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Will have my endoscopy done next Thursday to hopefully get to the bottom of my upper abdomen discomfort. GI will also take biopsies.
Still get the hives, but nothing as pronounced as initially.
Nurse practitioner thinks the hives are from a food allergy.
But, I told her, what I found very odd was that the upper abdomen discomfort and the hives both started at the same time. I do know that hives can be one of the symptoms of having low stomach acid... Hmmmmmmm!!!!!
Haven't a clue as to what more I can eliminate from my diet.
Prick tests would be of no help right?
Are there any other types of allergy tests that could be more precise & accurate?
Just hangin in until I can get to the bottom of this.
Love
Dee~~~
Finally
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I've been wondering whether you've continued to have hives. I hope you don't have to eliminate any more foods in order to resolve it. Let's hope the endoscopy will give you some answers.
Gloria
I know that feeling!Haven't a clue as to what more I can eliminate from my diet.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
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jodibelle352
- Angel
- Posts: 610
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:57 pm
- Location: Michigan
- Contact:
Dee,
I can't even remember, but you did try some betaine HC, (to enhance stomach acid production), didn't you?
For some reason or other, I was unaware, (or had forgotten), that you have been having upper abdominal discomfort, along with the hives. I apologize for that oversight, and I'm glad you mentioned it again. I think that symptom may well pinpoint the likely cause of the hives. Are you aware that H. pylori can cause hives? I have a hunch that this might be something that you and your doctor should investigate.
http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/6418.html
Also, how's your thyroid?
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/relatedcond ... icaria.htm
It might be a good idea to ask your doctor to do a blood test for anti-thyroid antibodies.
Love,
Tex
I can't even remember, but you did try some betaine HC, (to enhance stomach acid production), didn't you?
For some reason or other, I was unaware, (or had forgotten), that you have been having upper abdominal discomfort, along with the hives. I apologize for that oversight, and I'm glad you mentioned it again. I think that symptom may well pinpoint the likely cause of the hives. Are you aware that H. pylori can cause hives? I have a hunch that this might be something that you and your doctor should investigate.
http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/6418.html
Also, how's your thyroid?
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/relatedcond ... icaria.htm
It might be a good idea to ask your doctor to do a blood test for anti-thyroid antibodies.
Love,
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.
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faithberry
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:40 am
Dee, I don't know if you read my post about mast cells, but they are definitely connected with hives. At least mast cells in the skin I think; not sure about the gut. The gut symptoms can just come from having the mediators (histamine, etc.)released by the mast cells in your blood stream.
Maybe you've already researched this, but if not you can find out a whole lot more on the International Chronic Urticaria Society website. (Just google it.) They have a forum too where you can learn a lot from others, like here. People often have GI issues with this. The treatment is H1 and H2 antihistamines and for GI issues Gastrocrom. They list other medicines too. Some people need immune suppressors. Be careful with ranitidine as it's implicated in the onset and recurrence of MC. I've found Xyzall a good H1 for me.
Be sure your doctor has the lab check the biopsy for mast cells and h.pylori too. They need to use the special stain for mast cells as it is hard to see the increased numbers without the special stain. You can read about that stain on the food doc blog, the link I included in my post. If you don't take the exact name to your doctor, who knows what he might do! You might not have mast cells in the gut, but why miss the chance to find out.
Some people find a diet with low histamine foods helps; some find a low salicylate diet helps. You can read about the diets on the site too. There are many environmental things that can trigger hives too, so it takes a bit of detective work to figure out your triggers.
I had a friend with this problem and she couldn't eat without taking the anti-histamines. But eventually they found a bacteria and she's OK after treatment. Probably h pylori.
I'm so sorry you have to deal with these skin and gut issues. Good luck!
Maybe you've already researched this, but if not you can find out a whole lot more on the International Chronic Urticaria Society website. (Just google it.) They have a forum too where you can learn a lot from others, like here. People often have GI issues with this. The treatment is H1 and H2 antihistamines and for GI issues Gastrocrom. They list other medicines too. Some people need immune suppressors. Be careful with ranitidine as it's implicated in the onset and recurrence of MC. I've found Xyzall a good H1 for me.
