Abdominal Pain + Hair Loss

[Ashy555]

So I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in Oct 2012. I am 24 by the way.

But I have started to notice in the past 6 months that my bowel movements are changing a fair bit. When I accidentally digest gluten I get diarrhoea at first, now I get diarrhoea and within 48hrs quickly turns to constipation and affects me for a few weeks. I also started suffering from constant nausea again and abdominal pains and then I lost about 5kg over the period of 2 weeks. I saw my GP who said my bloods came back fine etc and nothing is wrong. He made me feel like a bit of a hypochondriac. I ended up buying myself a nutribullet and I have been making a fruit and veg juice everyday for a snack and put 2kg back on. My headaches have disappeared as well as my nausea and for a while so did my abdominal pains. I felt the best I have ever felt. Over the past two weeks though I have noticed I have been getting awful abdominal pains again. This time I can feel them almost shoot through my abdomen just randomly throughout the day but it has been quite bearable. Yesterday I was eating my lunch, got up to wash my dishes and all of a sudden felt this intense ache/pain shoot through to my lower back and I instantly felt an intense wave of nausea which lead to vomiting within a few minutes. I was at work so they made me lie down for about an half hr. Then I was back to normal and ready to go.

Past few days I have noticed my stools have been very dark and I remember seeing what I thought was possibly some blood..

Today I woke up to this dull ache below my belly button to the right. I can literally pinpoint it and it is becoming a little more uncomfortable. I have experienced this dull ache on and off before for the past maybe 3 months but it seems to be hanging around for longer and longer. I have had to unbuttom my pants are work.

 

I have had an extremely strict diet and haven't 'felt' that I have eaten something wrong but the other night my mum pointed out that my hair is starting to fall out again(I lost a lot of hair before i was diagnosed and i have been doing so well growing it until now) You can now see 2 small almost bald patches close to my hairline and all my hairs are back to being so short that they stuck up. One side looks like my hair is receding. it is quite distressing and must mean I have been digesting gluten(I am assuming over a long period of time without realising) 

 

It is strange because I usually know straight away if I have eaten something bad as my stomach blows.. explosive diarrhoea etc but i have had none of it.

I am just concerned. I dont want to go and burden my gp again with the usual gluten issue.

 

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? 

[w8in4dave]

I would start a food diary, you may have other intolerances, or something you are eating gluten-free sometimes the guide lines of gluten-free there are traces of gluten in them. Some Celiacs can take it some cannot. Or you can go on an all natural diet, no pre packaged foods. See how that goes. It is harder if you work but it is doable, I find it is much easier than messing with gluten-free packaged stuff.

I found I am Corn, Soy, Lactose intolerant. Hoping one day I can get some of those back. Good luck I hope you find the answers. 

[nvsmom]

Has your thyroid been checked?  The thyroid is notorious for causing hair loss. I too had some regrowth when I first went gluten-free but it didn't last - I blame my thyroid.

 

Somewhere around 10-15% of celiacs are hypothyroid, and eating gluten-free does not assure you that it will not develop.  Google the symptoms and see if it applies to you. If you get tested, ask to have the TSH (should be near a 1), free T3 and free T4 (should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal reference range), and TPO Ab (should be low).

 

It could be health complications still due to celiac disease.  Some food intolerances will cause problems like that too.  I've only been gluten-free a few months longer than you, but I still get stomach aches, bathroom issues and other symptoms that I associated with celiac disease.  I don't know if we are just really slow to heal, or if we have permanent damage, but like you I have no idea what causes it as I am almost positive I have consumed no accidental gluten in the last 18 months, which only a couple of accidents in the months prior to that.

 

Best wishes.

[w8in4dave]

I blame my hair loss on Vitamin deficiency , I have spider veins on my face I read that it's due to Vitamin K deficiency. Makes since to me if you have one vitamin deficiency you'd have more than one. I get my Thyroid checked all the time. It's always in normal range. They check my thyroid every 6 months. I'm waiting for the day when they say I have a problem.