Does Anyone Throw Up With Celiac?

[Bri's mom]

My daughter has been diagnosed with celiac disease for 1 1/2 years and has been on a gluten free diet since day one. She of course gets glutened occasionally, but tries her darnest to eat gluten free. After talking to celiacs at our local celiac support group, I found out that no one there has a problem with throwing up and constipation. I was dumb founded! My daughter throws up several times a week and has to take laxatives everyday. IS THIS NORMAL? Please, I need everyone's advise!

[ptkds]

My oldest dd throws up when she is glutened. She gets really bad diarrhea, too. One of my other dd's is usually constipated, but has diarrhea when glutened.

Is your dd only having these symptoms when glutened, or is it all the time? If it is all the time, you shoucl look at other foods as the problem. If it is only after a glutening, then I would say it is normal for a Celiac.

[MELINE]

My daughter has been diagnosed with celiac disease for 1 1/2 years and has been on a gluten free diet since day one. She of course gets glutened occasionally, but tries her darnest to eat gluten free. After talking to celiacs at our local celiac support group, I found out that no one there has a problem with throwing up and constipation. I was dumb founded! My daughter throws up several times a week and has to take laxatives everyday. IS THIS NORMAL? Please, I need everyone's advise!

I've been gluten free for 8 months. When I get glutened I have the worse nausea. I don't throw up, but I wish I would. Nausea and vomiting are very often when glutened but I dont' know about constipation.

[Live2BWell]

Hi There! I am not yet diagnosed Celiac, but I can say for a fact that I have experienced severe nausea, and have also thrown up several times after eating foods high in gluten. I have also dealt with the diarrhea and constipation that fluctuates in severity. I do not know all that much yet about Gluten Intolerance/Sensitivity/Celiac, but from what I have gathered, the symptoms can manifest in different ways.

[kbtoyssni]

I used to throw up. I haven't recently, though. Everyone's symptoms are so different that I'm not surprised that the small group of celiacs you talked to didn't have the same symptoms as your daughter.

[dbmamaz]

My neighbor's daugher wasnt dx'd for a long time, becuase the pediatricain kept saying, but celiac doesnt cause vomitting. She finally got a positive blood test and was told she couldnt get the biopsy for 3 weeks . .. and then that weekend, she had to take her daughter to the ER for dehydration AGAIN . . .and insisted she wouldnt leave the hospital until her daughter had the biopsy! She is doing very well now on a gluten-free diet.

I agree, tho, if your daughter still needs a stool softener every day, you mgiht want to reexamine other foods - i'd start with dairy, some people have trouble with soy.

[home-based-mom]

My daughter has been diagnosed with celiac disease for 1 1/2 years and has been on a gluten free diet since day one. She of course gets glutened occasionally, but tries her darnest to eat gluten free. After talking to celiacs at our local celiac support group, I found out that no one there has a problem with throwing up and constipation. I was dumb founded! My daughter throws up several times a week and has to take laxatives everyday. IS THIS NORMAL? Please, I need everyone's advise!

I'm thinking that if your daughter is throwing up "several times a week and has to take laxatives everyday" then she is either not as gluten free as she is trying to be, or there are other food issues involved. Either way I suggest a very precise and detailed food diary to see if you can pin point the problem because this is definitely NOT healthy! How old is your daughter? I hope she feels better soon!

[frec]

I threw up and had diarrhea the last time I was glutened, but I only get glutened about twice a year. I, too, am concerned that your daughter is throwing up so often. I had trouble with constipation when I was first diagnosed because I ate so much rice and stopped all the wheat cereals I'd been eating; I still have to be careful to eat enough fiber--usually legumes and some fruits and vegetables take care of things. I'm no expert but I'm not sure daily laxatives are a good idea.

[kbtoyssni]

Oh, woah, I totally missed the part about her being gluten-free for 1-1/2 years already! Those are not normal symptoms for people on a gluten-free diet! I'd say she's either not completely gluten-free (have you checked pet food, personal care products, CC at home, "risky" foods like Cheetos/Doritos, going out to eat a lot, etc?) or she's got other food intolerances like casein (protein in dairy) or soy. Peanuts used to make me throw up, too.

