Pre-Diagnosis, Need Opinions...

[hayleymcaldwell]

A little background information to start:

I am a 19 year old female. 5'5 and around 118 lbs. Starting in May I randomly developed a Panic Disorder. I was having multiple panic attacks a day and couldn't go to work or school for two weeks until the medicine they prescribed me which was Paxil had kicked in. I am also prescribed an extremely low dose of xanax whenever needed. I had separation anxiety as a very young child that subsided when I was older. I have a strong family history of anxiety. Because of the sudden onset Panic attacks I was tested for thyroid problems which I also have a family history of, my mother was diagnosed very young. Turns out as of right now my thyroid hormones are normal but I do have thyroid antibodies in my system so I have an autoimmune thyroid disease that is not yet actively effecting my thyroid. 

Now to the celiacs part:

With all my labs being done for my thyroid I was also tested for a gluten sensitivity. It came back positive and I guess was higher than usual Im not too sure? So my doctor recommends that I be tested for Celiacs. As a 19 year old college student who LOVES to eaten gluten this was completely heartbreaking. I have been consistently mildly constipated pretty much all my life i assumed it was just the normal for me. Never have issues with diarrhea. So here are some other symptoms I have been experiencing.

-Constipation 

- Bloating 

-Gas (occasional)

-Very mild abdominal/gas pain (occasional) 

-Canker Sores inside mouth (I only have had 2 episodes of these both within the past month and half. Only 1-2 canker sores each time but i've never had canker sores before. I assumed it was a small showing of hand foot and mouth because I work at a daycare and its been going around severely.)

-Night sweats (extremely unusual considering im only 19. Never have had issues with it before. I only notice it some nights and its usually when I wake up right after random dreams that I have. Which my frequent dreams are related to my paxil medication but I don't know if the night sweating is too.) 

- Gained about 10lbs in the last month after never really being able to gain weight, stayed at a steady 108 for about 3-4 years. No diet change or anything. I have been eating pretty bad but thats never effected my weight before.

Those are my only symptoms as of right now. Me and my mom who is an RN seem to think that if I had Celiacs these symptoms would be much more severe. I am not really sick from these symptoms. I will be getting thoroughly tested in the near future for Celiacs but for right now I would just like some opinions on if it seems like I have the disease or just a non celiacs related gluten sensitivity. Thanks for your help!

[cyclinglady]

Sure you could have celiac disease.  There are over 200 symptoms attributed to celiac disease.  Some celiacs have none!  Get a complete celiac panel if possible.  Why?  Because if my doctor had not ordered the complete panel, my diagnosis would have been missed.  I test positive to only the DGP IgA and I am biopsy confirmed.  

I presented with autoimmune thyroiditis over 20 years ago.  Like you, I only had elevated antibodies.  As time progressed, I needed thyroid replacement.  When I was diagnosed five years ago with celiac disease, the gluten free diet helped my thyroid.  My thyroid nodules and enlargement resolved.  One nice side effect of getting my celiac disease diagnosis.  Oh, I only presented with anemia and had NO GI issues at all when I was diagnosed.  I wish I was diagnosed sooner.  I might have prevented osteoporosis.  

Continue to have your thyroid monitored.  

Here is testing information:

Open Original Shared Link

Giving up gluten is not difficult.  I think your anxiety (common in celiacs) and other issues might  resolve.  Good health, can’t beat it!  

[knitty kitty]

On 9/1/2018 at 7:59 PM, hayleymcaldwell said:

A little background information to start:

I am a 19 year old female. 5'5 and around 118 lbs. Starting in May I randomly developed a Panic Disorder. I was having multiple panic attacks a day and couldn't go to work or school for two weeks until the medicine they prescribed me which was Paxil had kicked in. I am also prescribed an extremely low dose of xanax whenever needed. I had separation anxiety as a very young child that subsided when I was older. I have a strong family history of anxiety. Because of the sudden onset Panic attacks I was tested for thyroid problems which I also have a family history of, my mother was diagnosed very young. Turns out as of right now my thyroid hormones are normal but I do have thyroid antibodies in my system so I have an autoimmune thyroid disease that is not yet actively effecting my thyroid. 

