Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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

Pre celiac disease Diagnosis Question?


rmmadden

Recommended Posts

rmmadden Contributor

Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease I used to get (this is hard to explain) these little food globs stuck in the back of my throat. It made me feel like I constantly had to clear my throat. They seemed to come-and-go thru the years and didn't bother me other than as a general nuisance. Every once-and-a-while I would even hack one up and they would be light green (sorry for being graphic) in color and smell absolutely terrible.

After a while I noticed that they would be more prevalent when I ate bread, pretzels, etc. and if I stayed away from these items then I'de be fine. The texture of these globs of food would be soft and I could actually see them sometimes in the folds of skin at the back of my throat.

Since going gluten-free I haven't had any problems and have been wondering if anyone else could relate / similar instances?

Thanks,

Cleveland Bob B)


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



jerseyangel Proficient

O M G! I had those "globs" too. I had all but forgotten about it, but when you brought it up, it all came back to me. And, like you said, it was not much more than a nusance, and I had lots of other stuff going on that was much worse. I really never connected it to any particular food. On a related note--before I went gluten-free, when I would eat, I would get the feeling that I was constantly going to choke on my food when I was swallowing it. That has not happened since I began feeling better, post gluten-free.

Mango04 Enthusiast

Weird. That used to happen to me too. I definitley stopped having that problem after eliminating gluten. I never made the connection though.

DonnaD Apprentice

It just so happens that I was reading a magazine at the doctors the other day about this, I'v looked it up for you on google :) They sound like Tonsil Stones.

Open Original Shared Link

The tonsils usually appear like small, dimpled golf balls set on either side of the back of the throat. Children with large tonsils and deep crypts often get food particles trapped in there. Because saliva contains digestive enzymes, trapped food begins to break down. Particularly, the starch or carbohydrate part of the food melts away, leaving firmer, harder remains of food in the tonsils. This does not look like the food that went into the mouth.

There is more to these hard lumps than just food. The tonsils also trap other mouth debris such as bacteria and old cells from the surface of the mouth's lining. Some of these cells contain small amounts of keratin, the same substance found in fingernails and rhinoceros horns. Whatever the nature of the debris, it is then attacked by white blood cells. The aftermath of this battle leaves the crevices of the tonsil strewn with hardened remains.

Most people swallow this material without ever noticing it, while it is still tiny. In those whose tonsils are large, however, the particles can lodge in the deep crypts, where they continue to grow. The enlarging lumps are called calculi of the tonsil, or tonsilloliths (tonsil stones). These stones are most common during adolescence.

Microscopic studies of these tonsilloliths have shown them to contain a combination of food particles, bacteria, oral debris, and white blood cells in a concentrically laminated pattern -- rather like a pearl. Usually they are small gritty particles found in the center of soft, cheesy flecks. Sometimes, however, they become quite large, appearing as rough, yellow or gray, round stones. At times they reach an extraordinary size. Affected people usually have a history of repeated attacks of tonsillitis in earlier years.

Alan Greene MD FAAP

Open Original Shared Link

tiredofdoctors Enthusiast

That is fascinating about the tonsoliths. I have neurologic damage from gluten -- I am celiac negative, but have had (in the past) a "highly" elevated anti-gliadin antibody level. I had a barium swallow, followed by a video swallow with a speech-language pathologist which showed marked slowed transit in the upper cervical segments of my esophagus. I have been told now that this is due to the slowly progressive neurological damage that was happening until I became gluten-free.

jerseyangel Proficient

Donna--Thanks for taking the time to post all of that info. It's a little gross to think about all of that happening in my throat. :o I do still have my tonsils, so that could be it. Anyway, it seems to be gone--hasen't happened since I 've been gluten-free. Thanks again!

DonnaD Apprentice
Donna--Thanks for taking the time to post all of that info. It's a little gross to think about all of that happening in my throat. :o I do still have my tonsils, so that could be it. Anyway, it seems to be gone--hasen't happened since I 've been gluten-free. Thanks again!

No problem! I have learnt so much from everyone here that it is good to be able to repay the favour!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



AmandaD Community Regular

I had this similar feeling, but it felt a bit liky my esophagus was swollen?

Does that make sense?

No problem! I have learnt so much from everyone here that it is good to be able to repay the favour!
debmidge Rising Star

pre diagnosis my hubby had esophogitis and that was cause of his difficulty in swallowing.

