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

What Is Wrong With Me?


mikehall117

Recommended Posts

mikehall117 Rookie

Hi. I am new here and would like to share my concerns about my health with you in the hope that someone might be able to give me some advice. I am almost certain I have some form of problem related to gluten and have had for a very long time. I had the blood tests a couple of years ago but they came back negative. I have been trying to identify if I am merely intolerant or have celiac disease and would like to know what people make of my symptoms. I am going to be quite thorough so I apologise for the huge amount of text!

I am male and 33 years old. I first realised that there may be a problem when I did the Atkins diet a few years ago (2003). For years I had been plagued with a wide range of health problem which all cleared up when I started dieting! Weight gain was one issue however the real problem ones have been:

Migraine


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



gfb1 Rookie

this brings up an interesting point... if you are drinking beer, you are NOT gluten-free!!

budweiser makes a beer called Redbridge -- made entirely from sorghum.

Open Original Shared Link

it's not bad (much better than rice beers, imho) and my brother-in-law's are eternally grateful to anheuser/busch...

elonwy Enthusiast

Except for the mouth Ulcers, you're pretty much word for word my symptoms before gluten free. If you get a *good* GI, then they should listen to the results of diet challenge, not just dismiss diagnosis with the results of one blood test.

That being said, I don't know that two weeks is long enough for a true challenge. I felt better almost immediately after going gluten free, but it took longer than two weeks to ferret out the hidden gluten and get to 100% gluten free, at which point the weirder side effects like migraines and insomnia started to get better. Not what you want to hear, I know. But to me it definitely sounds like you've got issues with gluten, Celiac or no. It may seem like a huge PITA to give up all things gluten-y, but feeling good more than makes up for it, IMHO.

mikehall117 Rookie

Hi. Thanks for the replies. So how long do you think I should go gluten-free before I can start to see the long-term benefits such as reduced fatigue, migraines etc? I was planning on two weeks but if it takes 6 months I'll gladly do it as I really want to put and end to this. It has made me miserable for too long.

After I have abstained from gluten would I need to introduce gluten rich foods for a while and record the effects? I am keeping a diet diary and recording all my symptoms on a scale of 1-10 each day to try and monitor how things improve. I want to make sure I have indisputable evidence that I am gluten intolerant before I go back to my doctor as I need to be able to challenge the negative blood test result.

Rebecca's mom Rookie

If you don't want to do a gluten challenge, then you may be able to ask your doctor to run a genetic test. I don't know what this test is "called" at other labs, but Quest Diagnostics calls it "HLA Typing for Celiac Disease". Since this tests to see if you carry the GENETIC marker for Celiac Disease, you don't have to have gluten in your system.

Given everything that you have described, I would be VERY surprised if you DON'T test positive for celiac disease! Incidentally, some people test negative on the antibody test, yet still have an "active" case of celiac disease. I happened to have Dermatitis Herpetiformis, but because it didn't constantly itch, my dermatologist didn't think I had it. I just found out last week that I carry one of the genes for celiac disease - I've been on a gluten-free diet since last April, though, because our daughter was diagnosed with it.

The best part has been losing 38 pounds without even trying (well, that and feeling SO much better!).......

Teresa Koch

CeliBelli Newbie

I agree, I will be stunned if you are not diagnosed with celiac disease. My story is also very similar to yours. The bad news is you will need to keep eating gluten until you can get tested again. I highly recommend you do this, as you will want an official medical diagnosis in hand if you can get one. You may need this dealing with doctors and hospitals in the future, as they will not give credibility to someone who self-diagnoses.

There are new anti-body tests on the market now, as well as the new genetics tests, which have higher levels of reliability and accuracy than what you likely had a few years ago. I had the full battery of tests, and tested negative on the older style tests, but quite positive on the newer tests and the genetics. You will also want to have the endoscopy done by a good gastroenterologist with experience treating celiac patients.

You need to keep eating (and drinking) gluten until all of these tests are complete so they test you in a full blown reaction, since your antibody level will begin to drop rapidly once you go completely off gluten. Don't put any of this off. The sooner you get fully tested, the sooner you can begin to get well.

