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

Chest & Neck Pain After Going Gluten/soy Free

glutenfree545

Recommended Posts

glutenfree545 Newbie
glutenfree545
Posted

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in March. I went gluten free for a month before I realized that soy was also causing a problem. After cutting out the soy as well and a few slip ups I started to feel better by May. My exhaustion and burning headaches went away and my heartburn decreased. By June my heartburn had gotten worse again. I had an endoscopy mid-June and according to the GI specialist everything looked fine and my intestinal lining seemed as healed as it would get. Nonetheless my heartburn which consists of neck stiffness and chest pain that makes it difficult to breath has gotten worse. No over the counter heartburn medications work nor does Nexium or Sucralfate. The pain is position dependent. Sitting up, standing up, and sleeping straight seem to reduce the pain. Even more bizarre is that drinking alcohol will completely get rid of the pain for 1-2 days afterwards. The more I drink the longer the effect. Has anyone else had similar problems? Neither my GI specialist nor my primary have any ideas and I don't think drinking is the best long term solution. I am extremely frustrated with the situation.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Bummed-out-Baker Newbie
Bummed-out-Baker
Posted

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in March. I went gluten free for a month before I realized that soy was also causing a problem. After cutting out the soy as well and a few slip ups I started to feel better by May. My exhaustion and burning headaches went away and my heartburn decreased. By June my heartburn had gotten worse again. I had an endoscopy mid-June and according to the GI specialist everything looked fine and my intestinal lining seemed as healed as it would get. Nonetheless my heartburn which consists of neck stiffness and chest pain that makes it difficult to breath has gotten worse. No over the counter heartburn medications work nor does Nexium or Sucralfate. The pain is position dependent. Sitting up, standing up, and sleeping straight seem to reduce the pain. Even more bizarre is that drinking alcohol will completely get rid of the pain for 1-2 days afterwards. The more I drink the longer the effect. Has anyone else had similar problems? Neither my GI specialist nor my primary have any ideas and I don't think drinking is the best long term solution. I am extremely frustrated with the situation.

BJ:

This sounds serious, and also sounds non-celiac related. You could have a viral infection, or a condition where the protective sac around your heart has excess, non-drained fluid in it, causing pressure. I had similar symptoms when I was in the Army, and no one would believe me. I landed in the hospital with "pericarditis." My paricardium around my heart was full of fluid that had never drained from me getting a terrible upper respiratory infection while in basic training. It's a super serious condition, so go and figure out what's wrong with you. The alcohol may make you feel better because alcohol is a diuretic (gets rid of excess bodily fluids) and a pain killer.

Right now I'm suffering from a zillion health issues, and am waiting for my celiac blood test results. It will explain so many things--including a compromised immune system that renders me vulnerable to odd illnesses--including pericarditis a decade ago. Go and get to the bottom of this. I hope that it's just indigestion.

micfunky Newbie
micfunky
Posted

The worst and longest I've had heart burn was when I had gallstones. The bile from your galbladder neutralizes stomach acid, so if your gallbladder is blocked or not working right it will cause super bad heartburn. Put your finger down on your belly button and move it about three inches to your right and up about an inch and push, if it hurts a lot its prob your gallbladder! Hope you feel better!

glutenfree545 Newbie
glutenfree545
Posted
  • Author

Recently the symptoms have started to improve, but aren't gone. The improvement came about when I found a multivitamin I can take daily or maybe I was being glutened without recognizing it and I've inadvertently stopped eating that food. I have an appointment with my doctor next week. I can ask him about the possibility of pericarditis or gall stones. Thanks for the advice!

AVR1962 Collaborator
AVR1962
Posted

My gluten intolerance was very neglected unknowingly which caused me ALOT of issues.....terrible burhing in the stomach was one issue. I was taking two Nexium and day and it ws not enough.I was doing 2 does of Pepto in between. I have been on Nexium now for 5 months....when I try to go off the burning in my stomach comes back. I too have found relief from alcohol but I wonder if that is because it numbs things? I also was having a terrible stiff neck which nothing seemed to help.....I tried all kinds of different exercises.I was having chest pains and heart palpitations, was not sure what was related to what. Kept tightening my gluten-free diet to the point of only eatinglabeled "gluten-free" oats and the like, reading seasoning packets, eating no gravy, etc. Realized I was having a reaction to high fructose in the process of all this. The more I tightened my diet and stayed away from glutens and high fructose, the symptoms you described did go away. I am still on the Nexium as I am just trying to make sure my systom is healed and not bothered by acid. I have been able to cut back to one a day without the Pepto. This all took time, a very slow process.

  • 3 weeks later...
kennedymoore Rookie
kennedymoore
Posted

I too suffered with gallstones, acid reflux and heartburn. I was able to treat all of those issues naturally. A HIDA scan confirmed the gallstones, I opted not to have surgery for the gallstones and contacted my holistic practitioner and did a gallstone flush. You have to be strong and healthy to do one, so you will need some guidance. I passed the stones and felt wonderful. For the acid problems, I came to realize that acid reflux and heartburn do not require OTC medications that suppress stomach acid production. We need our stomach acids to break down our food so as celiacs we can have better access to nutrients from our food. Most of us have low stomach acid. I take Premier Research Labs Pink Salt before each meal and at least 3-4 times during the day for energy as well. After every meal I take their HCL and HCL Activator. These supplements help with the following as well: Bacteria, inflammation, immune imbalance, yeast overgrowth, and anemia.