Be sure your doctor has the lab check the biopsy for mast cells and h.pylori too. They need to use the special stain for mast cells as it is hard to see the increased numbers without the special stain. You can read about that stain on the food doc blog, the link I included in my post. If you don't take the exact name to your doctor, who knows what he might do! You might not have mast cells in the gut, but why miss the chance to find out.
Some people find a diet with low histamine foods helps; some find a low salicylate diet helps. You can read about the diets on the site too. There are many environmental things that can trigger hives too, so it takes a bit of detective work to figure out your triggers.
I had a friend with this problem and she couldn't eat without taking the anti-histamines. But eventually they found a bacteria and she's OK after treatment. Probably h pylori.
I'm so sorry you have to deal with these skin and gut issues. Good luck!
Faith
LC (in remission)
LC (in remission)
Dee,
I agree with Faith that it might be a very good idea to ask your doctor to have the pathologist check your biopsy samples for the increased presence of mast cells, (in addition to H. pylori). If they are present, in sufficient numbers, this could be the reason why you have found that diet alone is not sufficient to maintain remission. IOW, you might be able to replace the Entocort with an antihistamine.
Love,
Tex
I agree with Faith that it might be a very good idea to ask your doctor to have the pathologist check your biopsy samples for the increased presence of mast cells, (in addition to H. pylori). If they are present, in sufficient numbers, this could be the reason why you have found that diet alone is not sufficient to maintain remission. IOW, you might be able to replace the Entocort with an antihistamine.
Love,
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.
Hi All!
The nurse practioner told me to get and take Zantac an hour before I ate dinner yesterday.
Did that and had no discomfort in the evening and no hives this morning.
I do know that the GI will be taking biopsies and I will copy and question what some of you have replied with, to have him check for.
Thanks For Being Here For me!
Love You!!
Dee~~~~~
The nurse practioner told me to get and take Zantac an hour before I ate dinner yesterday.
Did that and had no discomfort in the evening and no hives this morning.
I do know that the GI will be taking biopsies and I will copy and question what some of you have replied with, to have him check for.
Thanks For Being Here For me!
Love You!!
Dee~~~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
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faithberry
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:40 am
Dee, Just be prepared for your doctor to be a little skeptical or unfamiliar unless he's really on top of things. Guess folks here are use to that though!
I loved the Zantac. I never felt full, could eat more, and gained weight. However, it is ranitidine, which is one drug connected with the onset and recurrence of MC according to Mayo Clinic and E-medicine. If that concerns you, you might want to ask your doctor for a prescription for a different H2. I took the Zantac for 6 weeks at 300 mg a day (150 mg 2x a day) without any problems but I didn't want to risk continuing with my LC background.
May all go perfectly with your procedure.
I loved the Zantac. I never felt full, could eat more, and gained weight. However, it is ranitidine, which is one drug connected with the onset and recurrence of MC according to Mayo Clinic and E-medicine. If that concerns you, you might want to ask your doctor for a prescription for a different H2. I took the Zantac for 6 weeks at 300 mg a day (150 mg 2x a day) without any problems but I didn't want to risk continuing with my LC background.
May all go perfectly with your procedure.
Faith
LC (in remission)
LC (in remission)
That's great news! It sounds as though you may be on the right track.Dee wrote:The nurse practioner told me to get and take Zantac an hour before I ate dinner yesterday.
Did that and had no discomfort in the evening and no hives this morning.
Love,
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 sorry, but I have no clue about H.pylori or mast cells, H1-H2 antihistamines etc...
Could someone please explain so I can copy and take with me next Thursday????
Seems that my mind wants to draw a blank and just doesn't want to think at this point!
Thank You
Love
Dee~~~~
Could someone please explain so I can copy and take with me next Thursday????
Seems that my mind wants to draw a blank and just doesn't want to think at this point!
Thank You
Love
Dee~~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
Dee,
We certainly understand the stress you are under - it's no wonder that you're having difficulty focusing on issues such as this, with other problems dominating your thoughts, right now.
