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Allergies and intolerances

is it possible to be wheat intolerant when bloods say not??

12 replies

time4chat1 · 12/03/2015 14:05

I had a conversation with someone i believe to be honest and reliable who told me she was tested (bloods) for wheat intolerance and it was negative but decided to try wheat free anyway as she was in so much pain, ill and feeling lethargic is this possible?? Blush im no way a medical expert just wondered if anyone else had similar experiences?

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Purplehonesty · 12/03/2015 14:13

It's possible to be intolerant to foods rather than allergic so maybe that's it.

I get awful stomach cramps/bloating if I eat too much bread and pasta so I avoid it. I doubt bloods would show up anything tho.

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time4chat1 · 12/03/2015 14:26

Yes probably, i believe she is being tested again, the reason for the interest is because my daughter ( aged 9) has suffered with her tummy for a couple of years now she is omeprazole which does seem to help but is not consistent now wondering if we should try gluten free for a while and see if it makes a difference.

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shewolfroar · 12/03/2015 16:48

best to just take it out and see! so many recipe's or alternatives now it isn't such a big thing. some wheat free people can tolerate spelt..some not

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cosysocks · 12/03/2015 17:07

Try reading wheat belly although I took some parts with a pinch of salt it's interesting. I am in the middle of investigations for ibs/endometriosis and all I know is I'm in significantly less pain wheat free then eating wheat.

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ChickenMe · 12/03/2015 19:14

I believe it can be. I don't claim to know anything about what would show up on a blood test but I think "I am my own lab".
How does your daughter suffer OP? I was prescribed Lanzaprazole for reflux. I did an elimination diet and I know gluten is the culprit. I am also starting to suspect yeast. I can eat small amounts of gluten - a one off is ok - but say after a few days, if I continue, it "builds up" and I will vomit and it tastes of bread. The acid was so bad it was coming out of my nose Sad
My Dad suffers badly with acid and my mum and brother to a degree with bloating. Interestingly we are of Irish heritage - a group more prone to Coeliac.

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time4chat1 · 13/03/2015 09:52

chickenMe how interesting We have Irish heritage and they love their bread so that's no justice is it?? She suffers waking up with tummy pains and diving into the bathroom retching ( since the age of 6).. Since been on the osmeprazole it has improved ( not 100%) but when she gets a tummy bug it takes her out for a week she is doubled up in agony its just heartbreaking so we feel after speaking to the lady yesterday that we shall give gluten free a try any tips on what to buy where would be greatly appreciated thank you all for your time.

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enderwoman · 13/03/2015 10:03

Supermarkets usually have free from sections. My child won't eat gluten free bread but they like pasta and when I make cake or sauces I use Dove's Farm gluten free flour. Gluten Free Cereal has been hit and miss so the biggest change has been breakfast.

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BaronessEllaSaturday · 13/03/2015 10:08

Don't get hung up on buying gluten free foods as a lot of staples are naturally gluten free ie potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, salmon. Use a gluten free cornflour (easy to find since most are) to thicken sauces watch out for stock cubes though. Do stir frys with rice rather than noodles. I grew up with a coeliac and we just generally ate the same, deserts after a sunday dinner tended to be things like rice pudding, meringue or trifle without sponge.

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TheCarrotsDontWork · 13/03/2015 10:12

DON'T CUT OUT GLUTEN YET! Take your daughter to the GP for a coeliac blood test first!!!! Once you've gone gluten-free then the blood test won't work, you have to be eating gluten at the time. And if she is coeliac, it will be awful to go back on gluten for the test - symptoms much worse.

Coeliac occurs more frequently in Ireland/Irish heritage, I have been told.

Please, for your daughter's health, don't do a half-arsed attempt at gluten-free. Get her tested, because if she is coeliac, then she needs the extra medical attention and vigilance about the diet. You will be making a big difference to her lifelong health by getting a proper diagnosis.

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time4chat1 · 13/03/2015 11:32

carrotsdontwork she has had every test going all negative but still suffers believe you me when you have had a child this ill for nearly 3 years you will try anything and not go into things likly hence the reason for this post.

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TheCarrotsDontWork · 13/03/2015 11:45

Sorry, time4, I didn't realise that. I do really sympathise - one of my DC was ill for 2 years before we got a coeliac diagnosis.

Have you heard of 'Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity'? There is some info on the Coeliac UK website about research into it - it has similar symptoms to coeliac disease but no antibody response (therefore negative blood test/biopsy). Not all doctors believe in it, but recent research suggests that it is a real condition, and Coeliac UK is sponsoring a further study, I believe.

One of my DC is full-blown coeliac. Another had all the same symptoms but negative test. The paed gastro said it could be that he was just at the initial stages of developing coeliac but too early for it to show up on the test. But it could also be this non-coeliac thing.

I have chosen to go completely gluten-free with this DC as well as the coeliac one. It's easy to do so when you're already doing it for one person, so not such a big deal for us as it might be for you. All the symptoms disappeared within a couple of months (and improved within a week or so). So I would recommend trying it for your DD.

Coeliac Uk has a lot of info about the gf diet. The main thing is to learn to read labels - quite straightforward now with new legislation. Basically, as long as an ingredients label does NOT mention wheat, barley, rye, gluten or oats, then the food is okay. We avoid all 'may contains' too, to be safe.

Oats don't contain gluten, but commercial oats are all contaminated with gluten from growing in fields where wheat is grown in other years (so some wheat plants will come through) and from processing on the same machinery. You can get gluten-free oats which are grown and processed separately. But coeliacs are told to avoid these for the first year after diagnosis, since oats contain a protein (avenin) which is very similar to gluten and can cause similar symptoms in a minority. So it's best to avoid those as well to begin with (which means you have to check labels even on products marked 'gluten-free' as a lot of gf biscuits etc. will have cheap gf oat flour in. If your DD's symptoms resolve on the diet, you can try reintroducing gf oats and seeing if there's any reaction.

good luck, and sorry for sounding snippy before.

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time4chat1 · 13/03/2015 13:26

thecarrotsdontwork thank you for that, that's interesting, there was no reason for you to know, we shall make sure we know what we are looking for on labels before we being the trial and let you know the results.. fingers crossed

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