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Covid-19 has caused auto immunity food reactions
I want to share my story in hopes that it will help others. I thought that a reaction to covid had caused gluten intolerance. I now know, beyond doubt, that my 18 months of GI misery, dehydration, and laxative dependence has been cause by multiple intolerances to several different food groups. The main one is a huge intolerance to any and all wheat products. This includes oatmeal, which is technically gluten free, but has prolamins that can very closely cause/ mimic gluten reactivity. The version of wheat intolerance I have developed, at the age of 70, does not show up in the celiac blood test profile. It is there for what is called non celiac Gluten intolerance/reactivity. It is written about, known to the medical establishment, poorly understood, and can only be diagnosed by an M.D. through observation of wheat, use, then stopping use for a period, then reuse, all under M.D. observation. HOWEVER, there is one blood test, practiced by some nutritionists, that is controversial, but in my particular situation was totally accurate in diagnosing my wheat intolerance. It is the MRT, Mediator Release Test. This will save you the hell of an on/off observational M.D. review of watching you suffer the affects of a wheat reaction. The MRT had a wheat reaction of my blood as 3.3, on a scale of 0-3.0. Which is basically an off the charts reaction to wheat. My physical reaction is a big auto-immune response. If I eat wheat, my GI system basically becomes dehydrated, constipated, and my foot/ankle joints swell up the size of grapefruits. The MRT brought other suspected intolerances to my attention. There is no other explanation, other than covid has caused a massive auto immune response that is just about 100% food group related. I have been avoiding the trouble foods from the MRT for about 3 weeks, and it has finally working for me. The MRT flagged the following foods, from my blood test as highly reactive-Wheat,almond,avocado, buckwheat,cashew,chard,corn,garlic,Goat's Milk,grapefruit,green bean,Jalapeno.lemon,lima bean.potassium nitrite, potato,spinach,sunflower, sweet potato,vanilla, brewer's yeast and bakers yeast. I have to the extent possible avoided all of these. My only quibble with the test results would be the low reactivity exhibited by other gluten products, barley, rye, spelt, etc. I did try the barley, with disasterous results, but learned the lesson- ALL WHEAT/Gluten for me is totally off limits. So is any food on MY reactive list. Oatmeal is also reactive more so than the test indicated. But I have to say in general, and I realize, the MRT is contoversial, NOT EMBRACED by the medical industry, but I am convinced it does have a seat at the table when trying to diagnose, and manage the GI issues, which are basically, in my personal case, and maybe numerous other peoples, auto respsonses, based on diet,as my hugely swollen ankle joints(now in remission), would indicate. My wife has observed all mof this for the past 18 months and is in total agreement.
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I too developed several food intolerances after likely largely asymptomatic Covid infection. By elimination I identified gluten, shellfish, corn and corn derivatives. Corn derivatives are the hardest to avoid. In the US corn is so inexpensive it is used whenever possible to make a variety of products -- eg citric acid is now generally made from corn, as is white distilled vinegar. There are lists online of hundreds of items to avoid. Some people with corn intolerance are not sensitive to the small amounts of corn in various corn derivatives, others are. I would like to gain a better understanding of the causal mechanism. For example, is this a true allergy, are MAST cells involved? I have not yet found someone who can give me insight into this.
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2 ReactionsI have read your post and want to ask if you’ve had a food sensitivity test done? If not, I would have one. I have given up eating gluten, dairy and soy products and many of the things you mentioned are now gone. This Covid is a bitch!!! I also lost my taste and smell almost 3 years ago from Covid and still (Feb. 2025) don’t have it back. My doctor keeps telling me I have Long Covid…I’m tired of hearing this. Doctors can fix cancer, heart disease and many other debilitating things, but can’t fix my taste or smell??? I’m so discouraged~!
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2 ReactionsI am feeling so much better staying away from the foods I react to I probably will just continue on.
The typical time to develop new drugs or protocols is about 7 years so I am looking forward to new developments soon. I accidentally improved my fatigue when I had to take 5 different antibiotics in a row to clean up a dog bite. And 40 days on an antiviral helped a little bit more. Now I have started Naltrezone and am expecting even more improvement.
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2 ReactionsTrust your gut.
I am a now retired nurse of 31 years. Retired due to getting COVID severely 2x. I normally dont even catch colds, but COVID really got me. There is a great deal they still do not understand about this virus and the long term impacts.
I have scarring in my lungs and kidneys, had myocarditis for 18 mos, had neurological symptoms and problems walking and was on oxygen. We are now over 4 years out from when I first got it and while Im not at baseline I am much better. However..........
The food intolerances, and Mast cell reactions continue and while those were there on a minimal level before Covid, now the list of what I cant eat is huge and the reactions much more severe.
Studies have shown an increase in things like this with Covid infections , especially those who had severe infections.
Read up on high histamine foods , try to avoid them. FYI left overs tend to have higher histamine... Try a diet where you keep to foods with 5 ingredients or less and no artificial colors or preservatives. Its tough but if it is Mast cell it will make a huge difference.
Finding a provider who knows much or treats Mast Cell Activation can be hard. Mayo Rochester really doesn't.
To be diagnoses with MCAS you will need to do some baseline Tryptase levels and then during or after a reaction be able to demonstrate an elevated Tryptase level that meets the criteria as well as the symptoms. Without the Tryptase elevation you wont get the diagnosis.
There are other things that could be causing these symptoms as well.
Id spend some more time trying to eliminate other causes too
I do have diagnosed MCAS with the Tryptase elevation and KIT testing
Avoidance is the best defense for most triggers. Not always possible.. but
Zyrtec, Famotidine , Aspirin, have been helpful. You can get Gastrocrom with is an oral cromolyn solution, but only about 20% absorbs through the GI tract, but it may help,
There is a sodium cromolyn inhaler that works well but due to the propellent its not available in the US anymore and you have to order from Canada. Its just an inhaled way to get the medication in and works better.
Keep pushing for answers. Good Luck
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3 ReactionsI thought it was just me! I had two Pfizer shots in 2021 back to back. I had a bad reaction after the 2nd, I went to the doctors and reported it and I was dismissed. (she looked me in the eye and told me no other women have reported swelling underneath their armpits, extreme bleeding, etc. she was a damn liar!). Soon after I started having allergic reactions to food, on top of all the other long Covid symptoms. The allergy testing is what led to my Covid syndrome/long Covid diagnosis. They told me I was allergic to sunflower and sesame seeds and their oils and that I might have gluten intolerance. I cut those things out of my diet and still at least once a week, I’ll have an allergic reaction to something. I have eaten. Hives on my scalp, itchy, skin flushed, intestinal issues, etc.
I just kept searching for answers for why I felt so bad. Test after test, specialist after specialist. For years. Until I ended up back at the original immunologist I started at four years prior. After he looked through all my records and the testing done he said we’ve ruled everything else out, and with your symptoms, white blood cell counts, I believe you have Covid syndrome/ Long Covid.
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