Question About Symptoms

[ambley79]

In the past two years I have been told that I have IBS, acid reflux, I need my gallbladder taken out, and that I have a hyperactive thyroid. It all started back in September of 2003 I had my first real pain that I went to the doctor for. It was intense pain on my right side, acid taste in my mouth, nausea, headache. They told me it was my gallbladder and that I needed to have it removed asap. My 2nd opinion doctor said it was not my gallbladder that I had IBS that was flared up and possibly acid reflux. He put me on Nexium for 10 weeks and it went away for about six months until Easter weekend. When it flared up, I went back to the doctor and he told me to take antacids when the acid taste bothers me and to take Pepcid and advil when the side pain gets intense and to use a heating pad. When it happens it is so intense that I cannot sit, stand, walk, lay down on my back, lay down on my stomach. I have to move around in positions and usually find it most bearable to curl up like an infant with my belly kind of hanging in the air with my head & legs on the bed. The symptoms that are always there when this happens is severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diahrrea, strong acid taste in my mouth & throat, headache, small sores (usually two) in my mouth that feel like I've bitten my tongue (I assumed it was from the vomiting), I also feel really hot and then I feel really cold. It seems that these really bad incidences happen about 4-7 months apart and I have slight occurrences in between. It last happened on July 16, the last day of our honeymoon in Jamaica. The only thing that I can think of is that sometimes I have a good bit of bread or something like at the Italian restaurant there two nights before it happened. This last time it occurred, when we landed at the airport here my husband had to rush me to the ER because I had a bad headache, vomitting, diahrrea, fever on the plance ride home. The ER said my white blood cell count was really high and gave me 2 IVs and sent me home thinking I had a bacteria from Jamaica. After reading the article in Fitness magazine on the way there, I am thinking it may have just been a continuation of the flare up the night before. I have a call in to my doctor to see if he thinks I should be tested for Celiac. I am so glad I found this board and hopefully will have a real diagnosis soon! I just want to know what is wrong with me!

[Jnkmnky]

Schedual an appt for a blood test for celiac asap. Then you can start the diet. But don't start the diet before testing. You can ruin the testing results. And yes, you sound like you could have Celiac. There are 200+ symptoms associated with C.D.

[Carriefaith]

You should be tested for celiac disease. I would request the celiac blood panel from your doctor and if he/she won't do it, I would find a doctor that will. Your symptoms are very typical of celiac disease and it should definately be ruled out as a potential possibility for your problems.

When it happens it is so intense that I cannot sit, stand, walk, lay down on my back, lay down on my stomach. I have to move around in positions and usually find it most bearable to curl up like an infant with my belly kind of hanging in the air with my head & legs on the bed.

I can also get very severe abdomainal pain after a gluten accident; however mine is in the upper middle region. I never used to get pain like that until I was off gluten for a while and then got contaminated. Now I get it everytime I get contaminated , sometimes it is bad and others it is only mild. My pain gets so bad sometimes that I cannot move or else the pain is totally unbearable. The only thing that works for me to make me feel somewhat "comfortable" during the pain is to lay down and try and stretch my stomach and rub the painful area.

[KaitiUSA]

Celiac is definitely something to suspect with the symptoms you have. You should be tested ASAP. The tests to ask for are the following:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

Gallbladder problems, thyroid disorders, and what you are talking about are connected with untreated celiac. Going gluten free can help those problems too.

I have Graves Disease(hyperthyroid) and being on the diet straightened my thyroid out without having to take meds. Now, they will keep an eye on it because it could change but the diet does help with the things that celiac has caused.

[ambley79]

Thanks for the input. I am going to see my doctor on Friday and we will talk about the testing. He is not the same doctor who treated me about the gallbladder/acid reflux/IBS but the one who treated me for the thyroid problems. I hope he can do the testing Friday when I'm there.