Symptoms Of Celiac Disease

[Andrea3]

Hi All, I'm new here, this is my first post. I am hoping someone will tell me they can relate to my symptoms because I have felt very much alone in my pain and disomcfort.

Firstly I am 18 weeks pregnant and since 5 weeks have had nausea & sickness which I can blame on the pregnancy however I have been off work ill all this time due to other symptoms which I don't believe to be pregnancy related including bloated stomach (the upper part of my abdomen - above belly button) it also feels extremely full after eating the smallest amounts, with the sensation tightness as though someone were pulling a belt around my stomach, another sensation is that of a brick sitting in my stomach. I am extremely uncomfortable and the only way of relieving some of this is by laying down after eating. I feel sick after each meal and I have also sufferred with constipation which doesn't help with lower abdomen bloating (besides baby bump of course) and this has given me headaches and makes me feel slugish too. Another main symptom is extreme fatigue, not one for sleeping during the day I find it very easy to take afternoon naps which is very unlike me.

My GP arranged an upper abdomen scan which revealed nothing, he suggested a stomach ulcer or hiatus hernia but on seeing a gastroenterologist he ruled those suggestions out instead proposing Celiac Disease which I have over a week to wait for the blood tests to come back.

Interestingly for the past 2 days I have stuck to a gluten free diet and have found that the nausea after eating has gone, the tight stomach and brick sensation in stomach has gone and I feel a lot more comfy. Could this just be coincidence or do my symptoms sound like some relating to Celiac Disease. I had no knowledge of celiac disease until the gastoenterologist mentioned it to me just the other day and I started reading up on the internet about it. I am desperate for a diagnosis so that I can start looking after my health and stop worrying about the effects my ill health may be having on my unborn baby.

Many thanks for reading this and replies in advance.

[Wolicki]

It certainly sounds like you could be Celiac, or at least gluten intolerant. Sometimes even with Celiac the blood tests are negative. With gluten intolerance, the tests will always be negative. The true test, IMHO is positive dietary response.

So, even if your tests are negative, I would recommend sticking with the diet, since you feel better on it.

Be vigilant about even trace amounts of gluten and cross contamination. It can set you back and cause one to believe that gluten is really not the issue. It's in everything