Outrageous Upper Abdominal Cramps!!!

I don't know WHAT in the world I did, but since last night I've had these on and off, intense upper abdominal...cramps, I guess. Maybe more like spasms? Every time something enters my mouth and couple minutes later I get these cramps. I tried water, didn't help. So I tried making a smoothie for breakfast instead of eating solid food and it seems to have helped a little, but I'm still curious. Any ideas as to where in the world these cramps came from?? Or mean??

I get the same thing when I get glutened.  Do you have celiac disease?  I always get upper pain and it gets really bloated so much so that it presses on my lungs and I have trouble breathing. 

You could have a tummy bug.  It can stay in the stomach and cause cramps or you'll end up experiencing vomiting and/or diarrhoea as your stomach attempts to eject the bug.   Drink plenty of fluids and avoid solid foods for about 24 hours. 

Snoopini- Actually, yes. I do have Celiac Disease. I glutened myself yesterday but man, I didn't think it was enough to make me feel cramps this intense! Usually I have to make a HUGE boo boo to feel cramps like this. But come to think of it, they are of the same variety as those from glutening myself in the past. And I do feel ridiculously bloated today. Blah. I hate this damn disease. How long have you been diagnosed?

gi-jane- Thanks =] I think I may avoid solids for the day. I usually drink a lot of water, so once I'm done I'll start replenishing fluids.

Kittiekee - At first, I needed to actually eat something to get symptoms, then it was a crumb or something solid before I got symptoms.  Now all it takes is me touching bread or something glutenous (not washing my hands) then touching something I eat.  It's really ridiculous!  I was diagnosed about 6/7 years ago.  Now, it seems about every 2 years I aquire new food allergies.  It's tough because most gluten free foods I cannot eat due to other allergies.  I do take Gluten-Zyme when I think I may come in contact with gluten and it does seem to help a little, the cramps don't last as long.  But still, those cramps are bad, it's hard to do anything, I am doubled over, it's hard to walk....and the bloating lasts for days. Yeah it sucks!!!!

when were you diagnosed?

I was diagnosed about 5 years ago, when I was 16. I've never heard of Gluten-zyme...I'll have to check that out. Do you find it harder to lose weight with the Gluten challenges?

Well I don't want to scare you or anything but... I woke up one night about a month ago with intense stomach cramps - worse than being stabbed 20 times in a row - and nothing helped and they also never went away... until of course I had surgery. I in fact had cecal volvulus... which is when your colon twists into a knot. During surgery I had my cecum and ilium taken out and now will forever have a 4 inch scar next to my belly button. 

My pain consisted of: terrible pain in the upper left side of my colon (even though the problem was in the lower right side of my colon)... and the pain NEVER subsided. I was incredibly bloats and couldn't stand up straight... I had no gas (because of so much blockage) and wanted to vomit as well but couldn't get myself to do so....

If you have any such problems you should get to the hospital! If I didn't have surgery when I did... my colon would have burst! Yikes. 

I found Gluten-Zyme at Whole Foods, if you don't have any Whole Foods near you, Google it I know you can buy it online. It's some kind of enzyme and it's also dairy free.  I would say yes that it is harder to lose weight simply because I should be underweight with my food limitations!  Plus I think since we are limited to certain foods that we don't have nearly as many low fat options as others do. Oh, and I just found out my thyroid is low, that could also be why it's harder to lose weight for me.  So, maybe the thyroid meds will help.

I seem to have a lot of immune and malabsorbtion problems from celiac.  Lots of vitamin deficiences as well as bone loss.  I know other people who don't eat gluten and they are fine...not me. 

Do you find that your reaction to gluten gets worse every year.  I'm afraid one day I won't be able to look at it.  I can't tell you how often I gluten myself and I can't figure out where it came from. 

Oh my goodness, yes! I feel like each TIME I gluten myself now that I'm Gluten-Free it gets worse. And sometimes I really have no idea where it came from, but I know I have that sluggish I've-been-glutened feeling. They hide it in friggin everything now! I just found this great brand of salad dressing though. Calorie, gluten, & sugar free! As well as free of many other things, so you might be able to eat it. I thought I was lactose intolerant for a spell because most Celiac end up having that issue as well to some degree. Damn that Celiac. If only they knew when we were little what they knew now...we would perhaps not have this issue. 

It sounds to me like it could be gall stones.  Research it a little.  I hope its not though.  Hope you feel better.

Kittiekee, if you still have the pain, please see your doctor.  As Curlygirl said, the pain could be gallstones.  Back in February I took myself to the doctor after several weeks of intermittent upper abdominal pain after I ate.  Following an ultrasound I was diagnosed with gallbladder disease.

If you do have gallbladder disease, there are various treatments available, especially if the condition is caught early.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Kittiekee - what's the salad dressing? I'm interested, it's hard to find GF and sugar free.

They do hide gluten in everything. I'm happy that Rice Chex is GF now and most of the others are going to be GF by June (corn, cinnamon, strawberry, chocolate), I can't wait.  I also heard that Duncan Hines will have 3 GF mixes out soon too (I think by August), choco chip cookies, brownie and chocolate cake.  Of course they will add one ingredient that I can't have but it's a great thing when these big commercial companies start to make some GF food.  Just hope the gluten is low enough to not cause a reaction. It's all trial and error at some point....

I wish that they knew more about this stuff when we were little too...

Everyone-the pain has passed. I think what snoopini and I were supposing is true-I just glutened myself unintentionally.

Snoopini-I had No idea Rice Chex was adding the other flavors too! you just made my day! That and the Duncan Hines mixes. That's such a huge step! And the dressing is Walden Farms. I re-checked, it's calorie, sugar, cholesterol, carb & gluten free. Hah. There are several different flavors. I also looked and it didn't seem to contain anything you can't have to me. But my eyes are trained for other things, of course.

Good to hear you are feeling better Kittiekee.

Thank you =]

I checked the ingredients, I can eat the Walden Farms dressing!  Yay, something else to try!

Excellent! There are many flavors, so I hope you find one you like!!!