Problems And Pregnant.......need Help

[harley]

Hi. I probably should have posted this under the Pregnancy board but it seems that more people frequent this board.

I was diagnosed via biopsy in July 06 (after the birth of my first child). My main problems were gastrointestinal. Things slowly improved after that. I had a repeat biopsy done in Jan. o7 and things were looking better. My gastrointestinal symptoms had improved too.

I found out I was pregnant again in early May. Since then, it seems like all of my pre-diagnosis symptoms have returned. I have loose stools 5-6 times a day (not to be gross but a lot of undigested food in stool). The same as before I was diagnosed. I have not changed my eating habits and maintain a strict gluten free diet. I have talked to my OB and seen my GI doctor and no one seems that concerned--except for me. Despite all of my stomach problems, I am not losing weight and the baby seems to be growing.

Has anyone had experience with a pregnancy reactivting celiac symptoms? I have not found much on the internet. I am very concerned about refractory celiac. any comments would be much appreciated.

[Lisa]

Hi. I probably should have posted this under the Pregnancy board but it seems that more people frequent this board.

I was diagnosed via biopsy in July 06 (after the birth of my first child). My main problems were gastrointestinal. Things slowly improved after that. I had a repeat biopsy done in Jan. o7 and things were looking better. My gastrointestinal symptoms had improved too.

I found out I was pregnant again in early May. Since then, it seems like all of my pre-diagnosis symptoms have returned. I have loose stools 5-6 times a day (not to be gross but a lot of undigested food in stool). The same as before I was diagnosed. I have not changed my eating habits and maintain a strict gluten free diet. I have talked to my OB and seen my GI doctor and no one seems that concerned--except for me. Despite all of my stomach problems, I am not losing weight and the baby seems to be growing.

Has anyone had experience with a pregnancy reactivting celiac symptoms? I have not found much on the internet. I am very concerned about refractory celiac. any comments would be much appreciated.

Are you taking any prenatal meds that are not gluten free?

[harley]

Are you taking any prenatal meds that are not gluten free?

Hi. No, my prenatals are gluten-free. I am taking prometrium progesterone supplements as my progesterone was a bit low at first.

[GFhopeful]

I also had some GI-type problems like you are describing during both my pregnancies but at the end of the pregnancies, which doctors attributed to "early labor" signs but it did occur for much of the last trimester. I am newly diagnosed Celiac so don't know if that was from the Celiac or early labor, like they said. Pregnancy is really hard on your body - is this your first baby? I would guess it would re-aggrevate things that you had under control but hopefully it's an adjstment period and you will get through it soon. The second trimester is easier on your stomach and body in general so maybe, hopefully, things will turn around for you then. Good luck!

[GFhopeful]

oops - sorry, i see it is not your first but your second child. it's early on in the pregnancy though so hopefully this will pass like the nausea in early pregnancy.

[Rosewynde]

I had problems like this at the end of my second pregnancy. The doctors never did figure it out. Their guess was I had a flu bug that killed of the flora (digestive bacteria) in my intestines and was aggravated by the fact that i was lactose intolerant. They had me take acidophilus and stick to a BRAT Diet with boiled chicken. My symptoms got better but never really cleared up completely. I got told not to worry as long as the baby and I remained healthy, Stress on the body often makes problems worse and you more sensitive to things. This was three years before they removed my gall bladder and six years before I was diagnosed as Celiac.

My guess is your body is stressed and not getting enough of what it needs because the baby is pulling it all. It's also quite possible that something new your on has gluten and is fouling you up throughly OR that you've developed a new allergy to something. Also possible something that was safe that your eating lots of is no longer safe.

[EmmaQ]

I would double check everything you are putting in your mouth, including calling the manufacture of the prenatals.

Be sure you are also not doing oats, not even safe oats, especially if you are DQ2.

I would then eliminate the following 1 by one to see if it is a major allergen

1) Dairy

2) Soy

3) Corn

4) Corn related gluten-free grains like Sorghum

After that, I haven't got a clue.

I know my baby was telling me when I ate something wrong, I would be flat out on the couch nearly passing out with fatigue, unable to lift my legs up on to the couch. It was scary and it happend 3 times before I figured out what it was. It was my lunch so I had eliminated each thing 1 by one.