Symptoms Improved But Haven't Gone Away.

[jimhalpert625]

Hi guys,

 

So here's my situation: my entire life I'd have about one "episode" of severe abdominal pain and diarrhea per month or so. Then, beginning spring (6 months ago), I began to have an average of two per week. They were very painful and felt like someone was inserting a balloon into my intestine and blowing it up. The pain was right at my belt line in the center of my stomach and was followed by diarrhea. My dad has this exact same thing, and his symptoms improved when he stopped gluten, so I did the same thing. Now, I'm on a gluten free and mostly dairy free diet. My symptoms have improved in the sense that I'm back to about one bout of abdominal pain and diarrhea per month, however I'm still having issues. I still frequently have discomfort and gas, and I don't know what's causing them. I know I have problems with dairy, but the thing is I've accidentally ingested gluten numerous times and haven't had any problems. Then  other times I would have a serious stomach episode when I'd know for sure I haven't had any gluten. So, what else can I do? What else can be causing this?

 

This is what I ate in the 24 hours leading up to my latest stomach attack in order from soonest to latest:

 

This morning (morning of attack):

 

Breakfast:

Glutino bagel, peanut butter, Jelly

 

(yesterday):

 

Snack:
Glutino bagel, 3 slices of ham, mayo before bed
 

Banana
Udi's Gluten Free granola

 

Dinner:

Chicken and brown rice

 

Snack
Immune support emergen-c vitamin supplement

 

 

Lunch:

Gluten Free pasta and Prego sauce

3 beef franks

Banana

 

Breakfast:
Glutino bagel with pb and jelly
Coffee

 

Everything in bold on this list I know for sure I've eaten before and not had any stomach problems. Does anyone have any insight on this? Psychological factors are not an issue at this point, I'm convinced it's something I'm eating. How can I pinpoint what's causing this when there are no obvious culprits?

[kareng]

Not much fiber. Those bagels have a lot of ingredients that can cause you issues - like guar gum.  Maybe eat some more fruits and veggies, nuts, etc and not eat the processed gluten-free stuff for a few weeks?  See if that helps?

[HumanDecency]

karen is right. When I first went gluten free I went out and bought all kinds of gluten free products and my symptoms didn't subside. However as I started eating more natural food things started to get a little better. It still took a little while to heal and I'm not completely 100 percent but I definitely feel a lot better. It's really hard to track down what's wrong with your diet without starting from scratch and slowly adding stuff in.

[jimhalpert625]

karen is right. When I first went gluten free I went out and bought all kinds of gluten free products and my symptoms didn't subside. However as I started eating more natural food things started to get a little better. It still took a little while to heal and I'm not completely 100 percent but I definitely feel a lot better. It's really hard to track down what's wrong with your diet without starting from scratch and slowly adding stuff in.

 

I've been eating both Glutino Bagels and Udi's Granola for the better part of a month without any issues though. Udi's bagels definitely upset my stomach, but I'm pretty sure glutino is safe.

[kareng]

I've been eating both Glutino Bagels and Udi's Granola for the better part of a month without any issues though. Udi's bagels definitely upset my stomach, but I'm pretty sure glutino is safe.

I Thought you just said you WERE having issues while eating these things?

Anyway....my advice to eat a more rounded diet with some fiber still stands.

[Salax]

I agree with Karen. Go with natural food for a while and see how you feel.

[IrishHeart]

Have to agree with Karen here.

 

I don't see any green leafy veggies or fruit or substantial dietary fiber in your list.

 

White rice flour bagels--not the best thing. It's devoid of whole grains and empty calories (like regular bagels)

 

A whole foods diet is best to start getting your GI tract straightened out: meats, fish, poultry, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut milk

and health fats: avocado, olive oil, coconut oil..

 

Stomach problems (acid, pain) are different from intestine problems (bloating, gas) and the

reason for gas and bloating is often

not enough dietary fiber to "move things along".

 

Drink water, alter your diet, take probiotics. IMHO 

[CajunChic]

I agree with more natural foods. I'm 3 months gluten-free and feel my best when eating really clean. Processed food in excess always make me sick, gluten-free or not. Spend a good week of eating clean, then maybe add a processed carb once you're feeling better. You may find some gluten-free brands don't always agree with you. Hope you feel better soon!

[w8in4dave]

I get really bad pains at times waking me up in the middle of the night! It is just gas. I do Like up above Eat stuff on the outter perimeter of the store. Fresh meat fresh veggies , theres so much fresh stuff out right now!! You can take advantage of it! Don't limit your self to a bagel ... 

