Celiac, anyone?

PepperWorm

I think I need to get tested for Celiac Disease. I was diagnosed with IBS a couple of years ago, and stress truly hurt my stomach. I didn't have any major tummy upsets for awhile after eliminating most of that stress. Now I've noticed every day for the last few weeks, my stomach has been distended, bloated, and roiling. I'll wake up with a flat tummy and then feel it grow a few inches after awhile due to the swelling. I'm eating fairly healthy...hell, I keep dairy to a minimum now that I switched to almond milk, but could it really be gluten screwing me over? I've done some searching here and there and the symptoms are spot on. I can't seem to get a good night's sleep anymore because my insides are constantly twisted. Does anyone have celiac disease here? Any of this sound familiar to you?

PepperWorm

Bump.

Flab2fitfi

Hi

I have coeliacs and yes it could be a symptom of it. Best thing to do is keep a diary of when your stomach is bad and see what you have eaten. Do not cut the gluten out if you want to see your doctor as blood tests/ biopsy will only show positive if you have gluten in your diet.

shakespearessister

I'm Celiac. I also was diagnosed with IBS (as a teenager) and have always had some sort of gut disturbance, despite a healthy, whole food, diet. Nothing really changed with the way my stomach/gut felt that made me suspect Celiac. Rather, I had delivery complications with my first two children, then had chronic vitamin deficiencies/malnutrition when I had blood work drawn. The vitamin deficiencies weren't made better by shots, either. I was finally tested for Celiac, and was positive. I still have IBS issues, but some of my other problems have gone away or improved with a GF diet. It's worthwhile to be checked, but remember that the blood test has a high false-negative rate, so if you get a negative and feel like you really do have a problem with gluten, either ask for an endoscopy (the one completely reliable way to tell, as they look at changes in the villi of your intestine) BEFORE trying a gluten free diet, or if you don't want to do the endoscopy, just go completely gluten free and see if you feel better. If you go GF, remember to look at pills (tell the pharmacist if you need gluten free prescriptions), don't lick envelopes (gluten in the glue), etc. It's everywhere. If you simply are intolerant of gluten, and you get a bit, it will make you feel bad, but full-blown celiac is an autoimmune disease, and if you get contamination in any way, not only will you feel bad, you will undo all the work of healing your gut that going gluten free has done. Definitely see if you can get some answers. Having a bloated, uncomfortable belly all the time is miserable and I sympathize.

hdlb

I have Celiacs also, but my symptoms were mostly different then what you are describing. I had extreme fatigue, stomach bloating, constant diarrhea, mood swings, brain fog and nausea/vomiting.

Someone already said it, but if you are going to get tested for Celiac, do not stop eating gluten until you do.

PepperWorm

Back when I was diagnosed, I went through a colon/endoscopy at the same time. The doctor claimed that he saw nothing wrong, suggested it could be IBS, and recommended a "good psychiatrist." I wanted to cry. This is NOT all in my head as he probably clearly thought.

Could I develop celiac disease later in life, or is it something you're born with?

ETA: Maybe I'm blowing it out of proportion a little. It could be a food sensitivity issue, right?

SheilaTalarico

I am 44, newly diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance aren't the same thing. I had been diagnosed with IBS in my 20's. I also have lactose intolerance and am a vegetarian. Eating out is fun! Agree with others...don't stop eating gluten until you have a blood test that confirms it. The endo/colo can show signs of it, but again it may not. You can most definitely develop CD later in life. It happens all the time.

epie2098

The symptoms can really vary. For me, I was in the bathroom 12ish times/day, and my belly was so bloated and distended I looked like I was about 5 months pregnant again. The biggie for me was that I had no energy and was hungry all the time because I just wasn't able to absorb food. After about a month of this, I finally found the time to see the Dr.

I'm in Canada, so benefitted from free healthcare (yay!). My family Dr. ran a bunch of tests to figure out what was going on, and reaction to gluten was one of the blood tests. It's always better to know. I'm waiting for an endoscopy to be done to confirm the diagnosis, and will have to reintroduce gluten prior to that so that I'll show the immune reaction.

That being said, being gluten-intolerant and having celiac disease are different things entirely. Best to get whatever's going on checked out.

Yes, you can be diagnosed later in life. I just turned 37. The only times I had issues with gluten prior to 'bathroomfest 2013' were when I made seitan, which is a faux meat made almost entirely of gluten. I just figured that was a lot of gluten and that's why I got a bit of a bellyache after it, so stopped making it!

epie2098

I am 44, newly diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance aren't the same thing. I had been diagnosed with IBS in my 20's. I also have lactose intolerance and am a vegetarian. Eating out is fun! Agree with others...don't stop eating gluten until you have a blood test that confirms it. The endo/colo can show signs of it, but again it may not. You can most definitely develop CD later in life. It happens all the time.

Yep, eating out is very fun as a gluten free vegetarian. It's really super easy to find vegan gluten free eats in Vancouver, BC if you're ever there! I was spoiled for choice!