What Are The Odds? It's Been 3 Months

[Casx]

Firstly, Hi everyone - I am a newbie here and warning this may be a long post! Thanks in advance for any responses.

I am currently undiagnosed with anything - am scared out of my mind and VERY sick, thanks to the public health care system here in Sydney Australia.

I am 25 years old and have always been very healthy and active weighing approx 65kgs (I am now 53kgs by no choice of my own).

When I was 3 years old I developed allergies to certain preservatives so always stuck with a fresh is best diet until I left home at 15.

When I was 22 I started developing random allergies, Hives from a plant I had touched previously, Certain berries, feminine hygiene products.

This year on my 25th birthday I went in to anaphylactic shock after taking penicillin for a tooth infection. I had never had an allergy to that medication previously.

My birthday was February - lets fast forward to March.

Early March I had what I believed was a bout of food poisoning after eating at a thai restaurant - it passed very quickly with only mild nausea.

March 20- What I suspected was another case off food poisoning after consuming cabanossi, I had diaarhea - strong nausea and stomach cramps approx 24hrs later. It subsided but for the next few days had what felt like asthma and heart palpitations.

For the next 2 weeks I had several panic attacks. Here is what I have just realised - On April 1st I decided to go on a clean eating plan and subsequently it contained little to no gluten and dairy. I only stuck with this diet for around 5 days as easter was approaching and my father was staying over easter (He is a massive beer drinker so I thought I would have a few with him).

April 7th - I went back to eating my normal type food - later that evening I again felt like I had food poisoning, I was on the couch for hours sweating, feeling weak and stomach pains - but came good soon after.

April 8th - I woke up and felt quite anxious. My dad arrived later that afternoon, I had a beer with him and made us a lamb roast and vegetables with packet seasoning and gravy. Soon after dinner my mouth went watery and I had what I can only describe as some type of blood sugar spike, I was pacing, felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin and couldn't calm down - 2 hrs later it passed so I went to bed.

April 9th - 3am as I am trying to sleep my legs started shaking uncontrollably, I got up and paced the house for an hour and a half and drank some lucozade. It wouldn't stop so I sped to my local hospital, they discharged me a few hrs later with no findings except my blood pressure and blood sugar was slightly high. I later found out my Free T4 was slightly elevated - I had a follow up thyroid panel which was normal.

For the next week I lay on the couch barely able to sleep with what felt like adrenaline pumping through me, sweating lacking appetite and feeling strange.

April 19th - I went back to the ER and was given a diagnosis of anxiety, given sleeping tablets (which i didn't take ) and sent home. This is when all the BIG problems started. on the way home we decided Mcdonalds it was for dinner as it was late. I took one bite of my have big mac and couldn't swallow, instantly felt sick and had to spit it out.

The next day I felt I had a lump in my throat or a hair - this feeling still hasn't subsided.

I continued to have swallowing difficulties and nausea after eating, keeping in mind most of my foods contain gluten.

By Mid May the nausea turned into randomly regurgitating on my stomach contents and choking/gagging attacks?

June 4th I was admitted into hospital for 2 weeks, I had a gastroscope with no findings apart from testing positive to H pylori, I can't go through the eradication until I gain some weight and am able to keep down 8 pills a day, I was assured my symptoms alone were not from H pylori.

I have had 7 full blood counts, an ultrasound, a gastroscope, thyroid panels and stool tests with no findings.

I am weak, Pale, thin, my blood pressure is extremely low and I can barely eat due to feeling so sick.

I am now scared to eat pretty much anything, My diet consists of a few pieces of toast a day and maybe picking on fruit.

Oh i did get the hospital to do a blood test for Celiac - they tested IgA? it was <1 and I don't think they took a biopsy for celiac, just for viruses I believe.

My question is What are the chances it is a gluten intolerance given my symptoms? and would it just come on suddenly like this? It has been 3 long months and I am sick of being sick! I am now housebound, agoraphobic and severely depressed due to not being able to eat or control getting sick.

When I stopped eating gluten for that week and started again, could it have gradually gotten worse?

[ravenwoodglass]

If you are done with testing for celiac then you may want to go ahead and give the diet a good strict try for at least a couple of months to see if it helps. It would be a good idea to go with whole foods and avoid both dairy and soy at first.

Sorry you are feeling so badly and hope this resolves soon.

[Casx]

Thanks ravenwoodglass. I forgot to mention the bubbling intestinal noises, gas, belching and the list goes on!

Can I ask why I would need to give up soy and dairy? its just I can't afford to lose much more weight is this a must?

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks ravenwoodglass. I forgot to mention the bubbling intestinal noises, gas, belching and the list goes on!

Can I ask why I would need to give up soy and dairy? its just I can't afford to lose much more weight is this a must?

Many of us are lactose intolerant at diagnosos because of the damage to the villi. Others are casien intolerant in addition to the gluten. You could go with just hard cheeses and yogurt at first and see how it goes. Both are going to be lactose free or close to it naturally.

Quite a few of us are intolerant to soy and it is in a lot of the specialty gluten free foods. Once you have had a bit of time symptom free you could add it back in and see if you tolerate it well.

When we are first on the diet it is best to go with whole unprocessed foods as much as we can. It seems to help us heal the fastest but for those who are not used to cooking it can seem daunting at first.

[Skylark]

Thanks ravenwoodglass. I forgot to mention the bubbling intestinal noises, gas, belching and the list goes on!

Can I ask why I would need to give up soy and dairy? its just I can't afford to lose much more weight is this a must?

You can try simple gluten-free first. I usually suggest people give up dairy, then soy, then corn if they don't feel well off gluten.

[Casx]

I just started gluten free yesterday - so fingers crossed!

Would I get sick just so quick if it is celiac?

Are my symptoms a common tale?

[Casx]

ALso How long do you think it would take to see some symptom improvement? The nausea is chronic

[Skylark]

Some celiacs get REALLY sick from gluten, and some react to wheat within minutes. Other people take as long as 48 hours to react. It's all very individual. Everyone's reactions are different too.

I have reacted pretty fast to gluten becasue I'm slightly allergic as well as the celiac style reactions. Last time I got really glutened, when someone lied to me about a beer sauce, I had an asthma attack on top of stomach trouble for the next couple days. Have you looked into wheat allergy testing?

[eatmeat4good]

I just started gluten free yesterday - so fingers crossed!

Would I get sick just so quick if it is celiac?

Are my symptoms a common tale?

Your symptoms are a very common tale.

Your description of symptoms, illness, and reactions is very much like what I went through for 8 years.

However, you are a little smarter than I am.

You figured it out in less than 3 months.

Yes, it can come on fast.

And it can stay around forever if you don't figure it out.

I guess that is why I was a nervous, depressed, agoraphobic, fat Celiac, groggy and at times delirious with illness for all of those 8 years. I thought I was going to die from this.

It was almost 2 years ago when I came here and figured it out.

I could barely walk when I came here to c.com. But you should see me now!

Recovery takes time, but I am completely and totally normal now.

I went dancing Saturday night for the first time in 10 years.

It felt wonderful...I danced all night....and was just giddy with joy about having my life back.

Soy is really bad for people. Google it. If you are sick, you don't want to do that to your body. This is my opinion, but also my experience. Soy makes me feel lousy.

Gluten is the main poison, but those other intolerances can keep you sick.

Takes time to figure them all out though.

Welcome to the board.

I hope you give gluten free a good solid try.

It sounds like it helped you when you were without wheat.