Posts by Aaron Castillo73

vividsailor7 said:Based on clinical indications, we should probably run or repeat the following tests
Small bowel and gastroduodenal X-ray
PTH, Ca, ionized Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, serum amylase, lipase, fecal fat, CK, LDH, creatinine, urea, protein electrophoresis, liver panel, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, folate, B12.
24-hour urine creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria, Ca, P.
Skin prick testing and/or specific IgE tests for food allergies.
EGD with deep duodenal biopsies for pathology.
Ultrasound of the thyroid and parotid glands, plus thyroid hormone panel—TSH, T3, T4, anti-TPO.
Abdominal MRI with contrast angiography.

The bowel X-ray from a few months back didn't really show much—except that I don't notice anything right after eating, but somehow, by the time everything reaches the end of the tract, things just... congeal. My Vitamin D levels are low, proteins are fine, iron is slightly down, and B12 is normal. They were pretty sure it was Celiac disease, but nope—turns out it isn't. Honestly, this whole thing is going to drag on for several more months, and I’m already so exhausted—plus there's the constant pressure to lose five pounds because of my period, but how can I when I can't eat without running to the bathroom? It's just a vicious cycle with no way out.

vividsailor7 said:Based on clinical indications, you should probably undergo—or at least look into—these tests:
an X-ray of the gastroduodenal passage and small intestine
PTH, Ca, ionized Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, serum amylase, lipase, fecal fat, CK, LDH, creatinine, urea, protein electrophoresis, liver panel, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, folic acid, B12.
24-hour urine creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria, Ca, P.
skin prick and/or specific IgE testing for food allergies
an EGD with deep duodenal biopsies for pathology.
An ultrasound of the thyroid and parotid glands, plus thyroid hormone levels—TSH, T3, T4, anti-TPO.
An abdominal MRI with contrast angiography.

Where can I actually get all this done? Honestly, waiting until the 17th to see a gastroenterologist feels impossible... if they just send me off for more tests after that, we're looking at another two months of dragging this out. It's already been four months. I can't deal with more testing—my diet is a total mess right now and the whole situation is becoming overwhelming. They turned down my request for hospitalization, but I'm honestly at my breaking point.

vividsailor7 said:Please list your symptoms, any history of illness or therapy, full test results, whether you've had a stool sample tested for parasites, and previous diagnoses.
It looks like you're dealing with jejuno-duodenogastric reflux.

Hi everyone... so, first things first—I’ve been dealing with constant bloating, abdominal pain right under my ribs, and weight loss because I can barely keep food down. Then, things took a turn when I started having these yellow, greasy, really heavy stools about 5 or 6 times a day. I've developed some pretty intense sensitivities—eggs were the first and worst allergy, then apples, dairy, and bread (which hits me hard). I actually tested negative for Celiac disease, protein synthesis seems fine, though my iron is a bit low, and I'm dealing with Vitamin D deficiency and osteopenia. Also, a Candida count of 10,000 CFU. Lately, the rib pain has become unbearable—sometimes it cramps up so bad I have to hunch over. The acid reflux is constant... my stools are loose and heavy, and even my urine and saliva have turned a greenish tint. Sometimes I vomit whatever I eat and have to rush to the bathroom immediately. I can't even touch vegetables. For the last two weeks, it feels like anything I eat just "melts" through me straight to my hands and feet—it's a horrible sensation, like my intestines are just dissolving. It's like everything goes directly into my system instantly. On top of all that, I can't handle any fat at all; if I try, my gut just loses it. If I eat meat, even small pieces, the fat seems to squeeze out and I bloat up so much that it becomes difficult to breathe. Honestly, I feel best when I don't eat anything at all—water is the only thing that doesn't trigger a reaction. My upper abdominal ultrasound was okay about a month and a half ago, but the doctors just keep ordering more tests. It's endless, and I can't live like this—constantly running to the bathroom, vomiting, and dealing with this relentless acid. I'm inflamed everywhere. I can't have a single drop of fat without my gut feeling "wet" and everything draining toward my legs. I'm losing my mind; I just want to be admitted to the hospital so this can be fixed, because I can't eat anything but water. Currently, I'm taking Vitamin D drops, 600 mg of calcium citrate, Daosin, and probiotics.

If I stick to low-carb, my gallbladder settles down, but the Candida goes wild and I'm sprinting to the bathroom. If I eat meat or veggies, the gallbladder issues are so bad I can't function—it feels like it all just flows into my bloodstream and down to my limbs, and it hurts so much. I'm at my breaking point waiting for these results; this has been dragging on for a month now.

Hey everyone... I had a gastroscopy yesterday with biopsies because they were looking into possible celiac disease. Turns out there’s no sign of celiac, but they did write—in big, bold letters, mind you—that my stomach was almost entirely filled with bile, about 2 liters worth. They wouldn't really tell me anything else; they just told me to follow up with my gastroenterologist. And the poor thing—my appointment isn't until June 17th... I've been dealing with gallbladder symptoms, but they were originally suspicious of celiac. Before this, I had a couple of abdominal ultrasounds and everything looked fine... but my gallbladder still hurts intensely and I get these sudden attacks. Plus, they found a massive amount of Candida in my gut. This whole bile situation is really starting to worry me, especially since I have a whole laundry list of other symptoms.

Jessica Fowler4 said:Well, one major symptom of celiac is being unable to metabolize fats. But me? I metabolize them perfectly fine, even in huge amounts.

I’d probably rather go get tested for Lyme disease—you know, from ticks—or maybe start with stool tests... but I think I'll stick with my thyroid medication for a little longer first. I mean, I feel okay for now. It could be better, I guess, but it's alright compared to how things were.

