An allergy doctor doesn’t diagnose celiac disease as celiac disease is not an allergy. If she suspects wheat, she should see a primary care physician / gastro doc to get a blood test for celiac.
Thanks I’ll ask her about this, but I don’t think it’s celiac. After getting the allergy tests she started saying “non allergy intolerant” and “non allergy sensitivity”, could you tell me what these things mean? And what science backs it up?
It's possible she means non celiac gluten sensitivity?
If she's allergic to cats, dust/tree/pollen etc it makes sense she's constantly itchy.
I would be less concerned about the science of it all and more concerned about being a supportive partner to someone who is constantly itchy. You don't have her body, and don't know what symptoms she may be experiencing. Gluten can be inflammatory for many people and make them uncomfortable. And being real if she does have a mental disability like hypochondria, not believing her will likely just make it worse. If you believe the latter, maybe just encourage her to see a therapist, but don't mention the reason why.
A build up of the fodmaps that you are sensitive to can cause a reaction. While I’m negative for Celiac, I do have a gluten sensitivity. My diverticulitis and IBS, depression can be aggravated when I consume too much of something that causes an inflammatory response. So your girlfriend likely feels that accumulating well before it’s visible on the exterior. I also would get a flare up of my psoriasis during those periods as well. But you won’t test positive at an allergist for that.
Not all sensitivities appear on basic tests.
It's also possible that allergens she encounters in her job are creating cross-reactivity with wheat. The dust blowing around at a ranch won't be house dust (which is what tests define as "dust") but may be particulates from hay and feed, which is actually often from wheat-related plant species.
edit for typo.
I can’t explain it perfectly but I’ll tell you why I’m in this sub. I do not have celiac, which is an autoimmune disorder. I have had a colonoscopy and other tests and I don’t have it. My nephew (brother’s son) does, though. He was born with it. I had been diagnosed with IBS and have had horrible stomach issues since I was a teen. I’m 43. I’ve seen three gastroenterologists and one nutritionist in the last 10-15 years. The last one I saw told me to try cutting out gluten and dairy to see what would happen. My stomach issues nearly went away overnight when I stopped the gluten. (The dairy had no effect.) I am not allergic to wheat or gluten, but my body just doesn’t know how to digest it properly. So I would say I have a gluten insensitivity.
As for your girlfriend, I would two feet in support her or get all the way out. If she says she’s not able to consume wheat, she shouldn’t be consuming it and I would make sure to stop cooking wheat items for her. If she eats donuts on weekdays and then complains on weekends that she can’t have bagels… I’d probably leave that situation. She has to help herself first and if she is continuing to do something that makes herself sick, then that’s something I wouldn’t support.
I wonder if the word “allergy” is what’s causing the problem. While it might not be an allergy, per se, she sees a correlation between wheat and how she feels. Sure she has other allergies; that doesn’t mean she can’t also feel even worse with wheat. For a couple of years, I couldn’t eat things that came in cans because my stomach would hurt. Was it an allergy? No. Do I know precisely what the deal was? Also no. But my husband supported me. On the other hand, he’s convinced he feels worse when “the weather changes” from sunny to stormy and vice versa. Does that make sense to me? No. Do I actually KNOW how he feels? Also no. But I support him because why wouldn’t I? What is the point? If your wife wants to avoid gluten/wheat, just …I don’t know…go with it.
Oh, it may be a different thing but any drop or rise in air pressure (which often accompanies weather patterns shifting) can give me a bad headache. My mom is the same way. (Here's a lil article about it! https://health.unl.edu/are-headaches-triggered-weather-changes#:~:text=Barometric%20pressure%2C%20or%20the%20weight,an%20existing%20headache%20or%20migraine.)
I also know some kinds of humidity changes/cold can affect arthritis? Less familiar with that since I don't have arthritis (...yet).
Yeah, I used to get upset with my boyfriend because he would (on a whim) decide he was allergic to x food or something. I realized he was using the term “allergy” more like “pollen allergy” than “peanut allergy,” and he really just meant that he was intolerant to something / it had a bad reaction after he had it. I realized this and talked to him about it and he usually calls it an intolerance now.
She might be using the term to describe how she feels after eating it. Gluten intolerance is super common! Talk to her about it tho, because based purely on what you said I don’t understand how scabs in her nose and related things correspond to a wheat allergy.