I'd also be VERY concerned about the daily laxative use. You do that for too long and eventually your body "forgets" how to go on its own. She may already be at that point which is why she still has to take them everyday. I'd talk to her doctor about the best way to wean her off of them.

How old is your daughter?

[kbtoyssni]

Also, how was she diagnosed? If it's a self-diagnosis, it could be that she's got some other issue causing gluten intolerance like Lyme disease.

Is she around chemicals or people wearing perfume or places with new carpeting? Chemicals used to make me throw up all the time. They don't have to be strong chemicals, either. The place that made me most sick was my lab in grad school, and there was just a slight not-quite-right smell about it.

[WW340]

Vomiting was one of my major symptoms prior to diagnosis. I have only had it once since going gluten free 1 1/2 ago. That was immediately after coming home from eating out. I feel sure it must have been a glutening from cross contamination. I rarely eat out.

It would not be normal for your daughter to be vomiting 2 - 3 times a week while strickly following a gluten free diet. You need evaluate her diet and see where she may be getting contaminated, or out right eating gluten.

If you feel pretty certain that diet is not a problem, she needs to see her doctor. Something is not right. Perhaps another intolerance has shown up like dairy, soy or corn intolerance. I would think her stools should be normalizing as well. It certainly is not healthy to use laxatives on a regular basis.

I hope you can find the source of this soon. Regular vomiting can have some serious health risks in itself. Stomach acid can eat the enamel off her teeth and erode the esophagus.

[amylouise]

i when i eat gluten my oesophagus swells up so i can't swallow - i then have to throw up the food thats been stuck in my oesophagus - it's not nice and it really hurts and i end up having panic attacks because i can't beathe. but yeah i have that problem - it may not be the same because you sound like your properly throwing up the contents of your stomach...whereas for me its just the contents of food which is stuck in my oesophagus. xxxxxx

[AMQmom]

When my 3-1/2 year old daughter gets gluttened, she has projectile vomit (she throws up with a lot of force) and she is constipated. In fact, she tries to hold the poop in since it is so hard and hurts her to come out. She refuses to eat again until she feels better. My other daughter gets very grumpy and has diarrhea when she is gluttened. Have you considered your child's vitamins? Your child's shampoo and toiletries? Your lipstick and makeup if you kiss her? After I changed lipsticks, we had a lot less issues (but my children are very oral and put everything in their mouths - yours may not be this way!) As far as I understand, celiacs feel fine if not glutened!

[ericajones80]

I throw up when I'm glutened...it stinks!

[Jaimepsalm63]

I'll just add my two cents because I had the same issue and went to my GI doc with it. After showing him my food diary and everything I use for topical products I went for more testing.

I was then diagnosed with Gastroparesis because I was throwing up so often and had constipation.

Does she get full easily or feel like there is something stuck in her throat? Those are the other two indicators I had at least. This was just my experience though.

With the Celiac I just get the diarrhea and nausea if I'm glutenated.

My prayers are with your daughter. I hope this gets figured out soon. Excessive laxative use can make matter worse for that end to wear she'll need them more and more. Please go to the doc.

[kenlove]

I threw up every morning for 6 months prior to diagnoses. Since she is being gluten-free it could be a sign of another allergy or getting some minute of gluten from a strange or unknown source.

Good luck figuring it out.

My daughter has been diagnosed with celiac disease for 1 1/2 years and has been on a gluten free diet since day one. She of course gets glutened occasionally, but tries her darnest to eat gluten free. After talking to celiacs at our local celiac support group, I found out that no one there has a problem with throwing up and constipation. I was dumb founded! My daughter throws up several times a week and has to take laxatives everyday. IS THIS NORMAL? Please, I need everyone's advise!

[JulesNZN]

I used to throw up. I haven't recently, though. Everyone's symptoms are so different that I'm not surprised that the small group of celiacs you talked to didn't have the same symptoms as your daughter.

I have had Celiac's since I was 6 years old. I have always vomited and still do. It is more severe when I have been religiously gluten free, often eating a 2 crackers with gluten will stop it, it is the increased acid in the stomach according to my GI specialist and he is trying to reduce it through medication. I am sorry to say it won't get better but may get worse the longer she is totally gluten free.

