am i celiac?

Hi everyone. I need some advice. I have an underactive thyroid since 2008, im 24. Over the past year iv been having abdominal pains. Docs have been puttin it down to gastritis but the past 2 weeks iv bren n agony.

I woke one night with a stabbing pain ib my right side and it travelled to my mid stomach. I have been to casualty twice with it. Im on antibiotics, lactose stuff incase of constipation, gastric tablets and psin killers.

Can someone please tell me if this sounds like celiac disease?? I am n complete agony :( pain goes to my back too.

[Caryopteris]

Celiac disease is extremely common and can cause heartburn and any combination of 250 other symptoms.  So I recommend everybody with unexplained symptoms consider getting tested for it.  One friend of mine had extreme GERD pain as her only symptom, and had raging Celiac disease with multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by the malnutrition it caused.  They can do blood tests for it.  You could have upper endoscopy if you want to be checked for ulcers and Celiac disease.    

Another possibility that comes to my mind is gallbladder disease.  Get an ultrasound of your abdomen to see what's going on.  

Good luck.  They won't do anything unless you go back and tell them you can't take the pain and need to get it properly diagnosed.  

[Jennifer1987]

My mom had her gallbladder removed so may be that. If it doesnt ease im going back in... Im kinda worried.

[LivingInHope]

There is a blood test to test for celiac disease.   I've had one.  Ask your doctor if they will order it for you.  Also, ask the doctor if you can get an abdominal ultrasound to check your gallbladder, liver and right kidney checked.  And ask if blood testing for a cholecystitis would be in order as well.  If you can pinpoint with probing fingers a tender spot musculoskeletally in the region, ask your doctor about costochondritis.

[Jennifer1987]

Iv been in hospial the past two nights for tests. So far they have ruled out gallbladder/stones (they were convinced it was that) I had a camera put down my throat into my stomach today and they found a hiatus hernia but the meds havent helped that yet so they took a biopsy for celiac disease.. I really hope they get an answer cause the pain is so bad....

I feel like Im all bloated, and my abdomen is making weird gurgling noises..  pain is very bad, and my appatite is shite..

The hernia explans a lot of other things though, like how i hiccup a lot, nearly choke when i swallow food.. thats it thouhg!!!

Thanks for ye;re answers :)

[LivingInHope]

My problem on the upper right turned out to be costochondritis, but before that was diagnosed, when they didn't see anything with ultrasound, a doctor said sometimes problems with the gallbladder that are missed by ultrasound are picked up with a HIDA scan (ordered mine with ejection fraction).  Since my gallbladder was very slow to empty on the HIDA scan, another doctor ordered an MRCP to look at the duct work closely, but it came out okay for me.  

Hiatal hernias often don't cause problems, Mayo's website says, except when they can when they are large .  They say most small ones cause no symptoms, but large ones can cause burping, nausea, heartburn and pain in your chest.  Was yours a large one then, with your near choking problem?  Hiccuping is spasming of the diaphragm- did the doctor say it could be a symptom of your hiatal hernia?

Bloating and extremely bad pain can come with gas too, and in the upper right quadrant of the intestinal system is an area notorious for collecting gas.  Have you tried simethicone with meals and bedtime (over the counter)?  if you have problem with lactose, have you switched to lactaid milk or a substitute, such as Ricedream milk?  Are you avoiding gassy foods, like beans, cabbage, broccoli, etc.?  

What infection are you taking antibiotic for?  

With your underactive thyroid and taking pain killers, constipation could be a big issue and that sure can make a person feel bloated and uncomfortable.  Is someone treating your thyroid dysfunction, checking up on its function with regularity?  Did the doctor who looked down and find the hiatal hernia suggest something like benefiber and or miralax to help keep regulare? (I had one suggest half dose of miralax along with benefiber, but I substitute for the benefiber with something else and take a less expensive generic usually for the miralax called clearlax.)

I believe pain itself can sometimes diminish a person's appetite.  Did they do any blood testing for cancer markers?  

[Jennifer1987]

I was left home from hospital today. The doc is waitin for blood results and had schedualed me for an mri of my back... so im hopeing something is sorted... The pain is so constant and Im at a loss... feel so down and upset!!!

the infection was in my urine so thats what i had antibiotic! Im so lost at the mo!

[LivingInHope]

Please give me an update on blood results?  Are they planning to culture your urine post antibiotic treatment to make sure infection is gone if you are having any kidney area pain?  I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time.

[Jennifer1987]

They have checked an dits gone..

I got a rash on my elbow last night, red pimple looking rash, was very sore.. but they gave me something for it and its ok today! Im just afraid they find nothing and Im stuck with this pain!!! :(

When I went hypothyroid i had a battle to get the docs to take me seriously, I cant go through this again!!!

[LivingInHope]

Do you have an endocrinologist specializing in thyroid dysfunction who is following you up for the hypothyroidism?

[Jennifer1987]

I did but back to my own doc again.  Its going ok i think.

[Jennifer1987]

Has any one experienced constipation with celiac disease???

[achilles2]

With hypothyroid have you been checked for endometriosis? (Many times hypothyroid, celiacs, and endo can go together.) To be treated properly an endo specialist must treat it, not a gen ob/gyn. Also get a doctor that knows how to treat your thyroid. I went through three docs before I found one that is treating my thyroid correctly. You will find that most endocrinologist know a ton about diabetes but very little about the thyroid. Here is a website for a great book about the thyroid the doctor is a specialist and it is easy to read w/interesting stories and a great index.
http://www.amazon.com/Thyroid-Solution-Revolutionary-Mind-Body-Program/dp/0345429206

I hope this helps,
achilles2

[Jennifer1987]

I got my blood results and have been told I don't have celiac disease but the MRI of my back showed 3 bluging discs is my thoracic spine, t4-t7. From what Iv read about bulging discs it expalins my pain. I was in a car crash Nov 2010 so it explains why I have them.

I'm glad to have an answer at last!

Thanks for all ye're advise!