Gluten challenge

[Hannah Green]

I was told I had ibs for 15 years but finally my issues got so bad I had to take action. I have 6 family members (grandparents, aunts, father and brother) who have celiac disease. I was tested for the gene and I have it. My health insurance is terrible so I could not afford the endoscopy at the time so against some advice I cut all gluten out of my diet. Now I’ve been told I should do a gluten challenge so I can get further testing. I don’t want to because I get so so so Sick when I eat anything that was even processed in a facility with wheat. I’ve cut it out for about a year but now I’m more sensitive than I ever was. It seems I also can no longer drink alcohol either, 2 drinks makes me violently ill whether I drink at home or out. I used to drink plenty without the same issues but come to think of it I’ve always had the GI symptoms. I’ve been very concerned because my grandmothers celiac then turned into RA and my aunts turned into crohns and more recently cancer. I have a lot of ailments that have lasted even though I quit eating gluten. Nerve tingling and pain in my hands and feet, fatigue, joint and muscle aches and pains, brain fog, and when I’m CC it’s way more amplified and accompanied by migraine, diarrhea, and intestinal swelling. I don’t want to damage my body any more by doing a gluten challenge but I really need help, it’s been a year and just when I think the inflammation is starting to heal I get CC or something. I’ve turned to barely eating at all because I’m so paranoid, and it seems I can feel my body not having the nutrients I need. Have you done a gluten challenge, was it worth it? Do you recommend going to a place that can give you IV vitamin transfusions? I don’t think my body is absorbing any nutrients. 15 years I’m 28 now and I still don’t know what to do. I’m so broke because of covid I can’t afford a dietician or nutritionist or holistic person because my insurance won’t cover it and every doctor I talk to wants me to eat gluten or at least do an endoscopy and I can’t afford that either. 

[trents]

Hannah, welcome to the forum!

Yes, you are up against a lot of barriers to better health right now.

When you are indeed eating gluten free and have not experienced CC for a while, do many of your symptoms improve?