Does anyone have any experience with Nickel Allergies?
I had some gum issues prior to my CC and have had several medical professionals who did not feel that I fit in any particular pocket. Finally one of them said possibly Lichen Planus/Lichenoid reaction.. so I went off Dr. hunting and found a specialist in Oral/Gum/Mucousal. He was great. Dr. Martin (UW). Since I have some permanent metal in my mouth we went down the road of allergy testing for metals and it comes that I am allergic to Metal/and Chromium and a few others. So obviously I will need to get the metal out of my mouth.. but what about food, it appears that Nickel is in most foods. I have already eliminated Gluten, Nuts, Oatmeal, Beans. (The nuts, oatmeal, and beans actually caused a reaction for my CC, the gluten never did but based on all the posts here it just seemed like a good idea).
Nickel/Metal Allergy
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I had a lot of metal in both feet as a result of some foot reconstruction. I got an infection in one of the incisions not long after the surgery. I was put on an antibiotic and felt better, but then it started looking worse. The surgeon sent me to an allergist because he thought maybe I was having a reaction to the nickel in my foot rather than an infection. Fortunately, my husband took pictures of my foot daily for weeks so I had pictures to show the allergist is what it looked like initially and what it looked like previous to my appointment with him. The allergist said that almost everyone will test positive for allergy to nickel, but that it was actually well-tolerated in feet, etc, and very few people really reacted to it. He said I was having a reaction to the infection and that it was already resolving (I knew that, that is why I had the pictures with me). So...while you may test positive for metal allergies, be careful that you don't have the metal in your mouth yanked out prematurely.
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
What he was apparently saying is that almost everyone produces antibodies to nickel, but most people successfully develop a tolerance for it.Jane wrote:The allergist said that almost everyone will test positive for allergy to nickel, but that it was actually well-tolerated in feet, etc, and very few people really reacted to it.
The problem with that scenario is that it keeps the immune system perpetually busy producing antibodies, and the continuing production of antibodies almost surely leads to inflammatory damage somewhere in the body. You may recall the example and research article that I cited in my book, regarding orally-induced tolerance for food sensitivities (which led to damage in the jejunal mucosa, in their example). I have grave concerns about the long-term safety of that practice (orally-induced tolerance of food sensitivities).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I'm allergic to nickel (contact allergy since I was a teen - perhaps due to having braces). I can't even wear gold earrings (low nickel content). I recently did some research on nickel allergy and autoimmunity and found some startling connections.
The discussion can be found on Page 5 of this thread about my skin rash:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... c&start=60
Basically, you can have systemic nickel allergy, which means it may act as a food sensitivity, and avoiding foods with high nickel content may be needed to control the D (chocolate is the biggest, along with whole grains, nuts, dried fruit, legumes, canned foods, etc)
A few studies show that people with nickel allergy are also sensitive to other metals such as mercury. That means amalgam fillings in your mouth (which are 50%+ mercury) can be a significant contributor to chronic inflammation. In patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, eliminating amalgam fillings resolved the autoantiobodies, but only in those with nickel/metal allergies. If you get mouth sores and have metal in your mouth, I would be especially suspicious. Incidentally, metal crowns are almost entirely made of nickel, and nickel "sweats" giving off metal particles all the time.
Nickel is excreted in stool and sweat, not in urine, which might partly explain why I have gut and skin issues. I've always said I'm allergic to my own sweat - my skin turns bright red, burns and feels raw, until I can wash the sweat off. I also get prickly heat rashes and mini-hives when I sweat.
My doctor said that as a whole we are exposed to much more metal than we should in all our consumer goods, electronics, etc. At least 10% of women are allergic to nickel. I'm in the process of changing my jeans to Levi's or Banana Republic, because they claim to only use buttons and grommets that are nickel-free. Most jeans give me a rash on my hips. And I'm getting my last 2 amalgam fillings out next month.
The discussion can be found on Page 5 of this thread about my skin rash:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... c&start=60
Basically, you can have systemic nickel allergy, which means it may act as a food sensitivity, and avoiding foods with high nickel content may be needed to control the D (chocolate is the biggest, along with whole grains, nuts, dried fruit, legumes, canned foods, etc)
A few studies show that people with nickel allergy are also sensitive to other metals such as mercury. That means amalgam fillings in your mouth (which are 50%+ mercury) can be a significant contributor to chronic inflammation. In patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, eliminating amalgam fillings resolved the autoantiobodies, but only in those with nickel/metal allergies. If you get mouth sores and have metal in your mouth, I would be especially suspicious. Incidentally, metal crowns are almost entirely made of nickel, and nickel "sweats" giving off metal particles all the time.
