Can celiac or chrons surface in mostly neurological issues? Might it be caused by food poisoning?

Hi, (for those of you who have already seen me on the FM/allergy/and headache board, sorry for the repeat!

I'm on a mission to find out what's going on with me. I've been having digestive/food processing issues for years, but I never suspected that I might have anything like Celiac/chrons/IBS or any other "abdominal/gut" problem until just recently, mostly because in spite of my many body aches, pains and dysfunctions, I rarely have a tummy problem, and I'm normally pretty regular when it comes to the bathroom... so I just assumed my 'tummy'/belly was one of the only places NOT broken on me. But what has me concerned is that my main problems are that my body goes absolutely berserk after I eat sometimes.. I mean just wild. What do I mean by wild? I mean, right upon or after eating I'll get:

-vertigo,
-immediate headaches,
-substantial fatigue beyond normal post-meal fatigue,
-severe eye pressure and eye strain,
-cognitive impairment,
-and possibly stinging pains in my skull,
-or facial rashes (not hives!) that look like of like rosaesea or something.
-insomnia/unrestful sleep in some cases
-anxious/dismal mood
(Its kind of like my neurological system goes wacky after I eat. What on earth?!)
-Also, I have severe med sensitivities (I can't tolerate them)
-big vitamin D deficiency.

I know for certain I have severe sensitives to MSG, nitrates, and many preservatives. They have gotten worse in the last 6 years. But its been hard to figure out other triggers.. Sometimes it seems almost any food can be, just some are worse than others. Its like the digestive process releases a monster or dragon into my body, and one of the side affects is that my brain and nerves are affected. Yet in the midst of all this, I don't have diarrhea, I don't get constipated, and I'm generally comfortable in the tummy area with no severe pains in my belly region. The aches are really everywhere else!, and in my head/eyes/muscles/joints the most. (but still connected to food)

More about me: In 2007, the year of the ecoli spinach outbreak in the U.S., I ate a spinach salad from a suspicious looking restaurant on vacation because it was the only one close by. Later that night, I peed a toilet full of red blood, which had never happened to me, EVER in my life. I've never had a drop of blood in my urine ever. I was so afraid, but my sister told me I was being a hypochondriac, so I didn't go to the ER, and just assumed maybe it was a UTI. I got some cranberry juice and my urine returned to normal. But I got nauseous that night. I started feeling better in a few days, but to my surprise, the nausea and lightheadedness kept returning.. It came back for weeks. On top of that, I started experiencing tight cramps and aches in my abdomen for weeks after the salad, which is what I assume IBS people may feel. My hair broke off, and I started losing more hair than normal on my head. I went to the doc to tell him about the tummy pains (I didn't explain the blood in my urine out of fear) and he just told me it was 'spastic colon' without doing any tests and sent me on my way. After that time, my body slowly began falling apart. Back pains, achy bones, eye pain, double vision, blurred vision, intolerance of caffeine, spotting before my period, feeling of extreme fatigue, food sensitivities, tense-tight muscles, muscle twitches, achy muscles, insomnia, sleep disturbances, brain-fog. I don't have conclusive evidence I was food poisoned with e-coli, but its just always been a suspicion, considering everything changed that summer from that point on.

To look into my food, med, and chemical sensitives, Razzle has suggested a environmental medicine doctor. I'm looking into that considering my body goes berzerk when exposed to additives and chemicals, but I'm also wondering if perhaps my body has a problem in the gut. I wonder if that e-coli exposure (if that is indeed what it was) could have affected my gut and caused all these disruptions in the way my body handles food.

Sorry this is so long. I've been dealing with headaches for a few months since eating MSG in April and I want to get to the SOURCE of my food problems, the root, and not just mask the surfacing symptoms, and I'm wondering if a doctor specializing in digestive issues might help me. No doctor ever confirmed I had food poisoning because no one ever tested me. Could they be able to find out now? I feel like something damaged me that summer. I wonder if there could be something abnormal going on in my gut. Or maybe not. I don't know. I could be making too many assumptions.

But my main question is: Can Celiac or crohns show up in neurological symptoms, without having classic abdominal discomforts or bathroom issues?

And, What is the best type of doctor to go to to investigate digestive health or health of the gut microbial world?

Any thoughts?

Post Edited (CharmCityLady) : 6/24/2013 1:15:04 AM (GMT-6)

Food poisoning is a known trigger of IBD and Celiac.

And Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity can present like neurological illness.  See http://www.theglutenfile.com/

I'd suggest going to the Food Doc in Colorado if you can...see thefooddoc.com/

And I'd also suggest taking probiotics and/or drinking Kefir, and/or other fermented foods to restore proper balance to your gut flora...

I hope this helps...take care,

@Razzle.. thanks again for your suggestions!! God, it would just be so wonderful if I could find a doctor that wouldn't look at me weird when I tried to describe my neuro-reactions to food. I'm on the east coast but if a specialist were good I'd be willing to travel.. maybe take a vacation. I did that after a back injury and it was worth it.

@recoveryme

thanks for your recommendations. yeah.. I'm not sure how ecoli might affect a system for the long-run... could it be in my blood after all this time? They would test in the blood? What about stool samples?

I started suspecting a serious case of food poisoning when my 'issues' never fully went away months after... but I didn't seriously start thinking about it until I read an article about Lysteria this year and it mentioned back to the spinach poisoning of 2007.. and I remembered that was the summer I got sick from that spinach salad and the problems started. I still have no confirmation and tend to jump to conclusions but its still just what i believe "triggered" this illness in me. Now my body is a different machine.

When I first had my neuro issues, I had an MRI scan with contrast cause I was concerned I had M.S. Everything came out normal. That was 5 and half years ago. For the most part I have the same issues today as then, it comes and goes but its been worse in the last year due either to stress, poor sleeping habits, and not being pickier about staying away from my diet sensitivities. My neuro issues have always been the most troubling and worrisome "symptoms" that I deal with. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue people have neuro issues and so whenever I experience something abnormal, I just chalk it up to that diagnosis I have. I'm sorry to hear that you've had to deal with these kinds of issues too.

But I have this feeling deep down in my gut (hahah. pun intended) that there is something way off about my body that might be able to be fixed or pinpointed or at least managed better.

Post Edited (CharmCityLady) : 7/2/2013 7:15:16 PM (GMT-6)