Omeprazole (Prilosec) Withdrawal

Writing often helps me to sort out my thoughts.  It has been that way for my entire life.  If I want to figure something out, all I need to do is start writing.  And true to form, while writing my weekly recap it suddenly occurred to me that the strange stomach aches and trembling I had been feeling for the past couple of weeks might be connected to my cutting back on Prilosec, as per doctor's orders.

I checked back in my Food/Symptom journal and sure enough, the trembling began within a few days of cutting my daily Prilosec dosage in half, from 40 mg/day, to 20 mg/day.  The last time I experienced trembling of the same sort was when I stopped taking clonazepam.  The trembling lasted about a couple weeks.  Could it be that my body simply "withdraws" from chemicals in this bizarre way?  Could a simple, over-the-counter drug have this kind of effect on the body?  I had to check it out.

Doing the usual internet search (Google), I was amazed to find so much information available about Prilosec withdrawal.  Why hadn't anyone warned me that it was possible and what I might expect?

According to many websites, the side effects for medications are also the side effects of withdrawal.  The particular Prilosec I have been taking is omeprazole, delayed-release capsules.  Prilosec is a proton-pump-inhibitor (PPI).

So what is a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI)?  Without getting into too much detail, the stomach produces acid (mainly hydrochloric acid) in order to break down our food so it can be digested.  This acid is released through proton pumps which allow the chemical to pass into the stomach.  Sometimes the stomach produces too much acid, which may spill into the esophagus and cause heart burn or acid reflux. The proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is supposed to inhibit the body's ability to produce stomach acid.

Omeprazole (brand name Prilosec) "blocks the final step of acid production.... Animal studies indicate that after rapid disappearance from plasma, omeprazole can be found within the gastric mucosa for a day or more" (i.e., the effects linger on) (PharmaInfo).

According to the July 1, 2009 edition of Family Practice News, after 8 weeks on a PPI, patients ended up with rebound heartburn, acid regurgitation, and dyspepsia (upset stomach or indigestion).  The article "PPI Withdrawal Triggers Acid Hypersecretion" by Mary Ann Moon points out that "Rebound symptoms were clinically significant in the study subjects, causing mild to moderate discomfort for at least 2 weeks after withdrawal of daily PPI therapy--a 'remarkable' finding given that 40% of the study subjects had never experienced such symptoms before, wrote Dr. Reimer of the department of medical gastroenterology at Copenhagen University and her associates."


Symptoms of PPI withdrawal may include:

• Rebound acid hypersecretion within two weeks of withdrawal
• Heartburn
• Acid reguritation
• Dyspepsia

Interestingly, the study (double-blind, placebo-controlled design, including blinded withdrawal of PPI) found that "greater than 40% of healthy volunteers who have never been bothered by heartburn, acid regurgitation, or dyspepsia, develop such symptoms in the weeks after cessation of PPI" (Gastroenterology, boldface added). 

I am not the only one to believe PPIs are greatly over-prescribed.  I have seen it in my friends, and I have seen it in my own family:  Feeling a little indigestion?  Let's put you on a PPI and dismiss it as that.  As what??  My daughter was seen for an "nervous stomach" by a doctor while she was attending college.  The doctor said "You must have a hiatal hernia" and prescribed Prilosec, and never saw her again.  That was three years ago!  She has been on Prilosec ever since, never knowing whether she actually had a hiatal hernia or not.  When she stopped the Prilosec (expensive on a young adult's budget), she developed all the symptoms of withdrawal. 

The internet abounds with forums and patient discussion groups regarding PPIs.  Perusing a handful of these websites, I found some patient-oriented information with regard to PPI withdrawal:

• Taper off slowly to reduce stomach pain and hypersecretion of stomach acid
• Take Rolaids Antacid tablets as needed during withdrawal
• pH levels may be out of whack
• Food allergies and sensitivities may crop up
• May experience loss of appetite
• Trembling, shaking, "buzz"
• Troubles with Vitamin D and calcium defiencies to the extent of severe bone density problems
• Risk factor for Clostridium difficile -associated diarrhea

Incidentally, it is a known fact that "long-term use of proton pump inhibitors increases the risk of hip fractures in adults over 50" (Ray Sahelian, MD, "Proton Pump Inhibitor Drug benefit and side effects, safety, danger and risk").

I'm not saying all doctors over-prescribe medications, but I do think that both sides of the equation carry some blame.  Most patients (particularly American patients) want a quick fix.  If they don't feel well, they go to the doctor and get something for it.  In an attempt to avoid expensive tests and follow-ups, many doctors will give the patient what he or she asks: a quick fix.  There are many more factors and sides to this ideology, but that is not my purpose in writing today.

I do have to say that I think there is a big gap between the pharmaceutical industry and patient knowledge.  Somewhere between those two points lies a gap that needs to be addressed and filled.  The pharmaceutical industry is getting far ahead of the medical industry and governing the direction which doctors should take. Shouldn't the medical industry govern the pharmaceutical industry, rather than the other way around?  Just my two-cents...

Recommended Further Reading:
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0016-5085/PIIS001650850900780X.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19362552

Week 18 Recap: Fine Tuning

Now that I am finally feeling like some healing is taking place in my body, it is time to start fine tuning and working on the last remaining “symptoms” that have either not been addressed or not completely gone away.

Last week went quite well – at least during the day time. All of my treadmill walks were completely normal, the palpitations and left subclavian pain have all but dissipated, and there was very little to report out of the ordinary, other than the internal trembling and fluttering that seems to be increasing, particularly in the evenings and at night. Trouble is, I can’t think of a way to describe what is going on, but I will try anyway.

It has become common for me to experience a mild stomach ache after eating—the larger the meal, the greater the stomach ache. The higher the fat content, the higher the chance for digestive problems. It will usually start with an ache, not long followed by a sensation of mild foaming or reflux, which then triggers a trembling or quivering, usually beginning in the chest makes me feel like my heart is fluttering when it is not). This is not something new for me—it has happened in the past, but it had stopped for at least a month, and then started again on April 20th and has since then increased in regularity and intensity.

The inner trembling often lasts throughout the night, and sometimes during the day as well. Sometimes it gets so bad that it feels like it triggers heart palpitations, causing me to be short of breath in the middle of the night. When that happens I have to sit up, or change positions in bed. It is scary, but I am usually so groggy it is something for which I simply make a mental note, and really don’t remember all that well.

