Mid-diagnosis and waiting for answers..

[Cath T]

Hi guys!

 

I’ve recently had blood tests to check for celiac (amongst other things) and am (im)patiently waiting for the results. 

 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on celiac lately and so many of the symptoms fit - nausea and upset stomach, cramps, indigestion, very noisy stomach, exhaustion, brain fog, various joint and muscle aches and pains, depression and anxiety, weight loss (about 18lbs) and loss of appetite... except sometimes when I’m starving hungry five minutes after eating?! After 3 weeks of keeping a food diary the link between feeling those things and eating gluten seems pretty solid.

Over the last few weeks though, I feel like I’ve just got steadily worse to the point that even when I eat a completely gluten free meal my stomach is pretty unhappy, although the only symptoms I get are nausea and a bit of pain and churning. I also think I’m getting more sensitive to much smaller amounts of gluten. Oats have not bothered me in the past, but this morning I had porridge and it’s made me feel awful. I know that oats themselves are gluten free but can easily be contaminated with other grains, so I’m guessing that’s my problem! 

 

Has anyone else experienced either of those things? I’ve been ill for quite a while now, getting steadily worse over the last few months, but now I feel like the link between gluten and the symptoms is becoming less clear! I’m getting worried that my tests are going to come back negative (though that sounds a bit odd - I would be very happy to get to keep eating all my favourite foods at least!) and I’ll be no closer to finding out what’s making me feel so terrible. 

 

Catherine 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Catherine!

Not only can oats be contaminated with gluten-containing grains, about 10% of celiacs react to oat protein the same way they do wheat, barley and rye.

Also, it is common for celiacs to develop allergies/intolerances to non-gluten foods. Celiac disease creates "leaky gut" syndrome that allows larger than normal protein fractions from the food we eat to enter the blood stream where they are detected as invaders which then causes the body to generate antibodies to them.

Keep us posted on your test results.

[Cath T]

I didn’t realise that about oats! Thanks, that’s useful info ☺️