Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Severe upper abdominal pains

Katie71
 Share

Recommended Posts

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted

Prior to being diagnosed with Celiac, I experienced very severe upper abdominal pains.  Literally, I thought I was having a heart attack.  I was diagnosed with Celiac, four years ago and have been gluten-free since.  Every now-and-then, I will get the pains.  I attribute it to possible gluten contamination (mostly from restaurants).  Although, I have had these pains periodically for the last 3 days.  It is probably the worst pain I have ever experienced.  I wonder if it is something else?  Something not related to Celiac.  Does anyone else get upper abdominal pains this severe?  If so, what do you do to get rid of them?

 

Thank you.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

I too had some severe episodes which landed me in the emergency room at least twice. I also thought I was having a heart attack. 

For me it just took time, and a couple of years on the gluten-free diet. Since you are 4 years into the diet you probably should not be having such symptoms. You may need to look at other possible issues like food intolerance to milk, corn, soy, nightshades, etc., including consulting with your doctor about your symptoms.

Although this article is old, it could still be helpful to you:

 

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted
  • Author

Thank you Scott :)  I appreciate the info and the article.

trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

I would also consider possible peptic ulcer or GERD. If the pain is on the right upper side I would think about gallbladder issues.

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted
  • Author

Thank you Scott.  I had two gallbladder tests, prior to my endoscopy 4 years ago.  My PC suggested that I have my gallbladder removed.  I actually do one of the tests I had (hida scan) and know how inaccurate it can be.  My GI doc looked at both of my gallbladder scans and said my gallbladder was fine.  Thats when he did the endoscopy and blood test and discovered Celiac.  Anyway, who knows...all I know is the pains are awful :(.

I will ask my GI doc about the possibility of a peptic ulcer.  I currently take Protonix for GERD.

Thanks again for the info :)

 

 

Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

Just so you know there are some forum members who are heavily against proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) because they lower your stomach acid, which can cause other GI issues. If you have GERD it makes sense for your doctor to prescribe this, but it is possible that there are side effects, so be sure to look into that as well. 

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted
  • Author

Thank you Scott, I have read about PPIs in the past...maybe I will revisit :)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

I was on a PPI for 18 yr. and weaned myself off of them over about 5 months. Wasn't easy but I finally won that battle. GERD is very common in those with celiac disease and many get put on PPIs before they are diagnosed with celiac disease and never taken off them after celiac disease diagnosis when they may not need them anymore.

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted
  • Author

I actually asked my doc if I could stop taking them.  He said I shouldn't, because I had a lot of erosion at the bottom of my esophogus.  Although, that was four years ago, it could be healed now...idk..

DJFL77I Experienced
DJFL77I
Posted

try drinking a lot of green tea.... its good for anti inflammation

Katie71 Rookie
Katie71
Posted
  • Author

Thank you :)  I occasionally drink chamomile tea, but I will definitely try green tea.  Thanks for the info :)

 

Amy28 Newbie
Amy28
Posted

Yes yes yes, a thousand times yes. I've had terrible, random stomach pains for at least the last 20 years. It is always centered in my diaphragm area, and usually feels like I've done about 5,000 setups. The incidents were maybe 1-2 times per year, then maybe 4-5 times per year, then closer together over the last few years. During the pandemic, it was so bad that I had three incidents over 10 days. At that point my doctor said we were going to start over completely fresh and run a full blood panel.

Imagine my surprise when my tests came back for an insanely high celiac panel and was confirmed by biopsy within the week.

I wasn't convinced that these pains that I've even having for 20 years were related to celiac. But I didn't have any episodes for the two months I have been gluten free. Until this weekend! I have been out of town and eating restaurant food for most of the two weeks. Is it possible I was glutened? Yes. Or is it something else? I don't know!

But interesting that someone else has this issue because I always sound crazy when I describe it to people or try a Google search for "diaphragm pain" that yields nothing except "it's your gallbladder" or "you have GERD," both of which have been ruled out. :)

Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

Gluten exposure in restaurants, even if they have a gluten-free menu, is very common. Just have a look at the articles below. If you do eat outside your home, like my family does, I recommend AN-PEP enzymes like those in GliadinX (full disclosure, they are a Celiac.com advertiser--but do not pay me to promote them in my forum--I run their ad because I have read the many studies that show they actually break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach, before it reaches the intestines). This forum topic covers this if you want to know more:

 

 

 

Posterboy Mentor
Posterboy
Posted
On 11/23/2020 at 2:37 PM, Katie71 said:

Prior to being diagnosed with Celiac, I experienced very severe upper abdominal pains.  Literally, I thought I was having a heart attack.  I was diagnosed with Celiac, four years ago and have been gluten-free since.  Every now-and-then, I will get the pains.  I attribute it to possible gluten contamination (mostly from restaurants).  Although, I have had these pains periodically for the last 3 days.  It is probably the worst pain I have ever experienced.  I wonder if it is something else?  Something not related to Celiac.  Does anyone else get upper abdominal pains this severe?  If so, what do you do to get rid of them?

 

Thank you.

Katie71,

Your doctor can diagnose you (or at least tip themselves off) by where your Abdominal pain is....

And you can too (now that you have this handy dandy chart) to guide you....

This chart will give you a clue of what could be causing your Abdominal pains...

https://www.bing.com/search?q=stomach ulcer painful to touch&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=stomach ulcer painful to touch&sc=1-30&sk=&cvid=180293CC5233424A8C6255E9B3834BE8

I also recommend this healthline article that explainns in paragraph form many of the same things...

https://www.healthline.com/health/abdominal-pain

with helpful links at the top for helping you navigate the article....including one for location of your abdominal pain and when to seek medical help.

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,413
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Leslie Smith
    Newest Member
    Leslie Smith
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.2k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Waiting on Blood test results…

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It looks like they will now order the Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibody test, but verify this with your doctor.
    • trents
      Reaction to gluten or gastro bug?

      By trents · Posted

      I think you know enough to conclude that your son either has celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). As soon as you removed gluten from his diet his stools firmed up. It is also very common for celiacs to be intolerant of dairy and soy, so that is another piece of corroborating evidence. If I were you, I would consider getting your sone genetically tested for the genes we know are associated with celiac disease. There are two main genes looked for, HLADQ2 and HLADQ8. Having either or both provides the potential for developing celiac disease. But since about 40% of the general population have one or both of the genes it cannot be used to diagnose celiac disease. But it can be used as a rule out measure if both are absent, thus pointing one in the direction of NCGS. If one or both are present, there is the possibility of either celiac or NCGS. NCGS is 10x more common than celiac disease by the way. The two conditions share many common symptoms. The difference being that NCGS does not damage the lining of the small bowel as does celiac disease. Celiac disease is actually an autoimmune disorder. At any rate, both conditions require a gluten free diet so, at the end of the day, that is the antidote for both. Some experts feel that NCGS can be a precursor to the development of celiac disease.  I would also make mention of the fact that once gluten is removed from the diet and then added back in for the gluten challenge, reactions are often more violent as all tolerance has been lost.
    • cristiana
      Reaction to gluten or gastro bug?

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hello @Beck1430 and welcome to the Forum. I am sorry your little boy is going through this. Your question is an interesting one.  I would say the majority of posts I have read since joining this forum speak of a fairly quick reaction, and that has been my own experience.  The only major gluten hit I've had in more recent times resulted in chills, dizziness and vomiting about 2-3 hours after eating gluten.  It was truly horrible.  The fact that I vomited was new for me - I didn't get diarrhea which had been my classic reaction in the past.  It was as if in going totally gluten free my body has decided to react more violently to gluten, and quite differently.  Reactions can change over time - the fact that your son is reacting differently doesn't necessarily mean that gluten isn't the culprit. Anyway,  this study is interesting in that it states that it is possible to react 12 hours later. https://www.schaer.com/en-us/a/how-long-after-eating-gluten-do-symptoms-start#:~:text=A survey published in Alimentary,by 12 hours or more. I am afraid the only way you will probably know for sure is to repeat the challenge again, but I can completely understand your reluctance to do that.  I wonder if I can ask a couple of questions: Regarding the rash - has that also subsided since giving up gluten?   There are quite a lot of photos of dermatitis herpetiformis to see online, I wonder if you think what your son had/has was similar? Also, do you have coeliac disease in the family?  It is inherited and if you have others in the family, that could point more strongly to your son having coeliac disease. Cristiana
    • Beck1430
      Reaction to gluten or gastro bug?

      By Beck1430 · Posted

      Hi there, I'm looking for some advice for my 2 year old. After he turned one he started eating more foods like pasta and breadsticks and our supermarket finally started to stock a soy free bread (he has an intolerance to dairy and soy) so he started eating bread for the first time.  He began having foul, loose nappies, which I assumed must be teething, but this went on and on for a couple of months. Coupled with that, he started having patches of red scaly skin, a little bit like eczema but more widespread. He was also very tired and quite miserable. Given that it all coincided with him starting to eat a lot more gluten, his dietician recommended I eliminate gluten to see what happened. His poos immediately changed back to normal and were finally formed, and he’s been off gluten since last summer.   Fast forward 6 months and we did a wheat challenge yesterday, giving him a small breadstick at about 11am. He seemed ok through the day but 11pm he woke up vomiting, and was sick 3 more times over the course of 90 minutes and was writhing in pain on the floor crying about “poo” which never came, and today he has done a normal poo.  My two questions are: Is it possible that this was a reaction to the gluten if it came 12 hours after ingestion? Or is that too long to cause vomiting? I wonder if it’s more likely an unrelated bug but can’t work out where from as we’ve had a quiet week. Would there not be loose stools too if it was a reaction to gluten? Before going gluten-free, this was his main symptom!   If it could be the gluten that caused this, where do we stand with ever testing for coeliac? Now that I know more about the testing I don’t know why his dietician didn’t recommend we do that before removing it from his diet before. Seems cruel to make him ill for the sake of a test. Grateful for any pointers or advice. Thank you!   
    • ChrisSeth
      Waiting on Blood test results…

      By ChrisSeth · Posted

      Okay thanks Scott. So based on my results will they order more tests to be done? Kind of confused.
×
×
  • Create New...