Is This A Gluten Problem?

[WHYNOT]

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?

[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]

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

[CMCM]

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 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]

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]

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]

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?)

[penguin]

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]

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]

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]

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.