Levsin fears and other issues

[Elizabeth Z]

I am a 21 year old female and I was diagnosed with celiac when I was 17. I am pretty strict about my diet, with a few slip ups here and there. However, I have begun experiencing a lot of issues in the last year. I have been more bloated and constipated more than I have ever been. Not sure if this is too much, but its begun cutting into my sex life, making intercourse very painful the majority of the time. There have been many times where my boyfriend has wanted to take me to the hospital for it. I have seen my gynecologist and he has cleared me on his end, but my gastroenterologist will not listen when I say that I know this has something to do with my stomach issues. On top of the bloating and the issues coming with it, I have been experiencing heartburn and acid reflux everyday. This begun in the last six months. My gastroenterologist has prescribed me levsin, but reading the side effects of it and the interactions, I am worried it is only going to make things worse. In addition to this, my doctor told me to just "consult Google" for most of my other issues. I am feeling very lost and I don't know where else to turn.

[trents]

It seems like levsin would produce the opposite effect of what you want to happen if you are constipated.

Are you still consuming dairy?

[juniper2]

I have been gluten free for nearly 20 years. And in the last 7 I've also had to cut out certain alliums (garlic / onions) as they cause acid reflux. I've also experienced severe gas from high fibre veg and legumes, this so severe that I nearly thought it would kill me a few times

I cannot have ancient grains: teff, millet or quinoa or spinach. and definitely not alfalfa. I also need to steer clear of cover crops like rapeseed oil. Micro-doses at 20ppm which are 'deemed' safe by law are not safe at all for someone like me. I feel incredibly unprotected. But the science needs to catch up. 

Full fat grass fed milks are not a problem unless I've had even a micro-dose of gluten or high fibre veg/legumes.

[Elizabeth Z]

14 hours ago, trents said:

It seems like levsin would produce the opposite effect of what you want to happen if you are constipated.

Are you still consuming dairy?

I haven't started levsin just yet. My doctor prescribed the name brand and it was $265 WITH insurance. I was reading the uses for it and I thought it sounded like the complete opposite of what I needed. I just cut out most dairy, although it's so hard to take it out of my coffee. I'm trying to experiment with other kinds of milk. I've had a lot of different plant-based milks and I'm just not a fan.

[Scott Adams]

Have you tried pre- and pro-biotics? I had similar stomach/bloating issues and these helped me a lot, but took about 2 weeks to start working:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NSXBYVV/

[AlwaysLearning]

Things that cross my mind reading your post:

• I would get tested for vitamin deficiencies. If you are taking any supplements, make sure they aren't causing the abdominal pain. (Iron supplements are quite painful for me.)
• Working on improving gut biome seems smart.
• Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, fiber to help with constipation.
• Make sure that most of the beverages you drink are water and that you're drinking the right amount for your size.
• Get your hormone levels tested to rule out a hormone imbalance as a possible cause for vaginal pain. But also, don't overlook things like UTIs that could flare and fade.
• Make sure your boyfriend is avoiding gluten before you start making out and does the correct tooth brushing/mouth wash routine if he has had some in the past few hours.
• Check all of your products for hidden sources of gluten. Shampoo, conditioner, makeup, lotion, even plastics like dental retainers or bite plates can contain gluten.
• Exercise regularly. Walking helps with digestion, keeping things moving, and reduces stress hormones in your system.
• Keep a food/symptom diary to try to pinpoint possible culprits, or rule out suspects. 
• Did your doctor check you for hernia?

I guess all of this advice is basically saying to live as healthy a lifestyle as you can, but I know that this is all pretty basic, common sense, and nothing you don't already know. Its more just a reminder to make sure you're considering the most common causes so that you can rule them out.

But I think the most important thing is to keep looking for answers until you find them. I am really sorry that your doctor is basically writing you off. But maybe it is better to have one who can admit that he can't help? If nothing else, you know to find a new doc.

I don't know what Levsin is but it sounds like a cop out to me. 

Best of luck to you! I hope you feel better soon.
 

[Wheatwacked]

Your symptoms remind me of those my wife had. She was diagnosed with endometriosis in her mid twenties.  My wife was a nurse, but it took finding the top specialist in our region to finally diagnose.  That was in 1976.  Also, you should get screened for ovarian cancer. Like Celiac Disease, doctors seem to be in denial and the symptoms are often vague and elusive like yours.  Levsin reduces stomach acid which will interfere with nutrient absorption which will make you worse, not better. (personal opinion).  10 to 1 odds you are vitamin D deficient along with others.

"Symptoms of ovarian cancer can also be caused by other, less serious conditions...high levels of CA-125 is more often caused by common conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease."      https://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html

14 hours ago, AlwaysLearning said:

I would get tested for vitamin deficiencies....I don't know what Levsin is but it sounds like a cop out to me. 

Amen.

 

[Khmw]

On 10/12/2021 at 8:32 AM, Elizabeth Z said:

I haven't started levsin just yet. My doctor prescribed the name brand and it was $265 WITH insurance. I was reading the uses for it and I thought it sounded like the complete opposite of what I needed. I just cut out most dairy, although it's so hard to take it out of my coffee. I'm trying to experiment with other kinds of milk. I've had a lot of different plant-based milks and I'm just not a fan.

Hi im Kathy, my daughter has celiacs among other things as well, we have found that the silk brand dairy free almond coffee creamer is pretty good. The almond milk we don't so much like but this creamer is pretty tasty so just a suggestion if you havnt tried it already. Also, she gets bloated occasionally even being complete gluten-free. She's now being sent to a rheumatologist and an encronologist to be tested for other auto immune diseases such as Hoshimotos and Graves disease. Hope this helps a little hope you feel better 💗

[Wheatwacked]

27 minutes ago, Khmw said:

Hoshimotos and Graves disease.

Quote

There were more cases of overt hypothyroidism in mild than in moderate iodine deficiency caused by a 53% higher incidence of spontaneous (presumably autoimmune) hypothyroidism. On the other hand, there were 49% more cases of overt hyperthyroidism in the area with moderate iodine deficiency.   The Danish investigation on iodine intake and thyroid disease   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16868134/

Guide: How to Assess Iodine Deficiency   https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/how-to-assess-iodine-deficiency/