Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gi Symptoms & Behavior


Carpe227

Recommended Posts

Carpe227 Newbie

Hello! I'm brand new to the gluten free world and have been looking for answers. I went and got tested today (6 vials of blood!) from my family doctor and in a few weeks the results will come back, then the allergist, blah blah blah and etc. After reading a couple of posts, I'm glad I'm not alone with my weird mood swings and no longer feel like a hypochondriac! My roommate and friends believe that I am one since I have a headache every day and my stomach hurts after every meal. Nice support system eh? Haha.

So my symptoms, and I by no means have it as bad as some other people, but answers are comforting and help my confused mind.

When I eat a ton of bread I go through these very weird mood swings. I'll be best friends with everyone, feeling good etc, and then within a 5 minute turnaround, I turn into this straight up witch. This usually lasts for a couple of days (and it's mainly aimed at my roommate and the only adjective I can describe is loathing). Bloating happens in there and then the uncontrollable and never ceasing urge to pass wind. It's quite embarrassing. And then I go back to normal, until I have more gluten-rich meals. I'd say this happens at least once every two weeks.

Aside from that emotional rollercoaster, Sidenote, I literally went and got an epi pen when I found out that I'm HIGHLY allergic to peanuts. Like, go down the peanut aisle and my eyes start to water and my stomach starts to...burn? It feels like a feral cat was let loose and is scratching its way out...unsuccessfully. So recently, I've started to notice that I break out in hives and get the feral cat stomach after eating foods. Bananas, grape soda, gardetto's original mix, tortillas, mac and cheese, and more that I cannot think of at this moment. I love Buffalo Wild Wings and usually order the honey bbq crispy chicken wrap, and then suffer the acid reflux consequence a few hours later. Last week I took part in this and it triggered a migraine along with the FC stomach, hives, and a long night of being in serious discomfort.

Like I've mentioned, I am seen as a hypochondriac. It's extremely frustrating to have no one believe me, except for the quirky nurse today who finally found someone (moi) who has the same issues as herself.

Also, randomly, my left leg goes numb from time to time. I can be sitting cross legged, and only my left foot is numb - not my right. I don't have diabetes (was already tested) and just find it peculiar that this happens.

Sorry if this is a long post, like I've mentioned previously, just looking for answers/others who have similar symptoms.

  • 4 weeks later...

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Kamma Explorer

Hi Carpe...

My symptoms are mostly neurological but I seen your post and wanted to bump it up. Perhaps others with more similar symptoms will see it and respond.

You must have felt great after talking to the nurse and getting validation for your symptoms. :)

Welcome to the forum.

UKGail Rookie

Hi Carpe

I've only just seen your post. Your symptoms are fairly similar to mine. I wouldn't have said that major mood swings was my number one symptom, but it was definitely part of the mix. I rather find mood swings are worse now if I get glutened, rather than before I went gluten free. My major symptoms were migraine and chronic joint and muscle pain. Reflux, abdominal pain, gas and bloating were all there, and chronic, but never at the level where when I grumbled to a doctor, they always found some other cause (ovarian cysts, consitipation, appendicitis - the latter was a misdiagnosis, the others were problems secondary to gluten intolerance).

After suffering these chronic problems my whole adult life, things started to escalate about 3 years ago. The stomach issues got worse, the migraines got worse, and I suffered more frequent episodes of major migraine with vomiting and D, plus huge back and hip pain. Whilst I had always suffered from chronic fatigue, I managed it. This now got worse, and I started to feel really ill.

When it started to get worse, I had a frozen shoulder which took about a year of steriod injections, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy to recover. Then after another year, the other shoulder went. This time it did not respond to treatment, and that led by a circuitous route to my "diagnosis" which is presumed rather than confirmed because I am sero-negative to the antibodies and my doc asked me to trial a gluten free diet rather than send me for biopsy....During this time I would wake up and my arms would be numb. My shoulders are now recovered, and the numbness did go too, but I am still a bit creaky and these problems do flare up again quickly if i get glutened.

A few months before I went gluten free I developed chronic sinus pain (after having had a drippy nose for a couple of years). Then I suddenly started getting a photosensitive rash, then a burning rash on my face, then hives. The hives continued for a little while after going gluten free, and I noticed a reaction to either tomatoes or, more likely, nuts. This reaction to these foods did not last, and I no longer get hives or photosensitive rashes. The burning face comes and goes, and seems to vary with trace gluten exposure. The sinus pain and drippy nose has lessened but is still there after 6 months gluten-free. I have found that anti-histamines help with this. It is possible, even common, for celiac to go hand in hand with allergies. Sometimes the allergies will settle down once your system calms down once it has been on the gluten free diet for a while. IrishHeart has posted elequently on this issue on a number of occasions.

Whilst I wouldn't wish celiac on anyone, I do hope that you find the triggers for your symptoms and can successfully eliminate them.

  • 4 months later...
LauraB0927 Apprentice

I definitely had a lot of neurological symptoms before my diagnosis and they seemed to have gotten worse after going gluten free and accidentally being exposed. I had tingling in my hands and would get terrible cases of sciatica and would even faint - the doctors diagnosed me with syncope. All these random symptoms didnt make sense until I was diagnosed with Celiac. Now, when I get exposed to gluten, I become a raging b**** and my family just knows to clear out of the way. My fiance, bless his heart, has been very good about it and just understands that its going to happen - he runs, hides, and starts playing video games with his headset on.

No, you're not a hypochondriac and I think its pretty clear that you have issues with gluten which would definitely explain everything you're describing. Do your symptoms subside when you're not eating gluten? I think you have your answer right here! Welcome to the forum!!! :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      49

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

    3. - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    4. - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    5. - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      21

      Insomnia help

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,355
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Amy Immerman
    Newest Member
    Amy Immerman
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it.  Gluten is  the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part.  Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate  ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein.   Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat, and bran is the protective covering of the kernel.   Little to no gluten there.   Large amounts of lectins are in wheat germ and can cause digestive upsets, but not enough Gluten to provoke antibody production in the small intestines. Luckily you still have time to do a proper gluten challenge (10 grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks) before your next appointment when you can be retested.    
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
    • cristiana
      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep.  One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem.  Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read, do a sudoku or some other small task, and then go back to bed when she felt sleepy again.  I can't think it did her any harm - she lived  well into her nineties. Last week I decided to try a Floradix Magnesium supplement which seems to be helping me to sleep better.  It is a liquid magnesium supplement, so easy to take.  It is gluten free (unlike the Floradix iron supplement).  Might be worth a try.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.