I read recently that sometimes gallbladder disease goes hand in hand with celiac, and will do a little research on it to see if it matches these weird symptoms that have cropped up again, and promise to post the results of my research here.

ODD THINGS THIS WEEK:

• Felt some right-ear pain a couple of times during one night but didn’t happen again all week. Wondering if it has anything to do with being shocked by the treadmill (ear buds) several days ago.

All 17 miles of my treadmill walks this week were uneventful. In addition to treadmill walks, I worked out for 105 minutes with Pilates, and 100 minutes of weight-bearing exercises.

Though I have mentioned the odd trembling to doctors before (for which all medical professionals gave me puzzled looks), I have yet to mention the upset stomach after eating. It will be next on my list to fine tune my health…

 

Week 15 Recap: Still Learning

Did you know that most Yoplait Lite yogurts contain aspartame? I had been so busy looking for “GLUTEN FREE” on the labels I failed to notice the aspartame listed in the ingredients. I don’t react every time to aspartame, but suspect I am more sensitive to it now, than in the past.

I think I accidentally glutened myself over Easter weekend… one of those things that in retrospect I ask myself “What was I thinking?” I used distilled white vinegar in a recipe and think that may have done it. As to whether vinegar is safe or not, is debatable.

According to Gluten Free: The Celiac Site:

“Distilled vinegar (or white vinegar) has been listed as unsafe for people with celiac disease by the major organizations in the United States, but not by organizations in any other countries. This position changed in 2001. The Gluten Intolerance Group® and the Celiac Disease Foundation now state that all vinegar (except malt vinegar) is safe for people with celiac disease to consume. The American Dietetic Association has also stated…that distilled vinegar is gluten free.”

While according to Celiac.com and the Celiac Sprue Association (CSA):

“Distilled vinegar, however, is still on the CSAs ‘Low Gluten Items to Avoid List.’ The CSA still maintains that distilled vinegar and alcohol are ‘questionable,’ even if there is no detectable gluten/gliadin in them, and even though the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) and the new guidelines from the American Dietetic Association (ADA) all include them on their safe lists . The CSA urges celiacs to ascertain the source of any questionable ingredients from their manufacturers.”

I may have been reacting to something else, such as Hershey’s Kisses, but it sure felt like a gluten stomach-ache! Do achy joints have anything to do with being glutened?

The results to my EGD (endoscopy) last week came in, and both biopsies of the stomach and small intestine were normal. Yay! The doctor did not expect to find anything relating to celiac due to the time I’ve spent gluten-free (three months now), but there was also no sign of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). This does not mean I don’t have reflux, it just means it hasn’t advanced to the stage of disease—so I guess I have caught it early enough, which is a good thing!

Besides waking up in the wee hours of the morning every single day and not getting enough sleep, the week was not a bad week. In fact, my treadmill walks were the best ever, feeling almost completely normal! For the first time in about eight weeks, my heart was feeling stronger and stronger—almost as if it has healed. I hope that is the case.

ODD THINGS THIS WEEK:

• A little pain to the left of my sternum, off and on for a couple of days.
• Minor left subclavian pain, off and on all week.
• Tingling tongue, and upper lip, also!
• Strange hives on my knuckles during the week.
• Minor right subclavian pain for about three days.
• Weirds pangs under mandible again.
• Fluttery sensations in chest from time to time, particularly when not feeling well.

“Physical Therapy” totals for the week include 55 minutes of Pilates, 60 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, and 18.309 miles walked.

It is ironic that the more I learn about celiac disease and how my body reacts to gluten, the less I realize I know about celiac and my body!  I am still learning, but it is a good learning.  Because I can be somewhat stubborn and hard-headed, it may take a couple of times to get through my head, but getting through my head it is-- and hopefully sooner than later-- I will finally reach the "Level Two" step (Step 1 = Beginning self-management and Foundation; Step 2 = Intermediate self-management and Expansion; Step 3 = Advanced level self-management and Maintenance) (Celiac Sprue Assocation).

This second step of "rehabilitation" includes (CSA):

• Establishing an individual treatment plan
• Keeping a daily diary and recording all intake, amounts, and reactions
• Identifying and eliminating immune-response triggers
• Waiting 2-4 weeks before reintroducing new or questionable items.
• Expanding knowledge of CD/DH

 Just when I think I have reached Level Two, I end up back in Level One, still trying to figure it all out.  15 weeks and still learning...

Week 12 Recap: What Recap?

Recap, recap, what is there to recap?  The new "Symptom of the Week"?

What can I say to spice things up a bit?  Basically, the congestion in my chest has shifted up to my neck. I was hoping to find some answers this week with the scheduled MRI, but it never happened. The most frequent “new symptom” was feeling like I had the mumps on the left side: numb below the ear and an achy jaw, every single day.

I did have some good news this past week: the heart palpitations have calmed down considerably; and the other good news (though not such good news for my kids) -- my kids all got sick, but I didn’t —which is the first time in a long time. This could be the result of one of two scenarios: (1) my immune system is finally kicking in, or (2) they all had the swine flu for which I was inoculated late last fall. I’m putting my money on the stronger immune system.

I found a little bit of a pattern in the heart palpitations recently. It seems as though when my oxygen supply either runs short or gets backed up by a kink in the neck (just my guess) I end up with a palpitation—such as when craning my neck to see something, or when talking for a long enough period of time that I need to take a breath.

During the week, I continued to wean myself off of clonazepam (again) by taking smaller and smaller doses. I found this helps avoid the inevitable headaches and sleepless night when I stop suddenly.

I also continued my physical therapy, comprised of two 30-minute treadmill walks, 20 minutes of Pilates, and 10 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, for six days a week, though I did miss one or two Pilates sessions. I kept my treadmill walks slow so as to determine whether I could do it without any heart palpitations, and the results were pretty good —I felt only one palpitation during a treadmill walk all week. The only thing I had to deal with was some upper chest constriction (as if my lungs refused to fully inflate) and some chronic neck congestion, almost entirely on the left side.

Last week's total physical therapy consisted of: 80 minutes of Pilates, 50 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, and walking 17.19 miles.

