Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Abdominal Pain - Worse In Morning

KerriAnne

By KerriAnne
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

KerriAnne Rookie
KerriAnne
Posted

Has anyone else ever had bad abdominal pain, particularly in the morning? Over my 3.5y on a gluten-free diet since being diagnosed, occasionally I have these spells where, even though I cannot easily identify any dietary changes, I feel horrible again...and then the symptoms resolve almost as suddenly as they came on. One particular symptom is abdominal pain - and I don't mean gas pain.

Pain is so hard to describe but I'll do my best... it's the worst in the morning but doesn't necessarily ever go away during these "spells", it gets worse with pressure (like if you suck in your stomach or press into your stomach), and it doesn't get better or worse with eating. Sometimes just taking a deep breath makes me feel the pain sharply. I have often wondered whether this is an indication of intestinal damage - do you think the damage caused by gluten is painful? For the most part I've done very well on the diet, so it's hard to imagine that these sick spells that may be caused by a mysterious source of gluten would cause enough damage to cause pain... but it's just a thought. I've had severe gas pain before - I'm fairly certain this pain is due to something else.... I just don't know what!

Let me know if you have ever felt this way or know what causes it.

Thanks.

Kerri

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest kivmom3
Guest kivmom3
Posted

Kerri

Just so you don't feel alone in your stomach pain....

I too have horrible stomach pain. It's about the same as you described. I am going to the GI celiac specialist tomorrow to see if he can figure out what is causing this horrible pain!!!

I can get back to you if he finds anything so that you can inquire to your doctor. Just PM me and I will get back to you.

Hopefully some other people will post to see if there is any other correlation....

Hang in there.

Gg

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

That sounds awful. Has that been happening ever since you went gluten-free? What's the frequency of it? It occurred to me you may have some kind of intestinal blockage, I don't know whether Celiac can cause enough damage to have pain like that when you're gluten-free. Ulcer, maybe?

KerriAnne Rookie
KerriAnne
Posted
  • Author

I had an ulcer years ago... doesn't feel the same as far as I can remember, and the pain this time is in the lower/central abdomen - my ulcer pain was under my ribs. I had this pain before being diagnosed - and in general, it went away with my other symptoms when I went on the gluten-free diet. I just wish I knew what causes it. I could be wrong - it could be gas pain, I suppose. I just don't get it. It's a deep stabbing-like pain. Anyhow, I'm going to go do some searching & reading to see what I can find... I'll let you all know if I get enlightened!

tempurachic Newbie
tempurachic
Posted

I can relate. I wake up with a painful abdomin often lately. I don't attribute it to consuming gluten or gas either. It particularly hurts under my ribs on the right. It feels hard to the touch and hurts badly. It's hard to push through in the morning. We have two little kids and there is no time to lay down and rest it seems. My husband encourages me to lay down after work and take it easy but it's not practical. Life still has to go on.

Before my stomach would bloat up if I ate gluten. But for the last two weeks my stomach is constantly bloated. It sucks. It hurts. I don't know what is causing it. It's embarassing because it looks like I'm pregnant...and I'm not! My stomach measured at 39 inches and that's no where near my usual size. My clothes arn't fitting and that's discouraging too.

I went to my GI doctor and he ordered another CAT scan. I'm thankful to have an attentive doctor but I'm confident the CAT scan is going to come back negative which is good but doesn't help us explain what's goign on.

It feels good to say this stuff to other peopel with celiac disease. My husband is wonderful and fully supportive but i know he's getting a little weary of this bout with my stomach being so bloated and me not being my usual self.

If anyone has any words for me I'd love to hear them!

  • 2 weeks later...
Runner1978 Rookie
Runner1978
Posted

I've been gluten free for about a month and I feel sicker now than I did then. I have the same pains you have described. I also have a complete loss of appetite, which is not normal given that I'm a runner. These pains are worse in the morning and they are followed by nausea. I also get them throughout the day.

Please let me know what you find out.

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted

For the females with this pain: Please check this out with a GYN just to be safe. Celiac and GI symptoms can be many things. Where you've had this for awhile, KerriAnne, I think you should check out your reproductive system just to have peace of mind. Of course, you may already have done this. I have terrible abdominal pain with gluten and now am having some again although I live in a gluten-free household and make everything myself! Very frustrating! I hope you fel better very soon!

lisa

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


dinali63 Rookie
dinali63
Posted

I was diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on a gluten free diet for a little over three months. At first I did a lot better on the diet and was feeling great, then I started having the same kind of stomach pains. I posted last week, and got some great suggestions, and on Monday cut out soy from my diet (I realized that many of the prepared items I was eating contained some sort of soy). The pain improved in a day and this morning I feel great!

