Is This A Reaction To Gluten?

[lynn472]

So, I have had some mild digestion issues for a while now that seem to come and go with no real reason. Sometimes feel constipated, sometimes the opposite. I tried going gluten free for short periods to see if it made a difference and didn't really notice anything, but since my symptoms come and go anyway, maybe I just didn't do it for long enough. I also don't really eat wheat that much to begin with.

Spicy foods don't bother me at all. Sometimes dairy makes me ill, sometimes I eat a whole bowl of ice cream. I used to get heartburn but that went away on its own and I haven't had it in a while. I get random intense nausea that will last for a second and then disappear.

I've been tested for a whole slew of allergies and I'm not allergic to any foods. I know I have a vitamin D deficiency that I noticed because I was sleeping through most of winter, but I'm pretty pale and don't get out much... my blood sugar is normal, I get a decent amount of exercise and am a healthy weight, my blood pressure is healthy, I try to eat a lot of fiber etc etc... I'm totally healthy except when I randomly feel awful, but I don't have health insurance right now and I can't seem to find any clinics near me so I can't get tested for anything. My family does have a history of colon cancer which worries me... but I feel like at 26 I am too young for that...?

A few weeks ago I felt really sick, I had been eating out a lot and after this one meal and a few drinks I felt like the food was just sitting there in my stomach, and I had to go lie down...when I woke up I felt fine, but the next day my whole stomach just felt sore... a dull achey feeling kinda like how your muscles feel after a work out. Not to be graphic but I had this weird thin poop for a day which kinda freaked me out. I had just moved to a new city and was a bit stressed. I didn't seem to be blocked up, didn't feel bloated, and then it went back to normal on its own, and I started feeling better again, but I've heard this could be a symptom of celiac, so I decided to give the diet another go just to see what would happen.

I wasn't too strict about it and ate wheat a few times over the next two weeks, a bowl of cereal or a cupcake here and there, and again didn't really notice a change. I didn't feel bad, but I didn't feel really great either. Maybe I was more tired than usual but I might have been lacking in carbs. I did get a strange head/neck ache that hasn't gone away but I think my neck muscles are just tense. I continued to have a wide variety of poo. Some of it had these little white or black dots in it, really small ones, which was bizarre. So I figured that maybe it wasn't celiac after all that was causing this weirdness since it was still happening. I went out and had a giant cupcake and a beer.

A few hours later I started feeling really weird, my hands and arms were tingling like they were falling asleep and my heart was pounding really loudly and I felt dizzy. It was kinda like a panic attack except I didn't feel anxious... well until it went on like that for an hour, but that would make anyone anxious I think. Today I feel a bit moody and tired, but it could be from lack of sleep since I couldn't fall asleep after that. I thought I would be constipated but I'm not... probably because I drank a million glasses of water while trying to calm down last night. My stomach is a bit gurgly but doesn't hurt. When I went to the bathroom everything was ok, but I did notice a little bit of red that could have been blood, but I could just have a hemorroid or something. Umm trying not to be too graphic here sorry. I'm just wondering... Does this sound like a common reaction to gluten that anyone's had after not eating it?

Was I just having anxiety or a strange reaction to the alcohol or something? I don't drink that much.

Do you think I should try going gluten free again for longer or am I totally on the wrong track and this is some other mystery bowel illness? How long does it usually take to notice a difference? How thorough do I have to be with this? I've seen some people on here posting that they had to get new kitchen utensils and stuff... is that a good standard for everyone or just if you're extremely sensitive to it??

Any sites you can link me to, good setups for tracking food, thoughts or whatever are greatly appreciated.

[bartfull]

Lynn, I'm new to this myself, so maybe I'm not the best person to answer, but I think you should take some time to really read up on celiac. Cruise around this forum and you will learn a lot.

From what I understand, and from what I am now experiencing after six days of being gluten free, you won't see a lot of results right away because your body needs time to heal. And any "cheating" you do (cupcakes or beer) will set you right back at square one. You need to be strict with yourself and stay completely gluten free.

I understand about not having insurance. Why don't you try going gluten free for three months? And during that three months, DON'T CHEAT! You will be eating healthier and will develop healthier habits so you will feel better. If it turns out not to be the gluten, you will still be ahead of the game.