can allergies cause stomach problems?

Diseases & Conditions Allergies
1
Hi I was hoping someone could help me out with some issues Ive had pretty much my whole life.
 
I wake up in the morning and often have very bad stomach pains. I usually have to rush to the bathroom a few times. Its not only just the morning...it will also happen after some sort of physical activity and even during other times of the day.
 
I have gone to doctors and one seemed to think it was caused by allergies and post nasal drip. This makes sense because it gets worse at times of the year where allergies are bad. Ive tried taking allergy medicine and even got shots, but it hasnt really helped.
 
I was wondering if anyone has the same experience...or if you just know if its possible that this is allergies cauing my stomach problems. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
2

Have you been tested for gluten intolerance or anything of that sort?  Maybe try to keep a diary of the foods you eat and what and where you're at during these times.  I've been diagnosed with Mastocytosis, and have been told by my doctor that I HAVE to get a different job, as my work environment is a trigger for my attacks.  (Pretty much a case of sick building syndrome and my body just can't take it anymore!)

 

Best wishes,

Shelley

3
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for your reply. I havent been tested for much else...just allergies. The doctors have always thought if they get the allergies corrected the stomach problems would be too. But that hasnt been the case. What is gluten intolerance? What are some of the symptoms? Thank you for your help
4
Hi and Welcome Bill!


I'm sorry to hear this is happening to you. As you know none of us are Dr.'s here and cannot offer you a diagnosis. However, I can tell you that my Allergy Dr. did mention at one time that people with allergies, that have stomach problems do seem to have these problems due to allergy reasons.

This is a link describing gluten intolerance...

http://www.gluten.net/celiac.html

I hope this helps you!

Best wishes! Teri
5
My 9yr old son suffers from the very same symptoms (just as you described) and has for a while. His stomach hurts all the time, especially when his allergies are acting up. He was tested for allergies and everything indoors bother him, in the summer he's not as bad because he's outside most of the time and is not bothered by outside allergies. He wakes up crying in the morning, heads to the bathroom several times during the day thinking that will help (has his teachers worried). He takes allergy pills and a nasal spray but we haven't tried the shots yet. I suffered from allergies and asthma my whole life, did the shots as a kid, but my stomach never hurt like that. We've seen 3 different doctors and they all say "it's allergies" but they don't give us a cure to make his poor stomach stop hurting. We've changed his diet thinking that might help but it's still the same. I'm at a loss.
6
Hello, I am a 50 year old male. I had this problem when I was in 5th grade. The stomach pain was on the left side and between the rib cage bottom and an invisable horazontal line from the belly button. The pain got so bad that it was diagnosed by a doctor (in the 60's) as possibly that my appendix was on the wrong side some how. 
 
Thank goodness a different doctor had seen the symptoms befor and perscribed a little white allergy pill that treated the problem when regularly taken. My allergies were not food related. They were from my envrionment, pollen, dander, dust, smoke, and others.
 
My son (15 years old) now has the same problem in the spring when the Cottonwood, Dogwood, Sage and other's are blooming.
 
 I have no way of finding out what the tiny pill was, and it probably has been taken off the market by now but I can say that I personnaly have experianced it, still live with it to a degree ( I take otc allergy relief med) I am not a Doctor but I can say that it is not allways a food allergy and it can be treated. 
7
We recently moved to Florida from Minnesota. My now 11 year old son (5th grade) has always been healthy. Since moving here he's broken out in hives, been diagnosed w/ asthma, and has tested positive for allergies to certain grass & mold that is highly prevalent in Florida, dogs and hamsters. He's been complaining of horrible pain in his stomach, along the belly button and on his left side. He also fluctuates between constipation & diarrhea. He's had multiple blood work done, undergone an endoscopy & a colonoscopy, had CT scans and some sort of scan that tests the function of his liver & gallbladder. They've found antibodies for Crohn's disease, but yet the colonoscopy came back negative. They tested his stool samples for bacteria, which came back negative, but during the colonoscopy came back positive. He was on a strong antibiotic for 2 weeks, but the pain never got any better. Suddenly the pain went away in November. Now, in the past month, the pain is back. He had horrible diarrhea for about a week, but since several family members also had it for a day or two, I wasn't too concerned until it continued, so I took him to a general doctor. He thought it may be bacterial and allergy related, so he's on another antibiotic right now. He also told me to put him back on his asthma/allergy meds. I've put him on his asthma inhaler daily, his allergy nasal inhaler daily, and switched from Claritin to Claritin D as of yesterday. (the Claritin D is what has been recommended). I'm hoping that the pain gets under control. I'm more and more convinced that the pain & other symptoms are allergy related. I just don't know what I can do to help it. If anyone else has anything that works, I'd love to hear it. I'm relieved in reading other's symptoms above, knowing that I'm not alone in this. I've felt so helpless.
 
I should also mention he's tested negative for gluten allergy, but we tried for 2 weeks to be gluten & dairy free just to be certain, but he got worse.  We did switch him to lactose free products, however. 