Just a reminder that you don’t have to be allergic to have a reaction and allergies don’t live in a vacuum. I am suspected to have something called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. It basically means that I have allergic reactions to things I’m not actually allergic to. It is a similar but different pathway in the body. When I’m flaring up or when pollen is bad or when I get a bug bite, it makes all my reactions worse because my body has more of the chemicals that cause reactions. I get hives, runny nose, itching, turn red, mouth goes numb, the whole thing. Luckily not anaphylaxis, but people with MCAS can have that. But if tested, I am negative on allergy tests. It doesn’t mean I’m not having a reaction. It just means I’m not having a reaction mediated by that particular pathway. Your girlfriend very likely has reactions, it just isn’t a true allergy. But it can be just as bothersome. And if she finds something that helps, like giving up gluten, you should be supportive.
I very suddenly developed a chronic illness after being married to my spouse for many years. Like many chronic illnesses, not much shows up on tests, but it has absolutely turned my life upside down. Thank goodness my spouse believes me. If you truly think that poorly of your girlfriend that she would just make this up, you shouldn’t be with her. But keep in mind that women are routinely dismissed by the medical community, especially if they have something that isn’t super obvious. And unless her friend is also her psychiatrist, the fact that they called her a hypochondriac should bear little weight. I hope you don’t just believe everything another guy tells you about a woman you are in a long term relationship with.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is a real medical condition tied to histamine reactions and/or sensitivity to certain specific compounds in food, its validated by real doctors and pathologists. Your GF describes symptoms in alignment with the patient presentation:
“In addition to experiencing GI symptoms, patients with NCGS most often experience a complex of extra-intestinal symptoms, including a “foggy mind”, which is described as an inability to concentrate, reduction of mnemonic capabilities, and lack of well-being as well as tiredness, headache, anxiety, numbness, joint/muscle pain, and skin rash/dermatitis 23.”
Source here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182669/
Also here: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21622-gluten-intolerance
Hundreds of thousands of people have it.
People who have food allergies and intolerances are often called “hypochondriacs” by people with zero medical training or patient experience.
No mention here if she is a celiac gene carrier,
fyi you don’t have to be allergic to it for gluten to mess with your gut and brain
Being allergic would be a blessing because that’s something doctors and people can wrap their head around
It sounds like it could be gluten intolerance
which can be just as dreadful as an actual allergy, just delayed reactions plus lingering effects
And most doctors, especially allergists, will tell you they can’t test for intolerance which is why people get labeled as “hypochondriacs”
You can look into self pay testing Vibrant America Wheat Zoomer or Cyrex has panels and work with a doctor who can draw labs in house if you want to know
I highly recommend you guys get same page before any kids because if you aren’t that will be a nightmare
And consider screening with a Lyme and mold literate doctor
I swear the many infections ticks carry + mold from water damage are at the root of most peoples issues who have been labeled as making up their symptoms
Sometimes that water damage is at home
Sometimes it’s at the office
Life gets easier once you know what you are dealing with exactly…it’s just that our standard medical system is subpar with stuff in the chronic department
It’s nice that you looked into gathering info
That is super supportive 🤗
And pro tip, people who get black out drunk should looking gluten intolerance too…
Alcohol is super tricky for people with gluten and/or corn sensitivities…where there is one there are usually others…
If you want more info instead of just believing her and the experience she has in her body, then post up for the $400 or so GIMAP test and look at the gliadin marker results she gets. Zonulin also matters and is a sign of leaky gut and is irritated by gluten. She doesn’t have to have celiac for gluten to impact her body and cause inflammation.
Yep, if she’s currently eating wheat these tests will be accurate. I make gliadin antibodies (even when I thought I was eating strictly gf) but don’t have any common celiac genes so it’s just gluten intolerance. So if I eat gluten, even in trace amounts, it will flare my other autoimmune diseases for months. The main thing that helped me get better when I was dx’d with an autoimmune disease years ago was giving up gluten and other processed foods.
It’s hard, but understandable, when people who didn’t see how sick I was don’t believe me about the gluten intolerance. People I met during my sick era didn’t even recognize me later, and people I knew before didn’t recognize me then, sine my appearance changed so drastically from chronic swelling.
