Becky's Celiac Disease Diary

Yeah, it may seem like a weird question...I asked because I had a very embarrassing condition last week. 

 A little over a week ago, I was sitting in my apartment one night, and suddenly, out of nowhere, sharp, knifing pains starting cutting through my gut. I figured it was just gas, and that it would pass. But it didn't, it got worse and worse, and I laid on my floor in pain for hours, but it didn't go away. I finally just went to bed, and figured it would be gone the next day. Wishful thinking! It definitely didn't go away over night, but it changed. The next morning, I woke up and still had abdominal pain, but it changed from sharp, knifing pain to a dull, throbbing ache. Throughout that day, I kept getting waves of nausea, dizziness etc. A few times, my heart rate actually sped up and I had a hard time breathing...that could have been anxiety from feeling nauseous on the bus, but I'm not sure. I didn't even eat lunch that day because I felt so crappy. That night, I went to bed early again, because I felt terrible. Steve begged to take me to the doctor, but I shook off the suggestion , and went to bed.

The next morning, that dull, aching pain was still there. I went through the whole day like that, until it was time for me to head to work for the night shift.  I was on the bus headed to work, when the sharp pains came back full throttle. When I got to work, I told my manager how horrible I felt, and I told him I was pretty sure I had one of two things: 1) a ruptured ovarian cyst, which I've had before, and felt very much like this, or 2) a kidney stone. 

 He let me go, and I went down the street to the hospital clinic. The doctor tried to press on my abdomen, but it hurt to the touch. He decided he wanted to do abdominal xrays. I had the xrays done, and waited in the room for the diagnosis. 

 It was the last diagnosis I ever expected to get...it was so embarrassing. I think the doctor was either embarrassed to give me the news, or embarrassed for me, because he avoided my eyes as he delivered the news. He told me I was severely constipated. I was completely baffled by this. I have a high-fiber, low-fat diet, I drink a lot of water and work out... not to mention, I'm TOTALLY regular! Not to be gross or anything, but I go to the bathroom like clockwork, sometimes as much as 3 times a day! Constipation is the LAST thing I ever expected to hear! I was almost angry at the diagnosis, because it made absolutely no sense to me at all.

 I asked the doctor what I should do, and he told me to administer two enemas and take milk of magnesia. Ugh. I went home and did both. What a disgusting night. 

  I asked the doctor before I left what he thought caused this. He said that the chronic swelling of the intestines due to celiac may have caused my large intestine not to function properly...but that was just his guess. He told me that if the treatment he suggested didn't work, that I should go to the ER for a high-volume enema...thank GOD I didn't have to do this.

 Well, I'm fine now, but still completely baffled as to why this would happen to me. I do everything possible to avoid something like constipation, but it still happened and I have a feeling it'll happen again someday. 

So, back to my original question...back to you celiacs out there...do you get constipated too, or is it just me??