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

New To The Forum

RSE8

By RSE8
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

RSE8 Newbie
RSE8
Posted

Hi...I'm a 35 year old male, recently diagnosed with celiac's....well, they think. I should start from the beginning. October 2006 I went on a family vacation to Disney World for 10 days. On the second day, I started having horrible stomach pains. I tried to suck it up because we were at one of the parks and I didn't want to ruin everyones time but I couldn't and pretty much ended up on a bathroom floor rolled up in a ball it hurt so bad. My brother took me to the Emergency Room. After spending hours there, the doctor came in and told me I have diverticulitis. They would admit me for IV antibiotics. So, I spent 5 days in the hospital. When they let me out, I was feeling better. Still a little tender in the stomach, but not too bad. November 2006 I started having the pains again. Not as bad as Florida but close. I went to the ER at the hospital I work at. They admitted me for Diverticulitis for 7 days. They sent me home taking cipro and flagyl and dilauded for pain. I got into a gastroenterologist who did a cholonoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy. She told me there was nothing wrong with me. Yet, I was still on the antibiotics and pain meds. I found another gastroenterologist. He had me quit taking the antibiotics (I was on them for months). He did another colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. In the mean time, my stomach would be alright for a couple weeks then start hurting again. This doctor told me he thinks I may have Chron's. Put me on some medicine for it. October of 07 I was visiting family around Pittsburgh and started with the stomach pains again. I went to the ER there and they said it was diverticulitis. Gave me more antibiotics and pain meds. I refused to take the pain meds because I was scared of getting addicted....When I went off the dilauded after taking it for months, I went thru withdrawals that were horrible. So I went back to the doctor who did a small bowel endoscopy. They called a couple weeks ago and said they THINK I have Celiac Disease....I am so sick of them not knowing what it is....there is something going on and I just want to get it better. My stomach hasn't been too bad since maybe right before Xmas. Then this past week it started bothering me again....most of the time it just feels like there is a lot of pressure in it....then other times I get sharp pains. I thought I'd start the glutoen free diet this week...well, I wasn't prepared. I went to the grocery store and pretty much just walked up and down the isles for what seemed like forever....not knowing what i could get or what I am able to eat. I am just frustrated and sorry for rambling on but I honestly don't think I have Celiac's but I just don't know where to turn for help anymore. I don't know....Thank you for listening and any advice you can give me would be great.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Electra Enthusiast
Electra
Posted
Hi...I'm a 35 year old male, recently diagnosed with celiac's....well, they think. I should start from the beginning. October 2006 I went on a family vacation to Disney World for 10 days. On the second day, I started having horrible stomach pains. I tried to suck it up because we were at one of the parks and I didn't want to ruin everyones time but I couldn't and pretty much ended up on a bathroom floor rolled up in a ball it hurt so bad. My brother took me to the Emergency Room. After spending hours there, the doctor came in and told me I have diverticulitis. They would admit me for IV antibiotics. So, I spent 5 days in the hospital. When they let me out, I was feeling better. Still a little tender in the stomach, but not too bad. November 2006 I started having the pains again. Not as bad as Florida but close. I went to the ER at the hospital I work at. They admitted me for Diverticulitis for 7 days. They sent me home taking cipro and flagyl and dilauded for pain. I got into a gastroenterologist who did a cholonoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy. She told me there was nothing wrong with me. Yet, I was still on the antibiotics and pain meds. I found another gastroenterologist. He had me quit taking the antibiotics (I was on them for months). He did another colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. In the mean time, my stomach would be alright for a couple weeks then start hurting again. This doctor told me he thinks I may have Chron's. Put me on some medicine for it. October of 07 I was visiting family around Pittsburgh and started with the stomach pains again. I went to the ER there and they said it was diverticulitis. Gave me more antibiotics and pain meds. I refused to take the pain meds because I was scared of getting addicted....When I went off the dilauded after taking it for months, I went thru withdrawals that were horrible. So I went back to the doctor who did a small bowel endoscopy. They called a couple weeks ago and said they THINK I have Celiac Disease....I am so sick of them not knowing what it is....there is something going on and I just want to get it better. My stomach hasn't been too bad since maybe right before Xmas. Then this past week it started bothering me again....most of the time it just feels like there is a lot of pressure in it....then other times I get sharp pains. I thought I'd start the glutoen free diet this week...well, I wasn't prepared. I went to the grocery store and pretty much just walked up and down the isles for what seemed like forever....not knowing what i could get or what I am able to eat. I am just frustrated and sorry for rambling on but I honestly don't think I have Celiac's but I just don't know where to turn for help anymore. I don't know....Thank you for listening and any advice you can give me would be great.

