New And Seem To Be Super Sensitive

[sora]

Hi, I am very new to all of this, 4 weeks. I had to quit my job in a bakery when I became very, very ill. Severe asthmatic reaction.

I am waiting for multiple test results but I am not so sure I have Celiac. We will see. Wheat is a huge problem for me for sure so I am learning how to stay away from it. I have been repeatedly cross cont. I may have a problem with Sals as well but I am still testing.

I am having reactions that I could not figure out until I started reading these forum posts. Last night my son made wheat toast and within 30 minutes I noticed a mild reaction starting. Didn't make the connection until this morning. I also cooked spring rolls (wheat wrapper) for him and about an hour later I noticed a reaction again. I went to bed, closed my door and fell asleep. Got up this morning and the reaction started again. I realized I had left the pot of oil on the stove over night.

Just wanted to say hello and bless all of you for being here. This forum has really helped me a lot.

I am also allergic to some chemicals, perfumes, cleaning products etc.

Charlotte

[dilettantesteph]

Hi, I hope you will be getting a diagnosis soon so that you can get better.

I had chemical sensitivity pre diagnosis and after getting off gluten it went away. Now I have had occasions where others around me are complaining about someone's perfume and I haven't even noticed it!! This is after having to leave the theater, restaurants, meetings, taxis, etc. due to someone's perfume knocking me out. It has been a fabulous difference. I hope that happens with you too.

[Lisa]

  On 11/23/2011 at 1:54 PM, sora said:

Hi, I am very new to all of this, 4 weeks. I had to quit my job in a bakery when I became very, very ill. Severe asthmatic reaction.

I am waiting for multiple test results but I am not so sure I have Celiac. We will see. Wheat is a huge problem for me for sure so I am learning how to stay away from it. I have been repeatedly cross cont. I may have a problem with Sals as well but I am still testing.

I am having reactions that I could not figure out until I started reading these forum posts. Last night my son made wheat toast and within 30 minutes I noticed a mild reaction starting. Didn't make the connection until this morning. I also cooked spring rolls (wheat wrapper) for him and about an hour later I noticed a reaction again. I went to bed, closed my door and fell asleep. Got up this morning and the reaction started again. I realized I had left the pot of oil on the stove over night.

Just wanted to say hello and bless all of you for being here. This forum has really helped me a lot.

I am also allergic to some chemicals, perfumes, cleaning products etc.

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte and Welcome! (my granddaughter's name is Charlotte)

So sorry that you have been having problems, but I'm glad that you have found us.

I'm sure that you are anxious for your test results, but you should not go gluten free until you have exhausted all testing regarding Celiac Disease. You doctor might recommend further testing and going gluten free will effect the accuracy.

Often times, a newly diagnosed person with Celiac Disease will react to ALL foods, gluten or not. After a strict gluten free diet, healing can take place. The recovery time frame varies from person to person. Some here have had immediate positive dietary response. For other unfortunately, it has take years.

After people have been strictly gluten free for an extended period of time, and they are still having issues, it's then time to look into a super sensitivity or, more importantly other food intolerance's or sensitivities.

Discuss with your doctor a gluten allergy and/or Celiac Disease or your hypersensitivity to your existing allergies.

Welcome again.

[Di2011]

  On 11/23/2011 at 1:54 PM, sora said:

I am very new to all of this, 4 weeks. I had to quit my job in a bakery when I became very, very ill. Severe asthmatic reaction.

Hi Charlotte,

Welcome to the forum. Lots of helpful members here to help you along the way.

I also had to quit my bakery job, back in June. I find it ironic that we had to get so close to the poison to recognise it as such!

I still can't handle being around flour. I don't seem to have the same allergy like symptoms with gluten-free flour, thankfully, but it took a while to get my head around handling that looked like wheat flour. I can make my son treats now without getting into a mess

[T.H.]

Welcome to the forum. :-)

Hope you get your test results back soon!

[catsmeow]

Can you describe your reactions? What are they like? Are they histamine type reactions?

[sora]

Hello again everyone. Thanks for your replies and warm welcome.

It would be wonderful if the chemical thing went away! It's anaphylaxic (sp) and with this wheat thing I am very nervous about going anywhere. I have to bus and that's the worst.

My symptoms are the histamine type. Many, many symptoms but the main ones are itchy mouth, lips, head. Sometimes swelling roof of mouth. Excruciating sinus pain, travel to my ear and down along jaw line to my chin. Grey and very puffy under eyes. Always on the left side, except the itching.