I’m sure I'll get tested eventually if I can't get things back on track, but it’s just not at the top of my priority list right now because, like I said, my fat metabolism is totally fine. Plus, for the last week, I've been eating three or four slices of bread every single day and nothing weird has happened yet... so... yeah.

Before even looking at celiac, I’d check for chronic Lyme (I had it once before), get an MRI of my abdomen and my spine (actually, I definitely need a spine MRI because my mid-back is killing me), run bacterial cultures on my stool, and stuff like that... but for now, all of that is on hold until I taper off my thyroid meds a bit to see how it goes. I'll give the hormones at least another month. They're serving me pretty well so far... then, after all that, if nothing else turns up, I'll look into celiac and some other possibilities.

Hmm... fat malabsorption is usually an issue in celiac during the acute phase. You can still process them because it hasn't caused that much damage yet. When I first had it, I could only manage bread for a little while before it got worse—more symptoms, more food restrictions, until eventually, I couldn't handle fats or fruit or basically any food group. Even probiotic pills made me bloated! Since celiac attacks the intestinal villi, fewer villi means fewer digestive enzymes. The more gluten you eat, the more those villi suffer. That’s why you can still handle fats—you stopped the gluten, so the damage isn't progressing. As for stool tests, make sure to check for parasites and Candida (definitely emphasize the Candida). Your symptoms sound incredibly similar to mine. If you want to go the psychiatrist route, they'll just send you straight to a specialist. When I was at the new hospital, they tried to label me as "psychiatric" because nobody could figure out what was wrong with me—then my psychiatrist actually suggested I see a different gastroenterologist! So I went to the specialist, and lo and behold—celiac!

Jessica Fowler4 said:I looked into celiac disease too, but now that I'm eating gluten again, nothing special seems to be happening...
Also, some of my symptoms pretty much rule out celiac—given how well I handle a high-fat diet, I don't think it's possible. During one part of my diet, I was hitting about 1500 calories a day strictly from fats and my digestion was totally fine. I just don't think that works if you actually have celiac.

Plus, the crash I hit after a month on the diet happened so fast that I don't think it could have been caused by celiac, especially since I wasn't even eating gluten at the time...

Hey there, I read through your post... tell me, does dairy bother you? Does it cause bloating or sudden bathroom trips? For me, all carbs eventually became an issue—and it happened incredibly fast. First, I developed an intolerance to eggs (intense cramps, greasy yellow stools, incomplete movements), then bread, then dairy, then apples (more awful cramping), and even some nuts... nothing used to bother me before. It all started alongside a massive amount of stress. When I switched to LCHF, I reacted really well, just like you—my digestion stabilized after about 14 days, even leaning slightly toward constipation. But once I went back to carbs, everything went south again, even worse than before. Right from the start, I headed to my gastroenterologist, and they immediately sent me for celiac testing... and yeah, it was celiac. It was such a shock. I kept asking why, how, etc., and they explained it's an autoimmune condition that can be congenital or triggered by a sudden drop in immunity or intense stress—basically, our gut reacts because the brain and digestive system are so tightly linked. In my case, the villi just couldn't hold up. As for fat, people with celiac can technically eat it, though it isn't usually recommended; the goal for the gut is to keep things "clean"—eating foods that pass through without sticking to the intestinal walls (meaning avoiding things that cling, like fats, sugar, and GLUTEN) so the villi can regenerate. During the acute phase, believe me, people do eat fat and the body can handle it because it’s gluten-free and doesn't stick to the lining. Also, that itching or burning sensation you mentioned is likely a food allergy. Just before my test results came back, I started having physical symptoms—I actually had to keep eating gluten just so the tests would reflect my actual state—my eyes started watering after meals, followed by coughing, a runny nose, and then a rash. They also told me that celiac and that kind of immune response—where your own system attacks you—can develop in just a few days. So, definitely see a gastroenterologist. If you want, message me later this afternoon and I can give you a recommendation for a specialist at a major hospital in the city.

Sam Turner3 said:Resurrecting this thread from the dead...
Does anyone happen to have any insight regarding what was mentioned in the original post?

A few months back, I had a bone density scan done on my rib—had to wait ten days just to get the appointment, of course. You just lie down on the machine while it scans your body, and then you get a readout showing exactly which areas have lower density. :-)

Hi everyone... I’ve been dealing with stomach pains from almost everything I eat for a few months now. Lately, the bloating has become constant, and I'm running to the bathroom all day—either frequent stools or just straight-up diarrhea. It’s getting so bad that even milk or anything dairy-based is off-limits, and I can't even look at an apple without dealing with two days of diarrhea afterward. My gut is just... hurting. I can't process fiber or cellulose at all, I'm not absorbing fats, I've lost my period, and my eyes feel like they're burning. I was at the Mayo Clinic back in February where they suspected Celiac disease. Naturally, the earliest appointment I could get for bloodwork was April 20th, and now I'm just waiting on the final enzyme results... the antibodies came back positive. On top of all that, there's a lot of mucus, and my bone density scan showed osteopenia. My throat hurts too, and I have this pain right under my ribs. I'm only 28, and honestly, this whole thing has left me pretty shaken up. Since I'm already underweight, I can't even put on any mass because everything just goes straight through me. I feel okay when I cut out gluten, but fruit and veggies just bloat me since I lack the enzymes to break them down :-( I'm just stuck waiting for the full results and a biopsy before we can officially call it something!!!!!!! I don't know what to do in the meantime—I've been waiting since late February! Of course, you have to wait months just to get scheduled for basic tests. I'm struggling to wrap my head around the idea of having Celiac; part of me keeps hoping it's just a passing gluten allergy, especially since my immune system tanked after I lost so much weight—and now I'm losing even more. If anyone has advice on what to eat... like, what do you guys have for breakfast? Are there specific brands like Kellogg's or similar that are actually safe? Just trying anything at this point.