Might This Be Celiac- Not Tendinitis?

[SMR814]

I have been searching for answers and I'm wondering if I've found it. I'm having the celiac panel done on Monday.

About ten years ago I was dx as "partially lactose intolerant" followed by diagnosis with IBS five years later. I have always had very frequent and foul gas. Large, crampy bowel movements, often very loose.

New twist- bone, joint, muscle pain (can't distinguish which!). Six months ago, I had simultaneous presentation of bilateral achilles pain. Since then, I've gone through bilateral MRIs of calves and ankles (normal), bilateral x-rays (normal), leg ultrasounds to look for problems with veins and arteries, ongoing chiropractic, deep tissue massage, got fitted with orthotics, physical therapy.

To no avail.

So, on to physicians. Tested for MS, lupus, anticardiolipin syndrome. What turned up was increased stool fat and continual low white blood cell count.

The pain has moved beyond my legs. Continual sacroiliac pain (lumbar spine and hips), now my forearms and wrists.

Ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms- gas, abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea.

While internal medicine specialist mentioned celiac due to increased stool fat and referred back to my primary care doc, my doctor first said to just wait and see if I feel better. At this point, I'm insisting on the celiac panel, though. I am so tired of feeling sick.

Anyway, have any of you had this intense body pain, too? Does this sound like celiac?

A rheumatologist ran the anticardiolipin panel, but I think this is different from the antigliadin and antitransglutimase tests, which are used for celiac? Is that right?

[Lisa]

Welcome,

Many people here have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease secondary to other diseases such as Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Lupus and others.

This is the test to requisition from your PCP:

Antigliadin antibodies (AGA) both IrA and IgG

Antiendomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

Good luck.

[ravenwoodglass]

Anyway, have any of you had this intense body pain, too? Does this sound like celiac?

Gosh yes. I eventually even developed arthritis that was well on it's way to destroying the joints in my hands. When glutened I often will have a recurrance of this pain in my bones and muscles although it will be short lived. Gluten can cause a lot of inflammation and it can also effect the nerve conduction. When nerve conduction is effected it can also cause a great deal of pain.

One thing that may help is sublingual B12, it can help the nerves fire properly and may give some degree of relief while you are waiting on diagnosis. If you have not had your B12 blood levels tested do get that done before you start to supplement though as it will throw off the results. No matter what the results of your celiac panel please be sure to give the diet a good try for a couple of months. Do not go gluten free until after all testing is done though. If you do your chances of a false negative rise far above the usual rate of 30%.

Another thing that was very helpful prediagnosis for me was acupuncture. It would give me a degree of relief from the pain although it didn't get rid of it totally it would help for a day or two.

[Billygean]

It sounds very celiac. You might want to try the gluten free diet even if the blood test was negative. I tried the diet after a negative test and my chronic fatigue and joint has all but gone

[ang1e0251]

I had incredible shoulder pain for years which I assumed was arthritis or bursitis. All gone with the GFD. I had no idea that it would take care of that pain! No more carpal tunnel either. I haven't had severe pain from that in a long time but the mild stuff is gone.

[*lee-lee*]

New twist- bone, joint, muscle pain (can't distinguish which!)

i dealt with this kind of pain in my hips for a year before being diagnosed with Celiac. i was tested for everything you can imagine (mono, rheumatoid arthritis, lyme's, thyroid) but all the tests came back negative and was initially diagnosed with bursitis. i was put through PT and had a few cortisone injections but nothing ever helped. finally, i think the doctors just wrote it off as fibromyalgia and told me join a gym. (it was like they were saying "we don't know what to tell you so good luck and don't let the door hit ya on the way out!" )

3-4 months after i began gluten-free, i FINALLY began to feel better. i've been gluten-free for 6 months now and i hardly remember what the terrible pain used to feel like!

[mef]

YES! you have my medical history in terms of joint/bone pain.

Have your vitamin D level checked. My bloodwork for antibodies was not that significant. There was a slight bump in what indicated sprue and it wasn't until I had the biopsy done that they confirmed it.

A rheumatologist diagnosed me as well.

Good luck!

