My Symptoms...

[boulderrr]

I'm a 22 year old male...

About 3 weeks ago I noticed a few small itchy bumps on my stomach... They're very small and I wouldn't think anything of them except for the fact that they've persisted for so long. They seem to fade away and come back every now and then. To reiterate though, they're very small.

I was anemic when I was little. I had to take iron pills for it, but no longer do.

My sister has Celiac.

Since these bumps have persisted, I've noticed some slight abdominal pain, slight muscle weakness, and fatigue.

On some occasions, after a night of drinking a few beers, I'll throw up several times the following day. This happens VERY occasionally though... usually not more than once a month, if even that often. The frequency doesn't seem to make much sense though since I'm able to drink many beers and feel fine the next day all the time, but then sometimes only have a few and vomit a lot the following day. Again, this is very infrequent though.

Since the development of these tiny bumps, I've been itchy here and there on my arms and legs as well every now and then.

Every now and then I will get a moderate sized bump or two in my buttock area but I've always assumed they were just pimples because they come and go relatively infrequently.

I have a couple scars from poison ivy on my arm and have noticed that they've maybe become more visible lately. This may be due to the fact that winter is coming and I'm getting whiter though...

I realize that I may just be imagining a lot of this up... Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

[buffettbride]

Do you have other dietary reactions besides after drinking beer?

Have you tried avoiding gluten for a period to see if that improves things?

[boulderrr]

Not that I've noticed... The bumps have just started within the last couple weeks and the abdominal pain within the last week. They're pretty minor too. I eat gluten on a regular basis. Is it possible for it to arise seemingly out of nowhere like this? My main curiosity stems from the fact that my sister has it.

[buffettbride]

I wouldn't rule it out, espec. since your sister has it.

Is there anything that has happened that might have triggered the onset?

[boulderrr]

Well 3 weeks ago I flew to Tennessee from Denver to visit some friends from where I graduated from college in Knoxville... I was just there for the weekend... On the way back...

My plane left Nashville at 6AM on Monday morning so I had to stay up all night the night before to get to Nashville on time to catch the plane... then when I got back to Colorado I had to teach and go to class until late that night... So I only got about 4 hours of sleep in about a 40 hr. time period... Hardly a traumatic experience but maybe worth noting... The bumps and such began almost immediately afterward..

[buffettbride]

totally unrelated, but... do you teach at CU? my celiac daughter is performing there with the colorado shakespeare festival this winter.

i suppose your issue could be any number of things at this point. i suppose i'd listen to other more experienced folks here more than me and just keep an eye on your symptoms.

can you take a picture of your rash and post it?

[boulderrr]

Wow that's a coincidence! I'm a grad student and TA at CU

*Not sure why I can't post an image here so you may have to follow the link...

On my back...

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/4895/backmw0.webp

Stomach...

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9558/stomachtk2.webp

This is where they are mostly on my stomach... very small... very faint right now but they are sometimes more defined...

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/589/stomach2ic5.webp

[boulderrr]

Ohh and my lower back has been hurting...

[nmw]

Have you been tested for Celiac? That and a visit to a dermo for a skin biopsy sounds like a plan.

[Joyous]

Try going without gluten for a week or two and then eat some and see what happens.

I think any type of stress can reactivate it if you had it as a kid. If you're drinking even once a week that can really take a toll on the body, at least to the extent that a relatively minor thing could be more difficult to fully "recover" from. Are you short? Did you experience crankiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, moodiness, or poor memory as a kid?

[boulderrr]

Try going without gluten for a week or two and then eat some and see what happens.

I think any type of stress can reactivate it if you had it as a kid. If you're drinking even once a week that can really take a toll on the body, at least to the extent that a relatively minor thing could be more difficult to fully "recover" from. Are you short? Did you experience crankiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, moodiness, or poor memory as a kid?

I'm 5'6" so pretty short. My mom is only about 5'3" and my dad 5'9". My brother is about 5'10" though. I don't recall having difficulty concentrating as a kid. I did really well in school. I'd say moodiness and irritability comes and goes...

[buffettbride]

Have you been tested for Celiac? That and a visit to a dermo for a skin biopsy sounds like a plan.

That's my vote, too. And start eating gobs of gluten.

[buffettbride]

Wow that's a coincidence! I'm a grad student and TA at CU

She's in a production called A Child's Christmas in Wales: Open Original Shared Link. We live in Arvada, so I have the joy of driving to Boulder 6 days a week for her rehearsals. She dedicates all her performances to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

[tiffjake]

There is a support/resource group for Boulder, called Boulder County Celiacs. Their website is www.BoulderCountyCeliacs.com Maybe they can help