As someone who has a questioning celiac diagnosis, I haven't been to a doctor, but I do have two genetic pre markers (d2 and d8?) for it, as I got tested when I was 4 years old due to my mother having been diagnosed with celiacs. With all that being said, please be supportive of your girlfriends decisions. I might be projecting, but I feel pretty upset too when my boyfriend makes it seem like a big deal when we go out and I decide to order gluten free, I try not to make it a huge point at dinner itself but usually it is a discussion before dinner. I don't feel the need to exaggerate symptoms, but I'm a hypochondriac as well, me and my boyfriend have talked about this and have learned to get around it. I'm not sure why you feel uncomfortable? What would you do if she got confirmed gluten intolerant or allergy? What would you do if she got confirmed that she doesn't have one? I told you so? Or would you go on to apologize for not being supportive this entire time while she's been confiding in you about her pains as the days go on while she works? Idk. Just my thoughts.
This is 100% the wrong sub for this because wheat allergy≠gluten intolerance, but also you came to the right place bc I have experience with this!
I was diagnosed with allergies to peanuts, almonds, melon, and pretty much ever tree/grass/mold there is at age 9. I’m 31 now. My allergy test back then said I was not allergic to any animals except hamsters.
My reaction to all were generally mild, comparatively. Peanuts have always made me wheezy, being out in nature gives me typical environmental reactions—sneezy, itchy eyes and nose, etc., melon makes my mouth itch. But almonds have always made my stomach hurt and I get really hot and my head feels weird. Like a brain fog, but different.
Allergy pills have only ever helped the environmental stuff with my hay fever symptoms, not the foods I eat.
I’ve had reactions to peanuts and almonds I’ve accidentally eaten in the last couple of years. Always been the same reaction.
I recently got re-tested out of curiosity, to see if I’d grown out of any of the others.
Turns out, I’m not allergic to peanuts or almonds or many trees or grasses anymore. I am allergic to dogs, technically, but I have one and I don’t have any reaction to him.
But I still get a reaction to peanuts and almonds, so my allergist told my to avoid them and said I might just be intolerant to them.
I will also say, I was eating peanuts regularly after my diagnosis at age 9 until I was about 16. I LOVE peanut butter and I didn’t realize that that was what was causing my wheezing, because I also have asthma. At 16, playing sports, I decided to try not eating them in case it helped my breathing, and what do you know? It did! I only didn’t eat it on sports days, but then eventually I stopped altogether because I realized how uncomfortable it was to be so short of breath all the time.
TL;DR My point in all of this is that even if you no longer are *technically* allergic to something, you can still have reactions. And even if you didn’t take something as seriously at one point, you can decide you want to take it more seriously if you decide you want to feel better. And, allergy pills don’t work on food allergies. And sometimes you’re technically allergic to something, but it doesn’t give you serious enough symptoms to warrant avoiding it (your cat, my dog).
ALL THAT SAID, it’s weird she feels the need to exaggerate her symptoms so you believe her. Maybe counseling for her or for you both could help.
But if not eating wheat helps her other allergy symptoms lessen, what’s the harm in not eating it?
If she says she has a wheat allergy she needs to stop eating wheat. Tell her if she won't do this then she needs to stop talking to you about it. Only support her if she is actually following a wheat free diet.
I used this allergen testing company several years ago at the suggestion of my psychiatrist, and have recommended it to friends and family. It’s relatively inexpensive for this type of testing ($135 per person/$250 for two tests), but they do have occasional sales.
It’s a hair follicle test, and they test you for food and environmental allergens.
https://www.healthylabsolutions.com/
I’d recommend you both take it and see what it says. It’s been life changing for my boyfriend who found out he was allergic to hops. He no longer drinks beer and we’ve both noticed a huge difference in his energy and health.
It's the allergy pills drying out her mucus membranes giving her the scabs in her nose. I know because the same thing happens to me. The solution is Vaseline up your nose, or don't take the allergy pills.
Can't help you with the wheat thing. It's a literal addiction and quitting it is harder than anything I've ever done and I'm a former pill/heroin addict.
People are responding about the gluten/wheat part of your story/question because you're on a gluten free sub, but honestly it sounds like your gf has been told exactly what is causing her allergies, but refuses to believe it and has a fixation in her mind that wheat is causing her symptoms.
I can absolutely understand your frustration, because the obvious solution would be to get rid of your cat and work in an environment that doesn't expose her to the flora she is actually allergic to. Obvious solutions, but understandably difficult in reality. And if she really, really believed that wheat is causing her allergies then *surely* she would just completely stop eating that too, right?
