Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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

I Need A Little Help! Thank You!


brett31em

Recommended Posts

brett31em Rookie

Okay, so I am a 21 year old female college student with no medical problems.

--As a child I had a ton of ear infections and was on antibiotics quite a bit (don't know if this is relevant, but I'm including it anyways).

-- Seven months ago I went off of the birth control pill, which I was on for six months, because a ton of weird things started happening to me: face rash, abdominal bloating and distention, hair falling out, mood swings, cramps, weight gain

--For a few years now, I have had a rash on the inside of my elbow that comes and goes. Sometimes it just looks like eczema, other times it's a bunch of little red bumps that are itchy, but not painful or blistery. It is in a perfect circle. Sometimes a few little bumps show up on my other arm, in the same spot, but not in a perfect circle.

--Ever since gaining the weight on the birth control pill I have been having problems with bloating, gas, and abdominal distention. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when it occurs, just about all the time, and worse during my menstrual cycle.

--I have a RAVENOUS appetite. I eat more than my boyfriend! I can eat a bowl of pasta and meatballs and be hungry 1.5 hours later.

--If I let myself get too hungry, my stomach blows up with air.

--I am deficient in Vitamin D per my last physical (the only vitamin he tested)

--I have pretty severe anxiety about school, work, family, etc. Sometimes it just seems irrational.

So I have been on a gluten free diet due to suspicion of Celiacs (by a dietitian) for about two weeks and the bloating/distention seemed to be better for a few days, but now that I am approaching my menstrual cycle, I feel HUGE again. But, my appetite seems to really be under control. Based on all this, what do you guys think? Celiacs? Any other suggestions? Need any more info?

Thank you all SO MUCH.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Skylark Collaborator

Hi there.

It's hard to say. Have you been tested for celiac? You should be able to get a celiac panel based on the vitamin deficiency and the bloating. Keep eating gluten until you get the tests, because if you're gluten-free they'll be negative.

By the way, I had that perfect circle rash you describe on the inside of my elbow many years back. It's really weird, huh? I was afraid I had Lyme disease but my doctor just diagnosed it as atopic dermatitis and a little cortisol cleared it up.

ravenwoodglass Mentor

The rashes you are describing on the inside of your elbows sound like DH. That would be a common place for it. I would get it there and also on the backs of my knees for years. A home test for DH is to get some topical iodine solution, like the stuff you would put on a wound, put it on your skin near where you usually get the rash and cover it with a bandaid. If it is DH you will develop a the rash within a day or two or possibly sooner. You could also go to a derm and ask them to biopsy the skin next to a rash while it is active. Specifically ask them to look for DH as a special test needs to done in the lab. A diagnosis of DH is a diagnosis of celiac.

You symptoms are also suggestive of celiac. You need to be on a full gluten diet for testing so if you are going to have tests done make sure you are still eating gluten. If you have been gluten free you need to go back to gluten for 2 to 3 months for any chance of a correct blood test or biopsy. Even then the tests can be a false negative so after you are done with testing give the diet a good strict try for a couple of months to see if it helps.

brett31em Rookie

Thank you for your replies! From my research, I guess I am just wondering what the tests really will tell me...I've been reading all about false negatives, not being certain, etc.

mushroom Proficient

Yes, there is about a 20% false negative rate on the testing, but you won't know until you try. It sounds like a test result would be important to you, so you should probably stay on gluten and get it done. If it is negative, then you can try the diet and see if it works for you.

P.S. I have not heard of false negatives on the DH testing if it is done correctly, i.e., biopsy immediately adjacent to the lesion.

brett31em Rookie

Thanks again everyone! Is DH ever kind of mild? In other words, yeah, it's pretty itchy, but I don't have oozing blisters like some people describe..

ravenwoodglass Mentor

Thanks again everyone! Is DH ever kind of mild? In other words, yeah, it's pretty itchy, but I don't have oozing blisters like some people describe..

Yes, it can even vary in intensity for the same person over time. Mine was really bad and covered large areas as a child but in later years it was often much milder. Now when I get glutened I only get one or two little bumps.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



brett31em Rookie

Lately, I have been getting sick a lot too. What about candida?

ravenwoodglass Mentor

Lately, I have been getting sick a lot too. What about candida?

You have only been on the diet a couple of weeks and it does take some time to heal. What are you eating? You should be eating a diet with as much unprocessed food as is possible and you need to make sure you have done things like getting a new toaster, replacing colanders, strainers and wooden utensils. You need your own dedicated condiments, nut butters etc. Give the gluten-free diet a bit more time before you start to worry about other issues.

