How did you find out you had a gluten allergy? Symptoms?

I have been experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, intermittent vomiting, severe bloating/gas, diarrhea. I have gone for ultrasounds of my abdomen, a series of gall bladder tests, and a stomach endoscope. All that the Dr’s have discovered is inflammation in my stomach. I feel that maybe it’s something else. I have been reading up on gluten allergies and wanted some “real life” stories before approaching my Dr with this. Any thoughts?

All of your symptoms _can_ be caused by celiac disease. (I was 14 when I was diagnosed – I was just unwell – I couldn’t manage a whole week at school, was very tired, nauseous, headachy etc.)

The main thing is to make sure that you don’t cut it out of your diet until after having tests (don’t even reduce it). It is difficult to eliminate it fully without the support of a dietician, and although that small quantity can still cause serious ill-health, it may not be enough to register in the tests. (The current recommendation is to have about 5 or 6 slices of bread, or the equivalent, per day.)

Go and ask to be tested – it is only a simple blood test in the first instance. If that comes back positive, then you will probably be send to have an upper endoscopy with biopsy. (The damage is often not visible by endoscopy, and the samples need to be examined under a microscope in the path lab.)

Good luck.

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