ODD EVENTS DURING THE WEEK:

• On one day, I ended up with a sudden bout of nausea and a weird feeling on the left side of my head. When I barely touched my head above my left ear, I felt pain sensations shoot out and upward.
• Another day I experienced some minor ringing in my left ear.
• Occasionally, my neck would throb in various areas, sometimes on the right side, but mostly on the left.
• My throat felt itchy and sore, and the right glands felt swollen.
• At least twice that week I awoke to a bloody taste in my mouth, and a lot of left-sided head and neck pain.
• One day I went to use my earbuds while on my treadmill but the left one kept shocking me for some reason, and created an earache in that ear.  Decided to opt out of using earbuds while on the treadmill.

On the day that I was scheduled for the head/neck MRI, the hospital ran a CT scan first to determine the nature of the prosthetic in my right ear (having had a stapedectomy almost 20 years ago). Turns out, there was some kind of metal in the prosthesis, and the MRI could not be done. Now what? We faxed the University of Washington Medical Center for my records so we could get a brand and model number of the prosthesis, but the MRI would have to be rescheduled. I left feeling very disappointed because I still had no answers.

That very same day, I had a consultation with a GI specialist, who seemed rather perturbed that my doctor did not confirm my celiac disease with a small intestine biopsy. She accused him of making a lot of generalizations without confirming the disease, but also admitted he could be correct in the diagnosis. As for herself, she refused to call it celiac until something shows up in a biopsy (of which she said celiac likely won't show up now, having been g-free for three months), or I have the gene for it (which they will apparently do at the same time). So bottom line, I go in for an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) on March 31.

The EGD will look at my esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (first part of the small intestine) with an endoscope, which can also be used to biopsy different areas if necessary.  According to SurgeryEncylopedia.com, it can be used:

"to diagnose early-stage cancer and can frequently help determine whether a growth is benign or malignant. The doctor can obtain biopsies of inflamed or suspicious tissue for examination in the laboratory by a pathologist or cytologist. Cell scrapings can also be taken by introducing a small brush through the endoscope; this technique is especially helpful in diagnosing cancer or an infection."

At the same time, this procedure can be used for:

• removal of polyps and other noncancerous (benign) tissue growths
• stretching narrowed areas (strictures) in the esophagus
• stopping bleeding from ulcers or blood vessels
• removing foreign objects that have been swallowed, such as coins, pins, buttons, small nails, and similar items

With the EGD, the GI-specialist can look for things like: 

• causes of abdominal pain
• achalasia, a defect in the muscular opening between the esophagus and the stomach
• Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition of the cells lining the esophagus
• Crohn's disease and inflammatory disease of the small intestine
• esophageal cancer
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition caused by excess stomach acid
• hiatal hernia
• irritable bowel syndrome
• rectal bleeding
• stomach cancer
• stomach ulcers
• swallowing problems

The only thing that worries me at this point is that I still have random heart palpitations and that we don't know what is going on in my head and neck.  An EGD is contraindicated in patients who are at risk for heart complications or stroke (NIH), and in my mind, as long as we still don't know why I get random heart palpitations or whether I actually  had a TIA or am at risk for a stroke (where was that MRI when I needed it?), there is some risk involved with the EGD.  It may be a low risk, but without answers, to me it is still a risk.  Better safe, than sorry, right?  But I guess we won't know until the actual procedure.

Till next time...

Week 10 Recap: Gluten Reactions?

People have warned me about reactions to gluten once you have been g-free for any length of time. I have been told that each accidental exposure seems to result in a different or worse reaction than before. If what I experienced last week was a result of an accidental exposure, I think I ran the gamut of every sick feeling I’ve ever had -- and all in less than five days.

The week started out great, well into the 90th-percentile for me. I continued my “physical therapy” with two 30-minute treadmill walks, upped my Pilates time to 30 minutes, and upped my weight-bearing exercises to 15 minutes. My plan was to do continue with a six-day exercise program.

I also decided that I didn’t want to continue using clonazepam to help me sleep anymore. I have never liked the idea of taking drugs that do anything to my brain, and I don't like the idea of having to be “weaned” off of medications, especially ones that might require additional medications to counter the side effects of weaning. Well, the idea was a good one but I ended up taking lorazepam instead (Ativan). It was a tiny dose and I figured it would be a good way to slow down. It worked— I slept through the entire night for the first time I can remember in a long time!

But by Tuesday I started having a lot of what I call “subclavian” pain (just because it is in the general area of the subclavian vein --below my shoulder). It was so pronounced I gave it a 5.5 on the pain scale: moderate pain. It was not the first time I have experienced pain or congestion in that same area, but it seemed pretty strong this time and the pain radiated from the left subclavian area toward my left armpit as well. It lasted off and on all day and I ended up taking lorazepam to help me sleep again.

By Wednesday, I wasn’t feeling very good. I was feeling flu-like and couldn’t seem to keep my heart rate down during my treadmill walks. At the same time I developed a migraine headache on the right side of my head that steadily worsened throughout the day. By bedtime I was feeling weak and shaky and my insides were “trembling” again. I was so uncomfortable I resorted to lorazepam again to help me sleep because it had worked so well the previous two nights. It didn’t occur to me that the lorazepam might contain gluten.

The next day I continued to have trouble keeping my heart rate down during my treadmill walk and ended up reducing the speed and held on to the rails when I felt too winded. I also continued to battle the right-sided migraine as well as left chest pain that radiated upward into that left shoulder/subclavian area. The only good news was that my headache went away when I did my treadmill walks and suspected it was due to the increase in oxygen in my body. I determined not to take any more medications to help me sleep, and took Advil to dull the headache, instead.

As you can imagine, I didn’t sleep that night, and had to put up with internal muscle trembling which seemed to start in my esophagus at bedtime and worked its way all the way through to my intestines by morning. At least the headache went away! That Friday was the day I noticed the involuntary gasps which have happened several times over the past week or two, sometimes during the day, mostly at night, and for no apparent reason. The kind of involuntary gasps you experience while crying. Sometimes just a single one, sometimes 2 or 3 in quick succession; sometimes in the day time, but mostly at night. Chalked it up to just another one of those things, but wondered if it wasn’t somehow connected to everything else I was experiencing that week!!

Throughout most of Friday I was feeling very weak. Once again, I had a hard time keeping my heart rate down during the treadmill walk, sometimes exceeding 95% of my heart rate by several beats. I didn’t feel hungry, but forced myself to eat and ended up with a bad case of reflux all afternoon in spite of the twice daily omeprazole (Prilosec). It felt like the reflux was pressing against my lungs and chest, making my chest feet very full.

