Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Swollen Stomach Won't Go Away

Booklover15

Recommended Posts

Booklover15 Newbie
Booklover15
Posted

I hope this hasn't been asked before. I'm new on here and tried to search. I am 12 weeks gluten free. I had most of the average symptoms: swollen stomach (looked pregnant), pain, gas, etc. hair loss was a biggie for me as well as zero vitamin absorption. I've been on massive supplements for years.

My question, I'm feeling much better being gluten free for over 12 weeks, but I am still having weight fluctuations and my stomach is still protruding; especially after I eat. All the pain and gas is gone, so I don't think I'm eating something my system doesn't like. After I eat, my upper and lower stomach will swell big, almost like the food is just sitting there. After several hours, it will go down and my weight will decrease.

I am a small person (5'2 115 pounds) so every thing shows drastically on me.

Is this swelling normal? Will it ever go away? Like I said. The pain and other terrible symptoms are gone, but this seems to be hanging on. I don't know about the vitamin deficiency for another week when I'm retested. Hair is growing back, yippee!!

Thank you all for all your shared wisdom! I have been lurking on here for many weeks trying to understand Celiac.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

Sounds like you are doing well.  Keep up the good work.  I had a stubborn protruding abdomen and mine had to do with other allergies and histamine so far as I can tell.  It finally is going down after I cut out all foods I had antibodies to.  It does tend to get larger again when I am exposed to anything I have allergies to.  I hope you can get to the bottom of your issues soon.

 

Dee

.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Time. You need more of it. Celiac disease can cause extensive damage and it can take up to 1 to 3 years to heal. Keep a journal and see if you have developed any intolerances (e.g. Dairy/lactose). And make sure gluten is not sneaking into your diet.

Booklover15 Newbie
Booklover15
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the responses! after I wrote this, I started thinking more. Not all symptoms have to be negative. Pre diagnosis, my stomach swelling was constant, a lot bigger, very painful and gassy. Everything I ate went straight through me. The swelling now feels more like you feel after a big Thanksgiving dinner. I am tired and feel full after I eat a meal, but no other symptoms. Maybe this means my system is finally turning on. Very slowly the intestines are actually taking the food and using it like its supposed to. I will ask my doctor next week. I'm a girl, so I hate the swelling and I'm now hungry all the time! :)

Thanks to you all for so much help. Because of this site, I started a food diary right away. I also use it to comment on how I feel that day, etc. So far, I haven't found any major reactions to other foods. Also, I have stayed away from all processed foods--not that I can afford most of them anyway. I eat just cooked veggies, rice, chicken, potatoes, fruit, etc. Thanks so much!

SMRI Collaborator
SMRI
Posted

I was just noticing today that the top of my stomach/torso, was not as puffy as it had been--it was oddly shaped and just weird looking.  Now that it's mostly gone, I'm pretty sure it was gluten related.  I've been gluten-free since July.  The rest of my torso is still puffy but that is because I weigh too much :D

  • 4 weeks later...
Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted

This information is helping answer some of my questions as well. Thanks for the info!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,554
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Becky 0163
    Newest Member
    Becky 0163
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.