Pois Newbie

Hi, Im new *waves*

I had these too, especially after bread or pasta, i used to get them all the time - Originally i thought it was tonsilitis all the time cos i could see little white things on the back of my throat, but since i had no symptoms of that i asked the doctor and he said it was just food getting stuck - however Ive been on the gluten free thing for a month (really new to this hehe) and I havent had a single one with my new pasta. But I didnt even think about it until i saw this thread!

Kind of another thing that makes me think my "food issues" must be gluten... :rolleyes:

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,729
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    CeeCeeCohen
    Newest Member
    CeeCeeCohen
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Marie70
      Wow!! Scott, Trent and Christiana thank you so much for your fast replies!! The information you have shared with me has helped me tremendously.   Thank you for all the articles.  I appreciate you all so much!! I’ll keep you posted in this post.  I will encourage her to get tested.  I feel a little better!
    • DayaInTheSun
      It was gradual, just not being able to catch my breathe like I always had to take a deep breathe even taking a few steps I would be winded.
    • cristiana
      Hi Marie Welcome to the forum. I am so sorry your daughter is pointing the finger at you like this.   I am afraid children of any age can be very cruel to their parents - I certainly look back at some of the things I said to my mother and father in the past, and wish I could unsay them.  Sometimes people just need a safe place to vent, and unfortunately having a go at one's parents is the all too easy option.  If she is anything like me, she will regret what she says one day.  (Oh... if only I had the chance rewind the clock!) I just wanted to add one more thing to Trent's and Scott's excellent posts and that is regarding diet:  I have to say, not one person  (my nutritionist, my gastroenterologist or GP) has EVER suggested that a poor diet was the cause of my coeliac disease.    In all the various clinics I have attended these past nearly 12 years no-one has ever asked if I was brought up on processed food, or questioned if I eat 5 fruit and veg a day.  Sure, unfortunately I am only too well aware that I could do a lot better with my diet and it's a constant challenge for me not to give into what I like (unfortunately I've always had a sweet tooth).   But I know some super healthy 10 fruit and veg a day types who still got coeliac disease, and equally, a lot of people who eat all the wrong stuff and they still have cast iron stomachs. Do encourage her to get checked though - it may be that she hasn't got coeliac disease at all. Come back to us if you need any more support through the process. Cristiana
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Marie70! The first thing to know is that celiac disease has a genetic base. The two main genes that have been identified as providing the potential to develop celiac disease are HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8. About 40% of  the general population carries one or both of these genes. However, only about 1% of the general population ever develops celiac disease. So, we know that in addition to possessing the genetic potential to develop celiac disease, there has to be some triggering environmental or medical "stress" factor (or factors) that switches the gene or genes on such that they are awakened from their latent condition and become active. What may be the triggering factor (or factors) is the subject of much debate. Here is an article that discusses this subject: Second, what will your daughter have to say if her testing for celiac disease is negative? She may have to add crow to her diet. Third, and this is what I really want to focus on because my wife and I are dealing with something similar in our relationship with our own adult daughter: the real problem is not whatever shortcomings you, as the family cook, may have had when providing meals, the real problem is with your daughter's heart/soul/attitude. If it turns out to be true that she has celiac disease, it is likely she would have developed the condition sooner or later even if her diet had been healthier while growing up. She is angry about the prospect of having to deal with the dietary and social limitations that having celiac disease would impose upon her. She doesn't want to face up to the fact that this may be a new reality that will dramatically changer her life and she is looking for someone or something to blame. And she has conveniently turned her wrath on you rather than saying to herself, "Okay, this is what it is. Now what can I do to make adjustments in order to with it the best way I can?"  When faced with a life-changing reality, people will either accept it for what it is, make adjustments and move on or they will become angry and look for something or someone to blame and get stuck. For now, at least, your daughter has chosen the latter option. Don't let her problem destroy both of you.
    • Scott Adams
      It sounds like you’re carrying a lot of guilt, but please know that you didn’t cause your daughter’s potential celiac disease or your son’s Crohn’s. These conditions have strong genetic components, and while diet can influence symptoms, it does not cause autoimmune diseases. You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time, and no parent is perfect. Your daughter’s frustration is understandable, but it’s likely coming from a place of fear and uncertainty rather than true blame. Let her get tested, and if she does have celiac disease, you can support her moving forward. Instead of focusing on guilt, try shifting the conversation toward healing and learning together. You’re not alone, and you don’t deserve to carry this weight on your own. This article might be helpful. She needs to be screened for celiac disease before she can be sure that she has it. Another approach not discussed in the article is a genetic test for celiac disease, which she could do without eating gluten.      
×
×
  • Create New...