To ease the reflux and the bloating I was feeling, I took Mylanta twice that evening, but it didn’t do much good. I hardly slept again that night, and I felt intestinal trembling all night long, clear into dawn again—it was like I had a motor running that I couldn’t turn off.  (If you ever want to know how this trembling feels, stand in the shower and let the spray beat down on your chest.  That is how it feels, but from the inside.)

I spent most of Saturday morning feeling “weird and weak” like I either had low blood-sugar or low blood-pressure. My stomach felt hungry, but my brain didn’t. I weighed myself for the first time in I-don’t-know-how-many months (my only weight came from doctors' offices) and was at 108 lbs. That is probably the lowest I have been in 5 years, since the DH (dermatitis herpetiformis) first showed up. Though 108 is actually a good weight for me (between 105 and 110 is generally when I feel my best-- I am a small person), I am not trying to lose weight. If I was trying to lose weight and felt good, I wouldn’t care, but I don’t feel good, so I’m not sure that it’s such a good thing.

It took another night before all these weird symptoms even began to subside. I decided to skip the sixth day with Pilates and weight training and even came close to giving up the treadmill for that day, but somehow I managed to get it done, and that made me happy. My exercise totals for the week: 18.85 miles on the treadmill, 130 minutes with Pilates and 60 minutes in weight-training.

Overall, it was a rough week and I don’t want a repeat of this week any time soon— in fact, never again would be nice.

I believe I was having a reaction to gluten, though I do not know the source for sure. I know that I am very strict with my diet, and so I suspect it may be the lorazepam which was prescribed for me during one ER visit to help me get over the “hurdles.” Regardless, I won’t be taking it again!

Genetic links to celiac disease identified: Commentary

Well, I thought we had already established that celiac disease was genetic, but just a couple of days ago it was announced that according to London scientists,  new genetic links to celiac disease have been discovered. An international team of researchers found close to “40 different inherited risk factors which predispose to the disease” (DNA India, boldface added).

We all know that genetics are pretty much entirely responsible for our physical makeup, but I find it interesting that there are so many risk factors that make celiac disease something for which we may be “predisposed.” Just the fact that there are so many millions of people around the world that have CD fascinates me, and it is relatively new disease, historically speaking… rumor even has it that it has something to do with the genetically modified super-gluten that has crept into almost all mainstream food products.

In her book "Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating", famed primatologist Jane Goodall said of genetically modified foods:  "We simply do not know the long-term effects of genetically altering foods" (2006, p. 46).  She also sadly pointed out that "The children of North America have now become the world's lab animals on whom to study the long-term effects of eating GM [genetically modified] products" (p. 62).  We are predisposing ourselves, I often think.

The British-led team of medical researchers identified “four aspects of immune system disturbances that lead to the development of celiac disease” (United Press International).

"We can now shed light on some of the precise immune disturbances leading to coeliac disease. These include how T cells in the body react to toxic wheat proteins, how the thymus gland eliminates these T cells during infancy, and the body's response to viral infections.

"We now understand that many of these genetic risk factors work by altering the amounts of these immune system genes that cells make.

"The data also suggests that coeliac disease is made up of hundreds of genetic risk factors, we can have a good guess at nearly half of the genetic risk at present" (Prof. David van Heel, professor of gastrointestinal genetics at Barts; DNA India; Nature Genetics journal, boldface added).

Toxic wheat proteins…. I’m all for the advancement of science and particularly in medicine, but when our food supply becomes toxic to our own bodies (at least as our body sees it), it is time to stop tampering with what goes into our bodies and start focusing on preventative medicines and treatment, that are both natural and non-toxic, regardless of what levels the FDA deem safe. 

It is good news that the scientific and medical communities are spending the time in research considering celiac disease is becoming so prevalent around the world. According to Reuters, these new findings may help “speed the search for better ways to diagnose and treat the gluten-intolerance disorder” (Reuters.com).

The bad news is that the “study also shows that there is substantial evidence to indicate a shared risk between the gene associated with coeliac disease and many other common chronic immune mediated diseases” including diseases such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis (DNA India, Reuters).

With my own research, I already know that CD is caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, which can be found in wheat, rye, and barley products and can be hidden just about anywhere —from medicines and vitamins to lip balms and lipsticks. I know that the reaction causes damage to the lining of the small intestine, essentially flattening the villi, which are the tiny, hairlike projections that normally stand upright (mental image: a field of grass moving with the breeze). Each tiny little villi absorbs nutrients which then get absorbed into the blood stream. When the villi are flattened, the body can no longer properly absorb nutrients.... and you may never know it is happening until the damage has already been done.

You may be eating to your heart’s content, but as long as your body cannot receive nutrients on a cellular level, your body will be literally starving to death. This is why the disease affects so many organs and systems in the body—it affects your entire body. You may end up with weakened bones, anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, weight loss or weight gain, or any one or combination of over 300 symptoms.

In simplest terms for me, gluten is the alien that created crop circles in my gut, substantially reducing my nutrient harvest. There is no cure for it and that the only treatment is a life-long diet free of gluten and avoiding all hidden sources of gluten.  So I have CD.  I live, and I move on.  Do I miss all those bread products and over-processed snacks and addiction to sugar?  Actually.... surpisingly, no.  I don't.  What's to miss?  Horrible stomach pain, a weakened heart, failing organs and a reduced standard of health (i.e., living)?

I think not.  Keep plugging away, researchers!

Week 7: G-Free Recap

The week didn’t start out terribly bad— I knew I was still recovering from a cold and each day I seemed a little better. I was still feeling some faint heart palpitations, particularly in the afternoons (must be when I’m getting tired or something), but at least the sneezing and coughing was going away. I took my newly prescribed Vitamin D (50,000 IUs) on Sunday, 3 days after the first dose.

I continued to increase my time on the treadmill-- two walks a day, plus a 20 minute Pilates workout to rebuild my strength, and 10 minutes of weight bearing exercises using a Pilates machine. I was still getting heart palpitations several minutes into my treadmill walks, and began wondering which would be better: shorter time on the treadmill but a faster pace? Or a longer time with a slower pace? Which method would be more beneficial to strengthening my heart (more about this later)?

Additionally, I was still feeling some congestion or fullness in my upper left chest that sometimes spread into the left side of my neck and my left armpit. I wondered again—why is it always my left side? Still no answers.

I took my third prescribed Vitamin D dose on Wednesday, two days after my last dose because I am supposed to take it twice a week. I figured Wednesdays and Sundays were just as good days as any, right? Within a couple hours of taking the Vitamin D, however, I began to feel nauseous. What had started out as a pretty good day went downhill quite rapidly. Within a couple more hours, a few random hives started popping up here and there. I made no connection to the vitamin, yet, because I had no reaction to it last week.

My back started aching on the same day, and I was beginning to feel flu-like. The last two times I experienced nausea and a back ache, I had a kidney infection. AGAIN??? I didn’t sleep a wink the entire night, and by the next day, I was even more nauseous, couldn’t eat, and for the first time since going gluten-free, felt distended and constipated. I tried my treadmill routine in the morning, but by the time I finished I felt like I was about to go into shock—cold and clammy, lightheaded and queasy. My heart was feeling very weak, and whenever I laid down to rest, I felt like I could very easily stop breathing-- my heart would jump back into action again.... very weird, and I lack the literary skills to put it into proper words.

I managed to get in to see my doctor that afternoon —the only medical professional I’ve seen all this time that I actually trust. My back pain was not in the right place to be a kidney concern, so that was good news to me. He offered a beta blocker for the palpitations, which I turned down because I don’t want anything messing with my heart as it is —and he offered a regular prescription of clonazepam for anxiety and to help me rest (which I also declined—for now). He decided that I may be reacting to the Vitamin D, in which side effects listed everything I was going through. Stop the vitamin for a week, try it again, and see what happens. Sounded like a plan to me!

I continued to develop a couple of random hives that night, and my stomach began to hurt just as if I had been gluten-ized!! And yet, I hadn’t eaten anything that I was aware of that could have caused a gluten reaction!  I wondered if the vitamin had gluten, but I had been assured by the pharmacist that it did not.

The next day, my stomach was very sore. I felt like I had been run over by a truck —the last time I felt that bad was when I first decided to go gluten-free back in December and see if it helped. I still felt queasy, but not enough to give up my treadmill walks —getting my heart stronger is my first priority.

My doctor had suggested a target heart rate of around 160, and so I walked 30 minutes, twice a day, for the rest of the week, keeping my heart rate at or below (and sometimes a little above) that target heart rate. Following that pattern for the rest of the week all but eliminated the heart palpitations. They gradually stopped happening during my walks, and have hardly happened since then at all!

The only drawback to the two 30-minute walks is something new for me: sore hips —whether it is related to my osteopenia, I don’t know —because my back has been very sore, and my injured left ring finger decided to flare up again also —but, I don’t think it is related —at least I hope not. I think my hip flexors just need to get used to walking for an hour a day.

My new question: Did I react to the Vitamin D because there was only two days between the last dose (and three days between the first two)? In other words, should I wait three days between each Vitamin D dose?  Or still go three days and two days?

Week 5: G-Free Recap: Overcoming the Hurdle

For 12 weeks in a row, I was sick – nearly every single day. I might have a good day or two, and then more illness would plague my body. For the first 8 weeks, I had no clue why I was feeling so sick, and hence no change in my diet. Once I tried going gluten-free for nearly a week, I felt so much better I was sure I had just diagnosed myself! But over the next 4 weeks, through trial and error, through the holidays, through sorting out misleading blood tests, and through two kidney infections, life was rough for me. I envied people who walked around "like normal" while I felt sick to my stomach all the time. 

When January 2010 hit, I determined to make sure I ingested no gluten, whatsoever, and to the best of my knowledge, that’s the way it has been. The worst things I had to deal with were a kidney infection and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome— maybe CFS was another self-diagnosis, but I had all the symptoms, and so it fit.

During the last week of January (this past week) I felt like I finally had cleared the hurdle. It was the best week in 13 weeks. Almost every day was a 100% day.

I began working out with Pilates again, gradually rebuilding my strength and my “core” for about 20 minutes a day, five days a week. I also continued to walk/jog on the treadmill at least twice a day for 15 minutes at a time, averaging a distance of just over a mile-and-a-half a day.

Though I still feel I am not completely healed and there may be some overlying complications, I do feel as though I can “rejoin the living” again. I can go to the store without worrying if I will get sick, and no longer fear being left alone ("in case something happens").

Slowly, and by degrees, I feel like I am living again, and it is a nice feeling.

Week 4 Recap: Don't Let This Happen To You!!

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!! If you are taking a medication that does not make you feel better, tell your medical provider!! Carefully research the side effects of the medication and see if any of it applies to you, and don't be afraid to tell your medical provider of your suspicions!

Here is my story:

Still feeling as if I'd had some kind of mild virus for a very long time, and still maintaining a seemingly perpetual fever, I went to the local clinic and asked to be tested for an infection. While I was getting ready to go, my heart suddenly began pounding and racing! I checked my carotid pulse and it was 126 beats per minute (bpm). That was something strange! I had been sitting down!

The heart pounding happened again while I was sitting in the treatment room at the clinic. My heart felt like it was pounding so fast I thought I might pass out! Luckily, the PA came in, and had me lay down for an EKG-- which of course-- showed nothing. By the time they had the electrodes on, my heart was fine.

My urinalysis showed a very small amount of bacterial growth, and as a result, I was put on Ciprofloxin, and Phenergan for the nausea. I was not happy about going on the Cipro because it made me feel so depressed the last time. I hated the way it made me feel, and staying on the Cipro seemed to be worse this time around. I was continually teary-eyed and fearing the worst. I stopped taking the Phenergan after the first day because I couldn't function in such a fuzzy-headed mode.

On a positive note, I decided to take my health into my own hands again, and cleared off the clothes that had been hanging on my treadmill and walked very, very slowly (1.5 mph) for 4 minutes. That was about all I could do because it took so much effort to do the smallest things. Over the rest of the week I was able to increase both the time spent walking, and the speed.

In the meantime, my kidney infection symptoms seemed to clear up, and the flushing and tingling subsided. Yet, everything I did seemed to require monumental strength and stamina which I just didn't have. I felt shakey and nervous and my hands and arms were sluggish in doing what I asked. My heart felt so weak! It felt as if my heart had a virus of some kind.

After a handful of days on Cipro, I still wasn't feeling any better. Why did I still feel like I had the flu? Why did I feel so weak? Why was I still feverish? On top of that, staying on the Cipro began to make my heart hurt. My digestive system was peaceful, but the rest of me still felt like I was battling something else.

