Beer And The Lower Intestine

[CycleFitness]

So far I'm self-diagnosed gluten intolerant. I've been gluten-free for over a year now and been very successful. The symptoms that led me to that diagnosis was horrible, painful gas; my gut would be in a tight knot after eating lunch, which typically involved whole grain pita. I also belched like a 300 pound sailor. I would have varying degrees of this EVERY DAY after lunch and be miserable for the rest of the day. For awhile I thought it was sitting that kept my intenstines cramped, but finally had my chiropractor suggest gluten issues in June of last year. I've lived my whole life with flatulence issues and I don't mean minor. Sounds funny but it's not when it involves pain. I went gluten free thereafter and have literally had no issues with my belly. I also dropped 10 pounds that have not returned. The transition was relatively easy for me because I had a very healthy lifestyle that included vegetables and rice as my mainstay.

My diet now does not EVER include bread, pasta, soy sauce, commercial dressings, or the like, but I wouldn't say I need to be so fanatical that I worry about gluten in the air. At times I eat a caesar salad with restaurant dressing. I eat Luna bars during physical activity. I drink vodka (I've gotten hooked on designer martinis). I kind of know my tolerance level. I can do one of these in moderation, but over indulge or do too many at a time and I will feel a reaction. The worst, though, is bread, pasta, soy sauce ( a trip to a sushi bar once almost killed me), brown drinks like Coke. Forget it. I haven't touched any of that in over a year.

I've been pretty satisfied with my maintenance up until a week ago. I'm trying to determine if the pain I'm *still* experiencing could have been from what I ate. You see, I didn't drink one beer; I drank two. What can I say? It was 105 degrees out, our refrigerator was on the blink, and I couldn't let it get warm. ;-) SEriously, I've had a beer here and there in the past and was able to deal with the effects. This time, however, it took me down hard.

I am a long distance cyclist. I got out on the road the next day and could barely make my legs move. My quads were fatigued and felt like lactic acid buildout almost from the minute I got on the bike. I rode 35 miles, came home, and practically collapsed in exhaustion (as I mumbled to my husband about poisoning myself). ;-) He even commented later that night that he felt a lump in the lower right of my abdomen -- my gut was in a knot.

I rested the next day but that's when I started having stabbing pain in my lower intestine, right above the public line. I have been distended and experiencing this pain for a week now. The distension is usually non-existent in the morning, but pronounced by the time I go to bed. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. I look like I'm three months pregnant by the end of the day and feel like I might explode. There has been a little gas, but not much.

I took three days off the bike this last week because of the exhaustion (I'm sure the heat hasn't helped). Only yesterday did it start to subside a little. So, being self-diagnosed I always wonder if it something else is going on and I'm restricting my diet for no reason. For example, I'm pre-menopausal and I don't know if any of the other females here can relate to this, but I can feel it when I ovulate. It's a little stabbing pain right in the area above the pubic. This is the same type of pain I've felt all this week and I wonder if it's a hormonal thing happening rather than a reaction to the beer.

1. I guess what I'm asking is whether a gluten reaction could be this severe for this long?

2. Stabbing pain in the area above the public area; is this type and location of pain something others have experienced? It's so close to the ovaries, so could it be confused with hormonal issues?

3. Do you become more sensitive to gluten as more times passes where you haven't had gluten in your system?

4. What are some of the sooting things that can be done to pamper the gut if you've had an intentional or unintentional introduction of gluten? I made a big batch of ginger tea yesterday that is sweetened with agave nectar. It seems to sooth me as I sit and gently rub my belly.

5. Should I avoid beer, beer in the frig, grocery stores that sell beer, cycling past breweries ... damn the beer!

This forum is incredibly helpful, but sometimes I feel like any symptom can be associated with gluten. I worry at times that things I'm feeling might be something else I should be paying attention to.

Looking for experiences from others who aren't radically gluten-free.

Thank you!

[MySuicidalTurtle]

1. I guess what I'm asking is whether a gluten reaction could be this severe for this long?

Yes, a gluten reaction can be this bad and for this long. Gluten reactions can also be much worse than what you have described.

2. Stabbing pain in the area above the public area; is this type and location of pain something others have experienced? It's so close to the ovaries, so could it be confused with hormonal issues?

This pain could be a reaction to the gluten alone or it could be helping make hormonal issues hurt more.

3. Do you become more sensitive to gluten as more times passes where you haven't had gluten in your system?

Yes, you become more sensitive to gluten the longer you go without it. This is both true for people with Celiac Disease and people without it. Gluten is rough on humans digestive system and is hard for humans to digest even if they don't have Cealic Disease.

4. What are some of the sooting things that can be done to pamper the gut if you've had an intentional or unintentional introduction of gluten? I made a big batch of ginger tea yesterday that is sweetened with agave nectar. It seems to sooth me as I sit and gently rub my belly.

There isn't much you can do when you have a gluten reaction to help the pain. Some people like to drink peppermint tea. Just try new things and see which work best for you.

5. Should I avoid beer, beer in the frig, grocery stores that sell beer, cycling past breweries ... damn the beer!

Yes, you should avoid beer. It is not glutenfree.

If you are thinking you are gluten-intolerant and benefit from a gluten-free diet you should get tested for Celiac Disease. This way you can find out if it is an allergy or Celiac Disease. With Celiac Disease even the littlest bit of gluten can cause damage and harm to your intestines. I hope you find the answers you are looking for!

[CycleFitness]

If you are thinking you are gluten-intolerant and benefit from a gluten-free diet you should get tested for Celiac Disease. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I lactose intolerance blood testing done in January of 04. They ran a panel for Celiac and it came back negative. At the time I was trying to figure out why I had such intestinal distress all the time. My doctor didn't mention a thing about the Celiac results. Later in the year when my own study focused on gluten intolerance I went back to the test and noted it had checked for celiac. Can it be found simply in blood tests?

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Yes, a blood test can tell you if you have celiac disease. The results can say you don't have it when you do. However, I believe that id the results say you have it then you truly do. You can also have a biopsy done to test for Celiac Disease and damage but you have to be consuming gluten to have this test give proper results.