As I told my daughter last night all my symptoms are from my neck up. I have had nausea a few times though.

I am very afraid to eat a slice of wheat bread or anything with a lot of wheat. The pain is almost unbearable. I am still eating non gluten-free oats and cornmeal and I do get very, very minor reactions to them. Stinging sinus, tired.

I have had some major depressive moments and have spoken to a professional.

Thank you Lisa for the info, it cheers me up. Maybe it won't be this bad forever.

I wonder if the amount of wheat I still seem to be exposed to will be enough for the test? Does it really matter? The one thing I really know is that wheat is BAD for me.

Charlotte

[catsmeow]

  On 11/24/2011 at 12:48 PM, sora said:

Hello again everyone. Thanks for your replies and warm welcome.

It would be wonderful if the chemical thing went away! It's anaphylaxic (sp) and with this wheat thing I am very nervous about going anywhere. I have to bus and that's the worst.

My symptoms are the histamine type. Many, many symptoms but the main ones are itchy mouth, lips, head. Sometimes swelling roof of mouth. Excruciating sinus pain, travel to my ear and down along jaw line to my chin. Grey and very puffy under eyes. Always on the left side, except the itching.

As I told my daughter last night all my symptoms are from my neck up. I have had nausea a few times though.

I am very afraid to eat a slice of wheat bread or anything with a lot of wheat. The pain is almost unbearable. I am still eating non gluten-free oats and cornmeal and I do get very, very minor reactions to them. Stinging sinus, tired.

I have had some major depressive moments and have spoken to a professional.

Thank you Lisa for the info, it cheers me up. Maybe it won't be this bad forever.

I wonder if the amount of wheat I still seem to be exposed to will be enough for the test? Does it really matter? The one thing I really know is that wheat is BAD for me.

Charlotte

I have a severe wheat allergy and airborne wheat causes me the same histamine reactions as you described. I cannot even be in peoples houses. I swear, I wish the airborne aspect would go away. Being gluten free is easy compared to dealing with reacting everytime I'm within 5 feet of so much as a cracker. I even get hives in my mouth from airborne wheat. I bought an allergy mask frome "breathe easy" website. The mask is kids sized, from what I've read the kids masks are ladies sized. I recieved it in the mail the other day and it fits. I'm going to test it today at someones house. We are going there for Thanksgiving. If it works, I'm going to be so excited and happy. It's suppose to work for airborne food allergies. If it works, I won't have to spend most of my time standing outside using my inhaler, gasping for air and itching the inside of my mouth with stuffed up sinuses and aching neck houlders and back to boot. And I also go into anaphylaxic shock, so I am hoping that I will prevent an epi-pen stick and a trip to the hosp. I'll write again tonight if I am not to sick. If I am well, and the mask worked, I'll be posting. My fingers are crossed. I am baking a wild rice stuffed cornish hen to eat while there since as we all know, I won't be eating any of this wheatfest they call Thanksgiving dinner!

By the way, I am also allergic to chemicals and all fragrances......

[sora]

  On 11/24/2011 at 6:18 PM, Trish_Trish said:

I have a severe wheat allergy and airborne wheat causes me the same histamine reactions as you described. I cannot even be in peoples houses. I swear, I wish the airborne aspect would go away. Being gluten free is easy compared to dealing with reacting everytime I'm within 5 feet of so much as a cracker. I even get hives in my mouth from airborne wheat. I bought an allergy mask frome "breathe easy" website. The mask is kids sized, from what I've read the kids masks are ladies sized. I recieved it in the mail the other day and it fits. I'm going to test it today at someones house. We are going there for Thanksgiving. If it works, I'm going to be so excited and happy. It's suppose to work for airborne food allergies. If it works, I won't have to spend most of my time standing outside using my inhaler, gasping for air and itching the inside of my mouth with stuffed up sinuses and aching neck houlders and back to boot. And I also go into anaphylaxic shock, so I am hoping that I will prevent an epi-pen stick and a trip to the hosp. I'll write again tonight if I am not to sick. If I am well, and the mask worked, I'll be posting. My fingers are crossed. I am baking a wild rice stuffed cornish hen to eat while there since as we all know, I won't be eating any of this wheatfest they call Thanksgiving dinner!

By the way, I am also allergic to chemicals and all fragrances......

Good luck tonight and let me know if that mask works.