We called the clinic and explained that I thought the Cipro might be making me feel worse. After being sick for so many weeks, I had reached my tether. I was an emotional wreck, in constant tears, and my heart was palpitating more and more. I felt so frustrated that it never occurred to me that these might be side effects of the Cipro!

The clinic told me to stop the Cipro, and instead decided I was depressed and put me on Celexa, an anti-depressant. I stated that I didn't want to be on any mood-altering drugs, and here they wanted me on it for a minimum of six months for clinical depression!

The pharmacist suggested I start with half of a Celexa and I am glad I followed that advice!! I had gone downstairs to start the washer, went back upstairs, and suddenly became extremely groggy and dizzy. I thought I would lay down, when a sudden sensation of intense heat shot straight up through the left side of my chest straight up into the left side of my neck and straight up into my left jaw. My heart was pounding, I was feeling dizzy and very flushed; my arms and legs were trembling. I kept trying to breathe through it, but my mouth dried up completely and my throat hurt because it, too, was dry. I also developed very bad stomach cramps.

After spending about 10 minutes trying to breathe through it, I asked one of my kids if she could send her dad into the room, and he saw immediately that something wasn't right. He called the clinic and told them he thought I might be having an allergic reaction to the celexa. She told him that if it didn't improve to go the ER.... which is exactly where I ended up. I couldn't even walk very well because my legs were so wobbly!

Once at the ER, the doctor did a full exam on me (for the first time anyone had done since getting sick last October), and ran another panel of blood tests, including one for celiac antibodies which came back normal-- indicating again that there was no celiac disease (Don't be fooled by this. More about this later!)

Once off the Cipro, it didn't take much longer for me to make the connection between the side effects (www.rxlist.com/cipro-drug.htm#) and the weapiness and depression. I realized that the clinic was giving me a medication for a side effect! They were treating a side effect with another pill!! I am so grateful for the bad reaction to the Celexa.

As I said in the beginning: DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!  Happily, I never went back to Celexa. The whole week was insane. All I wanted to know was if I could eat gluten or not!

By degrees, my days began to improve. I wasn't 100% yet, but felt I was up to about 80%, which was wonderful considering how I had been feeling before. During the week, I eventually worked my way up to 8 minutes on the treadmill, three times a day, keeping it at a fairly slow walk.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, my husband had talked to someone at the hospital and told them he wanted me to see someone who was "smarter than my wife." An appointment was made for me to see a specialist in Internal Medicine, which thrilled me to no end. I believed I would finally find some answers!

More to come...

Week 3: Recap

I would not be honest if I said that since I have been gluten-free, it has been smooth sailing.  In fact, it has been quite the contrary.  After the holidays, and since my last recap, I can honestly say that to the best of my knowledge, I have been 100% gluten-free.  It was only until I made absolutely sure that everything I put in my mouth was g-free, that I could even begin to recover.

Early on, however, I continued to feel nauseous from time to time, feeling some chest congestion and tightness and daily headaches.  I still did not know the results of my blood tests (tTG) or even what my cholesterol numbers were. Was this nausea and general malaise part of celiac disease?

At the same time, I was feeling the symptoms of another kidney infection caming on-- including the same back pain on the same left side. My skin was tingling and flushing again, and it seemed like some of the symptoms that sent me to the ER last October were returning. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was coming down with something. I was feeling flu-like again. Worse, I was beginning to doubt my original self-diagnosis of celiac disease. What else could it be??  I did more research, wondering just how much time would need to go by before I would feel the benefits of being g-free.

I found that:

"Greater than 90% of those with celiac disease have improvement in symptoms within two weeks of starting a gluten-free diet (CeliacDisease.net)"

So I determined to give it more time. After all, if celiac was present in my body all these years, it was certainly going to take some time to heal. Digging around on the internet a little more, I found a chart on Celiac.com in which 19 members posted how long it took for their symptoms began to subside. I have borrowed that chart and posted it here.  Clearly it is not a scientific poll in the annals of the medical community but it represents that recovering from celiac complications does take time.

I finally called the clinic to find out the results of my blood tests. The tTG came back as less than 1.2, while the standard for having celiac is a minimum of 4. This was discouraging news indeed, because if I didn't have celiac, what did I have?? On the other hand, my cholesterol was at 162 and all numbers within that score were healthy.


Needless to say, this was getting very frustrating for me. Did this mean I had GERD after all? Then why is it that it didn't seem to matter what I ate, no matter how bland? It didn't matter what I ate or when I ate it-- if I ate it, I felt bad. All I knew was that it had to be food related.

Doubting my own diagnosis of CD, I resolved to go back to eating gluten-- after all, if the tTG was negative (normal), what did it matter? I must not have CD after all.

I ate a roll.

I figured that in order to rule out celiac disease, I would simply have to incorporate gluten into my diet again.

It was not a good time. It wasn't long before stomach hurt-- the same familiar "gluten stomach ache" I had experienced before. I was so frustrated. I couldn't do anything-- I couldn't clean the house, I couldn't cook, I couldn't take the kids to their appointments during the day, I couldn't do my homework, and it was all I could do to just get out of bed.

Week 3 was a difficult week, but not as difficult as the week to come...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Celiac Disease

I found an article on http://www.celiac.com/ regarding chronic fatigue syndrome and CD. I Googled this because I was wondering if there may be a connection to my own problems of severe fatigue and general malaise.

The article is called "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME, PVS, post viral fatigue syndrome or PVFS)" and discusses the connection between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and CD. A British study determined that:

"Mysterious symptoms, including muscle weakness, wasting, and poor coordination and balance may be due to an undiagnosed allergy to wheat, barley, oats or rye, according to new research which may have implications for some people with ME...A study of 53 patients with these and other unexplained neurological symptoms, found that nearly three-fifths of them had antibodies to gluten in their blood...none of the patients in the Sheffield group had been diagnosed with celiac disease but when samples of tissue were removed from their gut, more than a third showed evidence of the disease or inflammation of the middle and lower gut."

