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

Sharp, Stabbing Upper Abdominal Pain With Gluten Exposure?

Caitlin9267

Recommended Posts

Caitlin9267 Newbie
Caitlin9267
Posted

I am a newly (3 months) diagnosed celiac and have been vigilant at eliminating gluten from my diet. Since I have been gluten-free, I have had four episodes of sharp, stabbing pain in my upper abdomen that disappears after several hours. I contacted my (disinterested) GI doctor who insisted that it was unrelated to accidental gluten exposure and subsequently ordered an ultrasound of my gall bladder...whiich was negative. Has anyone experience this type of pain as a result of gluten exposure?? Thansk!!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Pain in Amanda Newbie
Pain in Amanda
Posted

I have severe pain at the bottom of my ribs is this "upper abdominal'?

Caitlin9267 Newbie
Caitlin9267
Posted
  • Author
I have severe pain at the bottom of my ribs is this "upper abdominal'?

Thanks for your reply...the pain that I experience is just below my sterum and centered just below my ribs. Is this similar?

plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted

My pain is on the left side, just under the ribcage. I don't see why it couldn't be in the center, under the sternum. As I understand it, people feel the pain in different parts of their abdomen. And yes, it is pain triggered by gluten. If you have only been glutenfree for a few months, you might feel the pain for up to another year as your body heals itself.

georgie Enthusiast
georgie
Posted

I have just had an attack of this last night. For me ...it is gall bladder. Whenever you change your diet there is the risk of eating more fat. Last week I tried a new type of gluten-free crisps....they tasted really nice but by that evening I felt a bit off colour .. 3 days later I have a gall bladder attack. Before being gluten-free - I would never eat crisps as I knew they were too fatty for me.. duh ..

I had ultrasounds for 17 years that were always negative.. My mystery pains were a real mystery ..until a new Dr and a new radiographer and the gall bladder 'sludge' was found. Gall Bladder sludge doesn't often show up on an ultrasound and is often just found during surgery. But the effects of the sludge is the same as stones - worse even.

Try sipping lemon juice every morning before breakfast and see if that helps. So far I have avoided surgery by using lemon juice type cures.

Granny Garbonzo Apprentice
Granny Garbonzo
Posted
I am a newly (3 months) diagnosed celiac and have been vigilant at eliminating gluten from my diet. Since I have been gluten-free, I have had four episodes of sharp, stabbing pain in my upper abdomen that disappears after several hours. I contacted my (disinterested) GI doctor who insisted that it was unrelated to accidental gluten exposure and subsequently ordered an ultrasound of my gall bladder...whiich was negative. Has anyone experience this type of pain as a result of gluten exposure?? Thansk!!
Granny Garbonzo Apprentice
Granny Garbonzo
Posted

I wrote a reply but don't know what happened to it. It was long and complex.

Anyway. I have had this same problem for 20 years only just a few times. Back in 1989 the doc wanted to remove my gall bladder and I did not, still have it today and it is fine. The problem is with the large bowel, which has a section that goes across the top of your abdomen under the rib cage. It swells and becomes irritated and inflamed in that area because that is the most sluggish area of the bowel. If it gets really bad, the swelling and inflamation will form an obstruction of sorts and you will vomit and have loose bowel movements as your body exits everything from below and above the obstruction.

What I find helpful is to take an anti-inflamatory such as ibuprofen, and drink only water with a tiny bit of soda in it, sipping this as much as you can. No food or drink for quite a while as this seems to further irritate the bowel. Remember, if this one section is irritated, the whole digestive system is irritated too.

Take care

granny

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Granny Garbonzo Apprentice
Granny Garbonzo
Posted
I have just had an attack of this last night. For me ...it is gall bladder. Whenever you change your diet there is the risk of eating more fat. Last week I tried a new type of gluten-free crisps....they tasted really nice but by that evening I felt a bit off colour .. 3 days later I have a gall bladder attack. Before being gluten-free - I would never eat crisps as I knew they were too fatty for me.. duh ..

I had ultrasounds for 17 years that were always negative.. My mystery pains were a real mystery ..until a new Dr and a new radiographer and the gall bladder 'sludge' was found. Gall Bladder sludge doesn't often show up on an ultrasound and is often just found during surgery. But the effects of the sludge is the same as stones - worse even.

Try sipping lemon juice every morning before breakfast and see if that helps. So far I have avoided surgery by using lemon juice type cures.

If this really is gall bladder, add your lemon juice to a couple of tablespoons of oil (expeller pressed is best) this will result in a gall bladder flush. Repeat a couple of times each day for a week or so.

Pain in Amanda Newbie
Pain in Amanda
Posted

As Dessa said it affects everyone differenlty, but it sound like we are only inches away from our pain. Try the stretches she suggested but go very slowly at first. I am actually to scared to try until I find out which way she stretches.

Good luck to you and I wish you the best.

Amanda

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
If this really is gall bladder, add your lemon juice to a couple of tablespoons of oil (expeller pressed is best) this will result in a gall bladder flush. Repeat a couple of times each day for a week or so.

Do be very cautious if you decide to try this. If you have stones this 'flush' can have dangerous results. The flush will cause the gallbladder to contract forcefully and there is a risk of rupturing the tubes if you have stones. Do a through research on the flushes and their risks before trying.

Hummingbird4 Explorer
Hummingbird4
Posted

It was this exact type of pain that caused me to go see a GI and get an endoscopy. The result was a diagnosis of Celiac Disease. So I'd say yes, they could absolutely be related.

  • 4 years later...
gingerthing Newbie
gingerthing
Posted

I really had to respond to this post. YES. I GET SHARP STABBING PAIN LIKE THAT ALL OVER MY ABDOMEN, scarey pain from gluten. Gluten terrifies me ust thinking of ingesting it and going through that pain one more time! I hope that helps!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I see you are new to the board. Welcome. :) Do be sure to check the dates of the last posts on threads you are posting in, as some of them are quite old. The person you just replied to has not posted on the board in almost 18 months so will probably not see your post :(

steermom Newbie
steermom
Posted

I am a newly (3 months) diagnosed celiac and have been vigilant at eliminating gluten from my diet. Since I have been gluten-free, I have had four episodes of sharp, stabbing pain in my upper abdomen that disappears after several hours. I contacted my (disinterested) GI doctor who insisted that it was unrelated to accidental gluten exposure and subsequently ordered an ultrasound of my gall bladder...whiich was negative. Has anyone experience this type of pain as a result of gluten exposure?? Thansk!!

I, too,am newly diagnosed and the sharp stabbing pain was what initially what made me go to the doctor. I've had symptoms for years and been told by a doctor to stop drinking diet soda (lol) to getting a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (without testing).

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.