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

Is This A Gluten Problem?


WHYNOT

Recommended Posts

WHYNOT Newbie

My husband has had indigestive problems ever since I have known him. (30 yrs) In the past few years he has noticed his indigestion seems to be related to eating bread (any flour product), pasta and cheese.

If he eats even a simple PB&J for dinner, he can't sleep due to stomach pains.

Pepcid helps some. Tums helps some.

He has none of the other symptoms we have read about, so we are trying to relate it to a gluten-intolerance?

(He also gets acid reflux with spicy foods)

Can anyone advise?


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Guest nini

has he been tested for Celiac? If not, he should be, he should continue to eat gluten while testing, and then, regardless of the test results, after all testing is done, he should try the gluten free diet as that is THE most reliable diagnostic tool. Yes it sounds like it could be celiac or gluten intolerance, and some people don't have any of the typical symptoms, so lack of other symptoms is not important.

tarnalberry Community Regular

It could be celiac, or a wheat allergy. Either way, he should be tested (while he's still eating the offending foods.)

CMCM Rising Star
My husband has had indigestive problems ever since I have known him. (30 yrs) In the past few years he has noticed his indigestion seems to be related to eating bread (any flour product), pasta and cheese.

If he eats even a simple PB&J for dinner, he can't sleep due to stomach pains.

Pepcid helps some. Tums helps some.

He has none of the other symptoms we have read about, so we are trying to relate it to a gluten-intolerance?

(He also gets acid reflux with spicy foods)

Can anyone advise?

Here's what I think: With all the growing knowlege about celiac disease and its prevalence in the general population (perhaps as high as 1 in 100 people), for any sort of digestive problem it is a wise and good idea to test for celiac or gluten sensitivity (same spectrum of reaction, but gluten sensitivity is designated as celiac disease when, thru a biopsy, intestinal damage is seen).

Remember that symptoms of celiac/gluten sensitivity range from ZERO symptoms across a whole gamut of things which are usually diagnosed as other things, i.e. asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, reflux, heartburn...the list is long, over 200 possible symptoms. Doctors do NOT seem to know this--they just look for the "classic" celiac patient described in a paragraph in one of their medical texts way back in medical school. Seriously! If you're not thin and wasting away, they won't consider it....despite the fact that most celiacs are either normal or OVERweight! Doctors don't know this either. The list of what doctors don't know or mistakenly believe about celiac disease is very long indeed. Unless you have or find a doctor who A) Has treated a bunch of celiac patients B) Has studied it a LOT on his/her own C) Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of celiac disease when you talk to him D) Understands the prevalence in society of celiac disease and is well versed with the huge variety of possible symptoms......then hide your wallet and go buy a bunch of books so you can educate yourself in a way your doctor will not educate himself. Elsewhere on this forum I posted links to 5 books that are valuable reading. The most important one is below, as a start.

If your husband has had digestive problems for 30 years (!!!!), and he has now zeroed in on certain foods which he feels cause the symptoms, I'll bet he's right about it. And look at you....you've found this site somehow, which will be very helpful in a way in which the odds are, your doctor will NOT.

Your husband could find out, like I did, that my reactions (very much like your husband's) were caused by both gluten AND dairy, and as soon as I cut them both out of my diet I feel great very quickly. I spent my entire life (56 years so far) with lots of digestive distress, asthma symptoms, pain when I ate certain things, muscle aches....and it ALL started to diminish within a few days of eliminating gluten and dairy. (Not everyone has a problem with both gluten and dairy, but many do). Also, people generally have multiple allergies rather than just one, so you've got to search for more than one cause in most cases.

Do some reading....I suggest this book to start with, and you can find it on amazon. There are several other very good ones too, including a brand new one by Dr. Peter Green called "Celiac Disease...A Hidden Epidemic." But read Dangerous Grains first, it's very very enlightening.