Charlotte

[catsmeow]

I made it through the wheaty jungle unscathed thanks to my breath easy mask. I'm here to report that it worked! It worked on the food (wheat), but not on perfume. A lady sprayed perfume on herself right before she left,and I felt slightly dizzy despite the mask. It didn't work "all" the way on the freshley sprayed perfume, but the mask worked well enough that I did not have to go outside. The mask was comfortable to wear too. It does slip a little when actively engaged in conversation, but I did not mind bacause I was in the house filled with freshley baked and baking hot wheaty rolls, pies, stuffing, and cake. I also stood there watching my host making gravy with wheat flour, and she let the flour fly. This would usually make me very very very very very ill, I would have had to leave, but I was unscathed and well, not even a hint of dizzy. By the way, when I first walked in, I got dizzy, then put the mask on. The start of the reaction (being dizzy) stopped after 5 minutes in the mask. I am happy, yes it looked like a diaper on my face, but it worked! The little kids thought I was a doctor.

[T.H.]

Something that my allergist told me, and that I've managed to experience (unfortunately), is that if you have an allergic reaction, your body is basically 'primed' to have another one until your IgE levels drop down to normal, which can take a week or so. It can also set you up to have a more severe reaction when you might normally have a lesser one.

Wonder if things like eating wheat contaminated oats or cornmeal might make your sensitivity even worse, make you more prone to have a more severe reaction, you know? Don't know for sure, but it might.

  Quote

I wonder if the amount of wheat I still seem to be exposed to will be enough for the test? Does it really matter?

It might, it might not. I had a blood test for allergies that tested positive for coffee (which i definitely react to), and my only exposure in the 6 months previous were 2 sips and inhaled coffee. They never did the prick test on me, in part because I was starting to have worse reactions to it when inhaled. I just thought, this allergen=bad, so there's no way I'm touching it. What more do I need to know?

But now? I'm going to go and get further allergy testing done with coffee, and for the same reason I'd suggest you might want to consider it. With your level of sensitivity, it's likely really important to find out what types of contact will make you react. Ingested, inhaled, contact with mucus membranes, contact with skin?

It might be possible that you have a worse reaction to contact with your mucus membranes. Or mainly inhaled. Or you could have low level reactions to skin contact that could be keeping your body constantly in a state of elevated IgE so you're on the verge of a more serious reaction constantly, you know? If it's mucus membranes vs. the digestive tract only, that would be good to know because your eyes could be an issue that the mask wouldn't be able to protect.

With how sensitive your body sounds like, if there IS a low level contact issue with the skin, you'd want to know if wheat in building materials like wood putty or plywood is a problem. Or drywall dust, or wheat in soaps/lotions/shampoos.

If you have a skin contact allergy to it, you may be getting a constant bombardment of small contacts with your allergen that could be causing you a lot of trouble. If you did look into it further, I'd search for an allergist who is knowledgeable about food allergies. Local allergy groups will often know of the allergists in town who seem to know what they're doing in that regard.

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 5:23 AM, T.H. said:

Something that my allergist told me, and that I've managed to experience (unfortunately), is that if you have an allergic reaction, your body is basically 'primed' to have another one until your IgE levels drop down to normal, which can take a week or so. It can also set you up to have a more severe reaction when you might normally have a lesser one.

Wonder if things like eating wheat contaminated oats or cornmeal might make your sensitivity even worse, make you more prone to have a more severe reaction, you know? Don't know for sure, but it might.

It might, it might not. I had a blood test for allergies that tested positive for coffee (which i definitely react to), and my only exposure in the 6 months previous were 2 sips and inhaled coffee. They never did the prick test on me, in part because I was starting to have worse reactions to it when inhaled. I just thought, this allergen=bad, so there's no way I'm touching it. What more do I need to know?

But now? I'm going to go and get further allergy testing done with coffee, and for the same reason I'd suggest you might want to consider it. With your level of sensitivity, it's likely really important to find out what types of contact will make you react. Ingested, inhaled, contact with mucus membranes, contact with skin?

It might be possible that you have a worse reaction to contact with your mucus membranes. Or mainly inhaled. Or you could have low level reactions to skin contact that could be keeping your body constantly in a state of elevated IgE so you're on the verge of a more serious reaction constantly, you know? If it's mucus membranes vs. the digestive tract only, that would be good to know because your eyes could be an issue that the mask wouldn't be able to protect.

With how sensitive your body sounds like, if there IS a low level contact issue with the skin, you'd want to know if wheat in building materials like wood putty or plywood is a problem. Or drywall dust, or wheat in soaps/lotions/shampoos.