[Takala]

I have been searching for answers and I'm wondering if I've found it. I'm having the celiac panel done on Monday.

About ten years ago I was dx as "partially lactose intolerant" followed by diagnosis with IBS five years later. I have always had very frequent and foul gas. Large, crampy bowel movements, often very loose.

New twist- bone, joint, muscle pain (can't distinguish which!). Six months ago, I had simultaneous presentation of bilateral achilles pain. Since then, I've gone through bilateral MRIs of calves and ankles (normal), bilateral x-rays (normal), leg ultrasounds to look for problems with veins and arteries, ongoing chiropractic, deep tissue massage, got fitted with orthotics, physical therapy.

To no avail.

So, on to physicians. Tested for MS, lupus, anticardiolipin syndrome. What turned up was increased stool fat and continual low white blood cell count.

The pain has moved beyond my legs. Continual sacroiliac pain (lumbar spine and hips), now my forearms and wrists.

Ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms- gas, abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea.

While internal medicine specialist mentioned celiac due to increased stool fat and referred back to my primary care doc, my doctor first said to just wait and see if I feel better. At this point, I'm insisting on the celiac panel, though. I am so tired of feeling sick.

Anyway, have any of you had this intense body pain, too? Does this sound like celiac?

A rheumatologist ran the anticardiolipin panel, but I think this is different from the antigliadin and antitransglutimase tests, which are used for celiac? Is that right?

_______________

Questions:

Are you much stiffer in the morning, and then loosen up by afternoon?

Are you pretty much always waking up with a back ache?

Are your eyes dry or gritty feeling? Are your eyes unusually sensitive to light or glare?

Is your mouth dry?

Did the rheumat. tell you that your were negative for C- reactive protein? CRP, so that it couldn't be inflammation ?

Do over the counter anti inflammatories such as aspirin or ibuprofen or aleve (naprosin) make you feel a little less stiff, but tear the bejeebers out of your gut?

Any neck pain?

Does the pain move around so you can never tell where and what you're going to wake up with it hurting?

_____________

If you're answering yes to most of this, you've got spondylitic arthritis in the early stages, which is one of the wonderful family of auto immune diseases that comes as an added bonus to being gluten intolerant for some people. The good news is that if you are strict with your diet you can pretty much get it under control. The bad news is that most of the medical profession is totally clueless about it, and the worse news is that most of the conventional arthritis "treatments" are actually designed for rheumatoid, which is a very different disease, and can therefore be very bad for you.

[Mtndog]

You sound like me before I went gluten-free. After going gluten-free, remember the pain will not resolve over night but while you are healing keep ruling things out ( like what Takala mentioned).

For me, gluten-free wasn't my only problem in terms of pain (I have Lyme- probably had it for 20 years) BUT I do know that going gluten-free saved my butt for at least two years!

[SMR814]

_______________

Questions:

Are you much stiffer in the morning, and then loosen up by afternoon? No, I tend to have a lot of diarrhea and nausea in the morning. My body tends to feel worst by the end of the day.

Are you pretty much always waking up with a back ache? No, comes and goes. Worst if I'm not active.

Are your eyes dry or gritty feeling? Are your eyes unusually sensitive to light or glare?

Is your mouth dry? No, no, no.

Did the rheumat. tell you that your were negative for C- reactive protein? CRP, so that it couldn't be inflammation ? Negative for CRP. Rheumatologist suspected one of the spondylarthropathies and tested for this gene/marker. Was negative.

Do over the counter anti inflammatories such as aspirin or ibuprofen or aleve (naprosin) make you feel a little less stiff, but tear the bejeebers out of your gut? Ibuprofen doesn't seem to help much with pain, but YES makes me feel very sick.

Any neck pain? Yes.

Does the pain move around so you can never tell where and what you're going to wake up with it hurting? Not really. I just seem to keep feeling pain in more places as time passes without some help/a diagnosis.

THANKS for such a complete response. Everyone here has been so helpful. Waiting on the celiac results but planning to go gluten-free regardless to see if it helps.