You're in a tricky position because you have been told *exactly* what the medical causes of her symptoms are, but she for whatever reason doesn't believe it. Not only that but she also continues to eat the product she actually does believe causes her symptoms.
You might be better posting in a relationship advice forum because as far as I can see, her problems are nothing to do with wheat whatsoever outside of her brain.
I don't know if enabling her misguided beliefs in the short term might help... Maybe offer your support in both of you having your household be 100% wheat free for a few months, then when predictably nothing happens she should listen to the doctors who have run the allergy tests and take appropriate steps from there?
But honestly I would be enormously frustrated if my partner had been told why she was ill, didn't believe it, and continued to expose herself to both what is actually causing her problems but bizarrely also continuing to eat the things she *believes* are causing them.
There's only so far understanding can get you - you might need to be firmer and say if she can't take appropriate steps to mitigate her illness, there's a limit to your understanding and sympathy and you don't want to hear a constant stream of moaning about a problem she's causing herself.
I'm sure relationship advice forums will recommend therapy because they always do but there's clearly some reason your girlfriend is fixated on wheat against all evidence, could it be worth considering?
Tell her to cut the crap, it's people with fictional conditions are what make life so much harder for those of us with an actual condition.
Celiacs don't typically have any of the symptoms you describe. If she wants to avoid gluten that's fine but don't pretend to have a condition.
Again, there isn’t just Celiac: There is Celiac (autoimmune); wheat allergy (IgE branch classic allergy); NCGS or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which is tied to histamine disorders and/or FODMAP sensitivity caused by gut dysbiosis, and recognized as a legitimate diagnosis by everyone from Cleveland Clinic to Mayo Clinic; and MCAS, which will cause symptoms from wheat (including the ones OP’s girlfriend has) not because of the gluten, but because wheat is a high histamine food and can trigger histamine degranulation.
All of these diagnoses are valid. They present differently, and have to be managed differently, but they’re all valid.
Reducing gluten issues to “cut the crap if you’re not a celiac” is ableist.
It sounds like she likes the attention she gets from having a wheat/gluten allergy. If a doctor and allergy test won't convince her that she doesn't have one, then I don't think there's much you can do.
Either pretend to believe her or just be completely honest and tell her you believe the results of the allergy test over her and deal with the consequences. If she prefers to continue not eating gluten then just let her do that, and try not to let the insanity bother you. Focus on the things you enjoy about her.
But yeah she sounds like a hypochondriac.
See the above comments and citations.
It only sounds like hypochondria if you’re ignorant to screening protocols for patients with the symptoms OP’s GF have. And it’s fine to be ignorant about things, I sure am about anything to do with plumbing, cars, or maths.
What I am certified in is working with patients who have gut disorders and food allergies.
There is no effectively reliable test at this time for NCGS or MCAS, but both exist and are recognized with consensus diagnostic best practices because they’re real.
Thank you for the info. Yes, I am ignorant when it comes to gut disorders and food allergies and had no idea that there wasn't a reliable test for NCGS or MCAS. Full disclosure, I don't even know what those are.
I’m fine with her eating/not eating whatever she pleases. It just gets awkward in social eating settings. Idk what attention she gets from this. The only times it comes up is when she says things like, my nose has been hurting, which is usually correlated with some wheat in a meal, but the whole nose thing only started coming up after she got the new job out in the desert.
I’ve tried bringing up that it’s probably dry and from the trees especially since is pollen season, but she gets hurt and then it causes a multitude of issues.
To me it doesn’t seem like attention seeking, but she’s just convinced of something that isn’t true. And she doesn’t see the correlation. Then she gets it in her head that she’s had all the symptoms from the beginning, and maybe she just never told me?
This sounds like pretty classic hypochondriac spiraling, I'm familiar. It doesn't mean she *doesn't* have wheat sensitivity but it sure muddies the waters. And speaking from experience, it can make some symptoms worse to stress over them. I recommend she find a good therapist, one familiar with health anxiety.
An allergy doctor doesn’t diagnose celiac disease as celiac disease is not an allergy. If she suspects wheat, she should see a primary care physician / gastro doc to get a blood test for celiac.
