Can This Happen?

[Jenni121]

Hi all

Something strange has happened this week and I'm wondering whether it could be related to coeliac disease.

I was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago (after biopsy). My only symptom prior to being diagnosed was low iron. I've never experienced any GI symptoms or anything like that.

Have been gluten free since diagnosis.

For 3 days now I have had the worst pain in my upper abdomen, that goes through to my back. I can't bend over or lift my legs, it hurts too much. I also feel constantly nauseous and have to force myself to eat at mealtimes (I've never had this, I'm a big eater).

I went to a dr who said it could be a mild case of gastro. But I'm not vomiting and don't have diarrhea.

Could it be that by eliminating gluten I've now become super sensitive to it? Could this be how my body is going to react now to being glutened? I can't remember eating anything dodgy but I guess I could have.

Just hoping to find an explanation for this awful pain.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

[RollingAlong]

Based on my husband's experience, it seems like anything can happen in the first 6 months or so without it meaning anything in terms of your long term reaction to gluten. What I am trying to say is that it would be perfectly normal for you to be "super sensitive" to just about anything at this point. Some examples - coffee, pepper, spices, too much fat in one meal, etc. He did better on a plain simple diet, the Paleo diet.

You're healing up and you just have to be careful about gluten and hang in there. You sound terribly uncomfortable. Perhaps a version of the BRAT diet for a few days or some home made chicken broth?

I hope you feel better very soon.

[mommida]

That could also be gallbladder. If you are still feeling this sick you should go in to the doctor.

[T.H.]

The pain, when it's in your back, is it in the same place as your kidneys? Could it be that it's going from back to front rather than front to back? It sounds a bit like a kidney infection or kidney stone, which can also involve severe nausea as well as pain.

Did the doctor check for anything along those lines? It might be worth asking about, especially if the pain has been pretty constant these few days. Kidney stones can be an issues for some Celiacs (some information about that here:

Open Original Shared Link ).

I had a kidney stone about a year after going gluten free and had sharp, nasty pain and nausea as my own symptoms. I thought at first that it was originating from my gut, the nausea was so bad.

[Korwyn]

Yes to your question about becoming super-sensitive, but I had the same first thoughts T.H. and mommida did. Kidney or gallbladder. If it has persisted for more than a couple days like this after seeing your Dr. I would strongly recommend you get back in there and insist on a more through diagnosis. Sharp pains penetrating all the way through your abdominal cavity are not something I would just ignore if it were me.

[Jenni121]

Thanks for the replies. Went to the dr twice, still no answer. Not kidney or gallbladder related, he was thinking appendix or gastro. In any event, the pain and nausea were gone when I woke up this morning. I'm stumped. Maybe a 4 day bug? Guess I'll never know.

Thanks again for replying, it was only after reading your theories that I made the doctor look into kidneys, gallbladder etc. I really hate paying $70 to be told "just leave it a few more days and see how you are then". I'm far too inpatient and hate being sick!

[T.H.]

Very glad you are feeling better, but oh so frustrating not to know what it is. Argh.

It would be so much easier if our bodies just came with an instruction booklet that had troubleshooting in the back!