Post Edited (bkhast) : 4/22/2010 7:53:22 AM (GMT-6)

8
It sounds like his body is in overdrive.
Has he had any food allergy testing?

Joy
9
He was tested for every allergy after he broke out in hives. The skin test had come back negative, so they actually drew blood to check more thoroughly. His gastroenterologist also tested for allergies and celiac disease. The only sensitivity was dairy. He's been on Claritin D for about 3 days now, and he says his stomach is hurting a little less now. He's still on the antibiotic too. What do you mean by his body is in overdrive?
10
I am sitting here with a tummy ache and the runs while i was reading this and my allergist tells me that it does upset your stomach and bowels and causes loose stool. I also have severe anxiety about being sick, i am a germaphobe to the extreme and i take xanax to curb that as needed and i find that when i take one or a half of one it eases the pain in the bowels ALOT! I always ask the nurse who gives me my shots every other week if i am crazy or what, cause i always have the runs and a tummy ache and she assures me it is from the drainage.
11
bkhuast,
I mean it sounds like he's having a cascade effect: one thing is setting off another and it is setting off the next...and so on.

I've had something like that happen to me before. It's hard to get it under control. Keep taking the medicine it will help over time.

Joy
12
I have had a burning in my stomach where it feels very warm and often will result in several trips to the bathroom. I have discovered it is related to coffee (caffine and the acid). It is not an allergy, as I have had it checked. It also comes from other sources of caffine. Something to consider. Be well.
13
Hi everyone! Thanks for all the replies. It has now been a couple of years since I posted and I'm doing a little bit better so let me update you on what I've gone through so maybe some of you and your loved ones can find some relief as well.
 
- I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy done and nothing turned up.
 
- I saw a gastroenterologist and they tried several different things ( medication for heartburn, irritable bowel, testing for gluten and other food allergies, etc.) and still no solution.
 
- Finally I saw a new general practice MD that I had heard good things about. He said that the problems could definitely be caused by allergies as well as stress. He put me on Lexapo and it has helped a great deal! It has made a HUGE difference.
 
- When my allergies get bad I still have some bad days. I am now seeing an allergist to get that part resolved.
 
But what I learned that might be able to help a lot of you is that stomach issues can be caused by a number of stresses, including allergies, foods, work and school, stress, etc. To the person whose child recently moved to a new location....this could very well be triggered by the stress of starting over at a new place. My symptoms started when I was in 5th grade and had just moved.
 
Slowly I am getting things back on track. I am learning what foods not to eat. The Lexapro is helping with my stress. It also helps keep me calm when an episode occurs. The allergist (who agrees the allergies can indeed trigger the stomach issues) is working with me to help in that area.
 
Thanks again everyone!! 
14
The blood test for celiac is not very accurate. Only the scope and biopsy tells it right.

Lots of food and additive allergies have no blood or skin test. I am allergic to sulfite.

My allergist had me keeping a food log with dates, times, reactions. I react within a half hour to two at most, but some people - the ones who get migraines - react up to two days after eating too much sulfite. That could also be the case for skin reactions. But keeping a food journal could help!

Seeing an allergist is a good idea too. My gastroenterologist still doesn't believe that my reflux was triggered by sulfite-containing foods! My cardiologist is skeptical too (I also get tachycardia), but I found some research papers describing gastric reflux triggering tachycardia.
Alcie
 
 
15
bkhast
 
I live in MN and my 11 year old started having stomach issues in 3rd grade. I have been to the Gastero dr several times. Had her tested for celiac, h pylohri, had her scoped and the diagnosis has gone from stomach acid being off to reflux to gerd. I am currently waiting for blood work for food allergies to come back. I feel like I am about to lose my mind! Did the claritin d help?? My last resort is to put her on an anti-depressant because she has anxiety from having this issue for the last 2 1/2 years. I do NOT want to go that route but am losing hope.
16
i have allergies and stomach problems, diarrhea, bloating, belching constantly for 4 mo. ordeal. my gastrologist.who did a colonscopy+endoscopy+biopies(ok), dx: chronic duodenitis.
it all looked good except i was still sick sick sick.
 
i went to new family physician who did lots of lab work, my lab looked ok.
family physician sent me to new gastrologist with 20yrs. experience.
his DIAGNOSIS: SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH caused
by taking  antacids and protons.  these meds neturalized stomach acids and  bad bacteria is now in my small intestines...he RX antispasmodic
for stomach.
 
i never feel hungry anymore.  i make my own pedialyte, drink ensure.
no end in site for my stomach...it is a difficult thing thing to deal with. i feel like my body has suffered a terrible envasion.
 
Hope this will help someone who is suffering and donot know what is wrong.
17
Please be careful with that problem my aunt developed a severe case of that and died from it.
Are you taking probiotics? It will help get you back in balance.
Joy
18
I have stomach problems with my severe food allergies. Approximately two weeks ago, I found out I had high level of antibodies for Chrons. However, I do not have the classic symptoms associated with it such as diarrhea and vomiting after food consumption or damage to my intestines. Over the past five years, I only had three instances where I vomited and had diarrhea after eating food. But, I can tell you that certain foods cause me to experience bloating and gas. Perhaps, you should make an appointment to see a Gastorologist to get checked for Chrons, Celiac disease or IBS. Unfortunately, I still do not have diagnosis for my problem. Since the Chrons is not active in my case, I highly doubt is causing my food alleries. And, the mystery go on. Hopefully, the doctor and researcher from USF can crack the code on Aug. 30.

I hope the advice helps and you feel better soon.
19
I did not see the recent message posted with the diagnosis before posting my response. I am glad you got a diagnosis and hope you feel better soon.
20
once I had an allergy attack after eating some almonds, then I had spasm to death, I could hardly breathe, I asked the medicine if allergy can cause spasm, he then told me: my son, allergy can cause anything, allergy can kill, its behavior is somehow unknown to us.

Post Edited (maziar) : 8/17/2011 10:39:07 PM (GMT-6)