New Here - Help?

[whattodonow]

Hi everyone, I stumbled upon this site while doing a google search. I have had stomach and anxiety issues my whole life. Everyone keeps telling me that the anxiety issues are what is causing my stomach issues but lately I have been thinking otherwise. Sometimes when I don't have anything in particular to worry about I start worrying after eating so I stope eating which makes things better for a little while until my stomach gets so empty that I feel sick and nauseous all over again. My doc recommended that I eat even if I don't feel hungry which has helped a bit but I am still getting that anxious/sick/nauseous feeling.

When I am feeling good, I get really hungry really quickly and then when I sit down to eat I get full really quickly. Then a few hours later I am FAMISHED again. So much so that if I don't eat right when I start feeling hungry I start to feel nauseous.

The majority of my diet currently consists of pasta and bread products because I am a college student and do not have access to quality meats much of the time.

I was recently tested for celiacs and it came back negative but I was thinking that a gluten-free diet might help. What do you guys think? Is it possible that I have a gluten sensitivity even if the test came back negative?

Any thoughts would be really appreciated. I am sick (no pun intended) of feeling this way and not having a doctor who can help me

[squirmingitch]

Many things could have caused the negative result. Either it truly is negative or it was a false neg. which happens a lot! The doc could have failed to do the FULL celiac panel which often happens. The doc may not have known how to interpret the tests which we have seen happen a lot. Many here had neg. blood & positive endoscopy. Ask your doc for a copy of the tests he did for celiac & post them here along with the reference ranges.

One thing is for sure; the gluten free diet will not hurt. You can test it out for a good solid 6 months. Make sure you do not get cross contaminated.

This will get you started:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

[rosetapper23]

squirmingitch is absolutely correct! With the testing process still so mysterious to most doctors, it's difficult to get a correct diagnosis. Also, of the many people I have met with either celiac or gluten sensitivity, I've noticed that the ones who were diagnosed with sensitivity largely complained of anxiety, depression, and other neurological difficulties in addition to digestive problems. So, whether you have celiac or gluten sensitivity, following a STRICT gluten-free diet would be my recommendation, too. I know it's difficult when you're in college, but a diet of fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, and gluten-free crackers with cheese or gluten-free cereals with milk can be easily followed. Can your family help if the expense is too much?

I think you're on the right track, and I think that once you've been on the diet for even a short a while, you'll gain so much energy and clearheadedness, you'll be able to see a way to make this diet work for you. Good luck! And let us know if you need any help, okay?

[whattodonow]

Thank you so much for your fast replies! I am happy I found this place. Most people say that I'm crazy and should just deal with the stomach aches or that my anxiety is causing me to have stomach aches but I don't think that is always true!

Here were the tests done:

Gliadin IgG/IgA Ab Prof, EIA

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgA 3 negative 0-19, weak positive 20-30, moderate to strong positive >30

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgG 4 negative 0-19, weak positive 20-30, moderate to strong positive >30

tTG IgA <2 negative 0-3, weak positive 4-10, positive >10

tTG IgG <2 negative 0-5, weak positive 6-9, positive >9

There were a lot more numbers and tests on the lab work but it seems to be for things other than gluten but I have no idea and this result sheet confuses me more and more every time I look at it! I'm not sure which tests are for celiacs and which tests are for other things...

I'm not sure what to do about being home for the summer. At school I have much more control of what I eat and of cross-contamination but at home I have very little control. Also, people seem to think that I am looking for things to be wrong with me and I should just suck it up. We go out to eat a lot and today I ordered a turkey burger with no bun but they brought it out with a bun and I took the bun off and ate it but I know that means it was cross-contaminated but I didn't want to make a big deal on father's day!