[ItchyAbby]

I am going to echo what has been said here a bit, but for emphasis: Start including WAY more vegetables in your diet, especially green leafies. Your current diet is lacking quality, nutrient-dense whole foods. And all those gluten free breads have things like xanthan gum in them, which some people have a really hard time digesting. (If you want to read someone else experience with gums, this is a great blog post - she talks about giving up gums part way down, after finding that they really were not agreeing with her: Open Original Shared Link )

[dilettantesteph]

You stated that you have accidentally ingested gluten many times and didn't have any problems.  That would make it seem that gluten is not your issue.  Have you gone to the doctor about this?  That is what I would recommend.

[w8in4dave]

If your accidently eating Gluten and saying your not having problems , but you are having problems. So are you sure it is not Gluten?

[nvsmom]

Problems can linger for a long time.  It took me almost a year before I saw improvement in most areas.  Maybe it will eventually fade after you've been completely gluten-free longer.

 

Ditto the others on the starchy carb content on your diet. You might want to play around with more protein, fats and add more veggies.

 

Good luck!

[jimhalpert625]

If your accidently eating Gluten and saying your not having problems , but you are having problems. So are you sure it is not Gluten?

 

Nope, I'm not sure. I tested negative for celiac in a blood test, but after cutting gluten and eating better overall my symptoms have been reduced. From ages 0-20 I had about one episode of severe lower abdominal pain coupled with diarrhea, nausea, sweating, malaise, and fatigue per month. Beginning 6 months ago, I began to have four. My symptoms quadrupled and I couldn't figure out way. No changes in diet or stress. After awhile I got so sick of it that I went on a gluten free, mostly dairy free diet coupled with high doses of probiotics and acupuncture. After that, it dropped back down to one per month, and now I'm here. That being said, I've accidentally ingested gluten 5 or so times since I've been gluten free with no ill effects. My dad has the same thing I do and so do multiple members on my Dad's side of the family. All have reported symptom reduction after cutting gluten. After my aunt went to the doctor for the same thing, they needlessly removed her gallbladder, so I'm not keen on seeing anymore doctors. I've talked to my primary care physician about it once and he just said "it's probably IBS", did a few blood/urine tests which came back negative, and sent me on my way.

[kareng]

Nope, I'm not sure. I tested negative for celiac in a urine sample, but after cutting gluten and eating better overall my symptoms have been reduced. I used to have about 4 serious episodes of severe intestinal pain followed by diarrhea, nausea, sweating, malaise, and fatigue, now I'm having about one per month. That being said, I've accidentally ingested gluten 5 or so times since I've been gluten free with no ill effects. My dad has the same thing I do and so do multiple members on my Dad's side of the family. All have reported symptom reduction after cutting gluten. After my aunt went to the doctor for the same thing, they needlessly removed her gallbladder, so I'm not keen on seeing anymore doctors. I've talked to my primary care physician about it once and he just said "it's probably IBS", did a few blood/urine tests which came back negative, and sent me on my way.

A urine sample? celiac isn't tested by urine sample. Glucose might be tested that way? It is when you are pregnant. But not celiac.

[jimhalpert625]

A urine sample? celiac isn't tested by urine sample. Glucose might be tested that way? It is when you are pregnant. But not celiac.

 

Sorry, I meant blood test. I've revised my post. 

[GFinDC]

Hi Jim,

 

Here's some ideas that might help you.

 

Celiac disease is an auto-immune condition.  The immune system reacts for weeks to months at a time.  So eating gluten twice a month means the immune reaction never stops.  It only takes a small amount of gluten to trigger a reaction.  So you need to be careful of cross-contamination.  Sticking to whole foods for a few months may help.

 

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.
Get your vitamin/mineral levels tested also.
Don't eat in restaurants
Eat only whole foods not processed foods.
Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.
Take probiotics.
Take gluten-free vitamins.
Take digestive enzymes.
Avoid dairy.
Avoid sugars and starchy foods.
Avoid alcohol.
Watch out for cross contamination.

Helpful threads:

FAQ Celiac com
https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-celiac-disease/

Newbie Info 101
https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

[Pegleg84]

If you do have problems with gluten (and it sounds like you could be, if you're feeling better without), then every time you eat it (accidentally or not), you might not feel it right away but it's still messing up your system, making it difficult to digest everything else. Also, if you're still healing your gut might not be able to handle everything you put in it, even the safe stuff.

 

That said, definitely cut back on the processed gluten-free stuff (bagels, etc) and eat more fresh veg, meat, safe grains, etc. That's just healthier in general, and will help with healing. Probiotics and digestive enzymes might also help.

 

Regardless of whether you might have Celiac or not, if you're going to be gluten free, then you have to treat yourself as though you have it. Stick to it, and hopefully you'll feel better. If you don't, then something else could be wrong.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck!