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

Spleen Inflammation With Accidental Gluten?

beelzebubble

By beelzebubble
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

beelzebubble Contributor
beelzebubble
Posted

i've noticed that when i accidentally ingest gluten i get a tenderness on my left side right where my spleen should be. do you think it's possible that gluten could cause my spleen to become irritated? i know that it's part of your immune system...

any thoughts?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


seeking-wholeness Explorer
seeking-wholeness
Posted

It could be.... I think the spleen and the stomach lie at about the same level, though, so it could be stomach discomfort you're feeling. I don't really know. I'm not even sure, actually, whether the spleen lies in front of or behind the stomach, although I am inclined to place it in front, just behind the ribs. That's a fascinating question you've asked!

natalieb Rookie
natalieb
Posted

Hi, I read your comment about the spleen and it was like you described my exact pain. For seven years prior to being diagnosed with celiac disease I suffered from that pain and it can be gnawing. It is in the upper left quadrant. I believe that what you are feeling is your duodenum. Behing your duodenum is your spleen(I believe). Your stomach opens into your duodenum and my doc told me it can get inflamed. I was always told that I had duodenitis when having an endoscopy. The pain is out of this world when I ingest gluten. My old general physician told me 7 years ago when I complained of that pain that most "depressed" women get a pain in their upper left quadrant. What a crock! If I only knew then what I know now. I do get that pain and I understand 100%. Oh, sometimes, it also goes around the side and back, does yours? It always is on the left though.

RJARED Newbie
RJARED
Posted

I recently started having pain in my left side and going around to my back. Happens a few inches above my waist - I'm high-waisted. Seems to happen if I accidentally eat gluten. I thought it was a pulled muscle, but not reason for it. It had occured to me that it might be my spleen, but your question made me think about it again. Interesting....

beelzebubble Contributor
beelzebubble
Posted
  • Author

i'm glad that other people have had similar things. as far as whether or not it is my duodenum, i don't think so. it's a little too low. i have that too from time to time, when i get glutenized (heh), this is slightly lower and slightly to the left of that pain. i thought for a while that i might have a cracked rib or something, if that helps you understand where the pain is. it does wrap around, but not all the way to the back.

  • 5 years later...
0GlutenGirl Newbie
0GlutenGirl
Posted

I have been wondering if the pain in my side is related to gluten intolerance. I have been gluten free for just over two months and my health is much improved. However, I often get a pain on my left side above my waist. When it is bad, it circles around the left side of my back. It can be extremely painful. The odd thing is, once I eat a substantial meal it always gets better. If I allow myself to go without food, I feel the pain starting, and it will get worse until I eat. I know I am not the only one who gets this pain because others are reporting the same type of pain in the same place. I would think spleen because of where the pain is, but why does it go away when I eat? I will make an appointment with my doctor. Thank you for sharing your experiences. This is very helpful for me.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
I have been wondering if the pain in my side is related to gluten intolerance. I have been gluten free for just over two months and my health is much improved. However, I often get a pain on my left side above my waist. When it is bad, it circles around the left side of my back. It can be extremely painful. The odd thing is, once I eat a substantial meal it always gets better. If I allow myself to go without food, I feel the pain starting, and it will get worse until I eat. I know I am not the only one who gets this pain because others are reporting the same type of pain in the same place. I would think spleen because of where the pain is, but why does it go away when I eat? I will make an appointment with my doctor. Thank you for sharing your experiences. This is very helpful for me.

If the pain goes away when you eat I wonder if it is stomach pain from perhaps excess acid with no food to digest. Have you tried eating more frequently with smaller meals?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

It's worth remembering that the abdomen is badly innervated and where you feel the pain may not be where it's coming from. Think about heart attacks - you feel the pain down your arm or in your jaw.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,836
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    RyanOB
    Newest Member
    RyanOB
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Hidden Gluten in distilled vinegar

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Manaan2,  I'm so happy to hear you're going to try thiamine and magnesium!  Do let us know the results!   You may want to add a B 50 Complex with two meals of the day to help boost absorption.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins which are all water soluble.   When supplementing magnesium, make sure to get sufficient calcium.  Calcium and magnesium need to be kept in balance.  If you choose a calcium supplement, take two hours apart from magnesium as they compete for absorption.  Take Calcium with Vitamin D.  Vitamin D helps calm the immune system.   For pain, I use a combination of thiamine, B12 Cobalamine, and Pyridoxine B6.  These three vitamins together have analgesic effects.  My preferred brand is "GSG 12X Takeda ALINAMIN EX Plus Vitamin B1 B6 B12 Health Supplementary from Japan 120 Tablets".  Alinamin is another form of thiamine.  It really is excellent at relieving my back pain from crushed vertebrae without side effects and no grogginess.   Look into the low histamine version of the Autoimmune Protocol Duet (Dr. Sarah Ballentyne, a Celiac herself, developed it.)  It really helps heal the intestines, too.  It's like a vacation for the digestive system.  Add foods back gradually over several weeks after feeling better.   I'm so happy to have pointed the way on your journey!  Let us know how the journey progresses! P. S. Add a Potassium supplement, too.  Potassium is another electrolyte, like magnessium, that we need.
    • Manaan2
      Hidden Gluten in distilled vinegar

      By Manaan2 · Posted

      @knitty kitty I can't thank you enough!  My husband and I already started looking into those supplements.  We definitely plan to give it a try.  We've been against the Miralax since it was originally advised by PCP, but because of the level of pain she experienced on a daily basis, we decided to try it.  We've made many attempts to gradually decrease but due to her pain and related symptoms, we've kept her on it while trying all sorts of other dietary adjustments pre and post diagnosis specific to food; so far none of those efforts have made a significant difference.  I will definitely share how she's doing along the way!
    • BIg Nodge
      Opinions on my test results/symptoms