[kbtoyssni]

I have had Celiac's since I was 6 years old. I have always vomited and still do. It is more severe when I have been religiously gluten free, often eating a 2 crackers with gluten will stop it, it is the increased acid in the stomach according to my GI specialist and he is trying to reduce it through medication. I am sorry to say it won't get better but may get worse the longer she is totally gluten free.

So is your doctor saying that gluten is basic and thus increases the Ph of the stomach? I don't really understand this. And why would other grains not have the same effect?

This reminds me of my months 9-15 of being gluten-free. I started feeling sick again and occasionally throwing up. I eventually cut out peanuts which helped, and the rest of my nausea went away on its own. Something changed, but I don't know what. I'm guessing there was CC somewhere that I didn't realize? It could be that I was still healing, but that seems unlikely since I felt fine up until that point.

[jewlesD]

I threw up ALOT, and had constipation as well...it seems so many people have such a wide range of symptoms, that nothing would seem out of the ordinary. Sometimes I would get real sick after eating dairy products... I have heard many celiac's have lactose intolerance too. hope you can figure it out. Throwing up is awful I know.

Julie

[Bri's mom]

Also, how was she diagnosed? If it's a self-diagnosis, it could be that she's got some other issue causing gluten intolerance like Lyme disease.

Is she around chemicals or people wearing perfume or places with new carpeting? Chemicals used to make me throw up all the time. They don't have to be strong chemicals, either. The place that made me most sick was my lab in grad school, and there was just a slight not-quite-right smell about it.

Thank you so much for your advise. My daughter was diagnosed through biopsey. She is a full time accounting student and she is not around any chemicals. She has not been tested for lactose intolerance. I hope her GI will test her for this and hopefully we will find out if it is the lactose intolerance that is causing all the throwing up.

[Bri's mom]

I threw up ALOT, and had constipation as well...it seems so many people have such a wide range of symptoms, that nothing would seem out of the ordinary. Sometimes I would get real sick after eating dairy products... I have heard many celiac's have lactose intolerance too. hope you can figure it out. Throwing up is awful I know.

Julie

Thank you so much for writing back. Just knowing others experience these same symptoms, somehow makes it seem better. She has not seen her GI in a few months and the throwing up has gotten much worse since her last visit, I hope he will set up the lactose intolerance test.

[Bri's mom]

I threw up every morning for 6 months prior to diagnoses. Since she is being gluten-free it could be a sign of another allergy or getting some minute of gluten from a strange or unknown source.

Good luck figuring it out.

Thanks.

[Bri's mom]

I have had Celiac's since I was 6 years old. I have always vomited and still do. It is more severe when I have been religiously gluten free, often eating a 2 crackers with gluten will stop it, it is the increased acid in the stomach according to my GI specialist and he is trying to reduce it through medication. I am sorry to say it won't get better but may get worse the longer she is totally gluten free.

Thank you Jules. It sounds like you have a very difficult life. I sure didn't know that being totally gluten-free would make you prone to throw up. When you eat crackers with gluten, how does that help? Does the gluten not make you sicker? I always ate crackers for morning sickness, but I didn't have celiac disease.

[Bri's mom]

My oldest dd throws up when she is glutened. She gets really bad diarrhea, too. One of my other dd's is usually constipated, but has diarrhea when glutened.

Is your dd only having these symptoms when glutened, or is it all the time? If it is all the time, you shoucl look at other foods as the problem. If it is only after a glutening, then I would say it is normal for a Celiac.

No, it's not just when she is glutened. There are times when she eats meals with me and I know that my meals are totally gluten-free and she still throws up. Hopefully her GI will test her for lactose intolerance. You must have your hands full with your two daughters and yourself being celiacs. Having celiac has been a very humbling experience for my family! I admire you so!

[Bri's mom]

My neighbor's daugher wasnt dx'd for a long time, becuase the pediatricain kept saying, but celiac doesnt cause vomitting. She finally got a positive blood test and was told she couldnt get the biopsy for 3 weeks . .. and then that weekend, she had to take her daughter to the ER for dehydration AGAIN . . .and insisted she wouldnt leave the hospital until her daughter had the biopsy! She is doing very well now on a gluten-free diet.

I agree, tho, if your daughter still needs a stool softener every day, you mgiht want to reexamine other foods - i'd start with dairy, some people have trouble with soy.

THANKS FOR YOUR ADVISE.