Is It Celiac Disease? Please Help.

[Simbus23]

This might take me a minute to give you all the information but I don't want to skip over anything so bare(sp?) with me.

As a child I was violently ill all the time. Doctors told my parents I was allergic to just about everything under the sun; milk, wheat, corn, and the list went on. I don't however believe that any of these allergies were tested, it was simply assumed that since I couldn't tolerate these foods I was allergic. So a diet of soy everything it was for me.

As I got older I slowly incooperated these foods back into my diet and was doing alright, my symptoms weren't as severe or come on as swift.

I am now 27 and my symptoms have intensified and been going on for some years. I just assumed that I needed to cut back on the foods that I thought I was allergic to. So I cut out dairy, cut back on wheat and corn products, and I'm trying to drastically reduce sugars and fats (more for my general health then any other reason). However, I continue to have intense headaches, I feel bloated after I eat, when I don't have endless diarrhea I'm constipated, and my stomach seems to constantly hurt. No amount of Tums or Zantac seems to help. Also, I sleep 10+ hours a day and still have no energy. I also recently miscarried.

There are other reasons I believe I might possibly have Celiac disease. My grandmother has recently been told by a registered dietician she's Gluten sensitive and my mother has Multiple Sclerosis and has been told she has irritable bowel syndrome.

Now, I wonder am I jumping at shadows? Do I see a problem where it's likely I have just what they told me, allergies? Or do I have good enough reason to insist a doctor test me for Celiac disease?

Please help! Tired of living in pain.

Edit: forgot to mention, I have heart palpitations several times a week. I thought it might be coffee so I cut back on the amount of caffeine I consume and increased my general fluid intake, it hasn't seemed to help.

[The Fluffy Assassin]

As a child I was violently ill all the time. Doctors told my parents I was allergic to just about everything under the sun; milk, wheat, corn, and the list went on.

Edit: forgot to mention, I have heart palpitations several times a week. I thought it might be coffee so I cut back on the amount of caffeine I consume and increased my general fluid intake, it hasn't seemed to help.

If any of the doctors who saw you as a child are still practicing, you need to try to get a hold of your medical records and see whether or not they did allergy tests and what the results were. Doctors can be fairly clueless about celiac sprue, but don't usually just declare that you have allergies with no evidence. If you can't find records, your first move should be to see an allergist in order to rule out as many allergies as possible. (Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, not an allergy. The difference is that with an allergy, the body attacks the irritant and the response sometimes also hurts the body itself; with an autoimmune disorder, the body just attacks itself. Fun, huh?)

My ex-girlfriend had palpitations for years. She didn't take it too seriously, until it nearly killed her. Arrhythmia is pretty serious business and you should definitely get that checked.

You may well have celiac disease, and you may well benefit from a gluten free diet. But you need to check these other things first. (Note too that if you want or need a formal medical diagnosis of celiac disease, you have to keep eating gluten first for a blood test, then for a biopsy. Not giving medical advice here as I'm not remotely qualified, but this struck me as insane and I skipped any formal diagnosis and went straight to the gluten-free diet, never looking back. But if you want a formal diagnosis, that's what you have to do.)

Good luck, and welcome to the board.

[ang1e0251]

However, I continue to have intense headaches, I feel bloated after I eat, when I don't have endless diarrhea I'm constipated, and my stomach seems to constantly hurt. No amount of Tums or Zantac seems to help. Also, I sleep 10+ hours a day and still have no energy. I also recently miscarried.

These can all be symptoms of celiac disease.

There are other reasons I believe I might possibly have Celiac disease. My grandmother has recently been told by a registered dietician she's Gluten sensitive and my mother has Multiple Sclerosis and has been told she has irritable bowel syndrome.

There you go, a familial connection. This is a huge red flag.

Now, I wonder am I jumping at shadows? Do I see a problem where it's likely I have just what they told me, allergies? Or do I have good enough reason to insist a doctor test me for Celiac disease?

You are not jumping at shadows. You definately have enough to be tested, a family history and clear symptoms. But you must be actively eating gluten to be tested for celiac disease. Are you still eating any? If not, you'll have to go back on to be tested. If you are still eating enough, have the blood panel drawn immediately. If you have been gluten-free for a period of time, you will have to go back on for 2-3 months for the testing. If you feel you can't do that, discuss with your dr if you show a dietary response to a completely gluten-free diet, if he will diagnose you. You could also have genetic testing. That doesn't dx celiac disease but it could help your dr put a piece of the puzzle into place.

Edit: forgot to mention, I have heart palpitations several times a week. I thought it might be coffee so I cut back on the amount of caffeine I consume and increased my general fluid intake, it hasn't seemed to help.

That can be a result of very low magnesium but as has been pointed out, do not fool around with it. See your dr about this. Magnesium can be helpful with headaches also.

[Liveenjoylife]

Everything you describe sure sound like celiac disease. You need to have your self tested for it. Since your grandmother was diagnosed with it then chances are you have it as well. The only way to get celiac disease is if it runs in the family. Best of luck.