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

Gluten Free And Belly Still Swollen


LindsayRae329

Recommended Posts

LindsayRae329 Rookie

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible that my distended abdomen still hasn't gone away after being gluten free for 4 months because of some other sensitivity to dairy or sugar or something. I never feel sick or anything or have any other symptoms. I'm having a blood test done tomorrow so I can be sure that no gluten is sneaking into my diet.

The way that I understand it is that I had a swollen belly because my body was attacking the gluten and my intestines and made them swell up. So if that's the case then would my body react the same way to stuff like dairy because from what it sounds like I should just have trouble digesting it if I have a sensitivity and it would make me sick or give me diarrhea or something???

Also I know that the swelling can go down because it did for a week or two in December. I've been having the darndest time trying to figure out what I was eating differently then. Please just let me know if there is anything other than gluten that could be making my belly swell up.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Dixiebell Contributor

Could possibly be the lactose in dairy causing that. I think most don't do well with dairy in the beginning because the tips of the villi are damaged and you need them (they produce lactase) to digest lactose. Also soy causes problems for some.

LindsayRae329 Rookie

So then dairy can cause my stomach to swell without any other symptoms? I'm just confused because the swelling is my only symptom i've ever had.

Archived

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

  • 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. - Ginger38 replied to Ginger38's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      4

      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

    2. - Mari replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      18

      My only proof

    3. - Ginger38 replied to Xravith's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Challenges eating gluten before biopsy

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Xravith's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Challenges eating gluten before biopsy

    5. - Scott Adams replied to emzie's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      2

      Stomach hurts with movement


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,472
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    731049
    Newest Member
    731049
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Ginger38
      It has been the most terrible illness ever! Going on 3 weeks now… I had chicken pox as a kid… crazy how much havoc this dormant virus has caused after being reactivated! No idea what even caused it to fire back up. I’m scared this pain and sensitivity is just never going to improve or go away 
    • Mari
      OKJmartes. Skin and eyes. Also anxiety and frustration. I have read that Celiacs have more skin problems than people who do not have Celiacs. I take increased levels of Vit. D3, very high levels of B12 and an eating part of an avocado every day. KnittyKitty and others here can add what they take for skin health. A Dermatologist might identify the type of skin condition. By eyes you may mean eyesight problems not just irritated, red eyes. It is not very difficult to get a diagnosis of which eye condition is affecting your vision but much more difficult to find an effective remedy. The ophthalmologists I have seen have been only a little helpful. There seems to have been some advances in eye treatments that most of them are completely ignorant of or just won't add to their treatment plans.  Forcertain you may as well buy some remedy from a facebook ad but that is obviously risky and may actually damafe your eyes. However it is known that certain supplements , taken at the effectivelevels do help with eyesight. Two of them are Luten and zanthamin (spelling?)and certain anti-oxidants such as bilberry..    Hope this helps.
    • Ginger38
      I refused to do the gluten challenge for a long time because I knew how sick I would be: I have always had and still have positive antibodies and have so many symptoms my  GI was 💯 sure I would have a positive biopsy. I didn’t want to make myself sick to get a negative biopsy and be more confused by all this.  He couldn’t guarantee me a negative biopsy meant no celiac bc there may not be damage yet or it’s possible to miss biopsies where there’s damage but he was so sure and convinced me I needed that biopsy I went back on gluten. It was a terrible experience! I took pictures of the bloating and swelling and weight gain during the challenge. I gained 9 pounds, looked pregnant, was in pain , couldn’t work or function without long naps and the brain fog was debilitating. And in the end he didn’t get a positive biopsy… so I wish I had never wasted my time or health going through it. I haven’t been truly straightened  out since and I am currently battling a shingles infection at 43 and I can’t help but wonder if the stress I put my body under to try and get an official diagnosis has caused all this. Best of luck to you - whatever you decide. It’s not a fun thing to go through and I still don’t have the answers I was looking for 
    • Scott Adams
      It's completely understandable to struggle with the gluten challenge, especially when it impacts your health and studies so significantly. Your experience of feeling dramatically better without gluten is a powerful clue, whether it points to celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. It's very wise of you and your doctor to pause the challenge until your holidays, prioritizing your immediate well-being and exams. To answer your questions, yes, it is possible for blood tests to be negative initially and become positive later as the disease progresses, which is why the biopsy remains the gold standard. Many, many people find the gluten challenge incredibly difficult due to the return of debilitating symptoms, so you are certainly not alone in that struggle. Wishing you the best for your exams and for obtaining clearer answers when you're able to proceed.
    • Scott Adams
      It's smart that you're seeing the gastroenterologist tomorrow. While it's possible this is a severe and persistent inflammatory reaction to gluten, the fact that the pain is movement-dependent and localized with tenderness is important for your specialist to hear. It could indeed be significant inflammation, but it's also worth ruling out other overlapping issues that can affect those with celiac disease. Is it possible you got some gluten in your diet somehow? This could be a possible trigger. Hopefully, tomorrow's appointment will provide clearer answers and a path to relief so you can get back to your lectures and enjoy your weekend. Wishing you all the best for the consultation.
×
×
  • 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.