Do I have Crohn's?

[Pet Peeve]

Hi

I'm sorry if this is the wrong section to post in but I would very much appreciate your opinion.

I'm 34, male. When I was 29 I suddenly within a month developed an extreme allergy to wheat with some strange rashes that spread all over my shoulders and back. This happened suddenly and out of the blue. I had never had any problem with wheat before and really enjoyed bread, pasta, wheat beer etc.

It took me over two years to realise that it was wheat that was causing my rashes and the rashes disappeared after a couple of months of strict wheat avoidance. After quitting wheat any time I would ingest some by accident (e.g. bassets liquorice) I would start to itch and get asthma. My sister has celiac disease but I have tested negative for gluten intolerance and wheat allergy.

At the same time as I started to get the rashes I got a strange mental symptom. I can only describe it as some kind of foggy feeling. I have read about mental fog, but I don't feel like my intellectual faculties are reduced. It's more like my vision goes blurry, and I feel afraid and anxious and I can't function socially. It's like all social fluidity is gone and I'm just a mumbling idiot, specially my face goes stiff and my bodylanguage feels stilted and socially unresponsive. This seems to happen more and get stronger and especially after eating. I had to quit my job because my coworkers disliked me so much because I couldn't function socially with them.

I have been thinking that I have been getting more and more food allergies with the age, because that's what it feels like, but I'm starting to think now that it might be connected to anything that could irritate the bowels, like fiber and protein. I will try to live on coca cola for a couple of days.

I don't have any abdominal pain, and I have used to have problems with, well not constipation, but more like hard dry feces that are difficult to expel.

If I don't fit into Crohn's as a diagnose, what else could I have. I really don't know which information I should have included but I'm happy to answer any questions of course.

I'm really at my last strengh here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ronroush7]

Have you been to a doctor? Has he run any tests?

 

[Pet Peeve]

I have been to doctors, they usually take blood tests and tell me it's all in my head or that I have some allergies and they tell me to take anti-histamines. I haven't really thought until recently that my symptoms could be connected to the gut health.

I live in Norway and the welfare state is total, medical care is public so it takes forever to get a specialist appointment. I have been to a specialist for allergies, they took a lot of bloodtests but it could be months until I'm called in again for an appointment.

 

[ronroush7]

You know your body better than anyone else.

 

[smt]

I have been to doctors, they usually take blood tests and tell me it's all in my head or that I have some allergies and they tell me to take anti-histamines. I haven't really thought until recently that my symptoms could be connected to the gut health.

I live in Norway and the welfare state is total, medical care is public so it takes forever to get a specialist appointment. I have been to a specialist for allergies, they took a lot of bloodtests but it could be months until I'm called in again for an appointment.

Welcome. I am no expert, but it does not sound like typical Crohn's.

What are the results of the blood tests, if you would share with us? The inflammatory markers, especially?

 

[ronroush7]

Have you had a fecal calprotectin which is a test with a stool sample or a colonoscopy? I don't like that they told you it was in your head.

 

[Charlotte.]

Have you been tested for histamine intolerance?

In addition, I read that the antibody test for celiac disease is not 100%, gastroscopy with biopsies of the duodenum is still the gold standard test to check for celiac disease.

 

[crohnsinct]

Sounds very similar to celiac. Bliod tests don't always show celiac. You really need endoscopy with biopsy to rule celiac out. Are you getting these symptoms even when you are strictly gluten free?

 

[Pet Peeve]

I wanted to do a more thorough testing for celiac as both my sister and cousin have it. The problem is that they asked me to eat wheat for 3 months before the test, and I just couldn't accept that as wheat makes me feel absolutely dreadful. I have no problems with gluten containing beer, or at least very little, so it's not sure the effort would have lead to anything.

Yeah, not nice to hear that my problems are in my head, makes you doubt yourself.

I'm sorry, I can't find the blood test results, but I know I tested positive for a multitude of allergies, as well as hightened general Ig.

Anyway, I feel pretty sure that I have SIBO after some experimentation. Since it's been so many years since I got sick I have instinctively learned to avoid a lot of the worst symptom-causing foods such that I haven't had many of the typical symptoms. But I do remember having insane bloating and gas during my vegan period which was so bad I had to give the diet up all together. Also about half a year before getting sick I had an extreme food poisoning that lasted for over a week. Maybe the wheat allergy is actually toxins from the wrong bacteria feeding on the wheat?

Thanks for your replies guys. If you're interested I can check back in some time to update.

 

[ronroush7]

I wanted to do a more thorough testing for celiac as both my sister and cousin have it. The problem is that they asked me to eat wheat for 3 months before the test, and I just couldn't accept that as wheat makes me feel absolutely dreadful. I have no problems with gluten containing beer, or at least very little, so it's not sure the effort would have lead to anything.

Yeah, not nice to hear that my problems are in my head, makes you doubt yourself.

I'm sorry, I can't find the blood test results, but I know I tested positive for a multitude of allergies, as well as hightened general Ig.

Anyway, I feel pretty sure that I have SIBO after some experimentation. Since it's been so many years since I got sick I have instinctively learned to avoid a lot of the worst symptom-causing foods such that I haven't had many of the typical symptoms. But I do remember having insane bloating and gas during my vegan period which was so bad I had to give the diet up all together. Also about half a year before getting sick I had an extreme food poisoning that lasted for over a week. Maybe the wheat allergy is actually toxins from the wrong bacteria feeding on the wheat?

Thanks for your replies guys. If you're interested I can check back in some time to update.

Please keep us updated.

 

[DougUte]

I am not a doctor, so just my opinion. Crohn's does not typically present itself through allergic reactions. Let us know what you find out. I really hate that "its all in your head" response. Something physical is likely to be causing this problem.

 

[ronroush7]

I am not a doctor, so just my opinion. Crohn's does not typically present itself through allergic reactions. Let us know what you find out. I really hate that "its all in your head" response. Something physical is likely to be causing this problem.

Yes

 

[crohnsinct]

yep! For three years my younger daughter didn't have crohns and her issues were all stress related. I was a paranoid mother and just because my older daughter had crohns didn't mean my younger daughter had it.

Surprise! She has crohn's!

You know your body. May not be IBD but could be something. Don't let them fluff you off

 

[ronroush7]

yep! For three years my younger daughter didn't have crohns and her issues were all stress related. I was a paranoid mother and just because my older daughter had crohns didn't mean my younger daughter had it.

Surprise! She has crohn's!

You know your body. May not be IBD but could be something. Don't let them fluff you off

I agree. You know your body.

 

[Pet Peeve]

Ok, so I do seem to have some problematic bacteria in the digestive tract maybe from taking a lot of anti-biotics through the years, but I'm very confident my mental symptoms come from stresshormone buildup. I have been working to bring stresshormones down partly with medication and I feel "adequately normal" again. What a relief. The allergies are still there for the time being, but I wonder if stress has affected my liver causing what I experience as allergies. Time will tell.

Thanks again.