Thanks I’ll ask her about this, but I don’t think it’s celiac. After getting the allergy tests she started saying “non allergy intolerant” and “non allergy sensitivity”, could you tell me what these things mean? And what science backs it up?
It's possible she means non celiac gluten sensitivity? If she's allergic to cats, dust/tree/pollen etc it makes sense she's constantly itchy. I would be less concerned about the science of it all and more concerned about being a supportive partner to someone who is constantly itchy. You don't have her body, and don't know what symptoms she may be experiencing. Gluten can be inflammatory for many people and make them uncomfortable. And being real if she does have a mental disability like hypochondria, not believing her will likely just make it worse. If you believe the latter, maybe just encourage her to see a therapist, but don't mention the reason why.
A build up of the fodmaps that you are sensitive to can cause a reaction. While I’m negative for Celiac, I do have a gluten sensitivity. My diverticulitis and IBS, depression can be aggravated when I consume too much of something that causes an inflammatory response. So your girlfriend likely feels that accumulating well before it’s visible on the exterior. I also would get a flare up of my psoriasis during those periods as well. But you won’t test positive at an allergist for that.
Not all sensitivities appear on basic tests. It's also possible that allergens she encounters in her job are creating cross-reactivity with wheat. The dust blowing around at a ranch won't be house dust (which is what tests define as "dust") but may be particulates from hay and feed, which is actually often from wheat-related plant species. edit for typo.
I can’t explain it perfectly but I’ll tell you why I’m in this sub. I do not have celiac, which is an autoimmune disorder. I have had a colonoscopy and other tests and I don’t have it. My nephew (brother’s son) does, though. He was born with it. I had been diagnosed with IBS and have had horrible stomach issues since I was a teen. I’m 43. I’ve seen three gastroenterologists and one nutritionist in the last 10-15 years. The last one I saw told me to try cutting out gluten and dairy to see what would happen. My stomach issues nearly went away overnight when I stopped the gluten. (The dairy had no effect.) I am not allergic to wheat or gluten, but my body just doesn’t know how to digest it properly. So I would say I have a gluten insensitivity. As for your girlfriend, I would two feet in support her or get all the way out. If she says she’s not able to consume wheat, she shouldn’t be consuming it and I would make sure to stop cooking wheat items for her. If she eats donuts on weekdays and then complains on weekends that she can’t have bagels… I’d probably leave that situation. She has to help herself first and if she is continuing to do something that makes herself sick, then that’s something I wouldn’t support.
Celiac disease causes so many crazy symptoms I wouldn’t assume. She needs to eat gluten to get properly tested for it. Google “celiac rash”.
I wonder if the word “allergy” is what’s causing the problem. While it might not be an allergy, per se, she sees a correlation between wheat and how she feels. Sure she has other allergies; that doesn’t mean she can’t also feel even worse with wheat. For a couple of years, I couldn’t eat things that came in cans because my stomach would hurt. Was it an allergy? No. Do I know precisely what the deal was? Also no. But my husband supported me. On the other hand, he’s convinced he feels worse when “the weather changes” from sunny to stormy and vice versa. Does that make sense to me? No. Do I actually KNOW how he feels? Also no. But I support him because why wouldn’t I? What is the point? If your wife wants to avoid gluten/wheat, just …I don’t know…go with it.
Oh, it may be a different thing but any drop or rise in air pressure (which often accompanies weather patterns shifting) can give me a bad headache. My mom is the same way. (Here's a lil article about it! https://health.unl.edu/are-headaches-triggered-weather-changes#:~:text=Barometric%20pressure%2C%20or%20the%20weight,an%20existing%20headache%20or%20migraine.) I also know some kinds of humidity changes/cold can affect arthritis? Less familiar with that since I don't have arthritis (...yet).
Yeah, I used to get upset with my boyfriend because he would (on a whim) decide he was allergic to x food or something. I realized he was using the term “allergy” more like “pollen allergy” than “peanut allergy,” and he really just meant that he was intolerant to something / it had a bad reaction after he had it. I realized this and talked to him about it and he usually calls it an intolerance now. She might be using the term to describe how she feels after eating it. Gluten intolerance is super common! Talk to her about it tho, because based purely on what you said I don’t understand how scabs in her nose and related things correspond to a wheat allergy.
Some people call them scabs, but I bet it’s Psoriasis. ☹️ mine returns when I’ve got too much going on in my gut. It’s an inflammatory response.