So what are the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome? According to the Mayo Clinic, the following symptoms are characteristic of CFS: Chronic fatigue syndrome has eight official symptoms, plus the central symptom that gives the condition its name:

• Fatigue
• Loss of memory or concentration
• Sore throat
• Painful and mildly enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
• Unexplained muscle pain
• Pain that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness
• Headache of a new type, pattern or severity
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise

Additional signs and symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Allergies or sensitivities to foods, alcohol, odors, chemicals, medications or noise
• Bloating
• Chest pain
• Chronic cough
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness, balance problems or fainting
• Dry mouth
• Earache
• Irregular heartbeat
• Jaw pain
• Morning stiffness
• Nausea
• Chills and night sweats
• Psychological problems, such as depression, irritability, anxiety disorders and panic attacks
• Shortness of breath
• Tingling sensations
• Visual disturbances, such as blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain and dry eyes
• Weight loss or gain
  
  "If you have chronic fatigue syndrome, your symptoms may peak and become stable early on, and then come and go over time. Some people go on to recover completely, while others grow progressively worse (Mayoclinic.com)."

Wow!! Any of those symptoms sound familiar? I realize that I have every one of those symptoms, and also realize that it is most likely related to CD. I found yet another article on the connection between CFS and CD on BNet entitled "Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications - Brief Article" by Alan C. Logan and Cathy Wong (Alternative Medicine Review, Oct. 2001):

"Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue, often accompanied by numerous symptoms involving various body systems. ...recent evidence suggests celiac disease can present with neurological symptoms in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms; therefore, celiac disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of CFS.

"The prevalence of CD may be higher among CFS patients than in the general population."

This article states that in fact, CD mimics CFS and that all patients suspected to have CFS should also be tested for CD. While I was blaming age and hormones (or lack thereof) on my increasing forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, tremors or trembling and muscle spasms, tingling and numbness -- these neurological problems may indeed be part of CFS, and brought on by a clinically-silent case of CD before the digestive problems appeared.

So it appears that I have diagnosed myself with chronic fatigue syndrome, and that it is yet another manifestion of celiac disease. Next question: Why can't I shake myself of CFS with a gluten-free diet? And has my diet truly been gluten-free?

Week 2: G-Free Recap

Getting through the holidays completely gluten-free while still trying to figure out how to live g-free has proven very difficult. Though I am eating g-free to the best of my abilities, somehow something is still creeping into my diet that is not allowing me to return to that wonderful feeling those first five days I went completely g-free. I seem to have a chronic stomach-ache, a general feeling of malaise, and extreme fatigue.

I am sure that my fatigue is due in part to the fact that I wake up every night for hours before finally falling asleep shortly before dawn, only to get up an hour or so later. Yet I remember when I first went g-free, I had an amazing energy level for which even a sleepless night seemed of little consequence-- I still felt energetic!

Over the New Year's Eve weekend, the only foods I ate that I did not know for certain contained gluten were Tostitos chips and Sour Cream & Onion chips-- but I did read the ingredients and couldn't find anything off-limits to a g-free diet. Additionally, I grabbed a few Hershey's Kisses from time to time (which are supposed to be g-free). Those are the only foods I've eaten differently than the first five days I went g-free and felt great.

So this third week I will eliminate chocolate, and of course have not eaten chips since New Year's and won't again without knowing for certain that they are g-free. On top of that, I hope to find some answers to a couple of blood draws: my cholesterol (which was done three weeks ago) and hopefully the results to the tTG test which would indicate the presence of celiac disease. If I don't receive any news by Wednesday I will go ahead and call the clinic.

In the meantime, I deal with what feels like chronic fatigue syndrome on a daily basis. I wonder if this is yet another aspect of CD? And why is it taking so long for me to recover from a gluten diet?

Whole Wheat and Gluten in Celiac Disease

The New York Times recently posted an article titled "Gluten-Free for the Holidays, and Beyond" (Dec. 22, 2009) in which submitted questions about celiac disease were answerd by Dr. Sheila Crowe, professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Virginia.

One question that caught my eye was with regard to whole wheat and whether it is gluten-free or not. A reader had submitted a question wondering if whole-wheat bread couldn't be used in place of gluten-free bread. Dr. Crowe's reply (in part) is as follows:

"Whole wheat is not gluten-free, so yes, eating whole-wheat bread is a mistake, one you should correct as soon as possible.

"If you want to eat breads, then the only ones to eat must be gluten-free. Breads are a major source of gluten in a Western diet, and they are the hardest product to make using gluten-free ingredients. This is because glutinens, a component of gluten, are what gives bread its unique characteristics, including texture and elasticity" (New York Times, 2009, italics added).

What does this response tell me? That I cannot and must not eat any wheat in any way, shape, or form, in order for me to heal, and healing is what I want to do most. And part of avoiding wheat (and gluten in general), will mean politely refusing bread products of any kind over the holidays-- and that will not be an easy feat. I must make a choice, and I choose to be healthy.

Numbing/Tingling sensations with Celiac

Last night, the girls and their dad really wanted pancakes for dinner. I didn't have any gluten-free pancake mix yet, and so they went to IHOP, and loaded up on pancakes. This morning, every one of the girls was sick. Note, this is not the first time-- we have always gotten sick after eating there, and now I suspect it is the overload of gluten in those giant pancakes!!

Today has been a good day for my stomach. With only minimal stomach soreness, I added a little more to my 'bland' diet to test out eating a little closer to normal, all the while staying gluten-free.

Grocery shopping is going to need some revising. I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and check out what they might have that is gluten-free. The store is so full of so many tempting items-- things that are small, quick, tasty-- and 99% not gluten-free. I won't be able to take the kids through the grocery aisles. It will be best to steer clear from the temptations, or do the grocery shopping at a smaller, more selective store. I really wish there was a gluten-free store in town.

I discovered a couple more wonderful websites today. One is called Gluten Free Mommy, and is full of terrific recipes and ideas that I can't wait to try! I have been busy scouring through a couple of gluten-free recipe books that I have, as well as many recipes online. I really like the Gluten Free Mommy because her recipes are the closest to "normal" that I have seen. For example, just when I was thinking I would have to give up our traditional holiday green bean casserole this Christmas, I found her website and lo and behold, there is a recipe for it! Yay!! Thank you, Gluten Free Mommy!!

Another great website I came across today is called The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. It is full of all kinds of information and even has a Celiac Disease symptoms checklist with you can take to find out if you might have CD or gluten intolerance.

Something that I found interesting on the website: Celiac Diseas Symptoms Can be Elusive--

"There are more than 300 symptoms of celiac disease, and symptoms may vary amongst different people. One person might have symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person has irritability or depression. Some patients develop celiac symptoms early in life, while others feel healthy far into adulthood. Some people with celiac disease may not show any symptoms. These differences can make celiac diagnosis extremely difficult resulting in 95% of celiacs undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions."

