Can allergy or Lime mimic Crohn's symptoms?

[Graysmom]

My 16-yr old son is going through all the tests for Crohn's, IBD, ulcerative colitis, etc. He's had ultrasound, doppler, catscan, endoscopy that revealed 3 stomach ulcers, colonoscopy that was "inconclusive" because his system hadn't cleaned out, many blood tests, and the SBFT xray series (small bowel follow through). Other than the ulcers, all has "looked pretty good." He has been in constant severe pain since this started suddenly on Feb 9. The pain is located very specifically in the lower right abdomen, same area as the appendix. The ultrasound showed swollen lymph glands there when this started, but after four weeks of waiting the catscan showed those back to normal. I think the ulcers may be from all the pain meds he had been taking by the time they found those after 6 weeks, although the doc says the ulcers could be the cause of all this. (???) My son had constipation, now has diarrea (diarrhea). His grandmother has IBS, but it's not like this!! There are allergies in the family, and we live in the prime area for Lime Disease. My question is: could a food allergy cause these kind of symptoms? (if it's something he eats every day, the symptoms wouldn't stop)Could Lime Disease be a cause? That affects everyone differently, but I think it's effect is always neurological, so perhaps I'm asking if something affecting nerves could cause these kind of G.I. symptoms???
We are still awaiting biopsy results and the Gastrin Level blood test (because of the ulcers) but it is hard to see my son in so much pain for going on eight weeks now, and all this is destroying his semester at school. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice!!!

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Gastrointestinal manifestations of Lyme disease are uncommon.  I would suggest looking for other causes first.  There has clearly been a comprehensive GI evaluation already done.  

Regarding food allergy, the most common symptoms of food allergy involve the skin and intestines. Skin rashes include hives and eczema. Intestinal symptoms typically include vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, indigestion and diarrhea.  If a food allergy is a consideration, you may want to consider a referral to an allergist.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[PAJ]

I would recommend you check out yeast infection , here’s some info that you may find useful. See if you relate.If it is candida it rarely is the only infectious agent  ,yeast profoundly suppresses the immune system allowing other pathogens to walk in! Sorry for the alarming post but that’s the situation. One good thing is children respond to treatment very quickly as the infection is relatively new and therefore accessible.
Candidiasis is a process involving an overgrowth of yeast  usually Candida Albicans which ultimately becomes a parasite thriving in the mucous membrane of the intestines. Other mucous membranes involve the skin, nose, mouth, throat, vagina, penis, prostate, large and small bowel and anus. As a result of this other unfriendly inappropriate bacteria also colonise the gut indicating that a change or imbalance has taken place in the environment of the gut. The end result of Candidiasis is a dysbiosis, that is " which creates inflammation, the consequences of which render the bowel "irritable".
Many people are diagnosed as suffering with IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is mistakenly considered to be a recognised medical condition, which it is not. IBS simply means a collection of SYMPTOMS that relate to an irritable bowel, the CAUSE of which is undiagnosed.
What are the symptoms, side effects of Candida overgrowth?
· allergies which develop plus new allergies as you grow older
· tired all the time, constant fatigue, inability to sleep, sleep OK but don't feel refreshed on waking
· infertility, PMT, menstrual, post menopausal problems, mood swings, irritability
· constipation, diarrhoea, variety of tummy problems including IBS, Diverticulitis, Colitis, bloating, wind/gas, constipation, diarrhoea, poor digestion, acid reflux
· vaginal/prostate infections, thrush, recurring cystitis,
· respiratory conditions including asthma, hay fever, long term sinusitis, catarrh, habitual coughing, postnasal drip, sort throat, ear infections
· Chronic Fatigue/M.E
· kidney/bladder problems
· frequent headaches, migraines, dizziness, "foggy" brain, poor memory, Alzheimer's
· arthritis like symptoms, general aches and pains
· sugar/chocolate/alcohol cravings
· heartburn, gall bladder problems
· skin conditions, rashes, psoriasis, athlete's foot, acne, fungal infections
· generally feeling miserable, recurring depression, anxiety, panic attacks
· circulatory conditions, cold extremities
· low immune system, going from one virus/bug to another, catch cold easily
· hyperactivity, behaviour problems, ADD/ADHD and autism in children
· muscular, skeletal problems, recurring neck, shoulder and back pain
Anyone who has one or a combination of these symptoms, long term, whilst having disease ruled out by orthodox medical tests - MAY have Candidiasis.
Point scoring Candida checklist
http://cassia.org/candida.htm

