Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Abdominal Pain

bklynceliac

Recommended Posts

bklynceliac Apprentice
bklynceliac
Posted

Hello all. I've been on the gluten-free diet nearly two months now and am feeling a great deal of improvement. The one thing that hasn't gone away at all though is the abdominal pain. What bothers me most is I have no idea what it is. It feel like someone inflated a few long balloons and stuck them in various places in my stomach and pelvis. The most logical connection to me is gas, but I don't feel extremely gassy and don't have any problem retaining it. The pain is most noticeable at night when it's impossible for me to lie on my stomach, making it very hard to sleep. It doesn't seem to be made better or worse with different food choices. And the location of the pain seems to change daily. I'd love to hear if other people have a similar thing, and any thoughts on what it is or what I might do would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


covsooze Enthusiast
covsooze
Posted

Hi there. It does sound like gas to me. When you say food choices don't seem to make any difference, have you actually tried cutting out any foods for more than a few days? I know that if I have beans or lentils I get painful wind and also if I have dairy. If there's a few things contributing to the gas, it will be difficult for you to see an obvious connection with what you eat - you might benefit from doing a food diary. The other thing is, my gas reduced significantly after going gluten-free. It takes time to get the diet right and to heal - maybe you just need time?

Finally, try a hot water bottle at night :)

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

My pain also moves around. Sometimes it's my stomach, which usually feels like I've swallowed some razor blades and makes me want to curl up in a ball to stop the pain. Sometimes it's more in my intestines, which feels more like bloating/gas and a dull ache.

penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

I get three types of pain: I get pain like you describe, the balloon feeling, and for me it's gas. I take phazyme when that happens and it works wonders.

The second type of pain is a burning in my stomach, which is usually because of too much acid and not enough food.

The third type of pain, the bain of my existance, is what I call the "crunching pain". For some reason (gluten-free or not) I periodically get pyloric spasms, and it feels like my stomach is trying to eat iself, it's the only way I can describe it. It's in the stomach itself and nobody has been able to tell me why I get it. I take phenergan and sleep for a few days when it happens.

IrishKelly Contributor
IrishKelly
Posted
Hello all. I've been on the gluten-free diet nearly two months now and am feeling a great deal of improvement. The one thing that hasn't gone away at all though is the abdominal pain. What bothers me most is I have no idea what it is. It feel like someone inflated a few long balloons and stuck them in various places in my stomach and pelvis. The most logical connection to me is gas, but I don't feel extremely gassy and don't have any problem retaining it. The pain is most noticeable at night when it's impossible for me to lie on my stomach, making it very hard to sleep. It doesn't seem to be made better or worse with different food choices. And the location of the pain seems to change daily. I'd love to hear if other people have a similar thing, and any thoughts on what it is or what I might do would be much appreciated. Thanks!

This happened to me too. After i started the gluten free diet i thought things were getting better...but then a couple of weeks into the gluten-free diet i noticed there was still all of this gas pain...like something was alive and crawling around inside of me!! After eliminating Dairy it has gotten 75% better...i highy recommend trying to eliminate dairy. I've never had any dairy troubles until the last few months because of the damage i've done to my intestines due to the gluten overload. Are you dairy free now??

sspitzer5 Apprentice
sspitzer5
Posted

I have an on and off knawing type of pain below my belly button on the left side. I don't have it for months and then it sort of flares up again. I think it's some type of ulcer. Hopefully I'll get some clues on what going on next month when I get another endoscopy and a colonoscopy. The doctor says he'll give me a camera capsule if nothing turns up with the other tests.

S

bklynceliac Apprentice
bklynceliac
Posted
  • Author

hey there, i'm not dairy free, and in fact have been having a lot more dairy lately, as it is one of the few gluten-free things I really enjoy. But I know it's a possible irritant. I've not eliminated it because I've never noticed any causal relationship with it and my pains. I can eat a pint of ice cream and they are no better or worse. But maybe if i cut it out completely they'll chill out?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


IrishKelly Contributor
IrishKelly
Posted
hey there, i'm not dairy free, and in fact have been having a lot more dairy lately, as it is one of the few gluten-free things I really enjoy. But I know it's a possible irritant. I've not eliminated it because I've never noticed any causal relationship with it and my pains. I can eat a pint of ice cream and they are no better or worse. But maybe if i cut it out completely they'll chill out?

OH YES!!! I'm 28 and have NEVER had any dairy issues until the last few months. I was told that 8-9 out 10 people who are glutent intolerant (and never knew) will also become dairy intolerant temporarily because of the damage we've done to our intestines along the way. The ville (i think it connects the stomach to the large intestine?) has hairs that have been damaged because of the glutent consumption over the years. Once you are dairy and gluten free for a few months (my doc said it could take up to six months) you will notice a huge difference and you will eventually be able to re-introduce dairy again once your healed :D

Green Fingered Gaelic Newbie
Green Fingered Gaelic
Posted

I think we all get lactose intolerent, to a degree, when we get the aul glutonium in the diet. The villi house the lacto bacilli. I think. Over the years I've got allot of conflicting advice and so I'm just sayin what makes sense to me, based on my gut instinct :P ;-) . Sometimes if the villi don't get too damaged they will repair and repopulate the bacilli. If they get too damaged they won't be able to house them anymore and you will be permenantly lactose intolerent.