Dangerous Grains by James Braly and James Hoggan $9.72

Open Original Shared Link

floridanative Community Regular

I presented out of the blue at 41 with anemia.....then very infrequently had the following symptoms over the course of the last year before my Celiac dx.

abdominal pain/bloating (looked 6 months pregnant)

nausea when eating

severe stomach aches (could not stand up straight)

*all gone now off gluten 6 weeks

And during last month pre dx I also

fell down my own stairs several times

ran into door jambs and corners of counters

repeated dropped things with no explanation

had dizzy spells (had to sit down for 30 mintues)

*these are almost completely gone now and were due to B12 deficiency which if bad enough can cause sserious neurological problems, mostly reversible if caught early enough

lgleeson Newbie

I would definitely get checked. Heartburn was my only symptom when I went to the gastroenterologist. Luckily, he did an endoscopy and checked for celiac. And that was what I had!

WHYNOT Newbie

Thanks for all this info. He just read the replies. I think for now he wants to try to stick with a diet change.

So we need to study that.

He wants to know if he gets tested, do they give you drugs so you can eat wheat (normal?)


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



penguin Community Regular
He wants to know if he gets tested, do they give you drugs so you can eat wheat (normal?)

No, sadly. There is no antedote for gluten. It's an intolerance, and an autoimmune disorder. There is no cure and only one treatment, adherence to a gluten-free diet for life.

Claire Collaborator

If you have an endoscopy they will pick up stomach issues like ulcers, gastritis, etc. while that tube in 'on the way down'. Two birds with one stone, so to speek. Claire

WHYNOT Newbie

Is there some alternatives that don't cause as much pain? Like eating oat grain bread? Or vegetable pasta? Or soy cheese products?

Any suggestions for a webpage to get the cliff notes on diet changes?

Thanks!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
Is there some alternatives that don't cause as much pain? Like eating oat grain bread? Or vegetable pasta? Or soy cheese products?

Any suggestions for a webpage to get the cliff notes on diet changes?

Thanks!

You need to stay away from oats also. Look for bread that says Gluten Free not just wheat free. It can be made from tapioca, rice, or another non-gluten grain. Pasta can be made from rice or the one I like best is Ancient Harvest Corn and Quiona. If you go to the home page for this site they have a list of allowed and not allowed food ingredients.

Guest nini

just google "gluten free diet" and you will come up with all kinds of info

I do have a "newbie survival kit" which is a compilation of files I wish I had when I was first diagnosed. It's in a zip file, if you would like it e-mailed to you just e-mail me at nisla@comcast.net and put "request newbie survival kit" in the subject line.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,805
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lori A K
    Newest Member
    Lori A K
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the  forum @maylynn! Have you had a follow-up endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel to check for healing of the villous lining? If not, it's about time one was done. As Scott mentioned, I also wonder if you have food intolerances in addition to gluten. Oats (even gluten free oats), dairy, soy, corn and eggs are some of the most common ones in the celiac community.
    • Scott Adams
      Is your gluten-free diet strict? Do you eat out in restaurants? If so, you could be getting contamination, and over time that can slow recovery. You may want to get a follow up celiac disease antibody panel done to make sure that your levels have gone down since your last tests. Also, have you had various nutrient levels checked via a blood test, and have you been taking vitamin & mineral supplements since your diagnosis?  The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.    Do you still have celiac disease symptoms?  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:    
    • maylynn
      Hello!  I am here as a last result, hoping for some advice, similar stories, etc. When I was 17, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. By the time we figured it out my iron levels were so low I had to get infusions, and I had lost 20lbs. in two weeks going from a 5'11 130lbs woman to a 110 lbs. Now, I am 21 and have gained 4 lbs since. Every time I eat a meal, I get three bites in and feel so full that I feel sick. I can't eat a full meal. Something else has to be wrong right? This can't just be more "normal" right? I have done test after test and no doctor in my area can figure anything else out. They have told me I most likely have shrunken my stomach by now with how little I am eating so that has to do with some of the sick feeling. What have you done to gain the weight back? Foods? Workouts? 
    • Bronwyn W
      Thank you so much, Scott. I find it incredibly daunting navigating this celiac space and I find comfort in your wealth of knowledge. Thank you 🙏🏻
    • Scott Adams
      I am not sure about that brand specifically, but this article may be helpful:  
×
×
  • Create New...