Now to the celiacs part:

With all my labs being done for my thyroid I was also tested for a gluten sensitivity. It came back positive and I guess was higher than usual Im not too sure? So my doctor recommends that I be tested for Celiacs. As a 19 year old college student who LOVES to eaten gluten this was completely heartbreaking. I have been consistently mildly constipated pretty much all my life i assumed it was just the normal for me. Never have issues with diarrhea. So here are some other symptoms I have been experiencing.

-Constipation 

- Bloating 

-Gas (occasional)

-Very mild abdominal/gas pain (occasional) 

-Canker Sores inside mouth (I only have had 2 episodes of these both within the past month and half. Only 1-2 canker sores each time but i've never had canker sores before. I assumed it was a small showing of hand foot and mouth because I work at a daycare and its been going around severely.)

-Night sweats (extremely unusual considering im only 19. Never have had issues with it before. I only notice it some nights and its usually when I wake up right after random dreams that I have. Which my frequent dreams are related to my paxil medication but I don't know if the night sweating is too.) 

- Gained about 10lbs in the last month after never really being able to gain weight, stayed at a steady 108 for about 3-4 years. No diet change or anything. I have been eating pretty bad but thats never effected my weight before.

Those are my only symptoms as of right now. Me and my mom who is an RN seem to think that if I had Celiacs these symptoms would be much more severe. I am not really sick from these symptoms. I will be getting thoroughly tested in the near future for Celiacs but for right now I would just like some opinions on if it seems like I have the disease or just a non celiacs related gluten sensitivity. Thanks for your help!

I agree with Cycling Lady.  You could have Celiac Disease and need to have the complete panel done.

Celiac Disease causes malabsorption which results in vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Celiacs often develop B12 deficiency and anemia, but there are other signs of B12 deficiency before the anemia shows up.

Canker sores can be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.

Open Original Shared Link

Constipation can be caused by B12 deficiency. 

Night sweats can be caused by B12 deficiency.

Open Original Shared Link

Vitamin B12 deficiency messes with your thyroid.

Open Original Shared Link

Vitamin B12 deficiency and B6 deficiency can cause panic attacks.

Open Original Shared Link

Here's another that puts night sweats together with Celiac Disease...

Open Original Shared Link

 I had a horrible doctor that preferred to write prescriptions to treat the symptoms instead of finding out the cause.  Among other drugs, he prescribed Paxil, then Xanax.  While those two helped temporarily, my deficiencies got worse until I was demented, psychotic and severely malnourished.  Like Cycling Lady, I didn't have the usual "definitely Celiac"  antibody test results.  Genetic testing confirmed Celiac. 

Get your B12 and ferritin and vitamin D checked and get the full Celiac Panel done now before your health is ruined!

 

 

 

[Posterboy]

Haley,

Knitty Kitty has given you nice links on B-12.

Here is some on Vitamin D, your thyroid and how we can become low in nutrients like B-12 and Vitamin D when we get low in stomach acid.

Many of the bloating you are experiencing can get better going low CARB.

See this thread on bloating.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/122303-extreme-bloat-help/?tab=comments#comment-995204

Here is a good thread on canker sores.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/122320-cankers/?tab=comments#comment-995427

Make sure to use a SLS free toothpaste if you are having mouth cankers.

Here is the research on it entitled "The effect of sodium lauryl sulfate on recurrent aphthous ulcers: a clinical study."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9656847

Here is the research on thyroid problems and the digestive tract.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699000/

Here is the research on the association of Vitamin D and the thyroid.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3921055/

Here is association of Vitamin D to inflammation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21067953

Here is the association of "Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are highly prevalent in newly diagnosed celiac disease patients"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24084055

Here is an naturopathic article on the role stomach acid plays in low nutrient levels.

https://www.naturopathiccurrents.com/articles/hypochlorhydria-not-enough-good-thing

This is a lot of information all at once but when you get the chance to read the links I think you will find them very helpful.

Good luck on your continued journey.

This is not medical advice but I hope it is helpful.

2 Timothy 2:7 "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things”

Posterboy by the Grace of God,