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Nickel Allergy and Zinc Displacement?

Sun, July 08, 2018 3:15 PM

My son, ( currently age 14) had braces put on in January of 2017. His health steadily declined over the 14 months that he wore the braces, especially his eating. About 10 months after the braces were put on, I started inquiring about oral/gum/lip swelling and lesions that had developed over time. By January of 2018, his orthodontist finally suggested a potential nickel allergy. Allergy patch testing confirmed the nickel allergy. Braces were removed at the end of February. Within two months, oral swelling and lesions resolved with no medication. At the end of May, he developed digestive issues that brought us to a gastroenterologist. He has now been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Only after his initial endoscopy and colonoscopy have we started a low-nickel diet (one month). Since his diagnosis on June 7, I have been reading as much as possible about nickel ingestion/hypersensitivity and Crohn’s Disease. I have learned that the striated unusual oral lesions that he developed with the braces are consistent with oral Crohn’s presentation.

I'm wondering if it is possible for nickel to displace zinc at the cellular level (i.e Paneth cells) and if so, what implications this might have on interaction with gram negative bacteria like e coli?

For right now, main dietary changes we have made include eliminating high nickel foods, like chocolate, soy, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. In addition, we have eliminated dairy due to lactose intolerance.

spsmith48
Joined Jul 8, 2018

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