Always check things out medically, but you may want to think about other food intolerances. :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      Yes, that's the one I was referring to! Good for you, being proactive!
    2. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      35

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      link works but you may have enhanced security blocking it. In Edge you have to click on continue to site when the security warning opens. Other browsers or antivirus may just block it because it is not https.
    3. Known1
      - Known1 replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      It looks like she has a couple of books that share "The Paleo Approach" in the title. I ordered this one, as the other is a cookbook. The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body Thanks again for the info.
    4. Kimmy88
      - Kimmy88 commented on Scott Adams's article in Product Labeling Regulations
      3

      FDA Moves to Improve Gluten Labeling—What It Means for People With Celiac Disease

      Thank you so much for sharing!! I did submit a message to the government urging strong stricter labeling!
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Known1's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      11

      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      @Known1, I understand you have had your B12, Folate B 9, and Vitamin D level checked. However there are other B vitamins that are not routinely checked because blood tests for other B vitamins are terribly unreliable, expensive, or cumbersome to use frequently. Results can take a long time to get back, delaying proper treatment and risking permanent...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,423
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jennie s
    Newest Member
    Jennie s
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, that's the one I was referring to!  Good for you, being proactive!
    • Wheatwacked
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      link works but you may have enhanced security blocking it.  In Edge you have to click on continue to site when the security warning opens.  Other browsers or antivirus may just block it because it is not https.
    • Known1
      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      By Known1 · Posted

      It looks like she has a couple of books that share "The Paleo Approach" in the title.  I ordered this one, as the other is a cookbook. The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body Thanks again for the info.
    • knitty kitty
      Diagnosed Marsh stage 3C in January 2026

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Known1,  I understand you have had your B12, Folate B 9, and Vitamin D level checked.  However there are other B vitamins that are not routinely checked because blood tests for other B vitamins are terribly unreliable, expensive, or cumbersome to use frequently.  Results can take a long time to get back, delaying proper treatment and risking permanent damage.  It's easiest to supplement and look for health improvement. Blood tests can reflect how much of a certain vitamin was consumed in the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  Vitamins released by digestion is absorbed by villi, anemone like projections that increase the surface area of the small intestine, and then pass into the blood stream for distribution around the body.  A Marsh score of 3C indicates severe damage to the villi lining the small intestine.  Absorption of nutrients is definitely affected.   Blood tests don't reflect the amount of a vitamin  that is stored inside cells before being used.  You can have "normal" blood levels but have deficiency within cells of organs and tissues.  Tissues and organs will relinquish their stored vitamins into the blood stream in order to keep the brain and heart working while tissues and organs are depleted.   It's possible to have a localized deficiency of Thiamine B1 in different organs which cause the organ to malfunction.  Gastrointestinal Beriberi is caused by Thiamine deficiency in the gastrointestinal tract.  Gallbladder dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, heart attack, and cognitive dysfunction can be caused by Thiamine deficiency.   Most of the B vitamins cannot be stored for very long, maybe six weeks. B12 can be stored for as long as a year in the liver.  So having "normal" B 12 levels does not mean all your other vitamins are "normal" as well.   Thiamine can be stored for eighteen days, however  Thiamine can be depleted within three days.  We have a greater metabolic demand for Thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally stressed or are physically active (work out regularly) or work outdoors (or ride bikes).  Because most B vitamins can become low within a month or two under the best of circumstances, many newly diagnosed feel great on the gluten free diet at first.  After that, they seem to start going downhill.   The nutritional deficits start making themselves known.   Keep in mind that processed gluten free foods are not enriched nor fortified with vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost in processing like their gluten containing counterparts are.  You have to replace them yourself by taking supplements at least until the villi regrow and absorption improves. The eight B vitamins are water soluble.  They are easily lost if one has diarrhea or constipation or in those with a high Marsh score.  Because they are water soluble, the body can easily excrete excess through the kidneys.  Recommended Daily Amounts are based on experiments done on humans to find the minimum dose required to prevent disease.  Levels for optimal health are much higher.   Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions which are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  Requirements for nutritional education have been reduced to twenty class hours over the course of the seven years of medical school.   Three-day weekend seminars earn ten hours.  Vitamins cannot be patented as they are natural substances, so there is more profit for doctors to prescribe pharmaceuticals.  They are taught to cover symptoms with pharmaceutical bandaids.  They may not look for what caused symptoms to appear in the first place.   Doctors are taught nutritional deficiencies don't occur except in impoverished or drought stricken countries.  This is not accurate.  Nutritional deficiencies can occur if you eat a High Carbohydrate Diet, eat the Standard American Diet, and if you have malabsorption problems as occur with Celiac Disease.   You can check out my blog for the challenges I faced due to vitamin deficiencies that went unrecognized by doctors.   Talk to your doctor and new dietician about supplementing with vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients while your villi are healing.  My favorite Celiac book is The Paleo Approach by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  She explains the AutoImmune Protocol Diet.  It has been shown to reduce inflammation and promote healing in the gastrointestinal tract. Best wishes!
    • Known1
      Lubriderm-gluten-free?

      By Known1 · Posted

      Thanks, I had already sent you a direct message regarding bananas.  Maybe just reply to that?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.