celiac disease/Gluten intolerance?

[dancer67]

Anyone have this?

I was told today by my Naturopath that I should have a blood test for Celiac. She thinks I may have a malabsorption problem. Okay, now ONE more thing. Although, if I did have a GI(gluten intolerance), that would explain alot. Anxiety/depression/anemia/problem periods/sores on corner of mouth/dandruff/IBS.

I would have to go gluten free, which would be hard for me, but then I would be able to absorb iron, and possibly feel better.

I am going to try a GF diet next week, after my bloodtest. I have been told these have high false-negatives, and the only way to know for sure if I have celiac is to have an endoscopy(NO THANK YOU). Instead, I would rather try the GF diet and see if it changes.

I am also curious to see my bloodwork for my anemia in a week. I have been loading up with iron. Although I bled for a whole month due to the IUD fiasco. So I don't know. If I have a GI, this means my body has an inability to absorb certain nutrients, and vitamins. This bloodtest will be done on Tuesday with my cholesterol levels.

On a good note, I had acupuncture today and it went great. I feel really good. I feel like I should be totally freaking out about this, but for some reason, I'm not.

I guess it is like this. If I have a GI, I will know it by changing my diet and will feel better. If I don't, then nothing will change, and the anemia, and my other issues are being caused by seperate things. My period causing anemia, sores on mouth caused by dry skin or B2 deficiency caused by antidepressents, anxiety and depression is just that, and plain old IBS.

I hear that going GF makes you healthier anyways. But there sure is a list of stuff that you have to learn what you can and cannot eat. And I love my bread!!

If anyone has Celiac or a GI, I would like to hear your experience with it. 

[benefit]

I dont have much experience with it. I asked for a blood test for it a while back and it came back fine, but i know the blood test isnt 100% conclusive, so I may still have it. sometimes i think my symptoms of diarhea or watever are just from anx/ibs. ive thought about doing the diet and seeing if I feel better, but i have just been kinda lazy. if you do it plez tell us how it works out

glad the acupuncture went well! i LOVE acupuncture.

[queenofquirky]

It's not true that people on a GF diet are "healthier". GF is not recommended unless absolutely necessary.

Anyway, about a year ago, I started having abdominal pain and IBS symptoms. They became more severe and eventually I had nausea, vomiting, severe GERD and in the spring I developed cyclic panic attacks. They were absolutely unbearable. No one could figure it out. Celiac bloodwork came back negative and so did a biopsy. My GI told me to go gluten free. The first two weeks I felt worse. I was itchy, ornery, and had an increase in GI issues,however, after the first week, the panic started dissipating. By the middle of the third week, I was noticing marked improvement in my symptoms. I had had weird tingling and neuorpathic sensations - slowly fading. My trigger points were also less painful.

My GI doctor was stunned at the improvement. I was like a new person! She dx me with celiac and said to stay off the gluten. We're not exactly sure if I'm actually coeliac, but at the very least, I have a clear, severe intolerance.

It is a hard diet to follow, but trust me, it's a hell of a lot easier when you stop feeling like crap all the time. Now, I know immediately if I've been glutened. Instant nausea, severe pain, trigger point pain, etc and severe GI issues for days on end. I'm very sensitive. I can't have anything that may have been cross contaminated.

Have the tests done first and then do a GF trial. Gluten is a sticky protein. You have to be really dedicated to fully eliminate it. It's in beauty products (my deodorant had been causing a rash on and off for months - had barley in it - who knew?), cooking utensils (plastic), pots (coated), etc. Start by eating foods that are naturally GF. Don't go crazy with the labels touting "GF". Often, these foods are made on lines that are producing wheat products and cross contamination is a possibility. There is an allowance under the FDA for gluten free products to contain a small amount.

Any other questions, ask. I'm very strict with the diet because I have to be. You may start to notice you're having trouble with other foods too. We found out I am soy and lactose intolerant. I also cannot have high fructose corn syrup (don't ask how I figured THAT one out!). 

[CrownofThorns]

A girl at my job and my cousin have it, they just find gluten-free substitutes for everything. There's gluten-free bread, gluten-free flour if you want to make your own bread.

[CrownofThorns]

Okay, now ONE more thing.

I wanted to add, don't look at it as ONE MORE THING to add to your list of problems, but look at it as more like ONE MORE THING to be examined to rule out your problems, another option, another possibility. This could be that one thing that's the answer to your problems and correcting it will correct everything else.

[dancer67]

Well, I am going to try it and see. I highly doubt this is my issues, but it doesn't hurt to try. I will get the bloodwork done first to see before I try GF diet.