If they think you have Celiac they should be trying to get you in for a biopsy very soon. If that is the case you may not want to stop eating gluten because you may heal up before the biopsy.

I had pain constantly before I was diagnosed with Celiac and I also was diagnosed with diverticulitis, and the pains I used to have are completely gone and I haven't had any of the diverticulitis symptoms since I've gone gluten free. I personally think I only had diveriticulitis symptoms because celiac was irritating my entire system and everything was getting weak.

I was also rushed to the ER once after purposely infecting myself with gluten because I had a nurve test coming up and I wanted to initiate symptoms, and those pains were so much different. I was doubled over in pain!! They couldn't find a diagnosis or cause, but the dr. said he thought it was ulsers which I don't buy because I've never had a problem with them before and I just know it was from the crackers I ate. The ER dr. also said if I did have celiac one cracker could initiate pains like that, so I'm now sure that's what it was.

Good Luck and I hope you get some answers soon!!

RSE8 Newbie
RSE8
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the reply....I think that is why I am confused, they did biopsies and they came up showing everything was good. I just think he is grabbing at straws.

Guest j_mommy
Guest j_mommy
Posted

Hello!!

Did they do the blood tests too???? Maybe that would help clarify if they are questionisng the results of your biopsy.

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. Mari
      - Mari replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      15

      My only proof

      Years ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came...
    2. Rejoicephd
      - Rejoicephd commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Gluten-Free Cooking
      1

      Your Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Plan: Recipes, Tips & Holiday Favorites

      Wow what a helpful article!! I am just seeing this now but I hosted a small group of family for Thanksgiving at my house this year and I did some of these things- got a butterball gluten-free turkey, got gluten-free stuffing, had a few gluten-free sides, and a gluten-free nothing-Bundt-cake. I had other non gluten-free things there too for others, and I also...
    3. Scott Adams
      0

      Rainforest Cafe Fined After Child's Severe Allergic Reaction: What It Means for Gluten-Free Safety

    4. marion wheaton
      - marion wheaton replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    5. trents
      - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,420
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    maggie23
    Newest Member
    maggie23
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Years  ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We  got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came down the road, laughed at our situation, then pulled the VW free of the mud. We followed him back to the ski area where where he started up the rope ski lift and we had an enjoyable hour of skiing and gave us a shot of aquavit  before we left.It was a great rescue.  In some ways this reminds me of your situation. You are waiting for a rescue and you have chosen medical practitioners to do it now or as soon as possible. As you have found out the med. experts have not learned how to help you. You face years of continuing to feel horrible, frustrated searching for your rescuer to save you. You can break away from from this pattern of thinking and you have begun breaking  away by using some herbs and supplements from doTerra. Now you can start trying some of the suggestions thatother Celiacs have written to your original posts.  You live with other people who eat gluten foods. Cross contamination is very possible. Are you sure that their food is completely separate from their food. It  is not only the gluten grains you need to avoid (wheat, barley, rye) but possibly oats, cows milk also. Whenever you fall back into that angry and frustrated way of thinking get up and walk around for a whild. You will learn ways to break that way of thinking about your problems.  Best wishes for your future. May you enjpy a better life.  
    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    • trents
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By trents · Posted

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By BlessedinBoston · Posted

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
×
×
  • 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.