Discussion Board

Burgess,

Yesterday I was diagnosed with a relatively rare disease: Idiopathic Eosinophilic Esophagitis (aka ringed esophagus). I found out about this when a vitamin pill got stuck in my throat and the doctor had to do an emergency endoscopic removal. The pictures showed that my esophogus has a series of ringed scar tissue that has reduced its diameter, and an infected layer of white bloodcells due to inflammation.

In order to get this under control I have to swallow an inhaled steroid for 3 months, go on a allergy-free diet, and maybe get the equivalent of a balloon angioplasty on my esophogus.

Apparently this happens over the course of a lifetime to people who have a lot of allergies like I do. Essentially, something I am eating - or used to eat - is attacking my esophogus. Over time, the scar tissue forms ring-like strictures. Eventually I'll be on a liquid diet and/or unable to swallow if this doesn't get under control.

My question for you is on diet. The doctor suggested eliminating eggs, milk, seafood, (no problem ), soy, wheat (I've been gluten-free for over a year), corn and (gasp ) nightshade vegetables.

Before I go all macrobiotic and throw out my tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes I would like your opinion. Have you found that nightshades have a negative effect on your inflammation issues? I think you do eat starchy root vegetables - right?

Unfortunately this disease literally has been idiopathic. There's nothing I can point to and say _ hey! I ate a tomato and my throat swelled up. I will be starting the Elimination Diet next week and eventually try some food challenges, but my doctor is skeptical. She just wants to put me on steroids and monitor the situation in 3 months. If I don't see improvement on the steroids, she will do skin testing for food allergies. I prefer to be a bit more proactive.

I would be grateful for your insight into inflammatory-free diets.

Kate

First, the best way to be sure of contacting me is through a comment on my website, at the second link below my signature. I automatically receive an email, which I check every day. I sometimes go weeks without checking the McDougall website.

Second, thank you for the assistance you have given me in the past, especially in using the Cronometer.

Third, no, I have never had any reaction -- in my -itis problems -- from any of the nightshades. I eat all sorts of potatoes, egg plant, and lots of tomatoes (canned, crushed, no additives).

The Elimination Diet might help you test those. The problem is guessing how long it would take -- and even whether you could -- feel a difference in your throat. It isn't like a skin problem on one's face, a problem that is evident and easy to gauge when the intensity changes.

Fourth, your symptoms are similar in one respect to my experience with grapefruit. That fruit was causing symptoms similar to scleroderma. That is my diagnosis, but one doctor who examined my throat did remark that it was narrowed and looked inflammed. (I was having trouble swallowing.)

My symptoms appeared (and disappeared) together in two sets:
1. Constricted throat.
2. Two areas, on either side of my nose, in the "caliper" region, between the sides of the nose and the sides of the mouth. These two areas were swollen, tough (almost like a callus) and red (indicating some sort of inflammation). The region has that name because as people age a line appears on either side of the nose to the side of the mouth. Together, the lines look like a caliper.

Apparently the same sort of "callus" was ringing my throat, making it constricted.

I mention this in the possibility that it might be similar to your condition.

In my case eliminating grapefruit solved the problem. Grapefruit is a suspect for scleroderma, according to what I read on what seemed to be a reliable source. I also eliminated all other citrus fruit such as oranges and tangerines, though I am unsure about them.

Thanks, Burgess. I appreciate your input. I'm going to do a water only fast tomorrow and then start my elimination diet on Monday. Since it's only for a week, I'm just going to leave out the nightshades and reintroduce them at a later date. I'm not sure if I'll be able to even tell the difference, but my doctor thinks that once I get used to feeling 'normal' I may be able to detect a food allergy. Or I may see an uptick in my asthma, since EE and asthma share the same gene defect. More than anything else I'll miss spices. Hopefully, when everything is said and done, not only will I have the EE under control, but I'll also see an improvement in my asthma, since I clearly have an unresolved food allergy. It certainly has been an interesting week.
Kate