Nickel is excreted in stool and sweat, not in urine, which might partly explain why I have gut and skin issues. I've always said I'm allergic to my own sweat - my skin turns bright red, burns and feels raw, until I can wash the sweat off. I also get prickly heat rashes and mini-hives when I sweat.
My doctor said that as a whole we are exposed to much more metal than we should in all our consumer goods, electronics, etc. At least 10% of women are allergic to nickel. I'm in the process of changing my jeans to Levi's or Banana Republic, because they claim to only use buttons and grommets that are nickel-free. Most jeans give me a rash on my hips. And I'm getting my last 2 amalgam fillings out next month.
Incidentally, my skin rash of Dermatomyositis shares many histologic features with lichen planus, namely an "interface dermatitis" caused by lymphocyte infiltration. If my rash pattern wasn't such a slam dunk for DM, lichen planus would have been on the differential diagnosis.Finally one of them said possibly Lichen Planus/Lichenoid reaction
Thank you for the information. I have always known I reacted to some earrings so I don't know why it took me so long to realize that the metal in my mouth might be a problem... maybe because it has been there since my teens?! Your rash sounded awful... but curious that it is in the same pocket with the lichen planus..
I will have to take a look at that section of your book Tex so I know what you are talking about.. you have so much in your book I just put it by the night stand and look in it as necessary. I am learning so much in this journey!
I am getting the metal removed as it will not/should not affect affect anything too negatively and could be positive. I am hoping for the positive!!!! Unfortunately I won't know for 6 months while my body heals. The MD did test me for mercury (negative response) as I asked about my two silver fillings.. but your response makes me think that I should keep that in my pocket and possibly remove those in the future. I think I will make sure that I am aware of the foods that have a high content of Nickel. My D has been better than it was in the beginning. I have runs of days when it is actually pretty darn close to normal with only once a day and then I will have a few days of not so normal. I am hoping this means I am headed in the right direction with my foods. I do randomly take some Pepto B. at night when I feel a little upset.
I have read Vit. C can help bind to Nickel.. but I also read the Vit. C can cause D? Anyone have issues with Vit. C??
I will have to take a look at that section of your book Tex so I know what you are talking about.. you have so much in your book I just put it by the night stand and look in it as necessary. I am learning so much in this journey!
I am getting the metal removed as it will not/should not affect affect anything too negatively and could be positive. I am hoping for the positive!!!! Unfortunately I won't know for 6 months while my body heals. The MD did test me for mercury (negative response) as I asked about my two silver fillings.. but your response makes me think that I should keep that in my pocket and possibly remove those in the future. I think I will make sure that I am aware of the foods that have a high content of Nickel. My D has been better than it was in the beginning. I have runs of days when it is actually pretty darn close to normal with only once a day and then I will have a few days of not so normal. I am hoping this means I am headed in the right direction with my foods. I do randomly take some Pepto B. at night when I feel a little upset.
I have read Vit. C can help bind to Nickel.. but I also read the Vit. C can cause D? Anyone have issues with Vit. C??
Vitamin C can cause D if taken in high doses, like more than 1,000 mg/day. I take 500 mg of Ester-C a day, which is supposed to be more bioavailable and less acidic. I've never had issues with it. I've read that when you get mercury amalgam fillings removed, you should take high doses of Vitamin C two weeks before and two weeks after the procedure, to guard against any exposure during the procedure. Chlorela and other supplements that bind to metals are also recommended on the day of, even activated charcoal.
My rash started 8 years ago almost immediately after I had an amalgam filling removed by a very careless dentist. It's quite likely I swallowed a good portion of the filling, as it was just being drilled away to get at a cavity next to it between my rear molars. I had just had a baby, so I assumed hormones were to blame, and never made this association. I'll never know if it played a role, but I'm not taking chances this time around.
My rash started 8 years ago almost immediately after I had an amalgam filling removed by a very careless dentist. It's quite likely I swallowed a good portion of the filling, as it was just being drilled away to get at a cavity next to it between my rear molars. I had just had a baby, so I assumed hormones were to blame, and never made this association. I'll never know if it played a role, but I'm not taking chances this time around.
More reason to buy Levi's. Nickel free and now soon to be toxin free too!!
http://www.care2.com/causes/success-lev ... oxins.html
http://www.care2.com/causes/success-lev ... oxins.html
This just came across my Google alerts for nickel allergy. Might be a worthwhile test.
http://www.nationaljewish.org/professio ... nsitivity/
http://www.nationaljewish.org/professio ... nsitivity/