Constip/anemia/fatige Etc.

[sashamay23]

So, Hi =)

I'm 22 yrs old..and I guess I'm trying to get the nerve to rid my house of gluten and try to eat gluten free for a month or so and see how I feel. I've been dealing with constipation, anemia, bloating, excess gas (i have to carry gas-ex wiht me often b/c it feels like my stomach fills with intensly painful gas that won't come out otherwise, a few hours after I eat), complete exhasution and fatigue.

I dont know of anyone really in my family though with Celiac except an aunt whos been diagnosed as being severely intolerant of gluten.

I always chalked my fatige and exahustion up to being anemic. and iv been taking a lot of iron to try to keep my iron levels up for years. (8-9yrs now). but my iron levels arnt that bad...i'm only technically borderline but if i dont take my iron every day, within a day or two.. i cant hardly function. I dont know anyone else my age with these symptoms and when i finally got the nerve to check em out online.. celiac is what kept coming up.

my folks and my best friend have been encouraging me to give it a try. cant hurt right? except im scared out of mind that it WILL mke me feel better! does that make since? mom keeps saying 'but just b/c u dont know now, doesnt make it not so!" and i tell her that "ignorance is bliss! leave my gluten alone.." lol

I talked to this lady today about it and she was urging me to try it as well. shes known about it w/ her for a couple yrs and she said she cant even compare the difference in how she feels. i would love to have energy for once..and not have to sleep 12+hrs all the time.. and to feel like a normal 22 yr old. i'm just really scared to try it.

I live alone..and i do all my own cooking. so thats not really a problem i guess. i hardly ever go out to eat anyway. iv never dieted tho in my life, so iv never expierenced food restriction. i always just worked out if i wanted to lose weight. and id "watch what i eat". but i never believed in restricton and deprivation for good so the concept of not being able to eat something..is foreign. I've always been somewhat overweight but pretty stable in that weight. though the last 8 months Ive put on 15lbs but I think thats b/c i broke my foot and spent 5 months on crutches and not doing the normal phsyical activity I do at work.

im also concerned about cost..it seems that all those gluten free products are really expensive... what do you guys do to get around that?

questions:

I dont really know what to say. I guess i'm here to just look for support and ur thoughts regarding the topic.. how many of u guys have constipation and bloating? and unexplained anemia?

Im not horribly interested in getting fully tested thru my doc but are there blood tests i should ask to have done to check myself out? i dont know how I'm doing nutritonwise. i've only had CBC's done and such that indicate borderline anemia. but my symptoms far outweigh the "borderline' nature of my lab results..

sorry this is so long! i'm just.. confused and freaked out about it all.

thanks for your help!

[maryjoali]

Your profile sounds just like mine. I am now 28 and ever since I was in grade 8, I've been having all of the symptoms you mentioned, plus infection after infection. Been diagnosed with mono, epstein barr virus, chronic fatique syndrome, hiatus hernia, mild IBS, "you just have a weak immune system", etc....FINALLY was diagnosed in January 2007 (went to a naturopath who got a hunch, back to my family doctor who said it's possible and sent me to a specialist) and I CANNOT believe the difference. It is totally worth the extra effort and the extra money. It is more expensive, but as you get more familiar with everything, you find out where to shop in your area that saves you money. As for giving up certain foods, you can make or buy almost everything now. I've made gluten-free meals, snacks, desserts and they can't even tell the difference...most actually like the gluten-free better!

Read previous posts on this forum to honestly scare yourself into going to be checked...I know it sounds awful, but when I'm feeling like just cheating a bit, I read about what can happen if you keep eating gluten..cancer, osteoporosis, infertility, etc. It makes me remember how important it is to stay gluten-free. Also, this forum gives you a place to vent and be encouraged. Go get tested!! I'm sure others would agree, that if you are positive, your life will improve drastically!!!

[deesmith]

So, Hi =)

I'm 22 yrs old..and I guess I'm trying to get the nerve to rid my house of gluten and try to eat gluten free for a month or so and see how I feel. I've been dealing with constipation, anemia, bloating, excess gas (i have to carry gas-ex wiht me often b/c it feels like my stomach fills with intensly painful gas that won't come out otherwise, a few hours after I eat), complete exhasution and fatigue.

I dont know of anyone really in my family though with Celiac except an aunt whos been diagnosed as being severely intolerant of gluten.

Your symptoms sound like classic Celiac symptoms-- although they could be something else. But because of it being in your family, your aunt, I would suspect Celiac first.

I always chalked my fatige and exahustion up to being anemic. and iv been taking a lot of iron to try to keep my iron levels up for years. (8-9yrs now). but my iron levels arnt that bad...i'm only technically borderline but if i dont take my iron every day, within a day or two.. i cant hardly function. I dont know anyone else my age with these symptoms and when i finally got the nerve to check em out online.. celiac is what kept coming up.