  • 2 weeks later...
brett31em Rookie

Hey guys...so just a question...before being diagnosed, did you find that after you ate, say, a dish of pasta, it didn't satisfy you at all and you were starving 1.5 hours later?

ravenwoodglass Mentor

Hey guys...so just a question...before being diagnosed, did you find that after you ate, say, a dish of pasta, it didn't satisfy you at all and you were starving 1.5 hours later?

Early on in the disease course yes. If your body is not absorbing nutrients it can try to counter that by signaling you that you want more food.

  • 5 weeks later...
brett31em Rookie

Early on in the disease course yes. If your body is not absorbing nutrients it can try to counter that by signaling you that you want more food.

So there is definitely digestive improvement, but there is something else going on with this water retention. I had an abdominal and pelvic sonogram and everything looks normal! Doctor doesn't think it's necessary to test vitamin levels/reproductive hormones...even though my last one said I was low in Vitamin D. I think this is absolute crazyness. What are some possible causes for severe water retention throughout (not just during period) the menstrual cycle?

kareng Grand Master

So there is definitely digestive improvement, but there is something else going on with this water retention. I had an abdominal and pelvic sonogram and everything looks normal! Doctor doesn't think it's necessary to test vitamin levels/reproductive hormones...even though my last one said I was low in Vitamin D. I think this is absolute crazyness. What are some possible causes for severe water retention throughout (not just during period) the menstrual cycle?

Which doc did you go to? Ob/ gyn or regular? Go to the other. Get tested for iron, b12 & d. Salt can cause water retention if that is what it really is. Diet & regular sodas and processed stuff have a lot of sodium.

Have you tried not eating dairy for a couple of days? If you have a hard time digesting, it can make you bloated.

ravenwoodglass Mentor

So there is definitely digestive improvement, but there is something else going on with this water retention. I had an abdominal and pelvic sonogram and everything looks normal! Doctor doesn't think it's necessary to test vitamin levels/reproductive hormones...even though my last one said I was low in Vitamin D. I think this is absolute crazyness. What are some possible causes for severe water retention throughout (not just during period) the menstrual cycle?

I had pretty severe water retention and full body edema. In my case it was due to celiac impacting my kidney function. I instictively stayed away from salt, I had one package that I had for over 5 years that moved with me through 3 different states. LOL. So we know it wasn't due to that. Doctors couldn't really tell by looking at me because I am a very small person and it wasn't localized. It did resolve pretty quickly gluten free, I even lost a full shoe size, the only problem I have now is that when I get glutened my kidneys still bleed a bit leading to my having a bit of blood show up in my urine.

As to your doctor not testing for vitamin levels, you do have the option of consulting another doctor. My OB/GYN was much more helpful than my regular doctor but you might want to find another GP or Internist.

brett31em Rookie

My new OBGYN seems to think that my hormones have changed as a result of gaining ten pounds on the BCP, and that it is not related to the Celiac...sound plausible?

GFinDC Veteran

Hey guys...so just a question...before being diagnosed, did you find that after you ate, say, a dish of pasta, it didn't satisfy you at all and you were starving 1.5 hours later?

I can tell you that I ate a lot more food before going gluten-free, and didn't gain weight. Now I eat less and put on weight. Sort of like a normal person now.