Basically, H. pylori is the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, and the bacteria can live in the stomach for many years, without causing ulcers, but they can cause upper abdominal discomfort, of course, and they have been shown to be a somewhat common cause of hives. Sometimes they can be difficult to discover/diagnose.
Mast cells are always present in certain types of tissue, and while they are best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, they also play an important protective role as well, in processes such as wound healing, and defense against pathogens. It has been shown that some MC patients have increased numbers of mast cells in their intestines, and these are often overlooked, since they can only be detected by using a special stain, when the biopsy sample slides are examined under the microscope
This can get a bit complicated, but to keep it as simple as possible, consider that an allergic reaction is an abnormal overreaction to a specific environmental antigen called an allergen. In an allergic reaction, antibodies bond to mast cells, (instead of the antigens), which then produce histamine, which attaches to other cells, (such as those in the nose or skin), to cause an allergic reaction. An antihistamine is a chemical which competes with histamine for receptor sites on the nose/skin cells. The point is, an increased number of mast cells in the digestive tract, can not only cause adverse digestive system effects, but they have also been linked with some of the classic allergic effects of mast cells in other organs, (such as the respiratory system), such that, to cut to the chase, and relate this to your own situation, they can cause hives, (due to the histamine production). Without the discovery of the link to the mast cells, hives of this type would normally be considered to be idiopathic. Incidentally, mast cell inhibitors, such as cromolyn sodium, (trade name, Gastrocrom), have been developed, to stop the mast cells from making histamine in the first place.
IOW, in a nutshell, either H. pylori bacteria, or an increased presence of mast cells in your digestive tract, could be causing both your upper abdominal distress, and your hives. Either of them could also be the reason why the diet alone is not sufficient to keep your MC symptoms in remission. This implies that eliminating an overgrowth of H. pylori, (if that is the problem), or taking an antihistamine of the right type, (H2), (in the event that you have an abnormally high number of mast cells in the tissues of your digestive tract), might eliminate your discomfort, your hives, and your need to take Entocort.
Love,
Tex
We certainly understand the stress you are under - it's no wonder that you're having difficulty focusing on issues such as this, with other problems dominating your thoughts, right now.
Basically, H. pylori is the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, and the bacteria can live in the stomach for many years, without causing ulcers, but they can cause upper abdominal discomfort, of course, and they have been shown to be a somewhat common cause of hives. Sometimes they can be difficult to discover/diagnose.
Mast cells are always present in certain types of tissue, and while they are best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, they also play an important protective role as well, in processes such as wound healing, and defense against pathogens. It has been shown that some MC patients have increased numbers of mast cells in their intestines, and these are often overlooked, since they can only be detected by using a special stain, when the biopsy sample slides are examined under the microscope
This can get a bit complicated, but to keep it as simple as possible, consider that an allergic reaction is an abnormal overreaction to a specific environmental antigen called an allergen. In an allergic reaction, antibodies bond to mast cells, (instead of the antigens), which then produce histamine, which attaches to other cells, (such as those in the nose or skin), to cause an allergic reaction. An antihistamine is a chemical which competes with histamine for receptor sites on the nose/skin cells. The point is, an increased number of mast cells in the digestive tract, can not only cause adverse digestive system effects, but they have also been linked with some of the classic allergic effects of mast cells in other organs, (such as the respiratory system), such that, to cut to the chase, and relate this to your own situation, they can cause hives, (due to the histamine production). Without the discovery of the link to the mast cells, hives of this type would normally be considered to be idiopathic. Incidentally, mast cell inhibitors, such as cromolyn sodium, (trade name, Gastrocrom), have been developed, to stop the mast cells from making histamine in the first place.
IOW, in a nutshell, either H. pylori bacteria, or an increased presence of mast cells in your digestive tract, could be causing both your upper abdominal distress, and your hives. Either of them could also be the reason why the diet alone is not sufficient to keep your MC symptoms in remission. This implies that eliminating an overgrowth of H. pylori, (if that is the problem), or taking an antihistamine of the right type, (H2), (in the event that you have an abnormally high number of mast cells in the tissues of your digestive tract), might eliminate your discomfort, your hives, and your need to take Entocort.
Love,
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.