Hernia symptoms after gluten exposure

[MCAyr]

Hi currently being investigated for celiac; suspected dermatitis herpetiformis, low calcium and vit D, stomach discomfort and 2 episodes of awful stomach pain (docs think maybe triggered by pregnancy) 

Went gluten-free for 5 weeks was feeling great then last week accidentally had some in a sweet! Followed by 2 days of absolute hell and excruciating stomach pain and cramping below right of belly button.

Since then the really bad pain has gone, but I've had sore to touch above my belly button and think I can feel a lump, was painful for a couple of days to point I couldn't sleep on sides. Docs palpated few days before I could feel lump, and felt nothing. 

Anyone had a hernia they didn't know about until their gluten reaction inflamed it? Or is this just another lovely gluten sensitivity symptom? 

Many thanks 

[trents]

Welcome to the community @MCAyr!

One thing you need to know is that in order for celiac disease diagnostic testing to be valid, you must not have been on a gluten-free diet already. The first stage of celiac disease testing involves looking for the blood antibodies that are produced by the inflammation in the small bowel lining. Once you eliminate gluten, the antibodies begin to disappear and it takes weeks or months of being back on normal amounts of gluten for them to build up to detectable levels again.

[MCAyr]

Appreciate the comment thanks yes seems my doc wants to go down the skin biopsy route for dermatitis herpetiformis as don't need to be on gluten-free apparently but we shall see what they say. 

[Wheatwacked]

27 minutes ago, MCAyr said:

Went gluten-free for 5 weeks was feeling great then last week accidentally had some in a sweet! Followed by 2 days of absolute hell and excruciating stomach pain and cramping below right of belly button.

That should answer your question about gluten.  Plus a dermatitis herpetiformis diagnosis is definative of celiac disease by itself.  Now you need to decide if you need to to pursue a diagnosis.  For your baby's health, I would assune both you and the baby have Celiac Disease. Eat gluten free and account for the fact that gluten free foods are not fortified.  Make sure to get lots of folate and Choline to prevent neurotube defects.  

My son was diagnosed when he was weaned by biopsy in 1976.  Everyone called it just colicky, but his giant abdomen and green and yellow poop said otherwise.  Oh, and dispite general belief, they do not outgrow it.  If you are gluten free then your newborn will be gluten free and testing will not be positive for celiac disease, until the baby starts eating gluten and gets sick.  Why put him through that?  Gluten free household will give him the best health.

Just before I started gluten free and one of the reasons I did was that I was lying in bed watching TV when I coughed.  My belly was bloated and I felt sick as a dog.  A bubble, looked like Bazooka bubble gum, popped out of my navel.  I am male, but apparently umbilical hernias are not uncommon in pregnancy.  Mine eventually resolved by itself.

Low choline levels in pregnant women raise babies' risk for brain and spinal-cord defects, study shows  "From 180,000 pregnant women screened between 2003 and 2005, the researchers identified 80 whose pregnancies were affected by neural tube defects. Choline, an essential nutrient found in egg yolks, soy, wheat germ and meats, was the only nutrient measured whose blood levels were linked to risk of neural tube defects."

 

[trents]

45 minutes ago, MCAyr said:

Appreciate the comment thanks yes seems my doc wants to go down the skin biopsy route for dermatitis herpetiformis as don't need to be on gluten-free apparently but we shall see what they say. 

Okay, but the biopsy needs to be done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis. So, if you can accomplish that without long term gluten exposure, that should work. How close together does do the dermatitis herpetiformis outbreaks occur in relation to the gluten exposure? It would be helpful to time that out in relation to your dermatology appointment for the biopsy. But one caution I would have about a dermatitis herpetiformis biopsy is that not every dermatologist knows how to do it correctly. The sample needs to be taken from tissue next to the bumps, not from the bumps themselves. But Wheatwacked is correct. A dermatitis herpetiformis diagnosis is definitive proof of celiac disease. However, only about 15% of celiacs develop dermatitis herpetiformis.

[Scott Adams]

The hernia description would likely be unrelated to celiac disease, but you'd need to get it checked out by your doctor to be sure it's a hernia.

[cristiana]

Hi there @MCAyr

I have a small umbilical hernia which came about during my second pregnancy.   I can just about see it, and feel it, when I stand or sit, but it is far less noticeable when I lie down.  I always know when I am putting on weight because I can get pain and burning near the site, funnily enough not on the hernia itself but either side!  I would imagine bloating could cause the same effect as weight gain.

In my case I don't think it is my bowel protruding but a bit of fat  - sorry,  I realise this isn't painting a very pretty picture.  But in truth it is scarcely noticeable.  It has never really got bigger in size. I was rather hoping that it could be operated on but here in the UK they don't seem to operate on every hernia anymore.  My GP isn't remotely worried about it.

In a way, I should be thankful - it is like an early warning system that I need to go on a diet!

Cristiana

[trents]

38 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

The hernia description would likely be unrelated to celiac disease, but you'd need to get it checked out by your doctor to be sure it's a hernia.

Agreed!

[Wheatwacked]

Other symptoms that Celiac Disease can cause but resemble other diseases so the cause may be misdiagnosed.

What Are the Symptoms of Celiac Disease?