      By BIg Nodge · Posted

      Hi, I have recently embarked on the gluten-free journey. I have what to me seems like a somewhat confusing set of test results and symptoms. I have been impressed by the accumulated knowledge and thoughtfulness as I browse this forum, so I figured I'd make a post to see if anyone can offer any insight. I know there are many posts like this from new users, so I have tried to do my baseline research first and not ask super obvious questions.  I'm 43, overall very healthy. No history of gluten sensitivity or really any of the classic GI symptoms. About three years ago I started to experience intermittent bouts of fatigue, chills/cold intolerance, and shortness of breath/air hunger (sometimes feels like a hollowness in my chest, hard to describe). The symptoms over time have become fairly significant, though not debilitating, I am able to exercise regularly and am fairly physically active, continue to perform well at work. But for example I have gone from someone who consistently ran hot, was always cranking the a/c, to someone who wears a down vest inside at work in winter and get chills if the a/c even blows on me in summer. I get tired and lose energy even when getting decent amounts of sleep, and have to have my wife take over on long drives that I could previously handle with no problems. More generally when I am experiencing these symptoms they seem to crowd out space in my mind for focusing on my family, my hobbies/activities etc, I sort of withdraw into myself.   I happened to be experiencing these symptoms during an annual physical with my PCP a few years ago, he observed post nasal drip and suggested it was allergies and that I treat it with claritin. At first it seemed to respond to claritin (though not zyrtex), but over time I became unsatisfied with that answer. There didn't seem to be any seasonal rhyme or reason to my symptoms, and I felt like I was on an endless loop of taking claritin, then stopping, not being sure if it was even making a difference. I did eventually get allergy tests and found modest allergies to dust and pollen, which didn't feel like a smoking gun.  I then started seeing a natural medicine doctor who was much more willing to explore my symptoms via testing. The first thing that came back abnormal was elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies/TPOs, 137 IU/mL vs a reference range of <9. At the same time my thyroid panel showed normal thyroid hormone levels. So it appears my immune system is attacking my thyroid even though it is working fine. I got a thyroid ultrasound at the time, it was clear, but with some abnormalities such that they suggested I get is scanned again in a year. These are certainly risk factors for a thyroid autoimmune disease, though my thyroid seems to be working fine for now.  From here my doctor considered celiac due to the murky thyroid/celiac links, so we did a panel. Results were as follows: TT IGA <1 U/ml, TT IGG <1 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGA 24.6 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGG <1 U/ml, IGAs 170 mg/dL. Readings greater than 15 considered high by my lab for the first four, my IGAs are within reference range. So basically just the deamidated IGA popped, but my IGAs are normal. I also notice on the tests that my thyroglobulin was high, 86.7 ng/ml vs a range of 2.8 - 40.9.  My doctor suggested that it certainly wasn't conclusive for celiac, but it was possible, and likely that I have some sort of gluten sensitivity. She suggested going gluten free and seeing how I felt as opposed to doing a biopsy. The best theory I can come up with is perhaps I am a silent celiac or just have a gluten sensitivity that doesn't produce immediate GI symptoms, but is still doing damage and over time has caused leaky gut. So now gluten is getting into my blood, and my immune system is attacking it but also mistakingly attacking my thyroid.  So that's what I did, went gluten free in October. It's been about four months, and I am really not feeling any difference. I still get the same symptoms that come and go. My bowel movements may be a bit more regular, but it was never a major issue before so I would consider that a minor improvement. I know that it can take a while to see improvements, and I am going to remain gluten-free and see how I feel. But I am definitely questioning whether I really understand what is going on, and am open to any thoughts or suggestions from the forum. Sometimes I wish I just went ahead with the biopsy before going gluten-free. While I would certainly be down to start drinking IPAs again ahead of a biopsy, you know, for science, I feel like at this point I would be throwing away four months of work and am better off staying the course and seeing what happens. But I'm really not sure.  I know there is a lot of thyroid knowledge on these boards, along with the celiac expertise, so I'm curious if this resonates with anyone's experience. And I'm interested in what sort of timelines people have experienced in terms of feeling improvements for some of these non-GI symptoms like chills, SOB, brain fog etc. Thanks in advance. 
    • cameo674
      Testing positive for antibodies, are there visible changes to the colon that could be seen without a biopsy?

      By cameo674 · Posted

      Does it taste like black licorice?  It said it was chewable.  I do not like that flavor.     Since the burn at the back of my throat is there everyday, I usually only take something when it is unbearable and keeping me from ADL especially sleep.  
    • Scott Adams
      Nandos improper preparion celiac childrens food

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your concerns about Nando's cross-contamination practices are valid and important for the celiac community. It's disappointing that Nando's does not have stricter protocols for children's portions, especially given the risk of cross-contact with gluten-containing items like garlic bread. Cooking gluten-free items on shared surfaces, even if cleaned, is not safe for individuals with celiac disease, as even trace amounts of gluten can cause harm. While the adult butterfly chicken may be a safer option, the inconsistency in practices for children's meals is concerning. It's frustrating that Nando's headquarters did not take responsibility, but sharing your experience raises awareness and may encourage them to improve their protocols. Consider reaching out to celiac advocacy organizations to amplify your concerns and push for better standards. Always double-check with staff and emphasize the importance of avoiding cross-contamination when dining out.
×
×
  • Create New...