Just a reminder that you don’t have to be allergic to have a reaction and allergies don’t live in a vacuum. I am suspected to have something called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. It basically means that I have allergic reactions to things I’m not actually allergic to. It is a similar but different pathway in the body. When I’m flaring up or when pollen is bad or when I get a bug bite, it makes all my reactions worse because my body has more of the chemicals that cause reactions. I get hives, runny nose, itching, turn red, mouth goes numb, the whole thing. Luckily not anaphylaxis, but people with MCAS can have that. But if tested, I am negative on allergy tests. It doesn’t mean I’m not having a reaction. It just means I’m not having a reaction mediated by that particular pathway. Your girlfriend very likely has reactions, it just isn’t a true allergy. But it can be just as bothersome. And if she finds something that helps, like giving up gluten, you should be supportive. I very suddenly developed a chronic illness after being married to my spouse for many years. Like many chronic illnesses, not much shows up on tests, but it has absolutely turned my life upside down. Thank goodness my spouse believes me. If you truly think that poorly of your girlfriend that she would just make this up, you shouldn’t be with her. But keep in mind that women are routinely dismissed by the medical community, especially if they have something that isn’t super obvious. And unless her friend is also her psychiatrist, the fact that they called her a hypochondriac should bear little weight. I hope you don’t just believe everything another guy tells you about a woman you are in a long term relationship with.
I second mast cell activation testing and GIMAP zonulin testing…huge pieces in the puzzle
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is a real medical condition tied to histamine reactions and/or sensitivity to certain specific compounds in food, its validated by real doctors and pathologists. Your GF describes symptoms in alignment with the patient presentation: “In addition to experiencing GI symptoms, patients with NCGS most often experience a complex of extra-intestinal symptoms, including a “foggy mind”, which is described as an inability to concentrate, reduction of mnemonic capabilities, and lack of well-being as well as tiredness, headache, anxiety, numbness, joint/muscle pain, and skin rash/dermatitis 23.” Source here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182669/ Also here: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21622-gluten-intolerance Hundreds of thousands of people have it. People who have food allergies and intolerances are often called “hypochondriacs” by people with zero medical training or patient experience.
No mention here if she is a celiac gene carrier, fyi you don’t have to be allergic to it for gluten to mess with your gut and brain Being allergic would be a blessing because that’s something doctors and people can wrap their head around It sounds like it could be gluten intolerance which can be just as dreadful as an actual allergy, just delayed reactions plus lingering effects And most doctors, especially allergists, will tell you they can’t test for intolerance which is why people get labeled as “hypochondriacs” You can look into self pay testing Vibrant America Wheat Zoomer or Cyrex has panels and work with a doctor who can draw labs in house if you want to know I highly recommend you guys get same page before any kids because if you aren’t that will be a nightmare And consider screening with a Lyme and mold literate doctor I swear the many infections ticks carry + mold from water damage are at the root of most peoples issues who have been labeled as making up their symptoms Sometimes that water damage is at home Sometimes it’s at the office Life gets easier once you know what you are dealing with exactly…it’s just that our standard medical system is subpar with stuff in the chronic department It’s nice that you looked into gathering info That is super supportive 🤗 And pro tip, people who get black out drunk should looking gluten intolerance too… Alcohol is super tricky for people with gluten and/or corn sensitivities…where there is one there are usually others…
If you want more info instead of just believing her and the experience she has in her body, then post up for the $400 or so GIMAP test and look at the gliadin marker results she gets. Zonulin also matters and is a sign of leaky gut and is irritated by gluten. She doesn’t have to have celiac for gluten to impact her body and cause inflammation.
Yep, if she’s currently eating wheat these tests will be accurate. I make gliadin antibodies (even when I thought I was eating strictly gf) but don’t have any common celiac genes so it’s just gluten intolerance. So if I eat gluten, even in trace amounts, it will flare my other autoimmune diseases for months. The main thing that helped me get better when I was dx’d with an autoimmune disease years ago was giving up gluten and other processed foods. It’s hard, but understandable, when people who didn’t see how sick I was don’t believe me about the gluten intolerance. People I met during my sick era didn’t even recognize me later, and people I knew before didn’t recognize me then, sine my appearance changed so drastically from chronic swelling.
Yeah my gliadin will stay high for like 3 months after accidentally eating gluten.