They point out that it is important to be treated because complications can develop that include other autoimmune diseases,thyroad disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. The website lists several different symptoms, including the following:

• Bloating or Gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Itchy Skin Rash
• Tingling/Numbness
• Pale Mouth Sores
• Joint pain
• Delayed Growth
• Poor Weight Gain
• Thin Bones
• Infertility
• Headaches
• Depression
• Irritability
• Discolored Teeth

I was particularly interested in the "Tingling or Numbness" because this is a symptom that seems to throw so many of the healthcare workers off. According to this website, "Tingling and Numbness are abnormal sensations that can occur anywhere in your body. It is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect. It can also be described as 'pins and needles' or referred to as a limb being 'asleep.'"

When I was experiencing this sensation, it usually happened in both my hands and feet, sometimes including my forearms, and from the knees down. Sometimes I could even feel it move in waves through my body to my extremeties. It was as if my hands and feet were trying to fall asleep. If you've ever had your blood pressure taken and the cuff begins to tighten, you feel the congestion in your arm and your wrist may feel numb-- that is often how I felt. It was most frequent during the first 4 or 5 weeks of my illness.

PLEASE SEE THE WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION!

Going Gluten-Free

Saturday morning, I woke up and fixed myself a breakfast that I thought would go down well. I have been having pretty regular stomach pain and indigestion for months, but only in the past two months had it worsened considerably. I even ended up in the ER, thinking I was having a heart attack, which I couldn't comprehend since I didn't really have the risk factors.

Two months ago, in a drastic attempt to find out what was wrong with me (after my little stint in the ER), I started drinking only water, stopped eating sugar and processed foods, and almost all meat (except for small portions of white chicken meat, no skin). I also stopped eating anything fried, and stopped eating fatty foods, and stopped taking all OTC medicines and vitamin supplements. On top of that, I started monitoring everything I ate, and kept track in a food/symptom journal. I ate foods that were supposed to reduce heartburn and acid reflux.

But the stomach pains never really went away, and I had a low-grade fever almost every day. My back was also beginning to bother me, but I thought it was just poor posture hunched over the computer all day. Three weeks after the ER, still on a very strict diet, I became very ill with a kidney infection. I took cipro antibiotics for five days, and felt quite a bit better.

But still, the stomach pains never really went away. Some days were good days and some days were bad days, and I never knew what kind of day I would have from one day to the next. I couldn't plan anything, and since it was peak holiday season, it was a very difficult time.

So what did I have for breakfast three days ago that sent me on this new journey? Homemade blueberry toast with a small pat of (real) butter. Within 45 minutes, I was hit with a sudden wave of nausea, a bad stomach ache and painful back ache. Within 15 more minutes I was feeling very weak, and was trembling. 15 more minutes later, I had a 100.4-degree fever and was sick to my stomach. Being a Saturday, the clinic was closed, and I knew something was wrong. I kept running to the bathroom, thinking I could "push it out" because my whole abdomen was hurting so bad.

I thought maybe I could try some Pepto-Bismol, but the label said not to take if you have a fever, or an ulcer (still an unknown for me at this point), but we called the hopsital and the nurse said it was okay to take the Pepto-Bismol, and some Tylenol for the fever, which I did because my fever was still rising. I felt a little better, but my stomach was still very sore. Needless to say, I was afraid to eat anything.

When I did eat during the day, I stuck to my now "usual" strict and bland diet, yet it was becoming all too clear to me that this diet wasn't the answer to my digestive troubles.

I laid on our inversion table (at 60-degrees) for 15 minutes, which seemed to alleviate the back pain quite well, but still had a serious knot in my stomach for the rest of the day. In fact, I had noticed that the sore "area" in my body was shaped like a giant teardrop, the tip of the tear being between my lower ribs, and the round "bowl" of the tear extending below my navel, encompassing the pelvic basin.

I couldn't sleep that night because I couldn't seem to find a comfortable position. I woke up on Sunday with both stomach pain and back pain. I was feeling nauseous and bloated, just like the day before. Only this time I felt like my abdomen had been run over by a truck-- it felt sore, but like an old injury, rather than anything new.

I decided that during that day (Sunday) I would not eat any gluten and see what happened. I researched the foods that I could eat without gluten and stuck to those kinds of foods: dried mangoes; fresh apples; mashed potatoes; peas; foods of that basic nature. And guess what? Though my stomach was sore, there was no new hurt, no new inflammatory-type pain, no new intestinal distress.... just peace, for the first time in a long time.

I did the inversion therapy again for 15 minutes to alleviate the back pain, and it worked quite well. I also practiced yoga breathing and some simple yoga movements, which I started as an attempt to reduce stress a couple weeks ago. I found that I enjoy the feeling I get with the yoga breathing and improved posture. Overall, the day was a much better day for my digestive system.

The next day, Monday (Day 2), I woke up with a small stomach ache, --more from the 'old injury' and nothing new. I wondered how long it would take to heal a sore stomach? I had to skip breakfast because I was scheduled to get my cholesterol checked at the clinic, for which fasting for 12 hours is required. It wasn't the first time I noticed how much better I felt without food in my stomach!!

For the second day in a row, I stuck to foods with no gluten. I also continued with the 15-minute inversion therapy sessions for my sore back. And guess what? I felt pretty good!! I even made a loaf of gluten-free bread because bread is such a big comfort food for me. All in all, not a bad day!

Websites that I found particularly helpful:

• http://www.gicare.com/diets/Gluten-Free.aspx
  Very informative for me because I came into this with preconceived notions and ideas of how CD would leave me with no reason to eat again...
• http://www.glutenfree-supermarket.com/default.aspx
  I haven't used this site yet, but like the fact that it (and many others) are there because G-Free food is scattered about this town and difficult to find economically feasible and in one location.
• http://www.csaceliacs.org/IntheKitchen.phpThis site is a godsend-- I can still eat chocolate (unless it is a "no-no" for my acid reflux which has not been ruled out, yet)!!

I hope to continue this journey until I can find answers to my digestive problems. I suspect, that if I have Celiac Disease, I may likely still have acid reflux, or even a hiatal hernia. But perhaps finding answers to one, will lead to answers to the other. We will see how this day pans out