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I Think It Might Be Gluten!

MEH

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MEH Apprentice
MEH
Posted

Hello All,

For the first time in 48 years, I think I may have discovered what is wrong with me! I'll keep it short, but please let me know if any of these symptoms sound familiar?

*Didn't really feel well growing up. Fatigue, depression, thin, late puberty. Just learned to live with it.

*B-12 Deficiency discovered in my 30's. MS-like symptoms for many years. Sensitivity to many things, including over the counter drugs and pharmeceuiticals. Insomnia began. General feeling of fatigue, "not feeling well," hypo-glycemia at times, struggled with weight at times (too thin) although now in my 40's I am really gaining weight---too much in fact. Often "foggy brained", poor memory..alternating episodes of this. Loose or "mushy" stools (sorry!) Diagnosed as allergic to pollen, dust and mold in my 40's.

*Here's how I began wondering/pinpointing gluten: Two things happened. I went on an international trip and had no bread for two weeks and was eating mostly vegetables, some meat and drinking a lot of water and I felt fantastic! There wasn't a lot of bread offered there but an abundance of fresh veggies.

And recently, on an empty stomach, I stopped and had a piece of pizza and immediately felt horrible for the rest of the day. The fog brain started. Stomach hurt. When I thought about it, this often happened when I ate pizza, especially on an empty stomach. And when I thought about it some more, I realized that in my own way, I tended to avoid bread quite often--almost naturally---like when I'd go out to dinner, I wouldn't indulge in the bread basket. But it wasn't a "conscious" decision. Was constantly gassy for a few months, and one day made a sandwich at home and noticed the gas started right away.

My father had a lot of weird allergies. Wouldn't suprise me that I followed suit.

Notice that I have a lot of sensitivities-or an over reactive central nervous system. Sensitive to light, sound, drugs, alcohol, sleep, stress, etc.

As you can see, it might be hard for me to pinpoint gluten, and I'm not certain it is the cause of all of my problems.....but I'm really starting to wonder and investigate.

Any thoughts/ideas you can throw out there would be most appreciated!

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Dixiebell Contributor
Dixiebell
Posted

Welcome to the forum.

It sounds like you could have celiac or a gluten intolerance. Have you had any testing for celiac? If you are planning to, make sure you are eating plenty of gluten filled foods so you can get the best possible results. If you don't feel you could eat that much you can always just start gluten-free and see if your symptoms start to go away. A lot of people feel that is the best test anyway. Many Dr.s will not diagnose you based on diet change alone, so you have to do what you feel is best for yourself.

MEH Apprentice
MEH
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for answering!

I forgot to mention that I have asthma as well and acid reflux. Also, occassional bladder problems (UTI-like problems). What a mess I am! :)

I'm trying to stay away from gluten and see if I feel better...which I do already. If I suspect this is it, then I will go to my doctor, start eating gluten again and get tested.

Have a great day..

cahill Collaborator
cahill
Posted

Thanks for answering!

I forgot to mention that I have asthma as well and acid reflux. Also, occassional bladder problems (UTI-like problems). What a mess I am! :)

I'm trying to stay away from gluten and see if I feel better...which I do already. If I suspect this is it, then I will go to my doctor, start eating gluten again and get tested.

Have a great day..

May I suggest if your going to get tested, Keep eating gluten and get tested now ,before going gluten free.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

May I suggest if your going to get tested, Keep eating gluten and get tested now ,before going gluten free.

I couldn't agree with this more strongly. People don't realize that if you stop eating gluten and then resume it, for most of us the reaction is much stronger, to the point of being totally intolerable for most, and they stop eating gluten before they have been on it long enough to be tested. It's not like you can just gluten up the day before testing :( - you have to go back on for two to three months at the equivalent of three to four slices of bread a day to make sufficient antibodies to be tested in the bloodstream, and to redestroy your partially healed small intestine for the biopsies to be positive. It is not an easy proposition. Much better to get the testing now :)

Igg postive Rookie
Igg postive
Posted

Wow, I just found out I might be Celiac too. Funny thing is my doctor figured it out. I have been complaining of stomach and intestinal problems for years. My doctor asked me questions that I didn't put together now as Celiac dianosis questions. He gave me the Celiac panel blood tests. One came back positive. So I am so glad he took the time on me. I think I was out of Ideas. Hope you can get come Celiac test done.

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

I didn't test, but wanted to let you know that all of your symptoms matched mine including UTI spasms and ALL have resolved on being gluten free.

I hope this is true for you as well.

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    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

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    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

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      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
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      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
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