You may not be absorbing your Iron properly. This was my problem. So the further along I went, the more anemic I became. And taking the Iron actually made me sick-- and a lot more constipated. There are other ways to get your iron, besides a pill form supplement. Others on the board may be able to help you with this better.

I talked to this lady today about it and she was urging me to try it as well. shes known about it w/ her for a couple yrs and she said she cant even compare the difference in how she feels. i would love to have energy for once..and not have to sleep 12+hrs all the time.. and to feel like a normal 22 yr old. i'm just really scared to try it.

If you are going to go ahead with the blood tests and/or any other tests-- which you really should-- then you have to continue eating gluten. So my advice is to keep eating it for now, but go get the blood test as soon as possible. I think maybe you're more scared that it won't be the answer to your symptoms. After years of not having a correct diagnosis, many of us have experienced the "it's all in your head" issue. Finding out it's Celiac is actually a relief! But going through all of this is a scary thing. Just know that people are here on the board for you every step of the way. When you make your appointments, just let us know. Then as you're waiting for the results, which is the hardest part, we'll try to help you get through that too.

im also concerned about cost..it seems that all those gluten free products are really expensive... what do you guys do to get around that?

I don't buy any of those products. I stick to "naked" food-- veggies, meat, fruits, rice. I had to stop the dairy for a while, which was probably harder than eliminating gluten! But I can have just a small amount now & then (like a milk chocolate candy bar). But there are so many great posts here about what you can buy and what you can eat. Just do a search and look for NoGluGirl's posts. They are so excellent. I print them out and carry them around with me and check them all the time.

Im not horribly interested in getting fully tested thru my doc but are there blood tests i should ask to have done to check myself out? i dont know how I'm doing nutritonwise. i've only had CBC's done and such that indicate borderline anemia. but my symptoms far outweigh the "borderline' nature of my lab results..

I had lots of blood work, but through a specialist, to see what I was deficient in. That's how I found out I wasn't absorbing calcium at all. Whether or not you do this is up to you-- and how you do it. But I thought it was important so I would know how to get better.

sorry this is so long! i'm just.. confused and freaked out about it all.

We've all been freaked out about it. And many days we still are! But the board is a great place to go to. They'll all make you laugh!!

[sashamay23]

Read previous posts on this forum to honestly scare yourself into going to be checked...I know it sounds awful, but when I'm feeling like just cheating a bit, I read about what can happen if you keep eating gluten..cancer, osteoporosis, infertility, etc. It makes me remember how important it is to stay gluten-free. Also, this forum gives you a place to vent and be encouraged. Go get tested!! I'm sure others would agree, that if you are positive, your life will improve drastically!!!

ha. thats what i just did =) I sent off an email to my doc.. finally asking to run the celiac panal. I had talked to her about my symmptoms last year but was too chicken to mention celiac but she just told me its probably mild IBS and gave me zelnorm for the constipation..which has now been taken off the market. so i'll find out in a day or two if she will order the celiac panal which im sure she will.

thank you so much for ur reply, i really appriciate it!

[sashamay23]

If you are going to go ahead with the blood tests and/or any other tests-- which you really should-- then you have to continue eating gluten. So my advice is to keep eating it for now, but go get the blood test as soon as possible. I think maybe you're more scared that it won't be the answer to your symptoms. After years of not having a correct diagnosis, many of us have experienced the "it's all in your head" issue. Finding out it's Celiac is actually a relief! But going through all of this is a scary thing. Just know that people are here on the board for you every step of the way. When you make your appointments, just let us know. Then as you're waiting for the results, which is the hardest part, we'll try to help you get through that too.

thank you so much.. I did indeed just send off an email to my doc requesting the celiac panal.. i figure, whats it going to hurt? after having two dreams in a row that woke me up, maybe you are right! i think i am scared that it wont be a solution for me. she'll probably email me back tomarrow or tuesday telling me to go get the labwork done..

I had lots of blood work, but through a specialist, to see what I was deficient in. That's how I found out I wasn't absorbing calcium at all. Whether or not you do this is up to you-- and how you do it. But I thought it was important so I would know how to get better.

yea i think is is good.. how u phrased this and what i was readin up on.. itd definitly be a good reason to go ahead with the testing.. and see if i can get those indepth tests regarding deficencies.. i think partly iv just been afraid of the whole 'ur 22 and u probably eat like crap" - which is essencially what i've been told with regards to my anemia and constipation.. im sure they think im like nearly all my friends who go out to eat fast food all the time.. which i DON'T. dont eat great sometimes but its not as bad as some ppl i know! lol and i do all of my own cooking.

