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Reintroducing Gluten - What Does This Mean?


nuttmegs17

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nuttmegs17 Apprentice

HI!

I've posted various times with symptons so I will cut to the chase so to speak :)

symptons:

- for over a year have had intense stomach pain gas , grotesque bloating (looking 9 months pregant, having to change clothes middle of the day bc pants no longer fit)

- constipation got worse - 3 days at a time or more unless I drink coffee or once in a blue moon pop a laxative (dont' like doing this so avoid it as much as possible)

- noticed unexplained "stubborn" weight. i am fit and a good weight, but normally when i train for half marthons and start summer bike riding, I lose weight quickly and have to increase my diet. This past summer I noticed that despite heavy exercise and clean eating my weight stayed the same even when i ate even cleaner...hmmm

- called in to work/cancelled plans due to pain regularly

- almost everytime i eat i would get unexplained swelling - feel it in my upper arms chest and back. sweaters would actually get visibly tighter

- only time i felt relief was when i would do 3 day juice fasts - not sustainable though (and out of my price range)

in the last 3 months i have noticed that my face has started to swell/look bloated. seems to be getting worse - esp around eyes and cheeks

i am gaining weight despite eating healthier than ever (count calories, have studied nutrition etc) and still working out very regularly

i have noticed just within the last week (never really looked before) floating poop and oily stool (not always oily though)

i went on an elimination diet for 2 or 3 weeks and noticed my hardcore symptons went away - still a bit gassy and bloated but not that much and still constipated, but i no longer experienced the more INTENSE bloating or cramps. My swelling was still occuring but not as bad and did not last as long

However, i just reintroduced gluten into my diet (so I can be tested) and besides an increase in gas bloating (but not to the extreme it was before) i havent really noticed too much of a difference (did start noticing the stool symptons). Its been less than a week.

Does this mean i can safely assume its not celiac disease/gluten/wheat allergy? Should i rule them out? I keep hearing of people who tried the gluten challenge and were only able to do it for a few days. So as much as many of my symptons points to a gluten problem, I am surprised that I'm not in more pain?

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nuttmegs17 Apprentice

I forgot to include that I did get intense night sweats the second night of reintroducing gluten but not anymore. Before the elimination diet, night sweats were very common and that is one sympton that my husband noticed going away when i was on the elimination diet

cold hands and feet/hot midsection (esp at night) are symptons i have dealt with for years

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