Atypical Symptoms -- Not Sure If It's celiac disease

[shadowfax]

Hi,

A few years back, I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut syndrome and food allergies (including wheat and gluten) after a bout of food poisoning. After a strict diet for a few months, the brain fog lifted and I introduced foods back into my diet as instructed by my naturopath. I'm MUCH better now, but the past year or so I've had odd symptoms that I'm not sure relate to celiac disease. Here's a description of a really bad event for me:

I start to feel reeeeally tired, then sort of heavy (as if just stepping out of a pool), then I get a sick, hot feeling all over, my heart starts to sky-rocket and I start to sweat. I endure this for about 15 minutes, and then I have a bowel movement. This may sound odd, but it's almost like my body wants to throw up, but on the other end...but it's not diarrhea. It sometimes feel like my intestines just stop working and this is my body's way of trying to jump start it again. It's a truly horrible and terrifying experience...I feel like I'm dying or something.

I've been avoiding wheat and gluten for the most part for the past 2.5 weeks and so far so good. If it stays calm for the next month I feel it must be due to the wheat/gluten. But it's frustrating because I don't seem to have typical, cut and dry celiac disease symptoms. Can anyone relate?

Also, how reliable are the blood tests for celiac disease? I don't think I can handle or afford a biopsy.

Thanks for listening!

[Guhlia]

This is EXACTLY what happens to me if I do a gluten challenge. I thought I was crazy, but you've really hit the nail on the head. I'm glad I'm not alone, but I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. On my last gluten challenge, when I was supposed to get biopsied, it took me about 5 weeks of eating gluten to reach this point. I'm one of those who gets sick over just a crumb, but if I eat a whole slice of pizza I get no reaction, my body just kind of shuts down. Ugh... Anyway, yes, that could definitely be Celiac rearing its ugly head.

[Viola 1]

The blood tests are pretty reliable if you have been eating gluten before the tests. If you have been gluten free they would likely give you a false negative.

Let us know how things go, and welcome to the forum!