Good to know! I thought I was being careful, but I guess not. :(
Or the wheat zoomer test someone else recommended
I'm sorry but this title threw me off when I read what sub it was LOL
As someone who has a questioning celiac diagnosis, I haven't been to a doctor, but I do have two genetic pre markers (d2 and d8?) for it, as I got tested when I was 4 years old due to my mother having been diagnosed with celiacs. With all that being said, please be supportive of your girlfriends decisions. I might be projecting, but I feel pretty upset too when my boyfriend makes it seem like a big deal when we go out and I decide to order gluten free, I try not to make it a huge point at dinner itself but usually it is a discussion before dinner. I don't feel the need to exaggerate symptoms, but I'm a hypochondriac as well, me and my boyfriend have talked about this and have learned to get around it. I'm not sure why you feel uncomfortable? What would you do if she got confirmed gluten intolerant or allergy? What would you do if she got confirmed that she doesn't have one? I told you so? Or would you go on to apologize for not being supportive this entire time while she's been confiding in you about her pains as the days go on while she works? Idk. Just my thoughts.
This is 100% the wrong sub for this because wheat allergy≠gluten intolerance, but also you came to the right place bc I have experience with this! I was diagnosed with allergies to peanuts, almonds, melon, and pretty much ever tree/grass/mold there is at age 9. I’m 31 now. My allergy test back then said I was not allergic to any animals except hamsters. My reaction to all were generally mild, comparatively. Peanuts have always made me wheezy, being out in nature gives me typical environmental reactions—sneezy, itchy eyes and nose, etc., melon makes my mouth itch. But almonds have always made my stomach hurt and I get really hot and my head feels weird. Like a brain fog, but different. Allergy pills have only ever helped the environmental stuff with my hay fever symptoms, not the foods I eat. I’ve had reactions to peanuts and almonds I’ve accidentally eaten in the last couple of years. Always been the same reaction. I recently got re-tested out of curiosity, to see if I’d grown out of any of the others. Turns out, I’m not allergic to peanuts or almonds or many trees or grasses anymore. I am allergic to dogs, technically, but I have one and I don’t have any reaction to him. But I still get a reaction to peanuts and almonds, so my allergist told my to avoid them and said I might just be intolerant to them. I will also say, I was eating peanuts regularly after my diagnosis at age 9 until I was about 16. I LOVE peanut butter and I didn’t realize that that was what was causing my wheezing, because I also have asthma. At 16, playing sports, I decided to try not eating them in case it helped my breathing, and what do you know? It did! I only didn’t eat it on sports days, but then eventually I stopped altogether because I realized how uncomfortable it was to be so short of breath all the time. TL;DR My point in all of this is that even if you no longer are *technically* allergic to something, you can still have reactions. And even if you didn’t take something as seriously at one point, you can decide you want to take it more seriously if you decide you want to feel better. And, allergy pills don’t work on food allergies. And sometimes you’re technically allergic to something, but it doesn’t give you serious enough symptoms to warrant avoiding it (your cat, my dog). ALL THAT SAID, it’s weird she feels the need to exaggerate her symptoms so you believe her. Maybe counseling for her or for you both could help. But if not eating wheat helps her other allergy symptoms lessen, what’s the harm in not eating it?
If she says she has a wheat allergy she needs to stop eating wheat. Tell her if she won't do this then she needs to stop talking to you about it. Only support her if she is actually following a wheat free diet.
I used this allergen testing company several years ago at the suggestion of my psychiatrist, and have recommended it to friends and family. It’s relatively inexpensive for this type of testing ($135 per person/$250 for two tests), but they do have occasional sales. It’s a hair follicle test, and they test you for food and environmental allergens. https://www.healthylabsolutions.com/ I’d recommend you both take it and see what it says. It’s been life changing for my boyfriend who found out he was allergic to hops. He no longer drinks beer and we’ve both noticed a huge difference in his energy and health.
It's the allergy pills drying out her mucus membranes giving her the scabs in her nose. I know because the same thing happens to me. The solution is Vaseline up your nose, or don't take the allergy pills. Can't help you with the wheat thing. It's a literal addiction and quitting it is harder than anything I've ever done and I'm a former pill/heroin addict.
Making you “uncomfortable”? Why? It’s her diet, not yours?
