Are These Symptons Normal?

[gondor]

Hello this is what i am suffering from

Red scratches/marks/dots/ just randomly appearing on arms and lower legs

Skin can be extremely itchy in those areas at time

Ringing in ears sometimes, but often can hear heartbeat in ears

Excess weight gain and bloating, just keep putting on more and more weight and bloating when i barely even touch junk food!

Extremely frequent bowel movements but no wind problems (thank god)

Poor vision, eye itchiness, blurry vision sometimes

When sitting on the floor for more than 2 minutes, my muscles almost go dead when i want to stand back up, its virtually impossible without pressing against a wall or chair to sit back up (im only 19 this shouldnt be happening at my age)

Sleep patterns, terrible - i can very often stay up all night, and sometimes sleep for 12 hours at a time.

There we go.. there may be a couple more but those are the main ones, the two things which worry me the most are the agressive scratch marks which appear (i have no pets and nothing or nobody has scratched me, and i havent bumped against anywhere), and the weight gain -- went from very slim, to noticeably overweight and constantly bloated!

This is my first day gluten free, as i only got the diagnosis yesturday evening.

Can anyone else related to any of the above symptoms, and if so when you went gluten free how did they react-- get any better?

Any replies much appreciated

[IrishHeart]

These symptoms can all be related to celiac. Heck, I've got so many bizarre symptoms, I believe anything.

I have severe muscle/joint/bone pain, so I can commiserate. I feel like I'm 100 years old. Many people report these issues resolve after being gluten-free for several months.

Rashes, itchy skin, eye problems (swollen, itchy, blurry), tinnitis, insomnia or extreme fatigue...yes!!!...all have been reported. (yup, I have those too)

Definitely, bloating and constant BMs....some people alternate between going all the time to not going...it varies.

You are just starting out gluten-free and truthfully, it takes a while to see these symptoms subside.

It takes anywhere from 2 months to 2 years for the villi to fully heal. Be patient, be strict on the diet and avoid dairy for the first several months as well. You are on the road to healing. You are young, so perhaps it will go faster for you.

But there is no "fast-forward" button, unfortunately. The intestines heal when they heal.

There are plenty of helpful people and great ideas on here. Read up on celiac disease so you are your own best health advocate. Welcome and best wishes!

[badlass]

I too suffer from these symptoms! reading your post I could've written it myself. I am waiting for my biopsy (next Tuesday) and have been told I most likely have celiac disease. this has been a long and painful process for me full of misdiagnosis. I've been suffering in silence since a very young age and am only now getting tested at the age of 28. I'm glad they've diagnosed you young and that you are on your way to becoming gluten free but am sorry to hear that you are suffering so. feel better soon my dear! I wish you all the luck in the world.

[txplowgirl]

Hi Gondor, welcome to the forum. Thank goodness you were diagnosed early.

Now you can start to get a lot, lot better.

My advise is to read, read, read.

You need to replace your non stick pans if they have scratches because gluten can hide in there. New toaster because you can't get it clean, anything woodwn needs to be replaced, ie, cutting boards, wooden spoons, forks, etc. Replace your collander because gluten has contaminated that as well as any plastic ware that has held gluten containing items.

If you have others in the household you need separate butter containers, separate mustard, Ketchup, Peanut butter, jelly jars, so on and so on because if they stick a knife in there to put on their sanswich bread and put it back in the jars, they are contaminated.

If you have a significant other who eats gluten they can contaminate you with a kiss. Make sure they brush their teeth after eating before they kiss you. Pets have gluten in their foods, therefore you need to change their foods gluten free becuase they eat then lick their coats, thereby gluten on their hair.

Check your meds, hair care products, lotions, etc.

It is adviseable to remove dairy for a short time because it can cause problems in the begining. Start on a whole foods diet first then slowly add in gluten free products because a lot of people can't digest the gluten free foods in the beginning.

I was at the point I couldn't make the bed without my back spasming, couldn't go grocery shopping without using a cart because my legs wouldn't hold me up for longer than 30 minutes at a time. On and on different problems. When you first go gluten free you might experience what we call gluten withdrawals. They can last up to several weeks. But eventually they will go away.

Hang in there and lots of hugs because now you will start seeing a difference. In the beginning you will have ups and downs then eventually you will level out.

Txplowgirl