Help Am I Gluten Intolerant?

[sonja69]

Hi all!

I am from Germany, now living in Sweden, and I apologize in advance for my

language/spelling. and I apologize in advance for posting such a long text. but I hope you'll

understand me anyway. I have some questions hoping you might have some answers/suggestions since I do not know how to cope with it anymore.

sounds pretty serious, but I had have some bowel troubles for a long time.

at age 12/13 I got surgery and my inflamed appendix was taken out.

since then I had kind of extended tummy, looks like I am pregnant. this is more severe when

after eating, the tummy swells up.

first in my teenies, I thought it was fat (I was alittle plump) and I developed anorexia to get rid

of the fat stomach.

but it won't go away. after getting over anorexia I developed kind of slight bulimia, I ate nothing

when I knew I had to were tight clothes (summer etc.), and when I had to eat I would get rid of

it.

fortunately I overcame this problem in my mind and I tried to eat at least lunch and dinner, so

I would be flat in the morning, but only some hours in the afternoon before getting to my safe

home.

of course, this eating habit is not good and I tried to live as a normal person, thought that

swelled tummy will go away with exercise etc. and I began to eat normally.

about 3 years ago some more problems came along:

always bloated

gases in the morning and evening (thank god not at working hours)

liquid stool

sometimes (rare) diarrhea

always hungry

I ate more then and maybe thus I was always bloated and gassy etc.

I went to a doctor and I ended up being lactose intolerant. after almost 2.5 years eating

comletely lactosefree (which was not a problem) but without any healthproblems solved, I

went to another doctor, getting another test. (there I was not loactoseintolerant (!?!?!?)).

well, my stools improved a bit, now it's loose and filled with air, not liquid, but that's all.

the last 2 month however, everything has become worse. I feel dizzy, tired, my skin is itchy

(but always in the face, I had neurodermitis for a short time in my teenies), nausea (mostly

after real chocolate, so I cut it off), headaches, cold....these got even worse after increasing eating of bread etc.

anyway, I am searching for solutions for my problems for over 3 years now and I always find

an improvement by cutting out all carbohydrates (a la Atkins), but because I always gave in

for cravings for chocolate etc. I gave up this diet. so now I concentrated more on gluten,

because I notice in my diet diary (that I kept forever know and I am soooo tired of it), that I

instinctively had now bread for a few days and noted that I had more energy.

last week I went to another doctor again for blood test and I will have a gastroscopy and a

colonoscopy in two weeks. BUT and here's my question:

I was not glutenfree the last month, although I preferred rice, meat, veggies and fruits and did

not eat much bread, biscuits, cakes...but I did eat gluten and increased it after suspecting it and having the appointment.

but is this enough to see anything and should I eat as much gluten I can for this remaining

week? I have problems for over 20 years, one more week wouldn't kill me (or?)

and also what I find weird is that although I increased eating I do not get diarrhea, I have

one visit to the bathroom at the morning and then it's ok. but may people report that they have

diarrhea....but I also have to admit that I might eat not that much as other people over the day,

because also small portions make me feeling very full, like a had a whole horse or

something. maybe it is not gluten intolerance or celiac desease.

the bloated abdomen is the worse, I look always pregnant and when I sit at work it presses

to my chest and I feel like I swallowed a balloon although I did not anything.

sorry, this was really long. I very appreciate your comments on that, THANK YOU!!!!

Sonja

[darlindeb25]

I think your test will be ok, you havent gone completely gluten free, so the damage is still there. Yes, your symptoms are consistant with gluten intolerance. Not everyone has diarrhea, not everyone is constipated, some people do not even know they are sick. Do the test and then go gluten free, totally, no cheating and see what happens.

[Ursa Major]

Hi Sonja, and welcome to this board. Your story sounds a lot like it could be celiac disease. As Deb said, since you weren't really gluten-free yet, your test might come out positive. But even if it is negative, you should really try going completely gluten-free. I hope you figure it out!

Alles Gute!

[sonja69]

darlindeb25 & Ursula,

thanks for your answers! this is really kind considering my long, neverending text...

I always doubted gluten intolerance because I had/have not the classic symptoms. And now I remembered a blood test in august 06 where I actually had high iron levels (?). and another blood test in 2004 where gliadin and entomysium (correct?) were not conspicuous. but now I know the problems associated with this. can't figure it out though. hope this test will be better (3 parameters tested), but unfortunately it's in my mind that they won't find anything again and I have to live with these problems forever. it's so confusing and I do not trust doctors anymore...

I kind of cannot imgagine that they will find something and that's finally the solution

don't understand why its getting worse now, since I kind of arranged me with my 'pregnant-look' and this always-being-sick-feeling since I saw/see no solution and I have to go on with my life (work etc.) sorry, I am really depressed since years and cannot really talk about with others because I do not want to bother them with my health problems. friends have it either really good or worse and in both cases it's not appropriate to complain about feeling little sick. and I always feel ashamed about my big tummy. I am sure that lots of you know what I mean.

thanks again and I will let you how its going.

I have planned to go glutenfree as soon the examination on the 6th is done, at least until xmas, which I'll spent in germany with family and friends and all this eating. but in january I will getting serious!!

thanks and all best too you too (alles gute!)

Sonja