Upcoming biopsy, also, esophagitis

[Axiom]

Hi!

I'm new to this whole possible celiac thing, but definitely not new to feeling like total crap. Celiac disease does run in my family, but I was always afraid to chalk up my long standing GI problems to gluten, since it's become some what of a fad to go gluten free, I guess I didn't want to illegitimize how terrible I've been feeling for the last 5 years in particular, but really my whole life. Gall bladder removed at 19, Barret's diagnosed, can't take PPIs as they make me very ill, doubled over in agony. In my mid 20si dropped 20 lbs in a few weeks leaving me about 20 lbs underweight. This was due to the onset of drastically worsening GI problems. Dr tested me for parasites, negative, told me I had IBS and offered to prescribe me paxil. No thanks.

So, before I go on forever, it's been 5 years since then, I ache all the time, the skin on my hands is cracking bleeding and burning, my face is breaking out, constantly going between diahrea and constipation, stomach cramps, joint pain, endometriosis, severe heart burn and get this, my esophagus ITCHES (how weird is that?! I wish I could shove something down my throat...), constant fatigue, anxiety over why I feel like I must have cancer because I feel so terrible, headaches nausea. Any who, I'm not really sure if this all really means celiac disease, but I'm willing to give anything a shot for taking proactive steps to not feeling like I'm probably going to die in the next few years.

So I did the blood work on Monday, no idea when I'll get the results, but I'm ready to start eliminating gluten now. 

Would it be a bad idea to start a gluten-free diet about 10 days before endoscopy?

Also, has anyone else ever had gerd or esophagitis? Is it possibly related? Has your esophagus ever burned and itched simultaneously? (Seriously, I can't be the only person with that, right? Lol)

[SLLRunner]

Hi, Axiom,

Welcome! 

Please do not eliminate gluten until all your testing for celiac is complete. In order for the results to be accurate, you need to be eating gluten.

Hang in there while they figure out what is going on with your body. 

[mbr22m]

I have celiac as well as gastritis, gerd and esophagitis. I also have an irregular SC junction,  which my GI thought was Barrets but the biopsy came back negative.  I also found out I was also lactose intolerant from my last biopsy so I think that may have been contributing to the gerd. My doc put me on PPIs too and they made me feel awful. I now take Zantac as needed. Gaviscon helps me more though.  My throat mostly feels scratchy and like there is a lump in it all the time. I'm constantly coughing. The pollen count has been really high by me lately and I noticed that when I take an Alavert with my Zantac, my throat feels a lot better. Weird. . I'm wondering if environmental allergies were also contributing to the esophagitis. 

 

[Irene Joanne]

Welcome! 

Just hang in there and keep eating gluten until the biopsy is done.