Painful skin and gluten intolerance

Hey all,

I'm posting because I have been struggling with a particular symptom for several years now, and I think I have finally figured out that gluten may be the culprit. about 5 years ago, I started having these "attacks" where the skin on my torso would become very sensitive and painful to the touch. Usually on my back, the back of my neck, my stomach, and sometimes my chest, face, arms, and quads. There has never been a bruise or a rash, but I realized pretty quickly that it had to do with something I ate, as I would get it oftentimes after eating a certain kind of meal. Chinese takeout and pizza were the most frequent, so I guessed that MSG was what was causing them. But even after consciously avoiding MSG, I would still get occasional attacks.

Well, I tried the paleo style of eating for about a month, and I was feeling great, no attacks at all. Then I allowed myself a "cheat" meal to go out with friends, and that night and through the next day I was feeling the repercussions. That cheat meal was just one slice of pizza... So I started thinking that gluten might be to blame, but because it was cheap pizza, MSG was still a possibility. Well, I was eating clean again for a few weeks and no incidents, and then I had a weekend trip to Philly and while I ate bread, I was conscious about it not being 'junk food' and was fairly confident I didn't have MSG. Lo and behold, attacks galore...

So here's my question, is it possible that my gluten intolerance is manifesting in this way? It seems like rashes and stomach issues are more common reactions, neither of which have plagued me. Obviously I felt better when I ate clean, and so I should just continue to do that, but I would rather just know exactly what could be causing it...

Anyone else experienced this?

Food allergy occurs when your immune system mistakenly identifies a substance from a certain food you eat as a threat. When this happens, it immediately releases chemicals that trigger allergic reaction.

This could be from Celiac or Gluten Sensitivity. Sometimes, instead of attacking the gut or the skin, the antibodies triggered by gluten will attack the nervous system. In so doing, it could cause hypersensitivity to touch.

One thing to try would be a gluten-free pizza, and see if that causes trouble for you? Be sure to make the pizza yourself or buy a frozen, pre-made gluten-free pizza that was made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Cross-contamination can and does occur with alarming regularity in the mass-produced food world (restaurants, packaged foods).