If you have a skin contact allergy to it, you may be getting a constant bombardment of small contacts with your allergen that could be causing you a lot of trouble. If you did look into it further, I'd search for an allergist who is knowledgeable about food allergies. Local allergy groups will often know of the allergists in town who seem to know what they're doing in that regard.

I am brain foggy this morning. Just started to reply here and stood up and walked away and I don't know why. ACK. So hope this is not too jumbled.

Initially I didn't recognize symptons, would just wake in the middle of the night in horrible face pain. As I started to figure this out I started watching for the smallest sign of anything different. Now I can feel it from early on and can usually tell if it will be minor or major and often within 30 minutes of exposure. Sooo, I noticed one of the first signs is itchy eyes or skin. It would seem to be mucus membrane. I was cooking a pot of wheat noodles for my son early on and got itchy forearms and hands just from stirring the pot.

Woke up this morning and within 30 minutes started to get a reaction. I think it's the computer mouse, my son ate a sandwich while on the computer.

I will call my doc and make another appt. I am being sent to an allergist but that was for the chemical allergy. I will talk to my doc more about this. I am concerned about becoming more sensitive, if that is even possible. It is bad enough now.

Tests for me right now are for kidney, thyroid, B12 etc and Tissue Transglutaminase and IgA.

This is a real emotional battle. Out of work, apartment living, can't afford to move or buy these gluten-free products. Can't afford to replace pots and pans etc. Always the anxiety of it all. I am trying to stay positive. It helps a lot using this forum with such knowledgeable people. Thank you for being here.

The upside is that I am a cook. So I am trying to see the new challenge in learning how to bake all over again.

Thank goodness my birthday and Christmas are coming. Guess whats going on my list?

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 2:49 AM, Trish_Trish said:

I made it through the wheaty jungle unscathed thanks to my breath easy mask. I'm here to report that it worked! It worked on the food (wheat), but not on perfume. A lady sprayed perfume on herself right before she left,and I felt slightly dizzy despite the mask. It didn't work "all" the way on the freshley sprayed perfume, but the mask worked well enough that I did not have to go outside. The mask was comfortable to wear too. It does slip a little when actively engaged in conversation, but I did not mind bacause I was in the house filled with freshley baked and baking hot wheaty rolls, pies, stuffing, and cake. I also stood there watching my host making gravy with wheat flour, and she let the flour fly. This would usually make me very very very very very ill, I would have had to leave, but I was unscathed and well, not even a hint of dizzy. By the way, when I first walked in, I got dizzy, then put the mask on. The start of the reaction (being dizzy) stopped after 5 minutes in the mask. I am happy, yes it looked like a diaper on my face, but it worked! The little kids thought I was a doctor.

I am so glad that it worked for you. I guess it made all the difference between having a good day or a bad day.

A friend recently told me a story of a co worker she had years ago that wore a gas mask type contraption at work. She said that this woman was allergic to just about everything.

Charlotte

[sora]

Is there a list somewhere of wheat containing woods etc?

Charlotte

[kareng]

  On 11/25/2011 at 2:28 PM, sora said:

Is there a list somewhere of wheat containing woods etc?

Charlotte

Wheat in wood?

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 2:39 PM, kareng said:

Wheat in wood?

Sorry, as Shauna said plywood etc. wood putty.

Charlotte

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 2:39 PM, kareng said:

Wheat in wood?

Sorry again. It's the brain fog.

I mean a list of things for me to look out for which might contain wheat.

other than food.

[psawyer]

Here is a complete list of the woods that are sources of gluten:

  Quote

Gluten, as defined in terms of celiac disease, is found in three or four specific grains: wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats. Other plants are all gluten-free by their nature.

[catsmeow]

  On 11/25/2011 at 5:23 AM, T.H. said:

Something that my allergist told me, and that I've managed to experience (unfortunately), is that if you have an allergic reaction, your body is basically 'primed' to have another one until your IgE levels drop down to normal, which can take a week or so. It can also set you up to have a more severe reaction when you might normally have a lesser one.

Wonder if things like eating wheat contaminated oats or cornmeal might make your sensitivity even worse, make you more prone to have a more severe reaction, you know? Don't know for sure, but it might.

It might, it might not. I had a blood test for allergies that tested positive for coffee (which i definitely react to), and my only exposure in the 6 months previous were 2 sips and inhaled coffee. They never did the prick test on me, in part because I was starting to have worse reactions to it when inhaled. I just thought, this allergen=bad, so there's no way I'm touching it. What more do I need to know?

