Yes, those test results may be slightly lower than they might have been if you had not been using Entocort, but they are certainly definitive enough to clearly show sensitivity to those foods.
Most of us base decisions on whether or not to avoid foods processed on non-dedicated equipment on the company's reputation, our own sensitivity levels, and shared opinions based on experiences. In most cases, the risk is very slight, but many of us just avoid those products, to eliminate the risk.Patricia wrote:Where do I go from here? Do I have to leave not just those foods away but also foods or medications where it says "processed on shared equipment with wheat, etc."? I am not sure if I should do a true elimination diet for the next few months (what if there are other food offenders?) or if I should just try to eat a very simple diet including only a few safe foods. But what are safe foods if there might be even other food offenders aside from those big four?
As Dr. Fine pointed out in the explanation that came with your test results, with a double DQ gene combination, the odds are very high that you will indeed have additional food sensitivities, and you will probably react to smaller trace amounts than most of us. The safest foods to try in that situation are usually foods that you normally wouldn't eat, such as lamb, venison, possibly shellfish, sweet potatoes, etc. That doesn't mean that you will react to other foods, it just means that if you are guessing at safe foods, then those are foods that are the least likely to cause a reaction for most people. If you feel the need to eat a grain, rice is the least likely to cause problems, but be aware that a few of us react to rice.
Patricia wrote:When I saw my PCP I had asked her about it and she said at the time that it could be the beginning of arthritis. I think she said rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis was one of the first satellite issues to be reported as associated with MC, so your doctors are only about 30 or 40 years behind with their knowledge and understanding of the disease.Patricia wrote:But the muscle and joint pains worry me just as much. They don't know what it is and they don't think it's connected to MC.
Before my gut healed, my knees got so bad that I often had to use a cane, just to get around. My neck was stiff and sore, my left elbow was severely swollen and tender, and several fingers of my right hand had swollen joints, and were growing crooked and twisted. After my gut began to heal, I was able to throw the cane away, and I haven't had a need for it since then.Yes, the symptoms are very similar to RA, but if you look more closely you will see that it doesn't fit the classic RA pattern. RA causes body-symmetrical inflamed joints, whereas MC causes random inflamed joints. The results can be just as permanent, though. Those fingers are still crooked and twisted of course, but the joints are no longer swollen and inflamed, because the arthritis is no longer progressing.
I agree with Jean that meat (protein) is a vital part of our diet in order to facilitate healing. I never stopped eating meat, and I didn't drink coffee before my symptoms began. I have been drinking coffee for the past year or so, though, and the symptoms haven't returned, because as far as I am aware, arthritis has nothing to do with eating meat or drinking coffee.
As Lisa pointed out, Claritin contains lactose, and you might be reacting to that ingredient. As she suggested, Claritin Redi-Tabs are free of lactose, but many of us use Allegra (fexofenodine) or Chlorphen-12 (chlorpheniramine maleate). Please be aware that chlorpheniramine maleate is a first generation antihistamine, so it can cause drowsiness, but it is much less likely to cause drowsiness than Benedryl (diphenhydramine), for example
There is some general information on how I believe that molds are the primary source of histamine in food on pages 172–174 in the book. To supplement that, consider that I can eat bananas that are just ripe without any problems. But if I wait a few more days until they become even riper, the histamine content continues to climb, and they will cause me to have histamine reaction symptoms (mostly severe itching, in my case).Patricia wrote:Does the histamine content increase in leftovers over time?
I can eat leftover chicken soup for about another day after it was cooked (or thawed), without any symptoms. But if I eat it after it has been refrigerated for about 48 hours or more, it will cause a few symptoms. If it has been refrigerated for about 72 hours or more, it will cause severe symptoms.
The bottom line is that normal refrigeration temperatures (mid to upper 30s) are not low enough to stop the formation of mold, and therefore histamine continues to increase in the refrigerator. You can easily see proof of that by leaving food in the refrigerator until it becomes covered by visible mold. But of course, mold is only visible after it has been growing for quite a while. By the time you can see mold, the histamine level would be in the stratosphere. If the temperature was low enough, mold couldn't develop (and therefore histamine couldn't increase). Deepfreeze temperatures (0 degrees F or lower) will slow mold development to a point where it is usually no longer a problem. Therefore, many/most of us tend to freeze leftovers in individual portions, and thaw them just before reheating, to minimize histamine problems.
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Then apparently, contrary to what my (ex) doctor told me, MC-induced arthritis can occur in virtually any type of pattern.
As I've said many times before — I learn something new here virtually every day.
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