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Stomach Cramps

casnco

By casnco
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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casnco Enthusiast
casnco
Posted

Well, it happened again. Cross contamination. I think from the salad bar at work. Who knows. I am assuming it takes several days for symptoms to show up for me. Everytime the symptoms are different. This time it was sever stomach cramps. I haven't had any for over a year! I have been using herbal supplements that have kept stomach issues at bay.

So, long story short the cramps persisted for 3 days off and on. They started with 15 min of cramping and gradually increased in duration. Before they come on I feel intestines moving as if I need to have a bowl movement. But alas no bowl movement happens. Just cramping of my stomach. The pain is so sever that after the fifth episode I went to the emergency department at the local hospital. Fortunately for me they cramping persisted until the doctor saw me. He gave me demeral and phenagrin. Yea! And Vicoden for recurring episodes. I hate using a narcotic but I can not take the pain. Also I have eaten next to nothing for the past 3 days. When I have eaten about four hours later I get cramping.

I tell all of this to ask a question or maybe this is just an observation.

It seams like when my body is trying to digest food and is unable to digest the gluten it causes the parastalsis activity in my intestines to to cause a spasm that affects my stomach and cause the cramping. Then I feel asthough the irritation has caused inflamation in the stomach and the intestines which makes each episode of the cramping more intense and the duration of the cramp longer. Thus producing a vicious cycle. The ED trip stops the inflamation. When I take the vicoden, it doesn't stop the cramping but helps eleveate the pain.

Do any of you have a similar experience? Have you found some less expensive way to control the pain without an ED visit? I feel like such a fool when I need to go the ED. I know the cause and work very hard at not getting cross contaminated. I never eat in our cafeteria at work because I know the risk. But I had a lapse in judgement. I thought it is only a salad bar. They have the croutons in totally seperate area. Surely it should be safe. Boy was I wrong.

I know this is a long post but if anyone has any suggestions I am open and in despirate need of help.

Thanks

Debbie

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

When I get cramping or severe stomach pain, I use a homeopathic remedy called 'Sepia'. I use the 30c strength, and take four of the little granules when I get pain. I repeat every few hours if needed until the pain is gone.

I find that is the only thing that seems to help for me. Pain killers are hard on the stomach and can make the inflammation worse, while masking the pain.

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

I have found that by taking acidophilus and bromelain/papain with pancreatic enzymes really helps against CC. The sooner the better. For me it has made a huge difference. I take it if I even think it might be a problem.

Later, if and once the damage is done, continue with the above and also add extra fibronyltic enzymes such as a double dose of nattokinase or serrapeptidase or serrapeptase to counteract inflammation and scar tissue. Do this for a few days til you feel better. Do this anyway for a while too to just strengthen your intestines though not at such a large dose.

Speaking of which marshmallow root and slippery elm really help heal the villi and get rid of the inflammation too. They are pretty inexpensive.

Barring that of course there is also Pepto Bismol.

Bea

casnco Enthusiast
casnco
Posted
  • Author

Ursa and Yolo: Thank you so much for your input. I have never heard of any of these remedies before. I will talk with my herbalist about them. Ursa you are right about pain killers. They also sap even more energy than the CC. And I just don't have any to spare. Thanks again. You guys are great!

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

Let me know if these remedies actually helps you. They really have for me. I was getting shooting D really bad from CC plus getting ill after etc.

The more people that try these remedies the more certain we can be if they work or not for people who have celiac in general. I hate it when the powers that be say there is nothing we can do but wait it out. At least in my case that ain't true!

Bea

katebuggie28 Apprentice
katebuggie28
Posted

Pepto didn't work for me. I heard that Maloxx works, but I haven't tried it. I use peppermint tea, and it helps out a lot. Good luck.

casnco Enthusiast
casnco
Posted
  • Author
Let me know if these remedies actually helps you. They really have for me. I was getting shooting D really bad from CC plus getting ill after etc.

The more people that try these remedies the more certain we can be if they work or not for people who have celiac in general. I hate it when the powers that be say there is nothing we can do but wait it out. At least in my case that ain't true!

Bea

In the emergency room they gave me Maloxx. I never gave much thought to taking an antacid. I gave all the credit to the demerol. Guess I will need to rethink the antacid. And maybe look at my food intake that might exacerbate the CC with the acid issue. Thanks Bea.

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AliB Enthusiast
AliB
Posted

I got CC'd the other day and I had been doing so well.

I made some cookies with oats, which I usually seem to be ok with but it was a new pack and I think they must have been contaminated. I only had half a cookie but by the time I went to bed my heart was fit to burst out of my chest it was pounding so hard and over the next day or so I could feel it working its way through the system - my guts creaking and groaning like an old door.

My restless legs came back with a vengeance and were bouncing all over the place uncontrollably and I had such a case of the 'jitters' I was like a pig in a box! I didn't have a clue what to do so I just had to put up with it until it subsided. I didn't sleep a wink all that first night and was up at 4am emailing Terry Leahy at Tescos demanding more gluten-free food choice!

I so hope it doesn't happen again but I might try some of your ideas if it does. Anything not to have to go through that again - and they say I'm not Celiac???!!!! As far as I am concerned, anyone who shows any antibodies, however small, is Celiac. Anyone who displays an obvious reaction to gluten is Celiac, and I defy the 'experts' to prove otherwise!

katebuggie28 Apprentice
katebuggie28
Posted
I got CC'd the other day and I had been doing so well.

I made some cookies with oats, which I usually seem to be ok with but it was a new pack and I think they must have been contaminated. I only had half a cookie but by the time I went to bed my heart was fit to burst out of my chest it was pounding so hard and over the next day or so I could feel it working its way through the system - my guts creaking and groaning like an old door.

My restless legs came back with a vengeance and were bouncing all over the place uncontrollably and I had such a case of the 'jitters' I was like a pig in a box! I didn't have a clue what to do so I just had to put up with it until it subsided. I didn't sleep a wink all that first night and was up at 4am emailing Terry Leahy at Tescos demanding more gluten-free food choice!

I so hope it doesn't happen again but I might try some of your ideas if it does. Anything not to have to go through that again - and they say I'm not Celiac???!!!! As far as I am concerned, anyone who shows any antibodies, however small, is Celiac. Anyone who displays an obvious reaction to gluten is Celiac, and I defy the 'experts' to prove otherwise!

Celiac causes RLS? Really? I have had it my whole life, and it has gotten worse. wow. I had no idea.

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted
Celiac causes RLS? Really? I have had it my whole life, and it has gotten worse. wow. I had no idea.

It sure has for me!

So, is no one interested in taking those other more natural remedies I mentioned above? Honestly that is what worked the best for me though I have also taken some Pepto Bismol it wouldn't be (hasn't been) enough by itself.

The heavy duty (esp enterically coated if you can find it) acidophilus (which is part of what they are expermenting with I hear at Stanford as a cure for this CC stuff), bromelain/papain and pancreatic enzymes. I also have taken Glutenzyme with this to good effect.

It was/is the kitchen sink remedy to put it all together but it was much better than getting sick. I didn't have the bromelain/papain at the time so ate pineapple and papaya instead and had the pancreatin. Then went to the store and found this Glutenzyme--all of which I took a double dose given my fear of getting ill again.

Continuing with the fibronylitic enzymes (bromelain/papain with nattokinase or serrapeptidase on an empty stomach) seems to be really healing my villi--i.e., hugely speeding up the process.

By the way AliB--are you still taking the co-enzyme B's? Has that helped alleviate some of your nerve problems in general? i.e., the RLS and sleep difficulties etc.? I find it has improved my short term memory too.

Bea

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