Rapid Onset Of Achy, Burning, Cramping

[Mmom]

Hi all,

I have just joined today but spent the last few days reading - and learning! - from this site. I went to the doctor after experiencing something I thought was a weird recurring stomach virus that would come, make me sick for a 2-5 days, and return after a week or so of feeling better, all over the period of about a month or so. I was very alarmed when it kept returning and nobody else around me was ill.

The cramps almost feel like labor pains and I would experience that plus: weird twitches, lots of gurgling, heartburn, gas, MUCH bloating and general pain and discomfort throughout my abdomen. While I have not had much D, which is amazing given the violence of some of the cramping, I have constantly had a feeling of "having to go" and not being able to. I'm also losing weight and very HUNGRY almost all the time, but when I eat get cramping, bloating and regret it. I have never felt anything like this before.

My doctor's first guess is celiac, and that's the first I've ever really known about it. Family says they don't know of anyone with it, but we are of Irish-Scot-Sicilian descent. I have what was diagnosed (after an abdominal utrasound two years ago) IBS. I don't remember problems in my childhood (I'm 37) except for unexplained skin issues - rashes and blisters on feet and hands mostly - and migraine headaches all my life. I also experience something like acne on my scalp - not sure how to describe it but it comes and goes and can be very severe.

Blood tests were taken on Mon. and I am awaiting results. Oddly, blood panel results for other functions have just been reported to me from nurse as fine. I am also waiting on test results for parasites and H. Pylori.

What I have done out of pain and desperation and through reading this site is attempt to go gluten-free as of Sunday - and I've improved drastically. What I DON'T know is whether that is just part of the pattern of whatever this is, or indicates celiac.

Regardless, it is very nice to see such a supportive and informed community and I hope to learn more as a new member.

[Nancym]

What I have done out of pain and desperation and through reading this site is attempt to go gluten-free as of Sunday - and I've improved drastically. What I DON'T know is whether that is just part of the pattern of whatever this is, or indicates celiac.

If you go gluten free and opt to have all the blood tests and stuff to diagnose celiac, you'll almost certainly have a false negative.

However, what I did was exactly like you. I said, "Hey, maybe this is related to gluten sensitivity". I went gluten free and felt MUCH better. Then I went to enterolab.com and got tested. Found out gluten and milk are issues for me.

I never got an official diagnosis from my GP. I went in with my test results and told my doctor I was MUCH improved on gluten free/dairy free and he took me at my word.

So anyway, if you're the sort that needs to go through the mill of testing, don't go gluten free. Otherwise, let your body tell you how it feels and go from there!