Autoimmune Reaction to SO many foods

[Maura Gissen]

Hi! I have been diagnosed with celiacs and hashimotos for about 1.5 years. I have been on a gluten-free diet since then, and was on a strictly AIP diet for about 6 months a while back. I'm now pregnant, making food eliminations really hard. However, even with cutting out gluten and cross-reactive foods like corn, dairy, oats and yeast, I'm still having flare ups and I cannot pinpoint the foods (some weeks I am fine, others not so much). My symptoms are less digestive and more dizziness, brain fog, and a general feeling of being "sick." Can anyone relate? Does anyone have guidance? I feel really stuck and frustrated. 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Maura Gissen!

Don't those same symptoms often come along with the territory when pregnant? And then throw in Hashimoto's. 

Have you had your celiac antibody levels checked recently?

Edited April 16, 2025 by trents

[Maura Gissen]

Hi Trent! Thanks so much for your warm welcome and questions! They do, but these symptoms have been ongoing for a long time before the pregnancy. However, it's hard for me to know what's a celiac response vs. a Hashimotos one. I haven't, maybe it's worth getting those checked again? 

[trents]

Did the symptoms commence after you discontinued the AIP diet?

Have you checked all nutritional supplements and oral hygiene products for possible gluten content? Have you recently checked all the labels of purchased processed foods in your pantry to check for formulation changes that might have introduced gluten?

Historically, when "glutened" did you have GI symptoms or were you a "silent" celiac whose symptoms were non GI. Is what you are experiencing now like what you were experiencing at the time of diagnosis?

Have you had recent blood work done (CBC and CMP) and if so, were there any parameters out of norm? I know you have Hashimoto's but you say that is well controlled now?

It certainly wouldn't hurt to get celiac antibodies rechecked. Because you are essentially gluten free I would not expect to see any big departures from normal levels but if there are even weak positives it could indicate you are getting glutened from some unexpected source.

[Maura Gissen]

They did. I was doing a lot better on the AIP diet. However, I was unable to do the full reintroduction process because I went off the AIP diet when I got pregnant and was experiences chronic nausea. This is what makes me believe it's food related. 

I do check all of my food products and supplements and I am very careful about them being gluten free and trying to stay away from corn starch etc. However, I am eating gluten free breads that sometimes have rice flour, yeast, etc. - I seem to do fine with these breads/bread products some days, but then am sick other days. 

I have never really had any GI symptoms outside of bloating. My symptoms are dizziness, brain fog, and a general feeling of unwellness or malaise, sort of like when you're going to get the flu. 

I have had a lot of bloodwork done over the last three years, but I don't recall doing the CBC, CMP, or a celiac-specific test recently. That's helpful so that could at least provide some insight to see if I'm still being exposed. 

Do you see most individual with celiacs having to take a period of time away from even gluten free breads and other cross-reactive foods to let their guts heal? I'm not sure how restrictive to get with my diet again since it's so challenging. 

[trents]

I'm a little confused. In your second post you said, "but these symptoms have been ongoing for a long time before the pregnancy" while in your most recent post you say, "I was doing a lot better on the AIP diet. However, I was unable to do the full reintroduction process because I went off the AIP diet when I got pregnant and was experiences chronic nausea."

CBC = Complete Blood Count. This is the typical bloodwork most people would have done routinely with an annual wellness checkup. I would include things like iron levels, various blood cell counts including reds and whites and other infection fighters.

CMP = Complete Metabolic Panel. This would measure things like blood sugar, kidney and liver function, plasma proteins and various enzymes. Non cellular things that the body produces. Also typical of an annual wellness check.

Have you tried cutting out dairy and oats? These two are the most common cross reactors in the celiac community.

I know it must be tough trying to get adequate calories and nutrition when you are pregnant while at the same time eliminating foods that are good sources of those things.

Edited April 16, 2025 by trents