So this would mean I have to watch for gluten in everything?? Including make-ups, and what not? Not just diet?

[CrownofThorns]

That depends on if the gluten intolerance is causing skin problems. What brand make-up do you use? It could already be gluten-free for all you know.

[dancer67]

I use Clinique as a base make-up. It is hypo allergenic.

What I don't understand is this.

How can my B12 and folate(folic acid) be fine, which passes through the small intestine, yet have low iron? Isn't iron absorbed through the small intestine as well? How can one have a malabsorption problem if you can absorb those, but not iron?

Doesn't make sense, which is why I do not know if I have a gluten intolerance or not. Or CD???

[CrownofThorns]

It's possible to absorb some things just fine and not others. You probably don't have megaloblastic anemia, which also includes inability to absorb B-12 and folate. You may also have an inability to absorb fats and carbs, which may have contributed to the IBS you were experiencing. Gluten intolerance can cause IBS, too. One way to test this yourself is to try to elminate flour products for the next few days, use only meats, eggs, vegetables and fruit, and compare how you feel then to when you do eat bread and pasta.

[dancer67]

Okay, thanks. So you are saying that My body might be able to store certain vitamins, like the B12 and folate, but not iron?

Here is my next question though. My IBS pains were never in my "stomach", or small intestine. They were always in my pelvic region which is why they thought I had a GYN problem. The pains never got better even after changing my diet.  I never had any bowel issues with it. This is why they did the sigmoid of my large intestine.
It was only after so many tests that they told me it was anxiety induced IBS, and the librax fixed that and I have been pain free ever since. Would the librax "fix" or "hide" any pains I would have if I was GI?

[CrownofThorns]

Okay, thanks. So you are saying that My body might be able to store certain vitamins, like the B12 and folate, but not iron?

Anytime! And yes, same way lactose intolerant people can't process certain sugars, but everything else is fine.

It is possible the librax can fix or hide pains associated with GI since it contains a sedative.

[queenofquirky]

So this would mean I have to watch for gluten in everything?? Including make-ups, and what not? Not just diet?

If you have celiac disease, yes. Trace amounts of gluten can cause damage in the body as a result. However, if you're gluten intolerant, then it would depend on the level of intolerance.

[Sandra01]

I don't understand why we always have to  know the why's. Just go with you being low on iron and that's it. Take some iron via nuts or other things and leave the questioning alone. That would drive me crazy.

[dancer67]

I don't understand why we always have to  know the why's. Just go with you being low on iron and that's it. Take some iron via nuts or other things and leave the questioning alone. That would drive me crazy.

I agree Sandra to a point. But my Naturpath brought it up. My hemaologist said flat out NO for a malabsorption problem. But what will be interesting, is that I have been loading up with iron for the past 6 weeks. I am due for my iron testing in a week. Now, I did bleed for almost a good three weeks with the IUD fiasco. But, with all the iron I had, I would not expect to see a HUGE drop in my ferritin.

I am leaning towards the no on the gluten issue. But let's wait and see what my next bloodwork shows on my anemia. And lets see what my celiac test comes back with.

And I agree with you, that all this questions DOES drive me crazy. But when some things do not add up, and Dr's do miss things at times, I have to be sure and follow up with them, and ask. Even though I know when I ask, it may send me down a road I do not want.

Thanks everyone.   

[Id Smash]

I wouldn't do the GF diet until you get a proper diagnosis. We need G in our diet.

[dancer67]

I wouldn't do the GF diet until you get a proper diagnosis. We need G in our diet.

Why?

[Sandra01]

Dancer I honestly believe that if you weren't so worried about all of this Doctors would leave you alone.

As for the gluton free diet I would research it and see if there is more positive then negative effects and if the positive effects are much more then the negative effects and the negative effects aren't dangerous I would go for it.

That was probably the longest run off sentence I have ever spouted off here on the board.

[dancer67]

Dancer I honestly believe that if you weren't so worried about all of this Doctors would leave you alone.

As for the gluton free diet I would research it and see if there is more positive then negative effects and if the positive effects are much more then the negative effects and the negative effects aren't dangerous I would go for it.

That was probably the longest run off sentence I have ever spouted off here on the board.

I know I agree. My MIL told me to just let go and let God deal with it.

They are testing me for the celiac on Tuesday. And I will deal with it then. If nothing, then I am going on my merry way.

[Sandra01]

I sure hope so. Don't worry about the if's.

[dancer67]

I sure hope so. Don't worry about the if's.

I know. That is my drawback. The "if's".

[Sandra01]

The only way you can let go of it if  you would say :" That's it" but it is always one more thing.

It helped me a lot when I started working and getting busy.