My Story

[Peanutpie]

So I've been having stomach for years. At least 10 years. I'm horribly gassy all the time and go between diarrhea and constipation every day. I'm always bloated and have bad abdominal pains. I have very greasy stools and very smelly. I can't gain any weight and am always exhausted. I also get horizontal lines on my finger nails from time to time which I've been told is a vitamin deficiency.

In 2006 I went gluten-free while nursing my youngest child because she had reflux and my symptoms cleared up a lot. At the time I didn't stop to think Gluten was giving me problems and when I was done nursing started my regular diet.

In 2008 I was hospitalized from my regular doctor and had an abdominal CT done because of bad pain and chronic diarrhea. It showed nothing.

My doctor refused to do any blood tests and said that he wouldn't do a scope to check to celiac. He kept telling me it was IBS and I had to live with it.

In April of this year I started having gi bleeding and was referred to a general surgeon for a scope. They found polyps and took them off but because I was seeing a general surgeon he didn't check celiac. He didn't go beyond my stomach. I have severe reflux too. I've been anemic for over a year (my hemoglobin hanging out at an 11 for over a year)

The general surgeon said he thought I should see a GI doctor because I was beyond what he could help with.

SO yesterday I saw a GI doctor. He listened to everything I had to say and said off of the top of his head I either had A) Celiac or IBS. He made it known that because of being a woman and 27 that the IBS was much more likely but he ran a celiac blood panel yesterday (they took 3 vials of blood) Because I had an endoscopy already this year if my blood tests are positive? I can't get another scope this year unless it's an emergency, my insurance won't cover it.

He put me on an anti spasm medication and told me even if the celiac test came back normal that going Gluten Free helps a lot of people with IBS. He kept telling me it was IBS and said that 'if it's celiac I'll sit down with you because we'll have a lot to talk about'

I'll know in a week what my blood tests say but I've decided either way I'll go gluten-free, because it can't hurt and maybe I'll feel better too.

So that's where I am. Researching gluten-free stuff and waiting for the results of my blood tests