I Need Some Help Please

[atown159]

Hi my name is Allen and I've been sick and miserable for the last 2 1/2 half months. It all started when one morning I ate panda express and then had a Latte from a local coffee shop. The moment I started drinking that Latte I felt so sick with nausea and burning upper abdominal pain. I fought out the pain and the nausea eventually subsided to where It was manageable. I felt a little better than evening and decided to play basketball and it all came back so quick. I went home thinking I had a flu or something else and just had Saltines and drank Ginger Ale for like a week. That week was hell because I couldn't eat anything and always felt nauseated from anything. Even water didn't make me feel good and I was always left with a burning aching pain in my upper abdominal region. This is all during my first year of college and I could barely go to school some days. I was finally able to start eating again about 2 weeks after the "latte" drink that has left me sick since. But no matter what I ate, it would make me feel nauseated and dizzy. After about a month of hell I finally started getting a hold of my symptoms a little better. I started taking ginger which helped the nausea a lot. I ate a little healthier more veggies and such but I never completely felt better. I never really had a problem with my bowel movements. From about the 15th of october to the 15th of november I started feeling better and better. I ate a lot of raw veggies and fresh foods. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN around november 16th i started getting constant lower abdominal pain and lower back pain on top of all the other symptoms after coming off of a cold. I'm at a complete loss now. I went to the er 3 times ( one was for a collapsed lung that i've suffered from before) The other two times they just ran the usual tests and said everything was normal ( CT Blood xrays etc) I also had a barium swallow test which showed I had reflux. I'm going to see a GI specialist very soon. I'm so lost

Here are my symptoms:

Upper abdominal burning pain (usually happens after eating certain foods)

Nausea ( On and Off but usually occurs every day)

Headaches ( One times was very severe after I ate oatmeal cookies)

Abdominal bloating

Abdominal Pain after having a bowel movement

Lower back pain

Floating Stool even if i don't eat that much fiber

Tingling feeling at tips of hands and feet

Very fatigued after eating

Sometimes i get full really quickly

Lower abdominal pain/back pain while sitting.

I just want to a normal kid again:( Can gluten REALLY CAUSE SUCH SEVERE SYMPTOMS?

[Wenmin]

Can gluten REALLY CAUSE SUCH SEVERE SYMPTOMS?

YES!!!!!

[Di2011]

Hi Allen,

Sorry to hear you are feeling so lousy

I guess by what you have described and the fact that you are here that you suspect gluten might be a problem.

You should consider keeping a diary of what you eat/drink (including brand names) and any subsequent reaction. It will be very useful when you go your GI appointment. Also take a written list of your symptoms (like you have written here for us). If you are having a rotten day you are likely to only tell the doc about how you feel there and then and not the whole picture.

There is a lot of energetic debate here about keeping gluten in the diet until all your tests/labs are done. Keep reading topics on here about testing because it is important that you are well informed about gluten if you suspect it.

How old are you? Do you live at home?

[Marilyn R]

Yes, and so can soy. Either/or can make you one sick puppy. Good luck.

[rosetapper23]

Because of the tingly fingers, I'm leaning towards celiac or gluten sensitivity...but you should probably eliminate soy and dairy for a while, too (and oats, because celiacs can be sensitive to oats even if they're gluten free).

In answer to your question, YES, celiac can cause the severe symptoms you describe. Many of us here can attest to that.

[atown159]

Thank you guys so much for the support! Yes I live at home at the moment. I was about to move out but then i got so sick all of a sudden . Some other symptoms i have are that I get really tired after I eat and i get really gassy from certain foods. I'm gonna start keeping a food diary

[Di2011]

Good positive action Allen !

Stay at home until you've sorted it out. It might takes some time so be patient with it. Get to that GI ASAP!!

Don't forget to keep a track of what you are drinking, and include brands of food/drink or where you ate etc. Detail where pain is, how much etc It's all about the details and will be very useful for you and to take to appointments.

I wish you well - you are on the right track to get there