We've all been freaked out about it. And many days we still are! But the board is a great place to go to. They'll all make you laugh!!

thanks! i will definitly keep coming back on here and let you guys calm my nerves down=) i dont even know i fi have this but this group just in the lil while iv been reading it.. has enabled me to feel OKAY with it if it is whats wrong with me.

[SpikeMoore]

Good for you to be looking at this as a possibility. I wish I had thought of it at 22! I'm 36 and had those issues since being a teenager. I wouldnot go out without alkaseltzer in my purse. I had it in every desk drawer in work, in the glove compartment etc...

If you are lucky enough to have identified your problem you will have the key to a healthier life while minimizing the years of damage.

It doesn't have to be that expensive. I have learned to cook again with fresh ingredients instead of packaged things. The only specialty products I buy are bread from a local gluten free bakery and rice pasta which really isn't that expensive. Oh and they do make gluten free soy sauce.

But, if this is your problem, think of it this way...at least you don't have to be spending money on drugs to mask they symptoms.

People ask me if I miss baked goods and if it is difficult to have to cut out things. My answer is that I feel so much better and that feeling great far outweighs eating gluten. And if you know that it makes you ill, why on earth would you eat it?

60% of the people on this board were self diagnosed. Some with negative test results from the doctor too. I had neg blood work and didn't pursue the biopsy, but you couldn't pay me to eat gluten again.

[sashamay23]

But, if this is your problem, think of it this way...at least you don't have to be spending money on drugs to mask they symptoms......

that is SO true! i was talking to mom abotu that the other day- shes on a lowdose antidepressent for sleep..so is my dad and my sister. and mom mentioned that that might be something i wanna look into. she said she slept a ton and had no problems sleeping but wasnt gettin quality sleep and woek up tired, like me. but after looking into all this more serioisly, i told her "but wouldnt be aweosme if THIS is the reason i'm so exhasted? and if i fix this..no pills!"

yea you guys have me convinced. im getting my blood drawn in the morning for the test, should know in a wk or so what the results are. and then even if they come back negatve, i'm going to go ahead and go a month gluten-free. and just see how i do on it. im nervous about it..

i spent all day just checkin out whats available today and seein whats out there in the speciality stores. we have a compeltly "gluten-free" store here in town too and i got some rice crackers that were devine heh. i need to checkout the local regular store i shop at though for my normal stuff and see what i can find thats gluten free for waay cheaper =)

quick question: to those that are espically gassy..do u guys get it upper gi too? with me a few times a month (tho its been increasing in frequency latly) a couple hrs after i eat (yes, often carby-gluten foods) its the worst.. and often right when im laying down tryin to sleep.

its like my entire stomach and upper gi track fill with gas. its insanly painful and horrible feeling. like bloating in the worst sence of the word.

hense the gas-ex which then just makes me burp a whole bunch. i spend a good hour-2hrs just burping tryin to relieve the pressure..and if i dont get it out, then well it travels down the gi tract and comes out the other end Lol.

i tried explaining it to my old doc who just looked at me kinda funny lol. and my present doc told me shes never heard of that.

[super-sally888]

quick question: to those that are espically gassy..do u guys get it upper gi too? with me a few times a month (tho its been increasing in frequency latly) a couple hrs after i eat (yes, often carby-gluten foods) its the worst.. and often right when im laying down tryin to sleep.

its like my entire stomach and upper gi track fill with gas. its insanly painful and horrible feeling. like bloating in the worst sence of the word.

hense the gas-ex which then just makes me burp a whole bunch. i spend a good hour-2hrs just burping tryin to relieve the

Oh yes! Excess burping (so antisocial ) was a major symptom for me, along with reflux and hyperacidity were MAJOR symptoms. Pretty much resolved since I've stopped eating gluten.

Welcome. Congrats on wanting to get started. Actually not so hard once you get into it. Oh, yeah, 'naked" foods are the cheapest way to go....

Sally

[sashamay23]

Oh yes! Excess burping (so antisocial ) was a major symptom for me, along with reflux and hyperacidity were MAJOR symptoms. Pretty much resolved since I've stopped eating gluten.

Welcome. Congrats on wanting to get started. Actually not so hard once you get into it. Oh, yeah, 'naked" foods are the cheapest way to go....

Sally

nice to know there might be a reason for it! and that im not the only1 dealing with it..iv tried explaining it to ppl and it just doesnt work. makes me grateful i live alone!

yea thats what im thinking. once i rid my house of everything gluten (im debating whether i should hurry up and eat most of it in the next couple wks..or just throw it in a box and either give it away or store it for later and get rid of it later if i decide to keep eatin this way). and add a few of the extra special foods i'll want to just have on hand for good measure initally.. then it wont be too hard. till i eat out lol. or have to turn down the baked banana bread at work or the potlucks.. i'll just bring my own gluten free foods right? i bring my own food to work anyway...

and yea, naked foods.. easier and cheaper.

thankyou!