Canker sores and Glutens

contrafib · Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 3

I wonder if anyone can help. I have had canker sores (generally called mouth ulcers in England) for at least 15 years, and permanently had a mouth full of very painful ones until the last few years. Partly, it was stress i thought, so i changed my job, started sleeping better and they improved but didn't go away. Then i heard about the links with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in toothpaste, so i changed my toothpaste and that also seemed to help without removing the sores/ulcers. I concluded that the missing link must be food. My doctor couldn't help so i researched more and came up with the idea of gluten-free.
After 3 days, i had a rare sensation of a totally ulcer-free mouth. However, i bought these products in England while on holiday, and i actually live and work in Italy, so i wanted to experiment with adding different foods back to my diet. Now, i'm confused because it seems that fresh Italian pizza doesn't cause them, but supermarket bread does. Normal pasta caused them as well but rice is generally ok. Glutinous crackers/bar snacks definitely cause a problem, but there are other foods which i know contain glutens which don't seem to cause a reaction. I have other conditions from the other end of the body, namely occasional diarrhoea and fairly permanent pruritus ani, and i also get quite instantaneous drops in energy levels which seem to sometimes coincide with meals.
I'm aware that truly fresh food is a bit of a rarity nowadays so the fact that most supermarket food is processed to some extent would account for the energy drops, but what about the ulcers/pruritus ani?
Any ideas anyone?, and has anyone else found a canker sores/wheat/gluten link??

HadassahSukkot · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 468 Location: Hessen, Germany

There definitely is a gluten link. I used to get them all the time, and now I get them only when glutened.

here are a few links for you:
www.acankersorecure.com/cause-of-canker-sores.html
www.healingdaily.com/conditions/canker-sores.htm
http://www.celiac.com/articles/21858/1/Could-that-Canker-Sore-Mean-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1256665/canker_sores_caused_by_food_allergies_pg2.html?cat=70

I found I don't have problems with SLS, just gluten. When I get glutened, I end up having problems getting enough b vitamins, magnesium and other suggested supplemental vitamin/minerals to heal mouth sores.

In the meantime, I keep Pyralvex on hand to "paint" the sores until they heal. It at least kills the horrid sting and helps me eat and talk.

hope that helps

contrafib · Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 3

Great. Thanks for your help.
I used to use paste to get rid of them but they need to be prevented.
Just wondering where you stand with fresh pizza/fresh bread because i was surprised not to get a reaction with fresh pizza. I think my problem may be wheat-based, so maybe they use different flour sometimes, or it could be linked to preservatives. I'm going to start making my own bread soon anyway.
Thanks again

contrafib · Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 3

A question.
I'm trying to find flour to make bread. Can anyone recommend a good commercially available one? I have heard of buckwheat, and apparently rice flour is good, but anyone got personal recommendations? I have read the links which mention different types, by the way.

smalltownslackermom · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:14 am Post subject:

It sounds like you're in the UK, yes? Do a search for "IrishDaveyBoy" as author on this forum and see what he has in recipes. That's where I would look to find out what flours are readily avail there.
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son - high ttg - 4/09, pos. biopsy 5/09
self - negative bloodwork 5/09, pos. biopsy 11/09
sister - gf for ~3 years and is a new person
niece - positive ttg 2/10, foregoing biopsy

HadassahSukkot · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 468 Location: Hessen, Germany

I see you said you live and work in Italy? There are quite a few good mixes here in the EU. Not sure what all is available in Italy, but here in Germany there are quite a few good mixes. There's Schär for a few different baked goods - but it really only works with their recipes. It's heavy on corn, so I don't usually use it. Confused

Hammermühle has an awesome mix that works well for breads/pretzels and such... and Aurora also has a great mix that can be used for literally every baked good you have. It's got teff and other whole grains in it.

Most however have corn, so if one has a corn sensitivity/allergy, the processed mixes are not the way to go. Also, if you are wheat sensitive as I am - nothing with gluten free wheat starch, which is coming out in more and more items. I wanted to try a lot of the Bofrost items coming out in the freezer section - there was that nasty GF Wheat starch!!

I make mostly my own (when not making pretzels or Laugenbrötchen), using Bette Hagman's formulas (All Purpose/Feather Light). I use that for any recipe I want to convert, or that calls for either Hammermühle/Schär mix B or C.

Perhaps online shops may be the way to go? The REWE Supermarket group sells a lot of GF items, as does DM (Drogerie Markt) here in Germany. Edeka has a few items in the freezer section and on the shelf, as does Aldi once in a while (really - ONCE in a while). What we cannot find in store, we order online, which makes life a little easier. With us using public transport or car-sharing, it makes it easier not to juggle two toddlers to go food shopping. Wink

auzzi · Joined: 17 Sep 2011 Posts: 4

Contact Associazione Italiana Celiachia
http://www.celiachia.it/home/HomePage.aspx
and ask for information about doctors/specialists in your area.

If the national body can't help you, try the local branch to see which doctors the members are using... With a bit of informed supervision, you may be able to work out quicker which are causing the problems ..

designsbycm · Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 38 Location: Elkton, SD

I get blood blister looking things in my mouth. Used Sensodyne toothpaste before I found out it is not GF and it tore my mouth up within 3 days! But yes, I get all kinds of sores in my mouth if glutened.
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Diagnosed via Enterolab January 2012:
> Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA: 22 Units (Normal, less than 10 Units)
> HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 1 0301 and Allele 2 0303
> Strong suspect Dermatitis Herpetiformis via Dermatologist