Gender and Mental Health are Factors in Irritable Bowel Disease-related Symptoms in Celiac Disease

Many of us have found that other foods are producing IBS. There is no mention of whether the study looked at whether the folks who continued to have IBS symptoms were assessed to find out if perhaps casien or soy might be a factor in the continued discomfort. There is also the assumption among most medical professionals that things that are put onto the skin, such as shampoos and lotions etc. are safe no matter what is in them. How many of the study group were still using gluten containing personal care products?

Also many of us suffer needlessly because our medications are a gluten source. Many trust pharms and their doctors to know if something is safe and as a result have long standing contamination from items such as supplements, over the counter meds, prescrition meds, wheat germ oils, alcohol and vinager and other items that are thought to be safe that in the reality are not.

For folks that have neuro impact in the celiac spectrum of disease adherence to a gluten free diet is often not enough to stop the autoimmune process that is inflaming the brain and blood. They need to avoid the items that many of us are taught are 'safe by processing'. Many who continue to have issues will achieve resolution by ferreting out the other items we are forming antibodies to and becoming zero tolerance strict with the gluten-free diet. Something doctors don't seem to think many of us can do.

IBS is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom. Unfortunately in our pharmadriven society there is too much of a rush to label and not enough time spent looking for the cause of the symptom.

It is unfortunate that many doctors and researchers seem to ignore that the impact of your body fighting a substance that it considers poison can result in neuro impact. The depression and anxiety are too often a symptom and not a cause. The rush to medicate folks for depression rather than find the physical trigger for it keeps many of us suffering for years.

People with Celiac may have other food intolerance, and food allergies. They can cause GI problems, if ingested. Doctors usually ignore this fact, and push mind altering drugs on people who don't need them. I have been allergic to corn all of my life, as well as other foods and sulfites. If I accidentally eat any of them, because they are not properly labeled in food products, I get sick. Mind control drugs would not help. Avoidance of the problem food is the only thing that does help. This is not rocket science, but is ignored by doctors.

Interesting, but no one has proven that the link mentioned in the article is a causative one. It seems almost useless to include 'anxiety' and 'depression' as mental health disorders when they are also common characteristics of people who are sick and have not been diagnosed or helped yet. Has anyone conducted a study yet to find out how often 'anxiety' and 'depression' are present in people with undiagnosed illnesses? Would be hard to construct - but a good contribution to science.

Gluten and/ or lactose intolerance in infants would cause extreme pain and untreated would lead to helpless or dissociative reactions which would lead to parents responding less lovingly and more fearfully. Allergies treated with dulling antihistamines would also lead to maladaptive cognitive functioning and, without sharpness and persistence, it is VERY DIFFICULT to get a doctor to look into intestinal symptoms, fogginess, etc. I shudder to think how many 'mental problems' started out as reactions to abuse and gluten abuses us without visible bruises. Think of the 'shame' of gaseousness and how a child might feel in school. Combine IBS symptoms with periods and having to sit still for 8 hours. I could go on and on. Pain starts the cycle.

After my daughter went on a gluten-free diet she improved immensely; however within six months she was having stomach problems again. Her pediatrician said it was IBS. We followed the recommendations for this condition, but it was soon apparent this was not helping. Thank God for a Naturopath Doctor who identified other food allergies that were upsetting her intestines (soy, milk, eggs). When these were eliminated, she was a happy gal again.

There is legitimacy to the issues raised in this article. I propose inhaled dermatitis or irritable bowel triggered by handling gluten items - I own a restaurant and exposure to large amounts of gluten has sent me home with a stomach ache and skin rash.

I was almost convinced that I was a hypochondriac until I discovered it was gluten that was causing the multitude of symptoms that had afflicted me for over 25 years. When doctors don't have an answer, they make you feel as though you are inventing the problem. May be they don't listen to females or take them seriously and attribute their continued symptoms of IBS as female traits or manifestations of mental illness instead of recognizing their own biases have led to the demographics of the statistics in the first place. What drug company funded this study?

Women always lose out. That's why I try not to listen to my male doctors. I'm sick but I'll continue to search for the real answer. I wish men realized we are not inventing these symptoms. Women simply suffer more than men. Thanks for the encouraging article.