_____________

If you're answering yes to most of this, you've got spondylitic arthritis in the early stages, which is one of the wonderful family of auto immune diseases that comes as an added bonus to being gluten intolerant for some people. The good news is that if you are strict with your diet you can pretty much get it under control. The bad news is that most of the medical profession is totally clueless about it, and the worse news is that most of the conventional arthritis "treatments" are actually designed for rheumatoid, which is a very different disease, and can therefore be very bad for you.

[Roblovegreen]

I experienced relief for plantar fasciitis by going on a gluten free diet. After giving up flour tortillas I had 90 percent reduction in pain in one week. Out of curiosity, I googled “plantar fasciitis gluten” and found that there appears to be a link. Anyone else have plantar fasciitis go into remission when going gluten free?  

[kenlove]

1 hour ago, Roblovegreen said:

I experienced relief for plantar fasciitis by going on a gluten free diet. After giving up flour tortillas I had 90 percent reduction in pain in one week. Out of curiosity, I googled “plantar fasciitis gluten” and found that there appears to be a link. Anyone else have plantar fasciitis go into remission when going gluten free?  

Your lucky, been gluten-free for more than 15 years and never had plantar fasciitis until 5 years ago. If there is a connection i sure wish it worked for me

 

[cyclinglady]

Hubby had been gluten free almost fifteen years when he developed plantar fasciitis.  It has since resolved (took months).  The shoe inserts helped along with stretching.  I think your search revealed correlation and not causation. 

Maybe you should get back on gluten and get tested for celiac disease.  If negative, your doctor might give you a Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis.  In other words, gluten might not be good for you.  People with autoimmune disease often experience inflammation.  That might be the link to plantar fasciitis.  

http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/screening/

[mYstummyHurt]

On 1/3/2009 at 6:49 PM, SMR814 said:

I have been searching for answers and I'm wondering if I've found it. I'm having the celiac panel done on Monday.

 

About ten years ago I was dx as "partially lactose intolerant" followed by diagnosis with IBS five years later. I have always had very frequent and foul gas. Large, crampy bowel movements, often very loose.

 

New twist- bone, joint, muscle pain (can't distinguish which!). Six months ago, I had simultaneous presentation of bilateral achilles pain. Since then, I've gone through bilateral MRIs of calves and ankles (normal), bilateral x-rays (normal), leg ultrasounds to look for problems with veins and arteries, ongoing chiropractic, deep tissue massage, got fitted with orthotics, physical therapy.

 

To no avail.

 

So, on to physicians. Tested for MS, lupus, anticardiolipin syndrome. What turned up was increased stool fat and continual low white blood cell count.

 

The pain has moved beyond my legs. Continual sacroiliac pain (lumbar spine and hips), now my forearms and wrists.

 

Ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms- gas, abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea.

 

While internal medicine specialist mentioned celiac due to increased stool fat and referred back to my primary care doc, my doctor first said to just wait and see if I feel better. At this point, I'm insisting on the celiac panel, though. I am so tired of feeling sick.

 

Anyway, have any of you had this intense body pain, too? Does this sound like celiac?

 

A rheumatologist ran the anticardiolipin panel, but I think this is different from the antigliadin and antitransglutimase tests, which are used for celiac? Is that right?

wow this is the same thing im experiencing right now, only my ankles started about 17 days ago!

i wonder if this person ever got diagnosed.

anyone else have simultaneous bilateral Achilles inflammation as described above?

 

[KatHow]

Holy crap!

It sounds like you're telling my story!

Lactose intolerance diagnoses about 15 years ago. IBS diagnoses 10 years ago. Joint & muscle pain in my ankles, hips, lower back, shoulders and neck for about 8 years. Diagnosed with tendonitis and bursitis. I just thought the pain was due to my right leg being shorter than my left by 2cm from a break when i was young.

Last year i started to get really bad pain in my wrist. That's when i thought, "This can't be from my leg length difference".

I'm constantly on vitamin d, iron and had b12 shots last year.

I'm constantly bloated, can't remember the last time i passed a solid stool and have abdominal cramps at least 3 times a week.

Waiting on my blood test results from my Rheumatologist, then the endoscopy.

Can't wait to be pain free after living with it for 8 years.

I'd like to know how you go.