But now? I'm going to go and get further allergy testing done with coffee, and for the same reason I'd suggest you might want to consider it. With your level of sensitivity, it's likely really important to find out what types of contact will make you react. Ingested, inhaled, contact with mucus membranes, contact with skin?

It might be possible that you have a worse reaction to contact with your mucus membranes. Or mainly inhaled. Or you could have low level reactions to skin contact that could be keeping your body constantly in a state of elevated IgE so you're on the verge of a more serious reaction constantly, you know? If it's mucus membranes vs. the digestive tract only, that would be good to know because your eyes could be an issue that the mask wouldn't be able to protect.

With how sensitive your body sounds like, if there IS a low level contact issue with the skin, you'd want to know if wheat in building materials like wood putty or plywood is a problem. Or drywall dust, or wheat in soaps/lotions/shampoos.

If you have a skin contact allergy to it, you may be getting a constant bombardment of small contacts with your allergen that could be causing you a lot of trouble. If you did look into it further, I'd search for an allergist who is knowledgeable about food allergies. Local allergy groups will often know of the allergists in town who seem to know what they're doing in that regard.

Wow Shauna, thanks for writing this! I've never heard an explanation for why my reactions are different on any given day. I always just say "My mileage may vary" Meaning somedays, a cracker in the room nearly sends me to the hosp, and other times it doesn't. It makes perfect sense that my body is primed for another worse reaction because of elevated IgE levels. Thank you very much for writing this. It makes sense to me, now I understand why my mileage varies.

Hey sora, I wanted to tell you a few things that I do when I am reacting that help get reactions under control, and also prevent them from coming on so fast and furiously. I carry claritin in my purse (and benadryl), but, I chew up a claratin and let it sit under my tongue, so as to get it sublingually, I drink coffee, because it also helps with reactions, coffee has anti-allergic properties because of its ability to reduce the release of histamine from mast cells. So between a claratin and coffee, and getting out of the wheaty environment, I can reduce and recovery from a reaction faster. If that doesn't work, out comes my inhaler, flonaze, benadryl,and then the last resort, the epi-pen.

[dilettantesteph]

Wheat flour can be used in the production of plywood.

Open Original Shared Link

Second page, second line of writing.

[catsmeow]

  On 11/25/2011 at 3:57 PM, dilettantesteph said:

Wheat flour can be used in the production of plywood.

Open Original Shared Link

Second page, second line of writing.

WOW....now I know why I react in Home Depot so bad. That place kills me, especially when I am in the lumber area. My husband always tells me not to come with him when he goes to lumber. He has noticed my reactions get worse over there. Thanks for this info!!!!! It makes PERFECT sense!

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 3:44 PM, Trish_Trish said:

Wow Shauna, thanks for writing this! I've never heard an explanation for why my reactions are different on any given day. I always just say "My mileage may vary" Meaning somedays, a cracker in the room nearly sends me to the hosp, and other times it doesn't. It makes perfect sense that my body is primed for another worse reaction because of elevated IgE levels. Thank you very much for writing this. It makes sense to me, now I understand why my mileage varies.

Hey sora, I wanted to tell you a few things that I do when I am reacting that help get reactions under control, and also prevent them from coming on so fast and furiously. I carry claritin in my purse (and benadryl), but, I chew up a claratin and let it sit under my tongue, so as to get it sublingually, I drink coffee, because it also helps with reactions, coffee has anti-allergic properties because of its ability to reduce the release of histamine from mast cells. So between a claratin and coffee, and getting out of the wheaty environment, I can reduce and recovery from a reaction faster. If that doesn't work, out comes my inhaler, flonaze, benadryl,and then the last resort, the epi-pen.

I always carry Benadryl for the chemical reactions and take it now for these wheat reactions. It does seem to ease it but puts me right to sleep. I have also heard of the coffee thing but haven't tried it.

[kenlove]

Wheat starch was used to make particle boards and pressed lumber. The key word being was. I dont know if it still is.

They never affected me unless I had to cut them. If its simply used someplace its not a problem

  On 11/25/2011 at 2:39 PM, kareng said:

Wheat in wood?

[sora]

  On 11/25/2011 at 3:57 PM, dilettantesteph said:

Wheat flour can be used in the production of plywood.

Open Original Shared Link

Second page, second line of writing.

Thank you. My computer can't handle PDF so I will look at it this aft at my daughters.

[Lisa]

Perhaps a new thread regarding exceptional allergies and chemical sensitivities would be in order.