Do I Have The Symptoms For Celiac

[PamS]

Hello,

I am new to your forum and I have been reading as much as I can to try and understand the symptoms that I have. Im hoping a little more help from the forum can lead me to think I might have Celiac. I will try to explain my situation without rambling to much.

My life changed for the worse right after I found out I was pregnant. That was almost 19 years ago. I have 2 children my son who is 18 and my daughter who is 15. No sooner did I find out that I was pregnant I had morning sickness all day and all night long for 6 and half months of my pregnacy. I could not eat, and I lived on liquid gravel 24/7 just to try to stop that constant sick feeling. I threw up so much that only bile was coming up most of the time and I even burned the back of my throat with so much acid coming up. Right after I started to feel better I was diagnose with gestational diabetes.(However during my second pregancy I was just as sick, I did not have the gestational diabetes). My delivery was horrible as I should of had a C section. (I am 5 foot 2 and I weigh 100lbs when I got pregnant). Both kids were well over 8lbs and healthy. Few weeks after having my son, thats when everything started to happen. I was doubled over in pain because my colon was spasming (so they said) I had diarrhea all the time. I went and saw a specialist who did a colonoscpy, put me on a high fat diet and did a bowel test. They came back with IBS. So I went with that. I would not eat if we went out on day trips. I would not go anywhere if there wasn't a bathroom. I would get all nervous and anxious if I did not see a washroom near by. I lived on imodium. Imodium was my friend who gave me piece of mind. Now that I have lived with this for so long, things have changed some what. For the past 10years or so, my worst time is in the morning now. It starts right after I eat my breakfast. Sometime it can be diarrhea, or just soft loose bowel movments. I usually go 3x in the morning. Cramps, and no way I can hold it. If I need to make plans to go somewhere early in the morning, you will have to give me at least 3hrs to allow my stomach to empty. Sometime the cramps are bad that my stomach feels tired afterwards. Like you've over done exercise. But mostly it just feels heavy. If I have lingering cramps afterwards, I will take imodium. For some reason imodium makes my stomach feel like it has no issues at all. I however try not to use it to much anymore. Sometimes I have cramps and they feel like menstrual cramps. It really sucks cause I can't work outside of my home town and I will not make any plans in the morning, because we won't get there on time. I am tired all the time. and when I eat, my stomach bloats, I can look pregnant again. I was schedule for a physical, so I thought I would mention all that has been going on because I am 42yrs old and I want to enjoy my life and beable to do things in the morning with my friends and family. I fast before my blood test as it was my physical and she decided to test for Celiac disease. That test came back negative, but I my B12 was low so now I am taking supplement for that. She also put me on a probiotic to see if that will make a differnce(been on it for 2wk and I haven't notice a differnce). I don't like to drink dairy products, the only dairy product I will have is cream in my coffee, or cheese on my pizza or burger. I just bought a home celiac test kit to try and see what results that will bring me. They told me it would be 99% accurate. I am not schedule to see my doctor again until next month to go over the test results etc. Im not sure what to think. I want it to be something, so I can try and live a happier life.

[eatmeat4good]

You could do a gluten free diet and then challenge by eating gluten. That completely did it for me. I was sick as a dog on any tiny amount of gluten so I didn't challenge it for long. It is sometimes very clear after you eliminate it. All of your symptoms are consistent with Celiac. I had the same long terribly ill pregnancies too for what it is worth. My kids were 9 lbs. and 8 lbs. I did have C-sections but remianed terribly ill for the first year of their lives and moderately ill for the rest of the years. I'm 48...gluten free one year and living my life for the first time ever. If you can't get a diagnosis...just do the diet and take back your life.

[PamS]

You could do a gluten free diet and then challenge by eating gluten. That completely did it for me. I was sick as a dog on any tiny amount of gluten so I didn't challenge it for long. It is sometimes very clear after you eliminate it. All of your symptoms are consistent with Celiac. I had the same long terribly ill pregnancies too for what it is worth. My kids were 9 lbs. and 8 lbs. I did have C-sections but remianed terribly ill for the first year of their lives and moderately ill for the rest of the years. I'm 48...gluten free one year and living my life for the first time ever. If you can't get a diagnosis...just do the diet and take back your life.

Thanks for your reply. That's what I am planning on doing after I see the Doctor again. I need to do something, because I am so unhappy on missing out on so many things. Even a business trip was so hard on me, that I said I would not go again. I am an identical twin and she has no health issues at all, but my Aunt on my mom side was just diagnose with Celiac..

[kendon0015]

Have you had a stool test? I just had one after 9 months of misery (needed to know where every bathroom was) and found out that I have a C diff infection. Seems that your problems started when in the hospital as many of those infections start. A blood test is not enough, please get checked for bacterial and/or parasitic infections...and don't wait any longer.

[AVR1962]

You could go off gluten as an experiment to see if it makes a difference. This is what I did, and in 3 weeks I knew. I then went off dairy and found it too was giving me issues. So definatley no harm done by going off and just seeing what happens.

If you decide to test, or doc wants you to test, you will have to be on gluten....docs vary on time, mine said 2 months. Testing is not real accurate so it boils down to doing what is best for you.

[PamS]

You could go off gluten as an experiment to see if it makes a difference. This is what I did, and in 3 weeks I knew. I then went off dairy and found it too was giving me issues. So definatley no harm done by going off and just seeing what happens.

If you decide to test, or doc wants you to test, you will have to be on gluten....docs vary on time, mine said 2 months. Testing is not real accurate so it boils down to doing what is best for you.

Thanks everyone!. I really enjoy reading everything about this site. It helps to know that your not alone in all this, though it really seems like I am.

I will be waiting first before I stop all gluten until I see the Doctor again. I did the celiac home test and it came back negative too. My Doctor has done a stool test as well. We will see what that comes back with. Im tired of it all. Im tired of being tired and being judged all the time because people don't understand.

Thanks to everyone for listening

[PamS]

You could go off gluten as an experiment to see if it makes a difference. This is what I did, and in 3 weeks I knew. I then went off dairy and found it too was giving me issues. So definatley no harm done by going off and just seeing what happens.

If you decide to test, or doc wants you to test, you will have to be on gluten....docs vary on time, mine said 2 months. Testing is not real accurate so it boils down to doing what is best for you.