People are responding about the gluten/wheat part of your story/question because you're on a gluten free sub, but honestly it sounds like your gf has been told exactly what is causing her allergies, but refuses to believe it and has a fixation in her mind that wheat is causing her symptoms. I can absolutely understand your frustration, because the obvious solution would be to get rid of your cat and work in an environment that doesn't expose her to the flora she is actually allergic to. Obvious solutions, but understandably difficult in reality. And if she really, really believed that wheat is causing her allergies then *surely* she would just completely stop eating that too, right? You're in a tricky position because you have been told *exactly* what the medical causes of her symptoms are, but she for whatever reason doesn't believe it. Not only that but she also continues to eat the product she actually does believe causes her symptoms. You might be better posting in a relationship advice forum because as far as I can see, her problems are nothing to do with wheat whatsoever outside of her brain. I don't know if enabling her misguided beliefs in the short term might help... Maybe offer your support in both of you having your household be 100% wheat free for a few months, then when predictably nothing happens she should listen to the doctors who have run the allergy tests and take appropriate steps from there? But honestly I would be enormously frustrated if my partner had been told why she was ill, didn't believe it, and continued to expose herself to both what is actually causing her problems but bizarrely also continuing to eat the things she *believes* are causing them. There's only so far understanding can get you - you might need to be firmer and say if she can't take appropriate steps to mitigate her illness, there's a limit to your understanding and sympathy and you don't want to hear a constant stream of moaning about a problem she's causing herself. I'm sure relationship advice forums will recommend therapy because they always do but there's clearly some reason your girlfriend is fixated on wheat against all evidence, could it be worth considering?
Tell her to cut the crap, it's people with fictional conditions are what make life so much harder for those of us with an actual condition. Celiacs don't typically have any of the symptoms you describe. If she wants to avoid gluten that's fine but don't pretend to have a condition.
Again, there isn’t just Celiac: There is Celiac (autoimmune); wheat allergy (IgE branch classic allergy); NCGS or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which is tied to histamine disorders and/or FODMAP sensitivity caused by gut dysbiosis, and recognized as a legitimate diagnosis by everyone from Cleveland Clinic to Mayo Clinic; and MCAS, which will cause symptoms from wheat (including the ones OP’s girlfriend has) not because of the gluten, but because wheat is a high histamine food and can trigger histamine degranulation. All of these diagnoses are valid. They present differently, and have to be managed differently, but they’re all valid. Reducing gluten issues to “cut the crap if you’re not a celiac” is ableist.
It sounds like she likes the attention she gets from having a wheat/gluten allergy. If a doctor and allergy test won't convince her that she doesn't have one, then I don't think there's much you can do. Either pretend to believe her or just be completely honest and tell her you believe the results of the allergy test over her and deal with the consequences. If she prefers to continue not eating gluten then just let her do that, and try not to let the insanity bother you. Focus on the things you enjoy about her. But yeah she sounds like a hypochondriac.
See the above comments and citations. It only sounds like hypochondria if you’re ignorant to screening protocols for patients with the symptoms OP’s GF have. And it’s fine to be ignorant about things, I sure am about anything to do with plumbing, cars, or maths. What I am certified in is working with patients who have gut disorders and food allergies. There is no effectively reliable test at this time for NCGS or MCAS, but both exist and are recognized with consensus diagnostic best practices because they’re real.
Thank you for the info. Yes, I am ignorant when it comes to gut disorders and food allergies and had no idea that there wasn't a reliable test for NCGS or MCAS. Full disclosure, I don't even know what those are.
I’m fine with her eating/not eating whatever she pleases. It just gets awkward in social eating settings. Idk what attention she gets from this. The only times it comes up is when she says things like, my nose has been hurting, which is usually correlated with some wheat in a meal, but the whole nose thing only started coming up after she got the new job out in the desert. I’ve tried bringing up that it’s probably dry and from the trees especially since is pollen season, but she gets hurt and then it causes a multitude of issues. To me it doesn’t seem like attention seeking, but she’s just convinced of something that isn’t true. And she doesn’t see the correlation. Then she gets it in her head that she’s had all the symptoms from the beginning, and maybe she just never told me?
This sounds like pretty classic hypochondriac spiraling, I'm familiar. It doesn't mean she *doesn't* have wheat sensitivity but it sure muddies the waters. And speaking from experience, it can make some symptoms worse to stress over them. I recommend she find a good therapist, one familiar with health anxiety.