Hello. My Atkins Experience and Wheat Allergy Question

[Joe_K]

I started the Atkins plan over 1 year ago. I remember searching this forum then and finding many useful answers to my questions, and did not need to post. Belated Thank You to you all!

I'll start with my experience. I am 33 now and I had a goal to lose 30 lbs. I got the book and started Atkins Feb 04. I stuck very closely to the induction plan and progressed through maintenance all without a hitch. Besides losing weight, I found two other benefits: My skin became smoother than it has been in 2 decades and the seasonal allergies that I had been afflicted with for many years didn't effect me at all in '04 (took me until the summer to realize they bypassed me).

During my observance of Atkins, I knew bread and pasta was the enemy. I strictly avoided those land mines for 10 months.

After 10 months, I had lost 28 lbs and I began easing up on my restrictions. Not even that I craved those things, it was just that I began getting lazy about food prep and started eating out a little more freely.

I think the first thing I "cheated" with was a hamburger with the bun. It sat like a rock in my stomach. I even felt a little naseous. That subsided. I wouldn't go as far as pizza or a plate of pasta, but the occasional crackers, biscotti, and the buns on chicken sandwiches and hamburgers were creeping back onto the menu.

In December, I visited my parents for 1 month. This was bad news. My parents are big believers in bread with every meal. And pasta. Oatmeal in the morning. And basically everything I learned to avoid. I held out for a little while, but eventually gave in.

Anyway, it has been about 3 months now that I've been "off the wagon". Good news is, I'm not binging on those items and I don't eat them nearly as frequently as before Atkins. The result is, I've even lost the last 2 lbs. in the last 3 months.

However, for the last 3 months I've observed itchiness (especially above my eybrows) and overly sensitive skin (my skin also lost that good smooth feeling and redness has returned, with occasional bumps). It is just now occuring to me that what I may be experiencing is a form of gluten allergy. Maybe I always had it, but it has taken this past year of avoiding all wheat and then getting reintroduced to it that is making me notice it as the cause of problems I used to have (and perhaps it is worse now).

I'm going to try cutting all the wheat out again. Anybody else go through this and have a similar experience?

[Streetcorner Philosopher]

Well, I wish I could help you but I've also had bouts of unexplained itchiness. I've never been an allergy-prone or itchy person in my entire life but since starting this diet my skin is really acting up. Strangely the past few days have been better but there have been times that I have gone silly scratching myself.

Since your itchiness has started up since re-introducing wheat, maybe you've developed some sort of allergic reaction. In my case, I believe my itchiness may be a bi-product of the diet itself. I did some research on Candida and found itchiness to be common symptom of candida die-off. Hopefully I'm on the downhill side of it though. Good luck, S-C-P

[sadie147]

(my skin also lost that good smooth feeling and redness has returned, with occasional bumps

I have a skin condition called Rosecea that causes my skin, on my face, to become red (sometimes swollen and hot) and occaisional small bumps (like little white pimples) when it acts up. Since being on this woe however (1 yr), my rosecea has completely disappeared and i haven't had the need to use any prescription creams at all, i was using them daily. I'm thinking that sugar/starches were a trigger for it..it has many triggers this must have been mine. Here's a link to some info on it: http://www.rosacea.org/patients/faq.html

But you're right it also could be a food allergy as well..so I would definately check with a Dr. just to be safe.

[Joe_K]

(my skin also lost that good smooth feeling and redness has returned, with occasional bumps

I have a skin condition called Rosecea that causes my skin, on my face, to become red (sometimes swollen and hot) and occaisional small bumps (like little white pimples) when it acts up. Since being on this woe however (1 yr), my rosecea has completely disappeared and i haven't had the need to use any prescription creams at all, i was using them daily. I'm thinking that sugar/starches were a trigger for it..it has many triggers this must have been mine. Here's a link to some info on it: http://www.rosacea.org/patients/faq.html

Yes, I definitely had the unexpected benefit of healthier skin after 1 month of Atkins. Wasn't that a great thing? That and the subsiding of hay fever allergies was a realy blessing that I did not expect at all.

I guess I'm just wondering out loud, after being on Atkins for over a year and avoiding refined wheat and sugar, can reintroducing them exposed a problem that either existed before, or has gotten worse? I never felt nauseous eating bread before, but it is a problem for me now. I guess the answer is simple, don't eat bread. I didn't know if anybody had a similar experience.

[urbangoddess]

Re: Hello. My Atkins Experience and Wheat Allergy Question

I just stumbled on this post after doing a search to see if there was anyone else going through what I've experienced with the diet. Your story was exactly the same as mine, so much so that I had to check to see if I had actually written it! LOL! We're even the same age!

Anyway, I too noticed the skin clear up, but then get bumpy/rosacea-like symptoms after reintoducing wheat. For me, I've definately figured out that wheat is the culprit, and to some extent, may have caused my weight gain in the first place. From what I've read, wheat allergy is the most common allergy people have and don't know it.

Luckily, there are lots of "wheat-free" products now, including pastas and breads, for when you are ready to reintroduce such grains back into your life again.

[not2late]

Re: Hello. My Atkins Experience and Wheat Allergy Question

You can also get tested for gluten sensitivities, if you think you are sensitive to gluten. Gluten is the protein in wheat that some people develop allergies too.

I do have a question for you....How did you react to the whole grains you introduced when you went through the OWL and Pre-Maintenance phases the last time you did Atkins? From my own experience, when I introduced certain wheat products, my asthma was aggravated, but I found that other wheat products had little to no effect.

[urbangoddess]

Re: Hello. My Atkins Experience and Wheat Allergy Question

well, I didn't have too much of reaction to some products, but I thought it was more related to keeping it to a minimum. Like I could tolerate SOME wheat, but not too much. When I increased wheat products too much, all of my symptoms came right back. But your right, It could have been something different about each particular product. Hmmmmm.
So, not all wheat products contain gluten? How can I find out which ones do and which don't? I'm going to look into the test for this.
Thanks!

[not2late]

Re: Hello. My Atkins Experience and Wheat Allergy Question

well, I didn't have too much of reaction to some products, but I thought it was more related to keeping it to a minimum. Like I could tolerate SOME wheat, but not too much. When I increased wheat products too much, all of my symptoms came right back. But your right, It could have been something different about each particular product. Hmmmmm.
So, not all wheat products contain gluten? How can I find out which ones do and which don't? I'm going to look into the test for this.
Thanks!

Wheat bran and wheat germ have no effect on me. However some individual wheat flour products do. For example, I had a few whole grain wheat crackers and began wheezing shortly thereafter. Granted it's probably just some other additives/preservatives in that particular cracker, but I've also had similar experiences specific brands of crackers and breads, but with other brands (and other grains) I'm fine.