Unusual syptoms to LC?

[kberry7171]

Hi everyone - I was diagnosed with LC exactly one year ago. My gastro dr recommend me going on an diet for IBS patients because I didn't have the "text book" symptoms like diarhhea. I suffer from constipation. It helps when I take a probiotic. I also have had acne/rash on my face, blisters in my mouth on occasion, and swollen glands at the base of my head. I become so bloated that I feel it's all air - and i literally look 4 months pregnant. I am a 55 ear old female. I'm on vacation now and as soon as I get home I will begin the gluten free diet. I do have two siblings that were diagnosed with celiac disease about 15 years ago. I have been tested for celiac disease twice and I do not have that -- but I had a colonoscopy last year and do have lymphocytic colitis. do the symptoms I mentioned above coincide with LC symptoms??

[kberry7171]

I've also had hives although not very often, some on fact or chest.

[tex]

Hi,

Welcome to the board. Yes, those symptoms are a match for constipation-based LC, and I had all of them at one time or another when my MC was active. Histamine problems are also common for some of us who have the disease. Having constipation rules out the use of budesonide, so changing your diet is the only practical way for you to control the disease.

Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

[kberry7171]

Hi Tex - I've been eating gluten free for a couple of days by eating oatmeal. I sprinkled with cinnamon (not flavored just plain), banana, salmon, chicken, broccoli, long grain rice. Apple w/peanut butter, Water with lemon and grated ginger. I am still very bloated as my stomach is distended. How long will it take for my stomach not to be so bloated? I look like I'm 4 months pregnant. Should I continue with the gluten free diet or jump right in to the elimination diet?

Thank you for your time.
Kelly

[tex]

Hi Kelly,

Bloating should normally resolve within a day or so unless you are still eating something that causes a reaction. My guess is the oatmeal. Despite the claims made by the "experts" insisting that certified GF oatmeal is safe for celiacs, it is not safe for most celiacs, nor is it safe for us. Most of us react to oats. The avenin in oats is just a weaker allergen than gluten, so it takes longer to build up antibodies against it, but it still causes most of us to react. I would try skipping the oats for a few days.

That said, you could also be sensitive to something else. If you want to cut to the chase, also skip the salmon, and substitute turkey or lamb for the chicken for a few days. You should see a difference within a day or so.

Tex