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Royally Screwed Up. Do You Get This Symptom?

GFreeMO

By GFreeMO
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

GFreeMO Proficient
GFreeMO
Posted

A few days ago I got my results back from my gastro. My liver enzymes are down. YAY! I was pretty excited about that b/c even though I am still dealing with stomach issues etc. it shows that the gluten free diet it working.

Friday at a party, I really messed up. I was eating a dip that the person told me that she made sure was gluten free...well come to find out she didnt know that the crab meat was not real crab and that it had wheat in it. Totally not her fault! I should have skipped it...anyway.

So now I have a migraine, bowel issues and what feels like a major UTI although it doesnt burn..it just feels like there is pressure on my bladder and feels a little like period cramps. Do any of you get period like cramps when you are glutened? I went to urgent care and I dont have a UTI...Just wondering if any of you get bladder and or period like cramping with gluten.

Thanks - MO

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cavernio Enthusiast
cavernio
Posted

I used to get all sorts of weird and whacky lower abdominal pains. Still do, and not just during my period. I used to get pain along left side where my colon is, but I still wonder if it wasn't kidney or feminine part related (ovaries, fallopian tubes, I dunno). It's 90% gone now, but I still get it sometimes. I was dx with IBS, but I think that's BS because, again, going gluten free it mostly went away and describing my stools as 'soft' apparently means I have diarhea even though I specifically say it's not diarhea. Also, my kidney tests always show up as fine but always have a note saying doesn't exclude damage.

I also get weird pains seemingly not period related almost next to my leg joint, sometimes a bit higher but really low in my abdomen and slightly off to the side. Have it right now, nagging pain that almost feels like cramps but not quite, there now that I think about it. Thanks a lot! :-p And always the left side. I also have a history of kidney issues from my mom's side of the family.

As to it being a gluten reaction though, I couldn't say. I got a rash and my mouth burns and I nerve pain in my periphery from what I can only guess is gluten, but that's it for immediacy, and that was never a confirmed glutening.

I've read that being a celiac and eating gluten can do a number on the kidneys though, so if you think you've had it awhile without being dxed you should probably look into it. And if you have kidney issues being a celiac you should be eating more calcium and meat etc, not less like they usually tell you for kidney damage.

GFreeMO Proficient
GFreeMO
Posted
  • Author

I've been checked for kidney issues. I recently had a ton of blood work done and nothing came back badly except for my liver enzymes which have since resolved with the gluten free diet.

I just get this bladder, period like cramps- lower intestinal pain when glutened and it hurts pretty badly.

Cave, sounds like we have very similar issues. Celiac can be so tricky sometimes.

shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

I know the feeling. I still get mild bladder issues when i'm really stressed.. Before that? Oh forget it. I'd have to go every half hour or so, run around feeling like i'm going to wet my pants (no fun!). It never came back as an issue with a UTI (checked many times). It seems to have stopped soon after my diet started. I still, on occasion, get it when i'm really stressed out.

Cave, after my period i get cramping. Its due to ovulation and it can get pretty bad. Mine is generally located near the hip area and takes a few days to go away. Its bad enough that all i wanna do is curl into a ball and sleep sometimes.

GFreeMO Proficient
GFreeMO
Posted
  • Author

I am starting to really think that gluten can effect the bladder somehow. I get my gluten cramps way down low though so it may all feel the same. Who knows...

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

MO, you are lucky it isn't a full-blown UTI. We are a celiac family, and my mother, my two sisters and I have all been plagued with constant UTI's all our lives. Even though I am gluten free (and don't get quite so many) I still get a lot of them. I have had so many courses of antibiotics that they are becoming antibiotic resistant. One of my sisters refuses to eat gluten free and she gets many more than I do now. I know this is anecdotal evidence only, but .....

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    • trents
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      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
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