At the moment I've got bad numb constant pains in ma belly. I was on holiday two weeks ago and am still recovering.

Other than that some times I get sharp pains that feel like they run the length of my intestine, pretty much in an instant i get this internal electric shock. Its paralises me. I just hope it never happens to me when I'm driving.

So at the moment I'm suffering from this constant ache and I have to confess that at times like this I use a the herb mj to smooth over my pains, it also helps with the appetite I find.

Other than those pains I get muscle and bone aches at different times.

Peace,

Q

PS. Diagnosed aged 2, by my gran, despite several doctors critism, am 26 now, have recently become more sensitive and hence my interest in this forum etc.

eleep Enthusiast
eleep
Posted

You know, I didn't even realize I had ongoing abdominal pain until after I stopped eating gluten -- the first time I got glutened after that, I felt these shooting pains deep in my stomach that were incredibly familiar and made me realize how acclimated to feeling crappy I had been for years!

eleep

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Son's legs shaking

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son. Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia. An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal. Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease. Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease. Though having the genes for Celiac...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,869
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    MaryannHall
    Newest Member
    MaryannHall
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son.  Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia.  An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal.   Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps, as well as aggression and irritability, confusion, mood swings and behavior changes.  Thiamine is essential to the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which keep us calm and rational.   @Jsingh, histamine intolerance is also a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is needed to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine at the slightest provocation as is seen in histamine intolerance.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins and Vitamin C are needed to clear histamine from the body.  Without sufficient thiamine and other B vitamins to clear it, the histamine builds up.  High histamine levels can change behavior, too.  High histamine levels are found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia.  Thiamine deficiency can also cause extreme hunger or conversely anorexia.   High carbohydrate meals can precipitate thiamine deficiency because additional thiamine is required to process carbohydrates for the body to use as fuel.  The more carbohydrates one eats daily, the more one needs additional thiamine above the RDA.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses. Keep in mind that gluten-free processed foods like cookies and such are not required to be fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals like their gluten containing counterparts are.  Limit processed gluten-free foods.  They are often full of empty calories and unhealthy saturated fats and additives, and are high in histamine or histamine release triggers.  It's time you bought your own vitamins to supplement what is not being absorbed due to malabsorption of Celiac disease.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that has been shown to improve intestinal health as well as brain function. Do talk to your doctors and dieticians about supplementing with the essential vitamins and minerals while your children are growing up gluten free.  Serve nutritionally dense foods.  Meats and liver are great sources of B vitamins and minerals. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Scott Adams
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • trents
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By trents · Posted

      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining of the small bowel which generates specific kinds of antibodies. Some people are IGA deficient and such that the IGA antibody tests done for celiac disease will have skewed results and cannot be trusted. In that case, there are IGG tests that can be ordered though, they aren't quite as specific for celiac disease as the IGA tests. But the possibility of IGA deficiency is why a "total IGA" test should always be ordered along with the TTG-IGA. The other modality is an endoscopy (scoping of the upper GI track) with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. The aforementioned autoimmune response produces inflammation in the small bowel lining which, over time, damages the structure of the lining. The biopsy is sent to a lab and microscopically analyzed for signs of this damage. If the damage is severe enough, it can often be spotted during the scoping itself. The endoscopy/biopsy is used as confirmation when the antibody results are positive, since there is a small chance that elevated antibody test scores can be caused by things other than celiac disease, particularly when the antibody test numbers are not particularly high. If the antibody test numbers are 10x normal or higher, physicians will sometimes declare an official diagnosis of celiac disease without an endoscopy/biopsy, particularly in the U.K. Some practitioners use stool tests to detect celiac disease but this modality is not widely recognized in the medical community as valid. Both celiac testing modalities outlined above require that you have been consuming generous amounts of gluten for weeks/months ahead of time. Many people make the mistake of experimenting with the gluten free diet or even reducing their gluten intake prior to testing. By doing so, they invalidate the testing because antibodies stop being produced, disappear from the blood and the lining of the small bowel begins to heal. So, then they are stuck in no man's land, wondering if they have celiac disease or NCGS. To resume gluten consumption, i.e., to undertake a "gluten challenge" is out of the question because their reaction to gluten is so strong that it would endanger their health. The lining of the small bowel is the place where all of the nutrition in the food we consume is absorbed. This lining is made up of billions of microscopically tiny fingerlike projections that create a tremendous nutrient absorption surface area. The inflammation caused by celiac disease wears down these fingers and greatly reduces the surface area needed for nutrient absorption. Thus, people with celiac disease often develop iron deficiency anemia and a host of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is likely that many more people who have issues with gluten suffer from NCGS than from celiac disease. We actually know much more about the mechanism of celiac disease than we do about NCGS but some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.