You can get some liquid B-12 and try that, and some Vit D in gel capsules might help too. It's a good idea to get testing first so you can monitor your vitamin levels as you go.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,187
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Kris46
    Newest Member
    Kris46
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Ginger38
      So I recently had allergy testing for IGE antibodies in response to foods. My test results came back positive to corn, white potatoes, egg whites. Tomatoes, almonds and peanuts to name a few.  I have had obvious reactions to a few of these - particularly tomatoes and corn- both GI issues. I don’t really understand all this allergy versus celiac stuff. If the food allergies are mild do I have to avoid these foods entirely? I don’t know what I will eat if I can’t  have corn based gluten free products 
    • Kris2093u4
      Geography makes a difference.  I'm in the West and Trader Joe's gluten-free bread tastes great and is a better price than most gluten-free breads sold elsewhere in my area.  
    • JForman
      We have four children (7-14 yo), and our 7 year old was diagnosed with NCGS (though all Celiac labs were positive, her scope at 4 years old was negative so docs in the US won't call it celiac). We have started her on a Gluten Free diet after 3 years of major digestive issues and ruling out just about everything under the sun. Our home and kitchen and myself are all gluten-free. But I have not asked my husband/her dad or her other siblings to go completely gluten-free with us. They are at home, but not out of the home. This has led to situations when we are eating out where she has to consistently see others eating things she can't have and she has begun to say "Well, I can't have <fill in the blank>...stupid gluten."  How have you supported your gluten-free kiddos in the mental health space of this journey, especially young ones like her. I know it's hard for me as an adult sometimes to miss out, so I can't imagine being 7 and dealing with it! Any tips or ideas to help with this? 
    • Jane878
      By the time I was 5 I had my first auto0immune disorder, Migraine headaches, with auras to blind me, and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. I was 5 years old, and my stepfather would have pizza night, milling his own flour, making thick cheesy gluten pizza, that I would eat and the next day, I would have serious migraines, and my mother & stepfather did nothing about my medical problems. When I was 17 in my first year at college, I was diagnosed with my 2nd known auto-immune disorder, Meniere's disease. I was a elite athlete, a swimmer, and soccer player. And once again my parents didn't think anything of understanding why I had a disorder only older people get. Now after my mother passed from Alzheimer's disease she also suffered with living with gluten. She had a rash for 30 years that nobody could diagnose. She was itchy for 45 years total. My brother had a encapsulated virus explodes in his spleen and when this happened his entire intestines were covered with adhesions, scar tissue and he almost lost his life. He has 5 daughters, and when I finally was diagnosed after being pregnant and my body went into a cytokine storm, I lost my chance to have children, I ended up having Hashimoto's disease, Degenerative Disc disease, and my body started to shut down during my first trimester. I am 6ft tall and got down to 119lbs. My husband and I went to a special immunologist in Terrace, California. They took 17 vials of blood as we flew there for a day and returned home that evening. In 3 weeks, we had the answer, I have Celiac disease. Once this was known, only my father and husband made efforts to change their way of feeding me. At the family cabin, my stepfather & mother were more worried that I would ruin Thanksgiving Dinner. It wasn't until one of my cousins was diagnosed with Celiac disease. They finally looked into getting Gluten Free flour and taking measures to limit "gluten" in meals. He did nothing but ask for me to pay for my own food and wi-fi when I came to the cabin to stay after our house burned down. When he informed my mother, they proceeding to get into a physical fight and she ended up with a black eye. The is just more trauma for me. Sam had no interest in telling the truth about what he wanted. He lied to my mother that he had asked my husband if I could pay for "food" when he asked Geoffrey if I had money to pay for my wi-fi. My mother hates when he spends so much time on the computer so he lied and said I could pay for my own food. I will remind you I weighed 119lbs at this time. (At 6ft) that is a very sick looking person. Neither parent was worried about my weight, they just fought about how cheap my stepfather was. As my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. He had her sign over the will to a trust and added his children. He had no testimonial capacity at the time, so she signed without proper papers. Making this Trust null and void. When I gave my brother my childhood home, my mother stated I would be getting an equal part of inheritance to the house on Race. It currently worth 2.0 million $. I got nothing, and my stepfather has since disowned me b/c of my claim and he knows that my mother would never have left it uneven between my biological brother and myself. She sat me and my husband down, as we lived at the Race Street house and treated and took care of it as our own. My brother took over b/c he was going through a horrific divorce and needed a home so he could get a better custody deal with his soon to be ex-wife who was a Assist DA for Denver. She used the girls against him, and he & I were the primary caregivers. We, Judd and I spent the most time with them pre the divorce. Once Judd moved into the house, he threw all of my mother, grandmother and my family heirlooms out to the Goodwill. Nobody told my mother about this as she was going through cancer treatment and had Alzheimer's disease in her mother and her sister. My stepfather and biological brother took advantage of this matter, as I called a "family council" that my brother just never could make it to at the last moment. All of the furnishing, kitchen ware, everything was in the house my brother just moved into. He had had 2 weddings, I chose to elope b/c my stepfather ruined my brother's first wedding by talking about his relationship with my brother in front of my dad and his entire family, insulting him and having my grandfather leave the ceremony. It was a disaster. My stepfather just plays dumb and blames my father for the slight. I was the only child not to have a wedding. So, my mother and stepfather never had to pay for a thing. My mother had had an agreement with my father he'd pay for college and all medical issues with their kids, myself and Judd. So truly my mother never had to pay for anything big for me in her entire life. I am looking for anyone that has had a similar story, where they grew up in a household that had a baker that regularly milled flour and ate gluten. What happened to you? DId you suffer from different auto-immune diseases b/c of living with a baker using "gluten" Please let me know. I have been looking into legal ways to get my stepfather to give me what my mother had promised, and he erased. Thank you for listening to my story. Jane Donnelly  
    • trents
      Possibly gluten withdrawal. Lot's of info on the internet about it. Somewhat controversial but apparently gluten plugs into the same neuro sensors as opiates do and some people get a similar type withdrawal as they do when quitting opiates. Another issue is that gluten-free facsimile flours are not fortified with vitamins and minerals as is wheat flour (in the U.S. at least) so when the switch is made to gluten-free facsimile foods, especially if a lot of processed gluten-free foods are being used as substitutes, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can result. There is also the possibility that she has picked up a virus or some but that is totally unrelated to going gluten-free.
×
×
  • Create New...