….ain’t nothin’ right in the world.
Sounds cheesy, but it’s so true.
It’s also the reason I haven’t blogged in days.
For the past month or so, my lower abdomen has been giving me a LOT of trouble. Pain, cramping, and discomfort so severe it has me feeling nauseous and almost entirely incapable of doing anything besides laying on my back.
Stomach pain is not foreign to me. About ten years ago I was diagnosed with IBS and GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Paxil and regular meetings with a God-sent Christian counselor gradually transformed me back into the person I knew was in there somewhere. Regular exercise worked wonders, as well. (To this day, that is one of the main reasons I work out very consistently: I’ve experienced firsthand the healing and restorative power of exercise.)
To this day I am still on a maintenance dose of Paxil, and for the most part the IBS and anxiety have been under control. Praise God!
However, since roughly mid-December my belly has been giving me grief again. I honestly can’t think of anything more debilitating than stomach pain. When it hits, I am useless. I am out of commission. I can’t read. I can’t cook. I can’t crochet. I can’t blog. I can barely even talk. It gets that bad.
So where am I at right now?
I am on day two of eliminating gluten from my diet entirely.
And I am feeling significantly better already.
Could going gluten-free be helping that quickly? I don’t know. But my gut says “probably.”
I have suspected gluten intolerance on and off for awhile now. Several months ago I greatly decreased my gluten intake but until now, have never cut it out one hundred percent. Just three days ago I also began taking daily multivitamins that include a powerful probiotic. I am quite confident that this will help, as well.
So here it is, 3:00 in the afternoon, and I have felt great since the moment I woke up this morning. (Yes, there is wood nearby and yes, I am knocking on it.) Is it a fluke? Or is it a direct result of eating NO gluten for the last day and a half? I don’t know yet.
Two things I do know:
- Not even the teensiest-tiniest bit of gluten will cross my lips ever again if my belly continues feeling as calm and relieved as it does right now.
- This blog may just evolve into a gluten-free eating blog.
If the pain comes back I will be seeking help from a gastroenterologist.
There are so many people who are plagued by miserable, agonizing stomach pain. The reason can be difficult to diagnose. For some, the reason is gluten intolerance. Maybe I’m one of those people, maybe I’m not.
I just wanted to update my dear readers on why my blogging has been so sporadic lately. Thank you sooooooooooooo much to those of you who have been keeping my aching belly in your prayers – continued prayers would be so so much appreciated. And if you or someone you know has stomach issues or gluten intolerance, send them my way and maybe we could continue exploring this together.
For more information on gluten intolerance click —-> HERE.
Your comments are most welcome. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading!
I am so glad you are feeling better!
My B.I.L. was diagnosed with Celiac’s nearly a decade ago and went completely gluten free. We also joined in the search for recipes and have found some GREAT books to work with. Last year, after several years of no-gluten, he was retested and there was NO reaction. No Celiac’s diagnosis. Nothing. Much like an allergy, he slowly phased in a bit of the very things that used to cause him grief. He continues to feel great. You can never go back to as much gluten as you may have had but you might be able to add a couple of sneaks in sometime in the future. Good luck and let me know if you want to borrow the books! I’ll be your way again in March.
Glad you feel better today, I hope you continue to feel ok. I know how hard it can be to figure out what foods cause digestive issues, it is not always easy to figure out.
GIRL!!!!!!!!!!! to answer your question of “could going gluten free be helping that quickly?”
the answer is a GINORMOUS EXCITING “YES!!!!!!!!!!”
i had GI issues for years and when i finally figured out that gluten was a culprit, i eliminated every source immediately. the VERY.NEXT.DAY i felt like a new person.
my eczema cleared up (took a month or so), my tummy felt better, i had TONS more energy, and my mood improved DRASTICALLY.
oh my gosh-i really hope you feel better PERMANENTLY, because i know the pain and misery of gluten intolerance/celiac’s. i used to lay in bed clutching my stomach in agony and just cry out to God!
i had already eliminated eggs and dairy, so I couldn’t figure out why the gastrointestinal misery? i thought this was my normal and i’d just have to deal with it.
Praise God-i figured out it was the gluten.
again-i hope all your symptoms clear up SOON and you feel like yourself again 🙂
I agree with the above comment. I had the same issue for years. I was diagnosed with IBS – which I now believe means “We know there’s something wrong, but we don’t know what exactly”. This past year, my chiropractor suggested gluten intolerance, so I eliminated it from my diet and voila!
I questioned it early on since my IBS symptoms were never every day. I thought “could it be that simple? or am I just between episodes?” So I ate some bread…I was in pain within 30 minutes and have not tried it again. My seasonal allergies are better, I never have stomach pain unless I am actually ill with flu or something (which almost never happens to me) and my headaches (I used to get pretty bad migraines) are gone. I can actually tell if I got some accidental gluten b/c I get a headache first (rare, and very small amounts. I am vigilant).
Anyway, I just wanted to cheer you on. You are not alone, it DOES work, and you’re going to enjoy the adventure of cooking gluten free. It’s a fun challenge.
Mandy
Thanks so much – it is good to know there are others who have the exact same issue. You are inspiring!
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how are you feeling today? 🙂
Still a LOT better!! What a HUUUUGE relief!!!
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Hi Wendy! I’m so glad you found my blog! In my ‘About Me’ section I talk about my journey to being gluten free, and while it was hard it has been COMPLETELY WORTH IT for me! Tummy issues are just the worst, and I’m glad to be rid of them! Good luck and I look forward to reading about how it’s going.
Hi, Wendy! I just found your blog and I’m so glad I did! I hope you’re well on your way to discovering what is best for your tummy. I have had stomach issues ever since I can remember, and I’ve done every elimination diet/gluten intolerance test/intestinal permeability test known to man (and a whole slew of doctors!), all to no avail. It’s been such a difficult road, so I definitely understand what you’re going through!