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What's Up With This?

nananana

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nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted

I went gluten-free in support of my husband. Totally unexpectedly, my health began to improve. A bumpy, sometimes itchy, rash just under the skin on my arms disappeared! My hair quit falling out. Nails were stronger. Mind sharper. Stomach flattened. A lot of "little things" got better.

Headaches were something I never had. Not seldom, NEVER! Never had allergies -runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat - never a sinus infection. (all of my siblings do)

BUT, after 5 weeks of gluten-free, I suddenly had a terrible headache at my temples and along the back of my neck. I checked the label and there it was, we had accidently eaten gluten! My stomach became upset - was I becoming a hypochondriac?? By the end of the day the rash and brain fog were back. And now, whenever a headache comes, we check for the gluten connection. And it is always there!

Does this sound crazy to you? I never had a headache eating LOTS of gluten - but now that I've been gluten-free, I react to a small crumb of wheat? Has anyone else experienced this?

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T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

I believe this is where I sound like granpa Simpson and say: welcome to my world! ;)

Most Celiacs notice that their symptoms to gluten increase - or start in the first place - after they have been gluten free for a while. So...sounds like you may have found out something about your health, eh?

That is completely where I'm at, although I was diagnosed officially (due to something else entirely). I never noticed a reaction to eating gluten. I had health problems, but they didn't coincide specifically to me eating something and then reacting, you know? Now, after a year away from gluten? If I get the tiniest, teeniest amount, I get vertigo, nausea, headaches, vomiting.

Blech.

So your experience is completely within the Celiac realm of possibility. Although it congratulations on figuring out something that is making you feel better and healthier!!

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

It seems to be fairly common for people to develop a "tolerance" level when constantly eating gluten, and then lose it after being gluten-free for a while.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Your experiences are really common. I never had stomach problems prior to going gluten free. I had other symptoms, but not the typical digestive ones. Now the smallest crumb and I have bad stomach pain and D for days in addition to all my other symptoms. It sounds like you have a gluten intolerance. Welcome to the board!

nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted
  • Author

I can't thank you all enough for explaining this to me! This site has really been helpful. I've been looking over all of the gluten health issues and unfortunately it reads like my family's history.

We have been off gluten for about 6 weeeks now, so should we send for the Enterolab test or is there another one that would give us an accurate result?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I can't thank you all enough for explaining this to me! This site has really been helpful. I've been looking over all of the gluten health issues and unfortunately it reads like my family's history.

We have been off gluten for about 6 weeeks now, so should we send for the Enterolab test or is there another one that would give us an accurate result?

You could go with Enterolab but keep in mind that they don't diagnose they look for antibodies in the stool but that is not considered diagnostic by most doctors. For all the other available tests you would need to go back on gluten for a couple of months before testing.

nananana Newbie
nananana
Posted
  • Author

My husband is doing so well - I don't think we could take a chance! This diet has saved his life . . . . .

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    • deanna1ynne
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      By deanna1ynne · Posted

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    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

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    • Wends
      Blood results

      By Wends · Posted

      Hopefully the biopsy gives a conclusive and correct diagnosis for your daughter. Im in the UK and have been in the situation a few years ago of trying to rule celiac in or out after inconclusive results. Many symptoms pointing to it including the classic symptoms and weight loss and folate and iron deficiency. You have to play a waiting game. I also had the label of IBS and likely food allergy. Genetic test showed low risk for celiac but not no risk. It sounds like the Gastroenterologist is on it and hopefully will diagnose what it is correctly. Food hypersensitivity (allergy) can also cause similar symptoms and inflammation as well as mimicking IBS. Milk / dairy and wheat (cereal grains) being the biggest culprits. The “oesophagitis” and “gastritis” you mentioned can be caused by another gastrointestinal disorder called “eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders”. These are named depending on which part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected. For example eosinophilic oesophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and more rare eosinophilic colitis. They are antigen (allergen) driven. When the blood test measuring anti-ttg antibodies is positive in absence of a positive ema test - which is more specific to celiac, this can also suggest food hypersensitivity (allergy). Usually delayed type allergy similar to celiac but not autoimmune if that makes sense. In this case the ttg antibodies are transient. Which happens. I’ve first hand experience. For info, evidence of villous atrophy too can be caused by food hypersensitivity. Not just by celiac disease. In Egid disorders the six food elimination diet, under a dietitian and gastroenterologist care, is the dietary protocol to figure out the culprit or culprits. Sometimes only two food elimination diet is used at first. The number one culprit is milk protein / dairy. Followed by wheat, eggs, soy, fish and seafood, and nuts. Most are only reactive to one food group or two. Most are only reactive to milk. Hope this is a helpful reply.
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