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

Hate Looking 'pregnant'

S<3

By S<3
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

S<3 Rookie
S<3
Posted

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, And have been ALMOST gluten free for over a month. I recently had a sandwich though and my stomach is now huge and hard! I was even asked when I was due. Has this happened to anyone else? On top of that I have been in the worst pain of my life.. I have constant cramps and lots of pressure on the bottom area of my stomach. Is this normal? Has it happened to anyone else? I'm freaking out.. PLEASEEEE HELP!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

This happens to me if I get glutened. My husband says I look 5 months pregnant. Usually as soon as I *ahem* get cleared out It goes away. Your intestines are inflamed, and your body is confused, give it some time. Hope you feel better!!

sickchick Community Regular
sickchick
Posted

Probiotics...Probiotics...Probiotics :)

S<3 Rookie
S<3
Posted
  • Author

Thanks so much! It's nice to know i'm not the only one with these problems.

Wolicki Enthusiast
Wolicki
Posted

I second the probiotics. I looked 8 months for 3 months solid. After a year, I decided maybe I didn't need the pro b's daily, so I stopped. Within 2 days I was back up to 5 months. I think I will need them for life. Hang in there!

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

are the PBs in yogurt supposed to...ah...clean you out? Im just wondering, I had some vanilla yogurt yesterday and I was in and out of the bathroom all day. Not glutened, just...self cleaning, maybe?

sickchick Community Regular
sickchick
Posted

YES! Yogurt is a wonderful source...if you can do dairy! :)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

ooooh that explains a lot LOL

Coinkey Apprentice
Coinkey
Posted

HAHA! I left for England when I was 18- they serve ALOT of gluteney products. I lived there for 4 years. So when I left, I was super skinny, when I came back my mother was CONVINCED I was pregnant. I would assure her NOPE not pregnant. Now I live in the same province as her. I see her every few months and she is still greets me with the look of "I swear you are pregnant". Nope, apparently all those years of appearing pregnant, turns out I'm a little tubby from eating all those fattening foods and bloated from the gluten. The bloating has gone away with the gluten free diet, still tubby but that will go away in time. I was daft and ate a sandwich on Canada Day. On the weekend, I went out to a bar wearing a nice dress and one of the guys had the nerve to ask if I was pregnant. The shame :ph34r: The tummy problem has had ME convinced I'm pregnant soooo many times my fiancee doesn't even blink when I suggest I could be pregnant to him. (I HAD super irregular periods, does NOT help with the preggers paranoia. Nor does the anxiety and paranoia that comes with eating gluten.)

It'll go away.

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted

When I get glutened I go up 5 pants sizes and I swear I look 8 months preggie. This is not good as I'm 19 and single :P

I have to keep cloths in two diff sizes...Kinda annoying

vbecton Explorer
vbecton
Posted

When I get glutened I go up 5 pants sizes and I swear I look 8 months preggie. This is not good as I'm 19 and single :P

I have to keep cloths in two diff sizes...Kinda annoying

OMG! Me too!!! I have clothes sizes from 4-8 in the closet. It's crazy. I am pretty consistent these days, but before going gluten-free I stayed so bloated I needed bigger pants. And not just bigger pants, but bigger belly pants...like the kind with the elastic banding for pregnant ladies. :o

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted

OMG! Me too!!! I have clothes sizes from 4-8 in the closet. It's crazy. I am pretty consistent these days, but before going gluten-free I stayed so bloated I needed bigger pants. And not just bigger pants, but bigger belly pants...like the kind with the elastic banding for pregnant ladies. :o

I know!! It sucks!! I'm very small framed (only 5' 2") so it looked awful! And now whenever I get glutened I swell up the same way....I have my regular pants and my 'glutened' pants

  • 5 months later...
twinkle-toez Apprentice
twinkle-toez
Posted

Is there anyway to make the pregnant appearance/ feeling go away quicker? I'm already doing the probiotics and they're not really having any effect. And I can't do dairy - Gah! I hate this!!! I dance ballet and it's just awful!!! I can't imagine being like this for months... any advice? :(

FooGirlsMom Rookie
FooGirlsMom
Posted

Gluten doesn't just swell up my stomach; I swell all over. My face, hands, joints, you name it. It's awful. It goes away again. For me, the longest it's ever taken is 3-4 days.

The fastest way I have ever found to debloat is to low carb it. Meat & greens only. No sugar, dairy, or grains. 3 days tops no matter how bad it's gotten. I've done it dozens of times.

Hang in there,

FooGirlsMom

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

I swell all over too. I got glutened and then went salsa dancing. Some guy came up and asked me if I was pregnant and when I got upset he kept insisting! It was horrific.

I am all swollen now from my awful glutening last Friday and I have my monthly so it's even worse.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,329
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klkarius
    Newest Member
    klkarius
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • 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.