Doctors Can't Figure It Out...

[hjs1114]

Hello, everyone! 

 

I've never done anything like this, but it has come to a point that I need some advice. Since early last week I have been having the following symptoms: stabbing (sometimes dull) pain in my upper right abdomen going into my back, nausea, acid reflux, fatigue, diarrhea, and an occasional headache. The pain has not went away and sometimes gets worse. I'm a 23 year old female that hasn't really had anything serious medically.

 

I have been to the ER twice, a gastroenterologist, a surgeon and a family doctor in the past week and a half. They originally thought it was my gallbladder, but after a HIDA scan and ultrasound, it showed there was nothing wrong with it. When they finally did a CT scan it found inflammation in my large intestine, which made my doctor do a colonoscopy. As you might guess since I'm posting on here, the colonoscopy came back perfectly normal. Parasites and infections have been ruled out... They cannot figure it out and I still have the same pain and cannot eat without either throwing up, having acid reflux or really bad nausea. It's getting so frustrating.

 

As any other person on the internet, I googled other possible things that could be wrong with me since I cannot get rid of this pain! This made me think of the symptoms I have been having the past few weeks, not thinking they could be related to a pain in my abdomen: tingling in my hands and face, I cannot get enough sleep, having a harder time concentrating than normal. 

 

Does this sound like something any one of you went through? I'm so tired of not having answers and I'm frustrated that they cannot figure it out! I've missed work, had to withdraw from grad school because I've missed too much from being in pain and have to cancel a vacation to Denver for Wednesday... Please let me know if you've had the same symptoms.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[squirmingitch]

Like a broken record! Many, many, many have had the same symptoms. You need to be tested for celiac disease. First, a celiac blood panel. The full current blood panel is this:

 

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA
Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG
Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA
Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA
Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) IgA and IgG
Total Serum IgA

 

Also can be termed this way:

Endomysial Antibody IgA
Tissue Transglutaminase IgA
GLIADIN IgG
GLIADIN IgA
Total Serum IgA
Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) IgA and IgG

 

You need to make sure the doc orders ALL 6 tests!!! Anything less is not a full celiac panel.

 

DO NOT STOP EATING GLUTEN UNTIL ALL TESTING IS COMPLETE. THIS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE!

And that means even after the blood work has been done b/c they may want to do an endoscopy with biopsies and you will need to be eating gluten for that so no matter what the docs tell you (& a lot don't know you have to be eating gluten) you have to continue eating gluten until all testing is done or else you can have false negatives.