Help!

[Squeak1209]

Hello, I am new to the gluten free diet. I am having problems with everything and am not even sure where to start, or if it is even celiac disease! I am a 25 year old female and have had stomach problems all my life. When I was in elementary school I would get sick at least 3 times a week, sick as in wake-up-in-the-middle-of-night-and-vomit-all-over-sick. It always seemed to happen when I ate hamburg with gravy and noodles, or hamburg with spagetti and noodles, or chinese food, or mcdonalds, or pizza. I also had terrible pains in my stomach, so my mother took me to the docotr, something was obviously wrong. The dr. said it was stress, so we went home and i stopped eating red meats, and any fatty foods of any kind, including pizza. That seemed to work, or at least it curbed my vomiting, but i continued to have horrible gas pains and other various stomach problems, which is pretty embarrassing for a 14 year old girl in high school.... I would randomly get sick from eating foods, not knowing why i was throwing up and having diarhhea all at the same time. It didn't happen as often as when I was in elementary school, but still happened often enough to bother me. I recently ate a cheese pizza that 10 other people ate, and I am the only one who got sick off of it. No red meats, nothing but cheese!!!! I woke up in the middle of the night, violently ill (i had to crawl back to bed i was so weak), and was sick for days after. I have lost 4 pounds in the last three months becaue every day I wake up and am so nauseous. I love beer, but can't drink it because it makes me feel sick instantly (more and more so lately, I can't even have a sip anymore) I eat all the time, about every 2 hours, but still lost weight somehow. My typical diet everyday was: a bowl of mini wheats or bran flakes around 8, half a sandwich bag of animal crackers around 10, ramen noodles or a wheat sandwich or soup of some sort for lunch and then spaghetti (wheat enriched) or mac n cheese or terryaki chicken for dinner. I was constantly constipated so I would eat as much fiber as I could get, and eat lots and lots of veggies. I've already tried to cut out dairy, but it hasn't helped. Also, I can eat a bowl of ice cream and basically feel fine. I would also take a "one a day" multivitamin for women because i thought that my feeling sick everyday might be a lack of vitamins, but it didn't help. My sister-in-law has MS and now thinks she may have celiac disease and when I was talking to her, her symptoms seemed to be similar to mine. Also, about 10 years ago I was diagnosed with IBS (which i believe is just a cure-all for dr.'s) So I have been trying to be as healthy as possible. The only time I don't feel sick is when I eat lean chicken with veggies. About a week ago I started to go on a gluten free diet and I feel fantastic. I also cut out my vitamins. No one I know has celiac, and my "friends" all think it's in my head. I don't know what to do anymore and I feel sick everyday, please help me!

[ciavyn]

It sounds like you found your answer. If you feel better eating meats and veggies, try that for a while and see how you feel. You also may want to consider seeking a different doctor, or perhaps someone with a more holistic bent.

[Ahorsesoul]

Welcome to the "it is not all in our heads" group who eat gluten free and feel so much better.

[jny1179]

If you're concerned about getting a real diagnosis, then I definitely suggest finding a good doctor that knows about celiac so that you can be properly tested. If not, and you just are ok with going gluten free then by all means. But I highly recommend getting tested, it makes it a lot easier to stick to the diet when you have an actual diagnosis, trust me! Not knowing for sure can lead to a lot of "well... I don't even really know if I have Celiac, so this one slip won't hurt" situations. But do note that if you are going to get tested, you might want to continue eating gluten up until then, as going gluten free for too long before testing can produce a false negative.

The fact that your sister has MS means their is autoimmunity in the family and if she suspects Celiac too, then you both should most definitely get tested. I hope you find your answers and feel better soon!!!!!

[Squeak1209]

If you're concerned about getting a real diagnosis, then I definitely suggest finding a good doctor that knows about celiac so that you can be properly tested. If not, and you just are ok with going gluten free then by all means. But I highly recommend getting tested, it makes it a lot easier to stick to the diet when you have an actual diagnosis, trust me! Not knowing for sure can lead to a lot of "well... I don't even really know if I have Celiac, so this one slip won't hurt" situations. But do note that if you are going to get tested, you might want to continue eating gluten up until then, as going gluten free for too long before testing can produce a false negative.

The fact that your sister has MS means their is autoimmunity in the family and if she suspects Celiac too, then you both should most definitely get tested. I hope you find your answers and feel better soon!!!!!

I went to my regular doctor a week and a half ago and asked for the blood test, I loaded up on pasta and gluten foods just for the occassion (and felt terrible after). After the blood test I felt so sick I couldn't take it anymore, so I stopped eating gluten (as of yet i don't have the results). I have even made gluten free cookies and my whole family loved them! The only thing I am worried about is exactly what you said, not knowing and just this one time won't hurt.....which is a problem. I have been mostly gluten free, but have had terryaki chicken and i know soy sauce has gluten in it (but i love terryaki!!!!). I'm not sure I will ever know if it is celiac, and if it isn't, I am wondering if i can still have gluten once in awhile (as long as i can deal with the aftermath)?

[ravenwoodglass]

I went to my regular doctor a week and a half ago and asked for the blood test, I loaded up on pasta and gluten foods just for the occassion (and felt terrible after). After the blood test I felt so sick I couldn't take it anymore, so I stopped eating gluten (as of yet i don't have the results). I have even made gluten free cookies and my whole family loved them! The only thing I am worried about is exactly what you said, not knowing and just this one time won't hurt.....which is a problem. I have been mostly gluten free, but have had terryaki chicken and i know soy sauce has gluten in it (but i love terryaki!!!!). I'm not sure I will ever know if it is celiac, and if it isn't, I am wondering if i can still have gluten once in awhile (as long as i can deal with the aftermath)?

You do sound like you could be one of us. Do not stop eating gluten until all testing you choose to do is done. If the blood tests come back postive the doctor may want you to have an endo. If you Choose to have an endo done you need to be eating a regular gluten diet. Both blood and endo have false negatives so do give the diet a good strict try after testing. If your body is reacting to gluten, if there is 'aftermath' to consumption, your body is telling you to stay away from it no matter what the test results say.