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

After 7 Years, I Think I Got It

richarda83

Recommended Posts

richarda83 Newbie
richarda83
Posted

So after 7 years of going to doctor to specialists to surgeon, somehow I dont know how i missed this. As I am sure many of you have experienced, in your pursuit to discover the cause of your ailments, you get very excited when you THINK you found something, and then you look silly. At many points I have convinced myself that I have AIDs, lupus, sinusitis, gastritis, in need of lymph gland cleansing, had a larger than normal lymph node removed from my neck, had my deviated septum fixed to clear my sinuses, and rounds of antibiotics, antacids, anti fungal, etc.etc.

So fastforward to today, after NUMEROUS jobs, dropping out of college, failed relationships, and a quality of life my 90 year old grandman would feel sorry for, I believe I have found my ailment. I am willing to look silly, because never before have I realised that after I ate a piece of bread the pain in my stomach, irritability, eyes watering, hands and cold and whole body pretty much freezing, that I could be allergic to gluten. So i googled every symptom I suffer from and continued it with celiac disease and COUNTLESS search results came back. I have swollen lymph nodes that were biopsied non cancerous that have fluctuated in size minimally but emit sharp pains via the stomach. I have had sharp pains throughout my body, foggyness in my head, depression, SEVERE anxiety, hair loss, and paleness. I did have allergy testing done but I dont believe I ever had a gluten test done, and by the looks of it, a negative test is meaningless. All I know is after I ate that piece of plane bread today on an empty stomach, I felt like crap, and still feel tired. I just wanted to say to everyone that while I will not confirm my diagnosis until it is professionally given, I am very quite certain I will be a future member. While I do not look forward to a restricted diet for the rest of my life, I would give anything to finally end the 7 year misery that I have endured. I will be going in for testing tomorrow, and I actually hope I get the answer im looking for. Thanks!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Bubba's Mom Enthusiast
Bubba's Mom
Posted

It sure looks like you might be one of us?

Good luck with your testing. I hope you get some answers.

Be aware that 20-30% of us test negative in our blood work, but do in fact, have Celiac. There's also non Celiac gluten intolerance, so once your testing is done try gluten-free 100% and see how you do?

kittty Contributor
kittty
Posted

This sounds cruel, but I hope you do test positive for celiac. It's just incredible to have answers, after years of beating your head against a wall. I was also at the doctors office constantly, getting no solutions, being sent to random specialists, and being prescribed random medications with no relief. I still don't feel completely well five months later, but I feel so much better! Nothing has ever made me feel better before, and it's a long road of recovery ahead, but making progress feels awesome! I hope you start feeling better soon, and especially hope you get some relief for that anxiety - that symptom is my nemesis. I learned to deal with the pain, the diarrhea, the brain fog, but I NEVER could learn to handle the anxiety.

Good luck!

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

HI,

It sounds lie you could be one of us. Do get all the testing done that you want before going gluten-free. The tests will not work if you have stoped eating gluten before hand.

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.

Don't eat in restaurants

Eat only whole foods not processed foods.

Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.

Take probiotics.

Take gluten-free vitamins.

Take digestive enzymes.

Avoid dairy.

Avoid sugars and starchy foods.

Avoid alcohol.

FAQ Celiac com

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-celiac-disease/

Newbie Info 101

What's For Breakfast Today?

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

What Are You Cooking Tonight?

Dessert thread

Easy yummy bread in minutes

How bad is cheating?

