Am I Celiac? Ill For Last 7 Months.

[ToddZ]

Hello, I am new here and have found this site fascinating. I am a 32 year old drug free and alcohol free, male with no former psychological or gastrointestinal disorders until one day in September of 2007 when my whole world was turned upside down.

For the past 7 months I've been extremely ill and have not been able to hold a job or anything due to a mysterious illness I've been suffering from.

This whole thing started back in September 2007 when I suddenly had a reaction to something I ate. To this day I still do not have a clue what I ate that could have caused this - so I thought I was poisoned.

The reaction was severe and caused extreme neurological symptoms and gastrointestinal problems that were horrible. This resulted me going into the ER twice with 2 separate diagnosis's. The first being acute gastritis that I was told would be gone after a few days and the second being an acute anxiety disorder. I was prescribed Nexium for the gastritis and nothing for my anxiety. I was told to see a psychologist. Which I eventually did.

For months and months I could not work. I suffered from extreme anxiety, tingling feet, tingling hands, strange vision (like I was doped up or something), severe GERD, severe gastritis, and severe lower abdominal burning pain. I also experienced strange auditory problems. I literally thought I was going to die. I could not stop from pacing and was basically freaking out.

Finally, after a few months of eating nothing but Ensure and on steady medicated diet of Nexium, Bentyl, Carafate, DGL Licorice root, and Xanax I literally made preparations for my death but my symptoms suddenly seems to go away and I slowly regained some of my former health back.

Fast forward to late April 2008. I have been eating solid food for the past 2 months with great success. I have been eating very healthy type foods. Crock pot chicken, rice, fish, a lot of canned chicken and rice soup, etc. Nothing heavy or abrasive. All of my previous psychological symptoms I have been experiencing disappered except for slight to moderate tinnitus, some weird minor muscle twitching, but all in all have been feeling very well. I felt so good that maybe I could get away with eating some pizza!! WRONG! That night I knew I made a mistake. I wasn't in pain until the next day.. I felt as if a clothes iron was being pressed onto my stomach from the inside out. I was extremely tired and had the urge to sleep all the time. I went from feeling very well and confident to wanting to curl up in a ball and die the very next day. Frustrated and feeling deathly ill, I took a Nexium, 2 Zantec 150's, 3 teaspoons of Carafate, and 4 DGL pills hoping the burning would go away sooner than later (which it finally did the next day).

I have noticed that certain foods will trigger a reaction - not as severe as the pizza, but will cause distress of some sort. Waffles was another one. I had 4 waffles in one sitting a week before and noticed a burning in my lower intestinal region. It was uncomfortable but tolerable. The burning was on and off but finally went away. I didn't think much of it really until the pizza incident. Sandwiches seem to bother me as well and cause me to be REALLY tired. I used to think most of the smaller reactions were due to me healing from whatever happened to me in September. The reaction to the pizza though is different. I strongly feel I am allergic because I don't understand how one can go from feeling very well to completely deathly ill in a matter of a day. This is beyond disturbing to me. Especially when the day of hell ended so unbruptly. The following "day of hell" I ate a chicken and mash potatoe dinner and I was totally fine with no burning or nothing. Usually if this was gastritis (one would think) it would last longer and could not eat anything without it getting irritated!

I'm going back on my rice and chicken diet but I would really like to know anybody's thoughts and/or anybody has experienced something similar? I'm planning on going 100% gluten free and see what happens. Hopefully there is a reason for what is happening to me. But so far I strongly believe I am an undiagnosed celiac.

Thanks for reading!

[tom]

Wow! The speed of onset in Sep'07 is unusual, but I've learned not to put anything past Celiac.

The other incidents sure seem to point to at least a wheat allergy - or maybe gluten intolerance, or celiac disease.

Best of luck figuring it out & beware the hidden gluten. My toothpaste was the last thing I found glutening me.

[Lisa]

I have had diagnosed IBS for most of my life, and seemed to function with that fact. One day in July kept me housebound and close to the bathroom for two months. My Celiac was triggered by stress and I can pin point THE day.

If you wish to pursue testing, this is the test that needs to be ordered by your doctor:

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

My toothpaste was the last thing I found glutening me.

Tom, what toothpaste has gluten in it??? (I've never even thought of toothpaste! Oh, no....)

[ToddZ]

Wow! The speed of onset in Sep'07 is unusual, but I've learned not to put anything past Celiac.

The other incidents sure seem to point to at least a wheat allergy - or maybe gluten intolerance, or celiac disease.

Best of luck figuring it out & beware the hidden gluten. My toothpaste was the last thing I found glutening me.

For years before this I did experience debilitating migraines that I learned to deal with. The were manageable but very unpredictable. I always had a massive bottle of Excedrin on hand and it did the trick if I caught it early enough. I also had chronic fatigue and required a daily power nap at lunch time to get through the day along with some coffee. I attributed these two symptoms to just being overworked etc. I am beginning to think these were the beginning stages of whatever is going on with me now. Interestingly, the migraines have totally stopped but the fatigue continues. I learned to deal (or rather ignore) the migraines and fatigue. Now I need to start learning and figure this out or I fear I will not live very long if I continue to ignore my body. I don't think I have a choice in the matter!

I will definitely change my toothpaste as well. What type of toothpaste do you use? I will be sure to get some!

I also get into trouble because I get bored of eating the handful of foods that I find safe. How many times can you eat chicken and mash potatoes? Or crock pot chicken, etc.. Or rotisserie chicken etc.. I need to order some food off this site for sure and start experimenting with it. Once I divert from my safe foods, I start reverting back. It's like a enter a minefield once I start experimenting with other foods and I get sick really fast if I eat the wrong thing. It's like the "sick" switch is flipped or someone with a voodoo doll started to stab me with a knife!

I never suspected celiac until the pizza incident because this time it was so obvious. Hopefully I am on the right track though... I'll be sure to discuss this with my doctor because I honestly think he's under the impression I am on the rebound when in reality I am still very much still in the process of figuring this thing out. He doesn't understand I eat a very restricted diet at this point.

Thanks for toothpaste tip and please let me know.

Todd

[ToddZ]

I have had diagnosed IBS for most of my life, and seemed to function with that fact. One day in July kept me housebound and close to the bathroom for two months. My Celiac was triggered by stress and I can pin point THE day.

If you wish to pursue testing, this is the test that needs to be ordered by your doctor:

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

Thank you very much for this info. I will definitely get tested for this. With any luck, I will have found out what is wrong with me. It seems I have had every test known to man but I know for a fact that I haven't had these tests!

[tom]

Tom, what toothpaste has gluten in it??? (I've never even thought of toothpaste! Oh, no....)

I'd like to think they've changed it by now, but in '03 Aim had gluten.

I use a Tom's of Maine now, but that's more because of the sweeteners in most brands.

I think most brands are gluten-free, but I really haven't looked in years.