Gluten intolerant?

Has anyone discovered that they're gluten intolerant (don't try and tell me there's no such thing cause I'm currently getting my masters in nutrition)? I can't figure out of gluten intolerance is what my symptoms are or something else going on. My insurance does not cover the blood test so that's not really a great option for me.
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Replies

  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
    Best way to find out is to eliminate gluten from your diet for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference in your symptoms
  • attallma
    attallma Posts: 1 Member
    My symptoms don't normally show up until the next morning after I eaten gluten. I wake up with stomach pains and gas. I think I'm just sensative to gluten though.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    I am gluten intolerant. Gluten makes me violently ill, to the point where I have to go to the ER for IV fluids. I do not, however, have celiac disease (as tested through bloodwork).
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,515 Member
    I don't think there is anyone here who doubts that gluten intolerance is real. It's just that self-diagnosis is much less reliable than a blood test.

    There is no blood test for Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance (which I have). There is a Celiac blood test however. The only really way to determine if you have NCGI is to eliminate it from your diet and see if your symptoms resolve.

  • everyone321
    everyone321 Posts: 1 Member
    Celiacs can be determined by blood, but not reliably. Endoscopic exam to explore is the most reliable.

    I will say this: gluten intolerance usually shows up in an hour. Celiacs shows up in 2 to 3 hours after because it has to get into the small intestine. If you think you have either, remove gluten for two weeks, keeping in mind that anything processed (even if it says gluten free needs to be manufactured outside of a wheat factory). No oats because a significant portion of people who have issues with wheat also have issues with oats.

    I have celiacs. It is not a diet option, but don't be surprise if you loose 10% of your weight in the first few months, it all comes back once your body starts to heal.

    Hope that is helpful.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don't think there is anyone here who doubts that gluten intolerance is real. It's just that self-diagnosis is much less reliable than a blood test.

    There is no blood test for Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance (which I have). There is a Celiac blood test however. The only really way to determine if you have NCGI is to eliminate it from your diet and see if your symptoms resolve.

    Thanks for the correction. :)
  • Paiger816
    Paiger816 Posts: 129 Member
    edited April 2016
    My mom used a saliva test from a nutritionist to diagnose gluten sensitivity. She suddenly started getting sick when she turned 50. It was like my super healthy mom went from age 50 to age 90. Headaches constantly, joint pain and stiffness, tummy troubles... it was very odd. She did the saliva test (you spit in test tubes several times a day) and was diagnosed with a sensitivity to gluten, soy, dairy, and egg. After eliminating those from her diet, all her symptoms went away. Even her crazy bad seasonal allergies cleared up.
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
    Best way to find out is to eliminate gluten from your diet for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference in your symptoms

    Agreed. And wheat is certainly not a necessary food group so if it bothers you just cut it way down or eliminate it.
  • karenmorgan946517
    karenmorgan946517 Posts: 17 Member
    I am gluten intolerant enought to have spent a year in bed. I test negative thought for celiacs. After just eating chicken, rice and veggies for a week there was no question that I was gluten intolerant. Most of my pains went away, I did not need 15 hours of sleep a day , lost lost of my brain fog. I felt totaly different.
    My doc fought with me , cause 4 years ago fat people could not have celiacs, but three months later when he saw the change in my blood work he said keep doing what you are doing. It's been 4 years now and I have held a job for two years.
    Try the diet before you waste money on testing.
  • DanielleTake2
    DanielleTake2 Posts: 51 Member
    Also -- I've been reading lately that a lot of "gluten free" foods (i.e. pastas and breads) have way more sugar than their gluten counterparts! I'm very careful to read labels on all gluten-free products now!
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    After cutting gluten out of my diet a whole host of symptoms changed for me. I get fewer migraines, I don't have joint pain, I get less gas and bloating and other digestive issues and I don't feel fatigued. I know when I've eaten something with gluten because I get gassy and achy. I also haven't had heart burn other than after eating something I knew would be an issue (like the donut I just couldn't pass up). If I have repeated contamination or make poor choices I end up with a lot of fluid retention as well.
  • JoshuaMcAllister
    JoshuaMcAllister Posts: 500 Member
    edited April 2016
    Has anyone discovered that they're gluten intolerant (don't try and tell me there's no such thing cause I'm currently getting my masters in nutrition)? I can't figure out of gluten intolerance is what my symptoms are or something else going on. My insurance does not cover the blood test so that's not really a great option for me.

    Blood tests are not always conclusive when diagnosing gluten intolerance, the best result are usually found from colonoscopy or endoscopy, much more expensive unfortunately.

    Symptoms vary from person to person, before my diagnosis I lived every day in pain. Which is the most common are pains and cramps in the stomach caused by your digestive system struggling to break down the gluten in your system.

    The less common side effects can included breakouts of small spots/rash over arms and legs which can become itchy and irritating the more contaminated your body becomes. My younger sister suffered from neither of these symptoms, she was frequently at the doctors with hair loss issues, acne style breakouts over the back and face, which our GP for many years put down to puberty until I was diagnosed and she was fully tested. Heartburn is another very common side effect, I think someone mentioned water retention but wheat causes that in non/GF diets thats just down to wheat grains expanding and soaking up any consumed liquid.
  • CynderJenn
    CynderJenn Posts: 13 Member
    I discovered I was gluten intolerant last month. On the advice of my Dr I was trying GF to see if it would help with my PCOS, (which it has), and on day 10 I was feeling much better. But when we were on a car trip and my kids asked to stop for a milkshake at a local burger place and I was starving I thought one cheeseburger wouldn't kill me. Having to the car over 30 minutes later to find a restroom convinced me I need to avoid gluten all together. Good luck.
  • cariduttry
    cariduttry Posts: 210 Member
    i went gluten free almost a year ago and it has literally changed my life. the worst symptom i would get was aching joints that would cause me to have to go to bed (kind of like they ache when you get a fever). even in the absence of that though, i'd suffer ibs-d type symptoms, horrible brain fog, never-ending fatigue, never-ending hunger, and a post-eating slump that would cause me to be completely useless for an hour. i had a host of reasons for these symptoms...onset of arthritis (runs in the family), changing weather, ibs, certain foods just "make me sick", etc.

    anyway, it got so bad one night that i decided to try going gluten free because, like others have said, you can try for a week or two and decide if it makes a difference.

    it made a difference in less than 48 hours.

    aches were gone, ibs was gone, bloating was gone, brain fog was gone, energy was back...and my insatiable hunger was gone!!!

    earlier this year i wound up taking a half a sick day (spent soaking in epsom salts) because my dumb self had been cheating and i began aching again.

    needless to say, i'm unwilling to start ingesting gluten again just so a blood test can say i'm positive for celiac. i don't care if i am or not honestly. all i know is that keeping gluten away from me has been wonderful!!

    i do eat gluten free products VERY sparingly. i read once that you should approach GF breads and pastas like a treat no different than a piece of candy because of how they affect your glycemic index.

    interestingly, once i was away from gluten, i never craved it again. i used to live for good bread and pasta...now i couldn't care less. i've read that there are addictive properties in gluten; i don't know if that is true, but it is pretty odd how i don't crave it anymore.

    good luck to you, OP!
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    Celiacs can be determined by blood, but not reliably. Endoscopic exam to explore is the most reliable.

    I will say this: gluten intolerance usually shows up in an hour. Celiacs shows up in 2 to 3 hours after because it has to get into the small intestine. If you think you have either, remove gluten for two weeks, keeping in mind that anything processed (even if it says gluten free needs to be manufactured outside of a wheat factory). No oats because a significant portion of people who have issues with wheat also have issues with oats.

    I have celiacs. It is not a diet option, but don't be surprise if you loose 10% of your weight in the first few months, it all comes back once your body starts to heal.

    Hope that is helpful.

    I have celiac and can tell you within 20 minutes of ingestion that I have done it. I get a migraine before I get the GI symptoms most associated with the disease and I inflamed joints & fatigue for a minimum of 4 days after.

    I will not even use my children's peanut butter or toaster.

    Fortunately, I do not have issues with oats.
  • osche731
    osche731 Posts: 213 Member
    Oddly enough, I am in the same boat. I too am working on my master's in nutrition and I am questioning if I have celiac's or a gluten intolerance. It's tough when your insurance won't cover a test!
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    true Celiac disease is best diagnosed by a biopsy of the small bowel. The blood work will can tell if you have some of the markers or an elevated titer. Depending on how high those levels are then the doc will decide if you need the biopsy. A co-worked had some elevated levels but not high enough for Celiac but high enough for the doc to recommend a gluten free diet.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    I would also suggest a wheat allergy could be a possibility. I know a couple of people who thought they had celiac disease then realized they were allergic to wheat. Either way, it seems like cutting out gluten and seeing how you feel could be the easiest option.