Pain In Lower Left, Anyone Else Had That? Questions..

[wintersky]

Hi ! My name is Kim and I have not been diagnosed but thru recent articles feel trying a gluten free/ and for now lactose free diet may illeviate my symptoms and get me on the road to recovery.. I have been living with indigestion, gas for as long as I can remember.. as of late since trying to eat healthier.. more whole wheat products.. this pain in my lower left front side area has gotten constant... has anyone had similar complaints?? I have alot of the other symptoms that I have seen associated with this condition... I am going to eliminate lactose as I think I may have damage and could have trouble digesting that too... so for at least the next couple of weeks I will avoid both groups... I am concerned about this constant nagging gas? I feel in the lower left.. and would love to know if any of you experienced this... and how soon once gluten free it may go away.. also i heard priobotics will help heal.. but if i am avoiding lactose can I use it??? what kind? any help I would welcome. I have enjoyed this site and so glad I found it... Kim

[dionnek]

I used to have sharp stabbing pains in my left side (not constant) before I was dx with celiac and went gluten free. I think the pains stopped a few months after I was gluten-free and stopped dairy. I can eat dairy again now (it's been almost a year since I went gluten-free) and I don't get those pains at all. My biopsy showed "significant damage" to my villi - basically my dr. said they were flat, so I'm guessing the pain was caused somehow by that, since it stopped shortly after going gluten-free. I used to have sharp pains in my chest area too (right below my ribs), but that also stopped. I used to think I was having a heart attack whenever this happened, but guess it was just indigestion or something.

[ginap73]

I have had pain in my lower left side. It only happens before I get sick. When I am gluten free, no pain, and no sick.

I was sick all week, because I was drinking rice dream, didnt know it was not gluten free. but as soon as I got off it, i have been fine again. with no pain.

[ravenwoodglass]

Yes, many of us have had that type of pain, myself included. For me the gas and the related pains were gone pretty quickly.

During this trial be sure to try and consume mainly fresh, naturally gluten free food. Fruits, veggies, white or wild rice (no mixes), fresh unprocessed meats and fish. Leave the long lists of gluten free mainstream food until you know for sure that gluten is a problem. Many mainstream foods are processed on shared lines and until you have been gluten-free for a bit it can be hard to tell if you are healing if you are getting second hand gluten.

Best wishes and you have come to a great place for support and info. You may also want to check out the Celiac Sprue Association they have an easy to understand listing of foods and have things seperated into the foundation stage and expanding stage. Many find it helpful at first. The link will take you right to that page.

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[sfm]

Hi ! My name is Kim and I have not been diagnosed but thru recent articles feel trying a gluten free/ and for now lactose free diet may illeviate my symptoms and get me on the road to recovery.. I have been living with indigestion, gas for as long as I can remember.. as of late since trying to eat healthier.. more whole wheat products.. this pain in my lower left front side area has gotten constant... has anyone had similar complaints?? I have alot of the other symptoms that I have seen associated with this condition... I am going to eliminate lactose as I think I may have damage and could have trouble digesting that too... so for at least the next couple of weeks I will avoid both groups... I am concerned about this constant nagging gas? I feel in the lower left.. and would love to know if any of you experienced this... and how soon once gluten free it may go away.. also i heard priobotics will help heal.. but if i am avoiding lactose can I use it??? what kind? any help I would welcome. I have enjoyed this site and so glad I found it... Kim

I have been gluten free - mostly, except for when I get cross contaminated - since November 2006.

When I do get glutened, I feel the pain entirely on my left side. I did some research on related problems like gall bladder, but that's on the right hand side. So I'm thinking that the damage to my intestines must be mostly on my left side, so that's why I feel it there?

There are plenty of dairy free probiotic supplements - just go to a good vitamin store and either read the labels (most will list it) or ask for assistance. I am sensitive to casein (milk protein) in addition to being gluten intolerant, so I have to check every vitamin label for both. Enzymes help, too - but again, check for dairy as well as gluten.

Good luck - your discomfort will probably feel better soon, but it does take time.

Sheryll

[rsm]

I had problems in the upper left under my ribs. It hurt and I could almost feel a gurgling there (gross -yes). Gluten free for six weeks and it has gone away. One doctor told me part of my spleen had died, another said you can't hurt there, there isn't anything there!

[ReneCox]

what do you mean part of your spleen died??

[Guest Happynwgal2]

I have had pain in my lower left side. It only happens before I get sick. When I am gluten free, no pain, and no sick.

I was sick all week, because I was drinking rice dream, didnt know it was not gluten free. but as soon as I got off it, i have been fine again. with no pain.

Wow, I NEVER knew rice dream is not gluten free - where is the gluten in there? I thought I had read the list of ingredients, but I must have missed something. That DOES explain why I just cannot drink rice milk, specifically the brand rice dream. I always feel bad afterwards.

Thus a few weeks ago I switched to almond milk, which says on the carton that it is gluten free. I happen to love the taste of it, both the plain and the vanilla kind.

Isn't it amazing how much gluten there is in food, even those we think have none? I LOVE sushi, and my daughter and I often go to a new sushi bar by Portland State University. Their soy sauce is made from wheat, so I bring my own gluten free soy sauce. In two weeks I am going on a dinner cruise, and I have to call them and ask what kind of food they have that I can eat. For about $ 100 a plate, they better have something I can eat!

[blueeyedmanda]

I had the pain you are describing before I learned I had celiac. It improved once on the diet. Now, I only get it when I get glutened very badly. For the longest time I could not figure out what the pain from from and nothing helped it. I was scared!!!

[Mtndog]

Wow, I NEVER knew rice dream is not gluten free - where is the gluten in there? I thought I had read the list of ingredients, but I must have missed something. That DOES explain why I just cannot drink rice milk, specifically the brand rice dream. I always feel bad afterwards.

Thus a few weeks ago I switched to almond milk, which says on the carton that it is gluten free. I happen to love the taste of it, both the plain and the vanilla kind.

Yeah- Rice Dream says flavored with barley malt at the END of its list of ingredients. Hard to read and frustrating! I just tried the Almond Milk last night for the forst time and really liked it!

[jerseyangel]

Yeah- Rice Dream says flavored with barley malt at the END of its list of ingredients. Hard to read and frustrating! I just tried the Almond Milk last night for the forst time and really liked it!

Almond milk (especially the vanilla) makes great cocoa (tsp each of sugar and cocoa powder, stir into almond milk, heat in microwave) and puddings (2 small boxes Jello pudding-the kind you cook--to 3 cups almond milk. Chocolate and butterscotch are best!)

Yep--I got glutened by Rice Dream a long time ago....

I used to get the bottom left pain, too. I still do, actually--it's trapped gas working it's way down. It can be quite uncomfortable. I had female issues, also that made it hard to distinquish where the pain was coming from.

I had surgery to "fix" the female stuff, but still get the gas. I guess I'm just stuck with that.

[BRUMI1968]

I had that before gluten-free ... now I get it from walnuts...or so I believe anyway. Even walnut butter.

If you have insurance and have not had it done, getting the ELISA (or similar type) test for food allergies really helps. Most folks with celiac can't digest dairy right away since the villi in their intestines can't produce that chemicals to break down lactose. Some folks get to add it back; some don't.

Anyway, I'd try the gluten free and dairy free, and see if you don't feel better in a week or two, or a month or two (everyone has their own pace).

'

-Sherri