Good luck!

mikehall117 Rookie

It's so reassuring to read your responses! This is the first time anyone has considered all of my symptoms and it's nice to know I am not alone. I have booked myself in to see a doctor next week. I have decided that am going to stick to a gluten free diet for a week or two more and keep track of my symptoms. Hopefully I will see everything clear up. Even after just 48 hours I am feeling so much better and have a huge energy boost today! Once I have spoken to the doc I may need to switch to a gluten diet again. The UK Coeliac Charity recommended that I eat a minimum of 4 slices of bread per day for 6 weeks prior to any blood tests so if the doctor agrees this is what I will do.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



prayin4achange Newbie

Wow I also have a lot of the same symtoms, but no doctor will listen to me either about celiac. I think I will just beg someone to help me order the genetic test and see how that goes. I really hope u figure this all out. Please update us on everything. We are all behind u and want to support you through this time. Ive realized only people who have been through similar problems really understand.

May God bless you!

jenn

mikehall117 Rookie

Hi Jenn. Thanks for the positive message.

I found that by writing everything down and analysing all of my symptoms I have been able to get a great deal of evidence together to present to my doctor. It's the first time I have done an exercise like this and now I can see it in black and white it all seems so very obvious. I don't know how it will be received, however I know that there is no way I can realistically articulate everything on my list in the 10 minutes I will have in the surgery. Therefore I am mailing everything I have written to my doctor today so that hopefully they will have read through it in advance and will have a clear picture of my situation. I am also seeing a doctor I have never seen before in the hope that they will offer a fresh perspective.

I know what you mean about others not understanding. I have tried to talk to my wife about this and she hasn't been very receptive of the idea. I don't think she really understands just what I have been through and how all of my symptoms are unquestionably linked to my diet. It must be quite difficult for someone to understand without fully comprehending the biology behind it. It's also difficult to link concepts such as tiredness and depression with things such as a skin rash and headaches when they appear to be so different from each other.

My appointment is next Tuesday so I will let you know what happens.

Best wishes, Mike.

mikehall117 Rookie

I just thought I

OptimisticMom42 Apprentice

Hello,

I just wanted to note that I have seen several posts on the net by people like you and I who went on the atkins diet and then were unable to go back to eating their old favorites. Have you seen an allergist? You may have intolerances beyond gluten. For many dairy, soy and nearly all grains are not tolerated well.

Best wishes,

OptimisticMom42

TES Newbie
Hi. I am new here and would like to share my concerns about my health with you in the hope that someone might be able to give me some advice. I am almost certain I have some form of problem related to gluten and have had for a very long time. I had the blood tests a couple of years ago but they came back negative. I have been trying to identify if I am merely intolerant or have celiac disease and would like to know what people make of my symptoms. I am going to be quite thorough so I apologise for the huge amount of text!

I am male and 33 years old. I first realised that there may be a problem when I did the Atkins diet a few years ago (2003). For years I had been plagued with a wide range of health problem which all cleared up when I started dieting! Weight gain was one issue however the real problem ones have been:

Migraine

mikehall117 Rookie

Hi OptimisticMum42. Thanks for the advice. A few weeks ago I undertook the Atkins diet again; however I continued to have dairy products. I certainly didn't notice any ill effects. I am still consuming dairy and other produce at present and I have reintroduced all other food groups and am now only eliminating Gluten. With the exception of a couple of mistakes 10 days ago (which made me quite ill) I have been Gluten free for almost 7 weeks now and I am feeling very well indeed. I will continue to monitor myself for any ill effects and hopefully my diet diary will help me identify where I may have problems. I am getting medical advice next week so I should be able to get a plan of action to help me identify what has been giving me all these problems.

OptimisticMom42 Apprentice

Hello again,

Glad to hear that you are feeling better. Sounds like you are using a combination of the atkins diet and the elimination diet to figure it all out. That was the advice my dr. gave me even after the allergy test so you've probably saved yourself some time and money. However, I would still try to find a Dr. who is willing to look at your notes and offer testing and diagnosis. It's good that you know what's best for you (here I have to deviate from optimism and suggest caution) but if ever you were unable to speak for yourself your medical records need to speak for you. Having worked in a state run facility I know how important this is.

Best wishes,

OptimisticMom42

Archived

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

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

    2. - Wheatwacked replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      8

      Related issues

    3. - NanceK replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

    4. - Wheatwacked replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      4

      Feel like I’m starting over

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Kirita's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Recovery from gluten challenge


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,289
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    SarahZ
    Newest Member
    SarahZ
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
    • Scott Adams
      Hopefully the food she eats away from home, especially at school, is 100% gluten-free. If you haven't checked in with the school directly about this, it might be worth a planned visit with their staff to make sure her food is safe.
×
×
  • 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.