Just Want Answers

[Ifd22]

Brief history. I am a 39 year old male. I started running about a year ago, went from 180 pounds to 140, ran my first half marathon in October of 2011. I quit frankly felt like I was 18 again, felt great.

Then comes November, routine physical shows that I'm mildly anemic, but all other numbers are perfect. Doctor thinks anemia is from running, puts me on tablet iron, then. Liquid iron. Both of these cause constipation and discomfort, and bleeding which puts me in the icu in late december with a hemoglobin of 6. Endoscopy, colonoscopy, and abdominal ct done. All negative. I receive a round of iv iron, and I'm beck to normal feeling good, and running again.

Now fast forward to 3 Weeks ago, I begin to get very intense pain on the right side of my abdominal which moves lower as time passes. Doc decides to due a capsule endoscopy and finds lots of ulcers in my small intestine. So the blood loss is answered, but he is not sure what caused the ulcers, but wants to blame it on my aleve use, problem is I was taking maybe 2 aleve a week, definitely not a chronic user. I ask about celiac and he doesn't think so.

I have since been put on a heavy dose of ulceret Collitus meds. I had my family doc run the celiac antibody test and a number of nutrition analysis test, but have yet to get the results. I now have a fairly constant burning feeling in my lower abdomin and increasing joint pain.

I started a gluten free and now a lactose free diet about a week ago with little relief.

My question is, has anyone had small intestine ulcer problems due to celiac, and if I am celiac, how long should I expect for the symptoms to improve.

I have not ran in about two months and my appetite is through the roof, I eat everything in site (gluten free), but have gained no weight, so I am fairly confident I have an absorption problem.

Thanks so very much for any help anyone can offer.

[ciamarie]

I'm not sure about the ulcerative colitis, but the other things certainly are symptoms of celiac. I'm not sure, but it may be the meds would affect your symptoms also, are they gluten-free? Hopefully someone who's more familiar with the ulcer question will stop by.

As for how long it will take for symptoms to improve, it can vary. (I know, that's not a helpful answer...) For some of my symptoms (joint pain, brain fog and fatigue), I feel or felt much better in just 3-4 days. For the DH (itchy skin rash) it took over 3 months, and it's not totally gone yet after a little over 4 months gluten-free, though it is 1000 times better.