After doing some research online, I'm starting to wonder if I may have developed an intolerance to gluten (or perhaps even Celiac disease).

I often get a really foggy, heavy-headed feeling, where I find it hard to concentrate. I'm feeling it now, in fact, and I just ate something that contains white bread.

I also often have problems with stomach aches, particularly when I lay down for bed. There is usually no nausea, but it feels like my stomach is trying to tie itself into a knot. I had an upper endoscopy done, and the doctor said it's not a problem with acid. He couldn't seem to find any source of the problem with an ultrasound or endoscopy.

Does anyone here know that they have an intolerance to gluten; and if so, have you ever experienced symptoms similar to what I described above?

I'm trying to decide if I should have my doctor check for it, which I guess can be done with simple blood tests after eating gluten (?).

I need to go to bed soon, but I'll check this thread in the morning. Hopefully someone will be able to give me a clue as to what the problem might be.

Yes, celiac disease can be tested with a blood test as can wheat allergy. You may also want to do a calprotectin test which can indicate IBD. All three are simple, non invasive tests.

I always thought that gluten intolerance was like lactose intolerance, meaning that it provokes digestive issues? I mean, bowel issues, and not stomach.

But it can indeed be detected through a bloodtest, or rather a bloodtest can show if something is wrong, and then more detailed analysis can be done.

About your stomach aches, what about a hernia? Pyloric and/or hiatal? I have both, so I know all about the disagreement it brings...

Thanks.

I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and request the tests.

I've been doing some more research online, and now I'm also starting to wonder if it could be a problem with yeast (too much yeast in my system), so I'm going to ask for a blood test for that as well. I was reading a forum where other people were experiencing similar symptoms (foggy head) and was directed to this website:

http://www.yeastconnection.com/about.html

I just can't keep putting this off and dealing with this foggy-head thing.

I'm sorry to hear about the hernia problems.

Well, from what I read online, the symptoms of gluten intolerance can really vary, but I guess the foggy-head thing is one of the symptoms, as well as stomach problems. Thankfully, I don't seem to have any bowel issues.

May I ask if you noticed the symptoms from your hernias only at night? I really only seem to feel the stomach problems at night. When I experience them, they usually start immediately after I lay down. But I don't always experience them every night.

I had a C-section a year ago and am also on two heart meds, so that makes it a bit hard to know what exactly my problems are from. But I know women that have had C-sections and haven't experienced this, and these problems aren't typical side-effects of the heart meds, either.

My husband is gluten sensitive but for a lot of people, the blood tests won't confirm it. You might get back a negative result because you are not celiac but then still have a lot of discomfort as a result of eating gluten.

The easiest and cheapest way to decide if it is an issue for you is to stop eating gluten for a few weeks and then reintroduce it and see what happens. If you are gluten intolerant, you'll know - you won't need a doctor's test to convince you.

One of my children has coeliac. There is a blood test, but you have to ask for it specifically. It isn't conclusive (can give false negative), but if it's positive, then an endoscopy where they take a biopsy from the small intestine is necessary, and you have to keep eating gluten until the testing is done.

My brother has coeliac but was never diagnosed properly. He suffered for over 30 years before he finally went 100% gluten free and now he eats a 100% vegetarian diet and runs triathlons!

My sister did many tests, endoscopies etc, and nothing was conclusive, but she went gluten-free about a year ago, because of the family history, even though she tested negative for coeliac, and says that she has never felt better...

I have an aunt who had polyps taken from her bowel (early signs of cancer) and my cousin, her daughter, has also had a bowel cancer scare, and both were recommended a gluten-free diet, and the other child of my aunt eats a gluten free, salicylate free diet, and if he cheats on the diet, his mental health plummets badly (ADHD/Depression sort of stuff) and he's 40 years old!

Do look further. Any chance you could be pregnant ?

Ha ha... no. No chance at all.

In fact, I'm starting to think that my Swiss husband may be a robot.

Oh, forgot to add - signs of coeliac disease:

- digestive upset - foul smelling and light coloured, gassy stools (indicates improper digestion of oils/fats), could also be a gall bladder problem
- low iron and low vitamin B (indicates poor absorption of oil-soluble vitamins)
- weight loss

Family history: Coeliac or 'irritable bowel' complaints, thyroid problems, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis - these are all auto-immune diseases and I was told they all occur on the same (faulty) gene sector.

About 20% of kids with type 1 diabetes also have coeliac. I read that they did a study in the USA where they took people random off the street, one in 10 had coeliac, and of those that had it, only 1 in 10 knew they had it - the other 9 per hundred were walking around either thinking it was 'normal' or they had a 'dodgy stomach'...

You could ask DB, I think he knows quite a lot about it.