Treatment protocol http://drcranton.com/CFIDS.htm#CFIDS%20Paper


Fungi & bowel disease http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/13/inflammatory_bowel_disease.htm


If you search on medline http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ “colitis infection “ you’ll get 2500 hits
So infection is a front runner, also mycoplasma bacteria are elusive and only effectively looked for with PCR testing, ………This may give a clue
The bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), which has long been known to cause gut infections in cattle and sheep, has been linked to bowel diseases in humans. Researchers at St George's Hospital Medical School in London have found that in patients with Crohn's disease, at least nine out of ten have the bacterium, and in patients without the disease, less than three out of ten have the bug. This suggests that the bacterium plays a role in the spread of the disease. Also, a small number of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were all found to have Map. Links between Map and human bowel disease have been examined for years, but this is by far the strongest association found. Crohn's disease affects about one in 600 people and one in ten suffer from IBS. (BBC News Online, Guardian

[Graysmom]

Actually, I'm learning that Lyme disease CAN be gastrointestinal, primarily in children and young adults. My son's school nurse confirmed this and sent me to a very helpful website: www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org where there is an article by Martin D. Fried, M.D. about pediatric gastrointestinal Lyme Disease. It's part of the section titled "ABCs of Lyme Disease" if anyone else is interested in this. It may not be the answer in our case, but it seems a very likely candidate, which we'll pursue along with everything else. Thanks for the help, anyway. Oh, and I'll also be keeping the "Candida/mycoplasma bacteria" idea in mind as well. Thanks.

[PAJ]

Thanks for the info I’ve tracked down the article here’s what’s said about the gastro link. The situation does beg the question ,why the growing incidence of these opportunistic infections .We’ve lived with biting bugs since Adam why the problem now?? I agree with the diet theory in particular sugar intake that alters our gut flora . lowering our immunity.
Here’s another  good site on lyme http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/index.html





Lyme Disease and the GI Tract
Lyme disease generally does not affect the GI tract alone, according to Martin D. Fried, MD,[9] of the Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey. Rather, GI disease is typically only one component of a systemic disease. Patients with Lyme disease can present with a variety of GI symptoms, including abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, acid reflux, or blood in the stool. Children may develop encopresis -- the loss of bowel training -- which may indicate a neurologic effect of the spirochete.
Evaluation of patients suspected of having Lyme disease includes the ever-important history, physical examination, CBC, liver function tests, and endoscopic examination. The Lyme WB is generally not helpful, but PCR testing of biopsy specimens for B burgdorferi OspA can be useful. Silver staining of biopsy specimens can reveal spirochetes. For those who test positive by PCR, RNA polymerase testing of the biopsy sample can indicate whether the spirochetes are actively multiplying.
The differential diagnosis includes the majority of gastrointestinal diseases, such as pancreatitis, stool infections, peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Skin tags are an indication that the patient has Crohn's rather than a complication of Lyme disease. Crohn's patients have a malabsorption syndrome and are therefore generally underweight. By contrast, those with GI Lyme disease often also have fatigue or arthritis, and the inactivity may make them overweight.
Treatment involves antibiotics, but regular follow-up is important to detect recurrences and lack of response. Dr. Fried has seen B burgdorferi persist in the GI tract despite multiple rounds of antibiotics over many years.

[krisg]

Celiac disease is one that comes with stomach pain, nausau, diareha, and bowel problems.  It is usually not tested for.  A simple blood test for antibodies could let you know if there should be further testing.  It is a very common disease in children.  You might want to ask the GI bout it.