Celiac Symptoms And Behavior Changes

[cv5638]

I have not been diagnosed with celiac disease yet, but have been having GI issues for about 5 years. I have discussed these with my doctor who prescribed me meds for IBS which did not help. It seemed like no one had the answer so I started doing research and found that the sx of celiac disease are similar to what I have been going through. There are times when my stomach becomes bloated and very hard. It hurts to touch and to move. It can happen at anytime of the day. Some mornings I wake up and my stomach feels fine, and is flat but by the middle of the day, my stomach has blown up and is as hard as a rock. I do realize that these symptoms happen when I eat charbs...bread, oatmeal, cereal etc. About 2 years ago my period all the sudden stopped. I did not have a menstrual cycle for about 8 mos and am still irregular. I go through periods of diarrhea and constipation...it's either one or the other but rarely experience normal bowel movements. My stomach feels really tight most of the time and it hurts to stand up straight. Also I have read that celiac disease can affect your behavior, mental state, etc. I have been experiencing this for the last few years as well. This change was very gradual so I did not notice until a large amount of time had passed. I feel I am withdrawn now and slightly depressed. I used to be so outgoing, carefree...but now it is hard for me to carry on a convo with people that i do not know. It seems like at times my thoughts are quicker than what comes out of my mouth. sometimes its hard for me to think of words i want to say and my memory is crap nowadays. The problem is the sx of celiac disease are so broad. It can affect so many different things and can also mimic so many other disorders. I just started really digging into research r/t this disease so I am still learning all the facts. I am definitely going to ask my dr to do a celiac panel. I was just wondering if these sx sound like they may be celiac disease?? Also, for a gluten free diet where do u start?? It is hard because so much food is processed and packaged these days it is hard to know exactly what you are eating. Any info would be helpful. Thank u!

[dilettantesteph]

It is better to get the diagnosis before starting the gluten free diet. Starting the diet before testing can lead to false negative results. Get back to your doctor. Your symptoms sound a lot like mine.