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  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Does Fluttering or Twitching In Lower Abdomen Mean Celiac Disease?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    I have been getting this feeling for the past few days, where my lower abdomen will start to twitch/flutter/spasm, not sure what to call it exactly.

    Does Fluttering or Twitching In Lower Abdomen Mean Celiac Disease? - Image: CC BY-ND 2.0--bradkeb
    Caption: Image: CC BY-ND 2.0--bradkeb

    Celiac.com 10/17/2019 - One of the most common general questions about celiac disease that we get on our forum is the question of whether fluttering or twitching in the abdomen is related to celiac disease.

    As Victoria6012 wrote:

    • "I have been getting this feeling for the past few days, where my lower abdomen will start to twitch/flutter/spasm, not sure what to call it exactly. If I put my hand on my stomach I can feel it, and I can also see it when I look in the mirror as it happens. Can anybody tell me if they've experienced something like this before? I'm afraid there's something wrong with me."

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    The short answer is 'no.' There is currently no science to show that such symptoms are related to celiac disease.

    In response to the question, contributor Bellabee wrote:

    • "I just read an article that stated that there’s a main artery that goes straight down from the heart to the very low abdomen. It will flush blood fast after a large meal, when your (sic) pregnant as to pump blood to fetus and in some rare cases it’s an aortic aneurism. The last is obviously quite scary. So going to the Dr is wise. If it an aneurism they can be resolved when caught early."

    Bellabee is likely correct here. Blood flow to the stomach can change depending on food intake, and blood flow fluctuations are the most likely culprit of any abdominal fluttering or twitching.

    Fluttering or twitching in the abdomen is not a typical symptom of celiac disease, or a sign of a "flare-up" or celiac reaction to gluten. However, because celiac disease symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, it's possible that in some cases it is related. In most cases it's likely a natural result of digestion, or indigestion. Of course, if the condition persists or becomes uncomfortable, it's good to check with a doctor.


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    Guest javajava

    Posted

    2 hours ago, trents said:

    I'm not clear on what it is you want to convey to the doctors. Do you refer to the fluttering sensation or a desire to broach the idea with them of possibly having celiac disease and wanting to be tested for it?

    A number of people on this forum have complained about fluttering in the upper abdomen, usually around the bottom of the rib cage. I do not think this would be considered a classic celiac disease symptom, however. Stomach pain would be.

    When your endoscopy was done, do you know if the took a biopsy of the small bowel lining to check for damaged villi in the lining of the SB? Damage to the villi would be solid evidence of celiac disease. There are also blood antibody tests for celiac disease which is usually done before an endoscopy/biosy of the small bowel. Elevated antibodies are indicators of damage to the small bowel lining. The most important antibody test for celiac disease is the TTG_IGA test. There are also home tests kits available for around $100 where you take a stool sample and send it off to a lab.

    I am wanting all the doctor visits and tests to come to an end result.  The fluttering is a new symptom that led me to this discussion forum but I havent had a TTG_IGA test.  I am looking for advice on how to approach doctors with these symptoms and get the right testing done.  I was prior military where I avoided doctors because the solution was always ibuprofen and go back to work so I have no real reference point on how or what to say to my docs.  I tell them these symptoms and they do more blood tests and tell me I am fine.  Its getting annoying.  At least in the military, being told I was fine was free.

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    Guest javajava

    Posted

    2 hours ago, trents said:

    I'm not clear on what it is you want to convey to the doctors. Do you refer to the fluttering sensation or a desire to broach the idea with them of possibly having celiac disease and wanting to be tested for it?

    A number of people on this forum have complained about fluttering in the upper abdomen, usually around the bottom of the rib cage. I do not think this would be considered a classic celiac disease symptom, however. Stomach pain would be.

    When your endoscopy was done, do you know if the took a biopsy of the small bowel lining to check for damaged villi in the lining of the SB? Damage to the villi would be solid evidence of celiac disease. There are also blood antibody tests for celiac disease which is usually done before an endoscopy/biosy of the small bowel. Elevated antibodies are indicators of damage to the small bowel lining. The most important antibody test for celiac disease is the TTG_IGA test. There are also home tests kits available for around $100 where you take a stool sample and send it off to a lab.

    As for my endoscopy, I was not informed of any damage to the villi but there was excess mucosa that was biopsied.  That biopsy didn't have any abnormal test results though.

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    trents

    I would just go to your physician and say, "I have stomach pain and I haven't been checked for celiac disease that I know of. Could we do that?" Print this out, circle the part about TTG IGA and hand it to the doc: Open Original Shared Link

    Edited by trents
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    Guest javajava

    Posted

    12 hours ago, trents said:

    I would just go to your physician and say, "I have stomach pain and I haven't been checked for celiac disease that I know of. Could we do that?" Print this out, circle the part about TTG IGA and hand it to the doc: Open Original Shared Link

    Thank you very much Trent.  I scheduled a follow up with my primary doc and will do this.

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    Guest v champ

    Posted

     'I've been experiencing the same fluttering feeling within the last 2 days.  I know i'm not pregnant and I had  part of my colon removed as a result of a flat  cancerous polyp 2 years ago.  I also notice  it seems to  occur after I eat. Could exercising  help  relieve this feeling?

     

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    Guest Alhen

    Posted

    I've been having flutters, and feeling like my abdomen is knotting and twisting into itself whenever I eat/drink anything. I have to tilt my head sideways sometimes to swallow, and I often have to stop eating after 5 bites to restart again later. I tested negative for Celiac, but has anyone ever had this? 

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    Scott Adams

    Although you may test negative for celiac disease, the test would not rule out gluten sensitivity...there is currently no test for GS.

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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