Short temper thread

Non celiac wheat sensitivity article

Open Original Shared Link

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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. Jordan Carlson
      - Jordan Carlson posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      Fruits & Veggies

      Hello everyone! Been a while since I posted. The past few moths have been the best by for recovery for myself. I have been the least bloated I have ever been, my constant throat clearing is almost gone, I have stopped almost all medication I was prevously taking (was taking vyvanse for adhd, pristiq for anxiety,fomotadine/blexten for histamine...
    2. wellthatsfun
      - wellthatsfun posted a topic in Gluten-Free Recipes & Cooking Tips
      0

      heaps of hope!

      i know i've been rather cynical and sad about being fully diagnosed in june 2025, but my boyfriend has been consistently showing me the wonderful world that is gluten free cooking and baking. in the past couple of days he's made me a gluten free rice paper-wrapped spanakopita "pastry", plus a wonderful mac and cheese bechamel-ish sauce with gluten free...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to mamaof7's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      6

      Help understand results

      That test is saying that your daughter is not making normal amounts of any IGA antibodies. She's not making normal amounts of antibodies against gliadin, not against bacteria, not against viruses. She is deficient in total IGA, so the test for antigliadin antibodies is not valid. The test was a failure. The test only works if all different kinds of antibodies...
    4. knitty kitty
      0

      Vitamins I Take

    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      10

      Insomnia help

      @hjayne19, So glad you found the information helpful. I know how difficult my struggle with anxiety has been. I've been finding things that helped me and sharing that with others makes my journey worthwhile. I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex. It contains the easily activated forms of B vitamins needed by people with the MTHFR...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,996
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Gail Schoeninger
    Newest Member
    Gail Schoeninger
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jordan Carlson
      Fruits & Veggies

      By Jordan Carlson · Posted

      Hello everyone! Been a while since I posted. The past few moths have been the best by for recovery for myself. I have been the least bloated I have ever been, my constant throat clearing is almost gone, I have stopped almost all medication I was prevously taking (was taking vyvanse for adhd, pristiq for anxiety,fomotadine/blexten for histamine blockers and singulair). Only thing I take now is Tecta. I also no longer get any rashes after eating. Things are going very well. Most success came actually once I upped my B12 daily dose to 5,000 mcg. I do have one thing I am un able to figure out and want to see if anyone else has this issue or has experience working around it. Ever since I was born I have always had a issue getting fruits and veggies down. No matter how hard I tried, it would always result in gagging or throwing up. Always just thought I was a picky eater. Now that my stomach and system has healed enough that I can feel when something is off almost istantly, I notice that after eating most fruits (sometimes I am ok with bananas) and veggies, my stomach instantly starts burning and my heart starts to pound and I get really anxious as if my body doesnt know what to do with what just enetered it. So I am thinking now that this is what probably was going on when I was born and my body started rejecting it before which caused this weird sensory issue with it causing the gagging. Hoping someone has some exprience with this as well because I would love to be able to enjoy a nice fruit smoothie once in a while haha. Thanks everyone!
    • wellthatsfun
      heaps of hope!

      By wellthatsfun · Posted

      i know i've been rather cynical and sad about being fully diagnosed in june 2025, but my boyfriend has been consistently showing me the wonderful world that is gluten free cooking and baking. in the past couple of days he's made me a gluten free rice paper-wrapped spanakopita "pastry", plus a wonderful mac and cheese bechamel-ish sauce with gluten free pasta (san remo brand if you're in australia/if you can get your hands on it wherever you are).  those meals are notably gluten free, but mainly he's been making me easy gluten free meals - chili mince with white rice and sour cream, chicken soup with homemade stock from the chicken remains, and roast chickens with rice flour gravy and roast veggies. i'm a bit too thankful and grateful lol. how lucky could i possibly be? and, of course, for those who don't have someone to cook for them, it's quite easy to learn to cook for yourself. i've been making a lot of meals for us too. honestly, cooking is pretty darn fun! knowing basic knife skills and sanitary practices are all you really need. experimenting with spices will help you get on track to creating some really flavourful and yummy dishes. coeliac is a pain, but you can use it to your advantage. healthier eating and having fun in the kitchen are major upsides. much luck to all of you! let's be healthy!
    • knitty kitty
      Help understand results

