Do These Symptoms Strike Anyone As Gluten-Related?

[randomaccount]

Hello--I'm new here! A month and a half ago, I got what I thought was a terrible stomach virus after eating a bagel. It was awful--terrible cramps, heart beating super fast, heartburn. For a while I stuck to the BRAT diet, and while the initial terrible pain from the first day went away, my symptoms have not completely disappeared. 

 

Specifically, every morning I wake up with very bad cramps and gas. No matter what I eat for breakfast, it almost always goes down poorly. At random times, I'll have bad cramps, bloating, burping, heartburn, and just a general "not-feeling-very-well" that I'm sure some of you are familiar with. After eating some foods, I will feel particularly bad--I recently had bagels again and I felt very ill throughout my whole body, so I've certainly cut out that for now! Greasy foods like hamburgers and doughnuts seem to go down poorly, but pizza and ice cream seem to feel generally fine. So, I have not been able to tie my symptoms to any particular food; it all seems rather sporadic.

 

I sometimes feel like I'm beginning to develop a bit of anxiety, although that could just be the side effect of having undiagnosed and continuous symptoms. I've always been a rather tired person as many male teenagers are, but I do feel more sluggish. Additionally, I've always been very skinny for my height, and during the first week when I thought I had a virus, I lost some weight and have still not fully gained it back.

 

Important to note: I've had no diarrhea or vomit. I cut out milk for a week thinking lactose could be a problem, but it seemed to do nothing, and the gastro doctor I visited did not think my symptoms matched lactose intolerance. I did a blood test and it came back "normal," although I don't know exactly what tests the lab performed. (I requested that info and should have it soon.) Also, around my age (young adult male) a cousin of mine started feeling very bad, and though a biopsy showed he didn't have Celiac, he did go off of gluten and has felt much better for it. 

 

If my symptoms don't clear up, I'll probably do an endoscopy in about a month, but I wondered if my symptoms seemed familiar to anyone diagnosed, as it's rather stressful having constant but mysterious symptoms. Also, can an event (a virus, food poisoning, antibiotics, etc.) trigger the symptoms of Celiac disease? This all seems very sudden--I've been a big fan of pasta and bread my whole life!

 

Thanks.

[cyclinglady]

It could be anything. You should at least get copies of all your test results. That might help you in your quest to find a diagnosis.

[NoGlutenCooties]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum!

 

I agree with cyclinglady - it could be anything.  Your symptoms are consistent with Celiac, but they could have other causes as well.  Were your blood tests for Celiac?  You should request a copy of your lab results so that you know which tests they ran and what the actual numbers were.  In my opinion, the endoscopy is a good idea - they will look for not only Celiac but other possible causes for your symptoms as well.  Keep in mind, for the endoscopy to be accurate - especially if it is a month or more away - you have to continue to consume gluten until after the testing is completed.  The equivalent of 2 pieces of bread each day is recommended.

 

There is also a possibility that it could be non-Celiac-gluten-intolerance, which may be what your cousin is experiencing.  With NCGI you get to experience all of the same symptoms but without the damage to the villi.

 

Many with Celiac and/or NCGI do not experience gastro-intestinal symptoms (i.e. constipation, diarrhea, vomiting) - the symptoms can vary greatly and no two people experience it exactly the same way.  But just so you know - you don't have to have bowel issues to have Celiac or NCGI.

 

And yes, it seems that Celiac can be triggered by other stressful events - fighting a virus, a serious injury, pregnancy, etc.

 

Good luck!

[randomaccount]

Here were the exact results of my bloodwork.

 

Enodmysial Antibody IgA   -    Negative

 

t-Transglutaminase (tTg) IgA    -     <2     (My report says 4 is the boundary for weak positive.)

 

Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum    -    120

 

 

Not totally what these results indicate. Does this seem like a fairly strong negative for Celiac? I may end up doing an endoscopy anyhow since my symptoms aren't letting up, as maybe it could find a non-gluten cause, too. Though Celiac or intolerance seems likely to me from what I've read, I of course don't want to pre-diagnose myself. Thanks.