What Did Your First Symptoms Feel Like?

[RelentlessX]

I've been searching around and noticed not too many have had the symptoms that I had with mine. I'm wondering maybe someone here had similar ones.

The first couple of times it happened it was severe stomach pain. Not around the bellybutton, but exactly where your stomach is located. It felt as though it were going to burst. I couldnt lie down or even sit without pain, and doing so made it worse. It seemed during this pain my back area would start hurting as well, but this could be related to how I had to sit. There was a time though when my back started hurting I knew the severe stomach pain would start up less than an hour later. Along with this I seemed to (sorry for being graphic) vomit every time I got this pain. The pain would go on for 6 hours (longer about 4 or 5 times after the first occurrence), and I would only vomit about the last hour or so. Also after doing so, if I were able to lie down with minimal pain, it made it go away quicker. During these times I dropped 35-40 lbs. This was only in about two or three months time. After the intense 6 - 12 hour pain session I felt really bad for about a week. Eating anything just upset my stomach. It's not the severe pain, but just a general feeling of yuckiness. Now when I eat anything that could have gluten in it (just small amounts without my knowing) I just feel achy all over.

I know this was quite long, but I am not only new to this site, I am new to celiac and it really scared me the first couple of times it happened. So any advice or help would really be appreciated. It's a nice feeling knowing you arent the only one sometimes. =]

Please share your stories as well. I am really interested in knowing. =)

Thanks!

[prisskitty]

For the past 2 1/2 years I have had severe stomach pain that has put me in the hospital. I found out I had a hernia and I gave up and considered that to be the only problem. But, nothing has improved, nothing did improve on medications either. I could take 80-100 MG of omeprazole, nexium, or kapidex and not get any results.

I am constantly hungry. I mean ALWAYS hungry even when my stomach is beyond full. Then, when my stomach is full with (gluten) I get severely sick, my breathing increases, and later on my stomach hurts.

I didn't even consider gluten until I met my friend Christina. She was met in college where she has celiac disease and the genetic marker. I am a 'giver'. I love to give gifts. I would always have food and I felt horrid coming in there with a sandwich or salad with croutons. So, I would always bring her Peeps or Peanut Chews.

I talked to her about the whole gluten-free diet and what the symptoms were. I researched it a bit but since I'm so overweight I dismissed it and moved on.

Then, she showed me a picture of her back when she was eating gluten before they diagnosed her. She was like 260+lbs. It made me rethink it. I have acid reflux every single night (I did until I started eaten gluten free. I went gluten free and within a week I only had mild reflux after tomatoes or extreme acidic foods.)

Something that happened to me that no doctor has ever, EVER been able to point the problem out.

I was clubbing with family and we stopped at a bar. I got a cheap ol' beer, huge one, about 34 oz. I drank it very fast, it did make me a little drunk but not majorly. We werent driving for another 6 hours so I didn't really care about that. Then, we were walking outside in the heat and I hadn't eaten. I'd only drank the beer. So we went and got something to eat. I know it contained gluten, just not sure what it was since it's been a year.

We didn't ever go clubbing because the club we wanted to go to was without AC. Of any sort. No fans, nothing.

So we went home. I went to bed. Within 20 minutes of lying down my entire body went into shock and I had major chills. I was sweating, I was sick to my stomach but not throwing up, and I went almost completely anemic. They called the rescue squad but they had no idea what was wrong with me. You couldn't touch my body! Every single fiber of anything felt like knives. I've looked over and over and over again for reactions to beer like this and can't find anybody else. This happened exactly 13 months ago.

I didnt go with the squad and I just ignored it because it went away in 10 more minutes. It was so intense though I thought I was dieing.

So, four months later, I had a couple of beers with co-workers at a party and didn't have a reaction. I was like, well this is cool, I can drink beer. But, I had 90% wine that night.

Then, sometime a couple of months ago during New Years I had a few more beers. I had the same chills but they were extremely intense. I had them again while I was on an antibiotic too. And, then, I was prescribed hydracodone. Immediately reacted to it by throwing up.

All these items are gluten-containing.

[sb2178]

You might want to actually head off to the hospital or check in with your doctor about that-- it sounds a little like it might be pancreatitis (not uncommon among celiacs). If it's acute, I think they can treat it and you might be able to avoid developing it as a chronic problem.

Also, I've found that "digestive enzymes" help a lot with general stomach pain after eating as well as with absorption. Enzymatic makes these Digest Gold ones that are amazing but wicked expensive. Whole Foods carries a few different brands.