1. HCL and HCL Activator. Because I am anemic I was tested and it was determined I had low hydrochloric acid production. I take the HCL supplements with every meal. This helps with digestion tremendously. These capsules have to be opened placed in water and taken together after meals. Some people take it before, some during... from my studies I chose to do it after meals. This is often used to treat gut yeast. Here are some links about the pink sea salt and the Betaine HCL.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

2. Premier Research Labs Pink Salt. Also helps with yeast, replacing minerals, insomnia, energy, etc.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Good Luck!

  • 3 weeks later...
glutenfree545 Newbie
glutenfree545
Posted
  • Author

My gluten intolerance was very neglected unknowingly which caused me ALOT of issues.....terrible burhing in the stomach was one issue. I was taking two Nexium and day and it ws not enough.I was doing 2 does of Pepto in between. I have been on Nexium now for 5 months....when I try to go off the burning in my stomach comes back. I too have found relief from alcohol but I wonder if that is because it numbs things? I also was having a terrible stiff neck which nothing seemed to help.....I tried all kinds of different exercises.I was having chest pains and heart palpitations, was not sure what was related to what. Kept tightening my gluten-free diet to the point of only eatinglabeled "gluten-free" oats and the like, reading seasoning packets, eating no gravy, etc. Realized I was having a reaction to high fructose in the process of all this. The more I tightened my diet and stayed away from glutens and high fructose, the symptoms you described did go away. I am still on the Nexium as I am just trying to make sure my systom is healed and not bothered by acid. I have been able to cut back to one a day without the Pepto. This all took time, a very slow process.

I was considering that fructose malabsorption was a likely suspect. I recently found that cutting tomatoes from my diet completely reduced the heartburn significantly and cut my trips to the bathroom to a normal amount. I'm on Sucralfate for the heartburn and it seems to work okay. I'm planning on scheduling an appointment to get a hydrogen breath test, which is apparently the test for fructose malabsorption.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,543
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    yfuvhg
    Newest Member
    yfuvhg
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
    • Jsingh
      Protein or fat?

      By Jsingh · Posted

      Hi,  I care for my seven year old daughter with Celiac. After watching her for months, I have figured out that she has problem with two kinds of fats- animal fat and cooking oils. It basically makes her intestine sore enough that she feels spasms when she is upset. It only happens on days when she has eaten more fat than her usual every day diet. (Her usual diet has chia seeds, flaxseeds, and avocado/ pumpkin seeds for fat and an occasional chicken breast.) I stopped using cooking oils last year, and when I reintroduced eggs and dairy, both of which I had held off for a few months thinking it was an issue of the protein like some Celiac patients habe mentioned to be the case, she has reacted in the same fashion as she does with excess fats. So now I wonder if her reaction to dairy and eggs is not really because of protein but fat.   I don't really have a question, just wondering if anyone finds this familiar and if it gets better with time.  Thank you. 
    • Chanda Richard
      High Cost of Gluten-Free Foods

      By Chanda Richard · Posted

      Hello, My name is Chanda and you are not the only one that gose through the same things. I have found that what's easiest for me is finding a few meals each week that last. I have such severe reactions to gluten that it shuts my entire body down. I struggle everyday with i can't eat enough it feels like, when I eat more I lose more weight. Make sure that you look at medication, vitamins and shampoo and conditioner also. They have different things that are less expensive at Walmart. 
    • petitojou
      Frequent nausea after gluten-free diet

      By petitojou · Posted

      Thank you so much! I saw some tips around the forum to make a food diary and now that I know that the community also struggles with corn, egg and soy, the puzzle pieces came together! Just yesterday I tried eating eggs and yes, he’s guilty and charged. Those there are my 3 combo nausea troublemakers. I’m going to adjust my diet ☺️ Also thank you for the information about MCAS! I’m from South America and little it’s talked about it in here. It’s honestly such a game changer now for treatment and recovery. I know I’m free from SIBO and Candida since I’ve been tested for it, but I’m still going to make a endoscopy to test for H. Pylori and Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Thank you again!! Have a blessed weekend 🤍
    • knitty kitty
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I, too, have osteoporosis from years of malabsorption, too.  Thiamine and magnesium are what keep the calcium in place in the bones.  If one is low in magnesium, boron, selenium, zinc, copper, and other trace minerals, ones bone heath can suffer.  We need more than just calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones.  Riboflavin B 2, Folate B 9 and Pyridoxine B 6 also contribute to bone formation and strength.   Have you had your thyroid checked?  The thyroid is important to bone health as well.  The thyroid uses lots of thiamine, so a poorly functioning thyroid will affect bone heath.  
×
×
  • 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.