle, allergies gone.

[GlutenFreeManna]

  On 8/17/2010 at 4:46 PM, Skylark said:

Yes. During my elimination diet, I identified cow dairy, soy, wheat, and eventually gluten as problem foods. I am more sensitive to wheat than rye or barley, probably because I have some degree of wheat allergy as well as gluten intolerance. I had also been allergic to shellfish and had not eaten them for over ten years.

After a while gluten-free, maybe 6-9 months, my BF cooked some pork chops with butter instead of olive oil and I didn't know about it. I didn't react. I cautiously tried other dairy and tolerated it fine. This emboldened me to try soy and sure enough, I could eat it again. I was still avoiding shellfish. I was at a friend's restaurant a couple months later and he hand-cooked me a gluten-free meal one night. It turned out to be shrimp, sauteed in a light tomato sauce (yum). Since the allergy was never strong enough to be dangerous, I went ahead and tried them. No reaction! I have also lost the oral allergy syndrome reaction I used to have to melons.

The other interesting thing is that my wheat allergy has become stronger in the past six months. I seem to have lost my natural desensitization by going super-strict with the gluten-free diet and now getting glutened gives me puffy eyes, post-nasal drip and asthma on top of the GI reaction. (Yet another reason to avoid the stuff.)

This is interesting. I am also allergic to shellfish but I'm not sure I should try it. Perhaps I should get an allergy test done? It was diagnosed when I was a teenager so it's been a long time since I tried any. I am still sensitive to soy and most dairy (can do low-lactose cheese and yogurt now). And my gluten reactions are worse than before going gluten free.

[GlutenFreeManna]

  On 8/17/2010 at 4:48 PM, ravenwoodglass said:

Before I was diagnosed I was tested for true allergies. I reacted to 98 out of the 99 things I was tested for. Within a year of being gluten free my allergic reactions were down to 3 things, dogs, yew trees and cats. But the allergies are now so mild that I have no issues with having my little dog sleep with me and the cats are okay as long as they are not wrapped around my head. The yew bushes I have to avoid in the spring but as long as they are not in flower I am fine. The only food allergy I have is soy, I am also intolerant to that but that didn't develop until after I had been gluten free for a while. My allergist said that my immune system was in hyperdrive before diagnosis and that was why I was reacting to so much.

Raven what type of allergy testing did you have done? If I were to go get an allergy test for foods what would I ask for? I used to have seasonal allergies but they were not really diagnosed. I just always sneezed and had nasal drip and itchy eyes during the high pollen season. Since going gluten free my seasonal allergies were much less this year. I still react to dust though.

[Skylark]

  On 8/17/2010 at 5:21 PM, GlutenFreeManna said:

This is interesting. I am also allergic to shellfish but I'm not sure I should try it. Perhaps I should get an allergy test done? It was diagnosed when I was a teenager so it's been a long time since I tried any. I am still sensitive to soy and most dairy (can do low-lactose cheese and yogurt now). And my gluten reactions are worse than before going gluten free.

My shellfish allergy was uncomfortable but not dangerous. I would get some oral allergy itchy throat and then I would be noticeably lightheaded. It only took twice for me to pin the reaction to shellfish and then I stopped eating them on my doctor's advice. We were concerned that I would sensitize more.

If your reaction was dangerous, it would be much wiser to get an allergy test.

[ravenwoodglass]

  On 8/17/2010 at 5:25 PM, GlutenFreeManna said:

Raven what type of allergy testing did you have done? If I were to go get an allergy test for foods what would I ask for? I used to have seasonal allergies but they were not really diagnosed. I just always sneezed and had nasal drip and itchy eyes during the high pollen season. Since going gluten free my seasonal allergies were much less this year. I still react to dust though.

The allergy testing I had was the skin prick kind. After the skin prick test the doctor immediately put me on a strict elimination diet. I really don't know if any foods were tested as the thing from the results I most remember was him saying 'Well your not allergic to beech trees'. He later said that those results made him pretty certain that I was celiac but he didn't mention it until after I had added gluten back in and had a strong reaction. He then told me that he thought I was celiac and referred me to a GI.

[zoe123]

Yes! Personally, after going gluten-free for 4 months with quite a few slip ups, my very severe cat allergy decreased and now it’s been 1.5 years since gluten (RIP) and I have my own cat with zero reactions to him or to my friend’s kitties.  

Also, I was pretty allergic to raw almonds to the point where my throat would close up, and I eat those all the time now, again no reaction. Along with the almonds, I had allergies to soy which has also disappeared, and a pretty extensive list of off limits fruits due to oral allergy syndrome (all stonefruits, apples, pears and strawberries, and all tropical fruits like kiwi, pineapple and mango etc).

Currently, the only food allergy that persists for me while following a strict gluten free diet is cow dairy but I also went vegan around the same time as gluten-free so this no longer affects me. Even if trying it for a short term option it may give you some relief...I found it helped to reset my immune system and gut a bit and allowed me to really focus on healing my gut with good whole fruits and veggies, bacteria, fermented foods and broths. 

 

Worth noting though that I still eat gluten by accident here and there, I’m very strict about my own cooking but still suffer occasional skin symptoms which I assume is from restaurant contamination or something. So even on what id call a 95% gluten-free diet I’ve still had success clearing up other allergies.