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      That test is saying that your daughter is not making normal amounts of any IGA antibodies.  She's not making normal amounts of antibodies against gliadin, not against bacteria, not against viruses.  She is deficient in total IGA, so the test for antigliadin antibodies is not valid.  The test was a failure.  The test only works if all different kinds of antibodies were being made.  Your daughter is not making all different kinds of antibodies, so the test results are moot.  Your daughter should have the DGP IgG and TTG IgG tests done.   The tests should be performed while she is still consuming gluten.  Stopping and restarting a gluten containing diet can make her more sick, just like you refuse to eat gluten for testing.  Call the doctor's office, request both the IGG tests. Request to be put on the cancellation list for an appointment sooner.  Ask for genetic testing.   Celiac disease is passed on from parents to children.  You and all seven children should be tested for genes for Celiac disease.  Your parents, your siblings and their children should be tested as well.  Eating gluten is not required for genetic testing because your genes don't change.  Genetic testing is not a diagnosis of Celiac disease.  Just having the genes means there is the potential of developing Celiac disease if the Celiac genes are activated.  Genetic testing helps us decide if the Celiac genes are activated when coupled with physical symptoms, antibody testing, and biopsy examination. It's frustrating when doctors get it wrong and we suffer for it.  Hang in there.  You're a good mom for pursuing this!  
    • knitty kitty
      Insomnia help

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @hjayne19, So glad you found the information helpful.  I know how difficult my struggle with anxiety has been.  I've been finding things that helped me and sharing that with others makes my journey worthwhile. I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  It contains the easily activated forms of B vitamins needed by people with the MTHFR genetic variation often found with Celiac disease.   Avoid B Complex vitamins if they contain Thiamine Mononitrate if possible.  (Read the ingredients listing.)  Thiamine Mononitrate is the "shelf-stable" form of B 1 that the body can't utilize.  B vitamins breakdown when exposed to heat and light, and over time.  So "shelf-stable" forms won't breakdown sitting on a shelf in a bright store waiting to be bought.  (It's also very cheap.)  Thiamine Mononitrate is so shelf-stable that the body only absorbs about thirty percent of it, and less than that is utilized.  It takes thiamine already in the body to turn Thiamine Mononitrate into an active form.   I take MegaBenfotiamine by Life Extension.  Benfotiamine has been shown to promote intestinal healing, neuropathy, brain function, glycemic control, and athletic performance.   I take TTFD-B1 Max by Maxlife Naturals, Ecological Formulas Allthiamine (TTFD), or Thiamax by EO Nutrition.  Thiamine Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide (TTFD for short) gets into the brain and makes a huge difference with the anxiety and getting the brain off the hamster wheel.  Especially when taken with Magnesium Threonate.   Any form of Thiamine needs Magnesium to make life sustaining enzymes and energy.  I like NeuroMag by Life Extension.  It contains Magnesium Threonate, a form of magnesium that easily crosses the blood brain barrier.  My brain felt like it gave a huge sigh of relief and relaxed when I started taking this and still makes a difference daily.   Other brands of supplements i like are Now Foods, Amazing Formulas, Doctor's Best, Nature's Way, Best Naturals, Thorne, EO Nutrition. Naturewise.  But I do read the ingredients labels all the time just to be sure they are gluten and dairy free. Glad to help with further questions.  
    • trents
      Positive biopsy

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community @pothosqueen!   Can you be more specific about which IGA test was run that resulted in 114 score and said to be "normal" and could you please include the reference range for what would be normal? By the size of that number it looks like it may have been what we call "total IGA" but that test is not usually run without also running a TTG-IGA. Total IGA tests for IGA deficiency. If someone is IGA deficient, then the celiac-specific IGA tests like the TTG-IGA will be inaccurate. Was this the only IGA test that was run? To answer, your question, yes, a positive biopsy is normally definitive for celiac disease but there are some other medical conditions, some medications and even some food proteins in rare cases that can cause positive biopsies. But it is pretty unlikely that it is due to anything other than celiac disease.
×
×
  • 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.