I don't seem to have any of those symptoms. And weight loss certainly doesn't seem to be an issue. In fact, I'm finding it really difficult to lose the belly fat from the pregnancy. When I went to the US last month, my mom said she was surprised at how bloated I look. (Gee, thanks Mom. )

I've had my iron tested quite a few times and it always comes back normal. In fact, I've gone to the Uster Spital emergency room quite a few times because of feeling dizzy -- as though my BP had dipped really low -- and they didn't find anything. My doctor even told me that I need to stop making visits to the emergency room. I fear my doctor is starting to think I'm a hypochondriac. This is one reason I'm hesitant to call her for an appointment, but I simply can't keep feeling this way and not try to do something about it.

Do you mean Dougal's Breakfast? Funny, I was just messaging with him earlier about something. I'll ask him. Thanks, Nil.

omg whyy? ====

Rarely shows signs of emotion and rarely speaks. And when he does speak, it's often in short, simple phrases with no emotion behind the words.

Do you think I should try to have him re-programmed?

The one and only.

Ha ha... good. Because otherwise, he would have no clue why I just sent him the message that I did.

I thought I had gluten intolerance not to long ago, stopped eating it and stopped consuming lactose and after 3 days felt better, more energy etc..
but it was 2 much work so i ate it again.. still not sure if i felt better because of the placebo effect

I have problems on both 'sides' of my stomach, meaning that it doesn't empty very well toward my bowels, and the stagnating good tends to reflux toward my oesophagus. It is worse at night, since lying down flat means gravity can't help me digest my food. In my case, the condition is worsened by severe hyper-acidity, I'm on life-long acid suppressants. And I have IBS as well, which means that my all digestive tract is a bit foggy

Have you thought about thyroid problems? Apparently you gave birth not too long ago, and a pregnancy can trigger thyroid malfunction.

Actually gluten free diets are becoming quite popular now. Many of the competitors in the Olympics went on gluten free diets to help with their concentration.
I myself have been gluten free as part of a diet hat I went on a couple of years ago. Truly amazing how empty our shopping carts are now. Gluten free products are now available in COOP and Migros.
I have worked with children(and adults) for a number years now to help with concentration. Many children, in my opinion are being wrongly diagnosed with concentration issues where the problem lies with the diet. The issue in this case is that people consume large amounts of wheat products(white flour) at lunch(noodles, pizza, bread etc) The body converts this product to sugar and there is a huge surge in energy as a result. But then the body counters with insulin which results with a crash and most people do have tiredness in the after(natural circadian rhythm) So you can image the results.
Another issue as a result of consumption of large amounts of wheat is diabetes. In his book the China Study Colin Campbell writes that before World War 2 the Japanese had not problems with diabetes. After the war they had no food supplies so the US shipped them surplus of wheat. Now the Japanese experience diabetes.
Elaine Gottschall writes in her book how when large amounts of wheat are consumed it can ferment in the stomach and create yeast infection which gets into the brain and of course affect concentration.
Many of our problems in life can be a result of what we eat. I have been very brief and as some of you have found out here is a lot of info on the net. I have changed my diet and have not felt better for a very long time. It was difficult to switch my diet because wheat is such a large part of our lives. It was once sugested that you can become addicted to what you enjoy. Yes,addicted may be a strong word but it is difficult to change what we have become use to.

http://www.glutenfreesociety.org
Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall
The China Study by Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell

Gluten intolerance is an intolerance to a group of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. You should avoid all products containing these grains, including (obviously) bread, cakes, pasta, spaetzli and biscuits and (less obviously) many sauces, stock cubes and prepared meats. Some well meaning people may offer you products made of spelt flour. Don't eat them.

It's pretty easy to abolish gluten from your own kitchen - there are plenty of other grains and starches you can eat instead of bread and pasta, and you can thicken sauces with cream or cornflour - but life can be difficult when eating at restaurants or when you're invited to dinner. To keep things simple, eat plain meats (Natur in German) with plain veg, unless you absolutely trust the chef/waiter. Although it's a bit naughty, I will often tell the waiter that I have an 'allergy' rather than an intolerance because it makes them pay more attention. It isn't unknown for a chef to lightly flour a supposedly plain piece of meat without realising it.

For some German words you'll need out and about, see here:

Are you Gluten intolerant/Celiac?

Everybody's symptoms are different, but - as my doctor back in England said when my blood test came back negative - if it makes you feel rough, don't eat it. I get massive, painful bloating within 20 minutes of eating something containing gluten, followed by 24 hours (or more - I recently endured a three day bout) of severe abdominal discomfort: you know how your skin feels when you have flu and you can't stand to be touched? Well, I have that from my throat all the way to the other end, coupled with a combination of the excitement of diarrhoea and the disappointment of constipation. Nice, eh?

The good news is that there's loads of stuff you can eat. As food intolerances go, gluten intolerance is, perhaps, the most benign.

... apart from soggy ricecakes, of course. I wouldn't wish those on anyone.