Appendicitis And Gluten/wheat Sensitivity

[Guest BellyTimber]

Appendicitis and gluten sensitivity - has any tie-in been studied?

That would include people known at the time to have celiac disease or similar, as well as people in whom it was only discovered later.

[emeraldskies]

While my celiac disease went undiagnosed, I first had an appendicitis attack at 20, then I had to have an appendectomy that day. Two years later, I had bad tonsillitis, and my tonsils were removed a year later. Here is a paper that talks about the association with celiac disease:

Dig Dis Sci. 2001 Oct;46(10):2206-8.

Increased risk of surgery in undiagnosed celiac disease.

Ciacci C, Cavallaro R, Romano R, Galletta DS, Labanca F, Marino M, Donisi M, Mazzacca G.

The diagnosis of celiac disease patients may be delayed by misdiagnosis. Our aim was to evaluate in celiac patients the prevalence of surgery before diagnosis. Two hundred forty-four adult celiac patients and 232 controls were retrospectively investigated for surgery before diagnosis of celiac disease. The prevalence of surgery was increased in celiac patients versus controls (P = 0.001). Frequency of appendectomy (P = 0.0001), tonsillectomy (P = 0.009), and hernia repair (P = 0.05) were increased in celiac patients versus controls. Appendectomy was related to anemia (P = 0.006) and abdominal pain (P = 0.005); tonsillectomy was related to diarrhea (P = 0.02) and weight loss (P = 0,04). Appendectomy was elective in 73% of celiac patients and in 46% of controls. Cosmetic surgery was increased in celiac patients versus controls (P = 0.058). In conclusions, surgery before celiac disease diagnosis is increased in celiac patients compared to controls, as a result of doctors' misdiagnosis and/or poor health status, which increases the demand for medical intervention. The frequency of cosmetic surgery in celiac patients may be related to impaired psychological profile of patients.

[terri]

I had my tonsils out at 3 and my appendectomy at 16, both before diagnosis.

[KarenCM]

My appendix was about to rupture so was taken out right away at around age 9. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease November 2004 at the age of 24.

Karen

[elonwy]

I had an appendectomy when I was 14, because of debilitating stomach cramps and fever.

Nothing was found to be wrong with my appendix.

No tonsil problems.

Elonwy

[nogluten-]

Tonsillectomy at 8, appendectomy and gallbladder removal around 27.

[ianm]

Appendectomy at age 25. Still got my tonsils.

[Mahee34]

I got my tonsils out at age 21, no appendex problems as of yet...I'm only 23 though. The tonsils experience was hellish, it might have been because i had double surgery with my knee getting done too. Who knows though!

[Nevadan]

I never thought about a possible connection.

I had an appendictomy two yrs ago at 58 yrs old.

I self diagnosed my gluten sensitivity earlier this year. Subsequent testing by Enterolab found evidence of gluten sensitivity but not celiac:

Hi Antigliadin IgA

Hi Antitissue Transglutaminase IgA

OK Malabsorption

HLA-DQ gene: HLA-DQB1*0602*0602 (double gluten sensitive but not celiac)

I was also diagnosed with osteophorsis 5 yrs ago and have had mild anemia for many years.

George

[shimma]

I had an appendectomy at 16. Prior to that, I had several appendix attacks through my preteen and teen years.

[bluelotus]

If you all want an to read an interesting case of appendicitis - I had my appendectamy when I was 20 and diagnosed with celiac disease when I was 23 (though no doctor ever tied the two togther and no doctor ever thought of celiac disease, even with my other symptoms; I had to ask to be tested). Anyway, the night before, my undergraduate advisor asked me to try a wheatgrass drink of his (soemthing he had just gotten into - sounds hippie, maybe, but I was an ecology major). I did and thought it tasted like grass smelled...mmmm....not really. Then the next afternoon, I had severe abdominal cramps, and of course, being female, the doctors thought it was my ovaries (God forbid a woman ever has any other medical culprit considered that doesn't have to do with gyn stuff). After 8+ more hours and plenty of vomiting later, they finally got the picture and took me to the operating room. Now, looking back, I wouldn't be at all suprised if there was a connection, especially considering the wheat grass. I have thought about calling that hospital to see if the doctors noticed anything unusual with my GI tract, curious if there were any clues for them.......then again, half those guys couldn't put a diagnosis other than "flu" or "ovarian problems" together if it hit them in the head.

[Guest BellyTimber]

Yes mine got taken out 36 years ago having been "rumbling" for about a year.

Thank you for the paper Emeraldskies, very interesting!

[bmorrow]

Mine was removed when I was 16. The doctor also said that I had cysts on my ovaries and that part of one was removed. Years later a doctor told me that my ovary had never had surgery on it. I still have the same pain now, after eating gluten, that I had all of those years ago. I was diagnosed with Celiac 38 years later!

[robbiesmom]

I had my appendix out at age 13 and my tonsils were just removed in April at age 33. I diagnosed myself 2 months ago with celiac disease and went gluten free-I feel much better!

We think my Grandma was celiac-she also had her tonsils and appendix removed.

My Brother may have a gluten issue also-he had a ruptured appendix at age 9-still has tonsils.

[robbiesmom]

Sorry-I forgot to mention that my Grandmother also died from cancer of the stomach lining! This is why it has been soooo important that I do this thing for me and my Son the right way! Even though my blood work was negative the gluten-free diet is working well for me so I will stick with it!

[minniejack]

I see this is an old, old thread, but thrown my daughter just turned 17 into the just had her appendix out.

I, too, was wondering if there was an connection.

[Looking for answers]

I had my appendix removed when I was 11, tonsils when I was 5. Almost lost my gallbladder a few years back, but I fought this one and didn't do the surgery.

By the way, a HUGE bowl of Teddy Grahams cereal is to blame for my appendicitis. I was watching the MTV music awards and shoveling that cereal (ah, the 80's!) ...then a few hours later, I couldn't walk.

[Looking for answers]

I see this is an old, old thread, but thrown my daughter just turned 17 into the just had her appendix out.

I, too, was wondering if there was an connection.

BTW, while doctors say the appendix is a "useless" organ, research released in the past few years revealed that our good beneficial bacteria is housed in the appendix. Therefore, it's more important than ever that your daughter gets on a good probiotic and stays on it for life.

[i-geek]

I wonder.

My dad (the parent from whom I think I inherited gluten intolerance) had to have his appendix removed when he was a 22-year-old newlywed. He is first-generation Mexican-American and grew up eating a more traditional Mexican (low gluten) diet. Then he married my mom, who is entirely of European ancestry and likes to bake. I wonder if the shift in diet was the cause.

Come to think of it, I tend toward a dull ache in the lower right abdominal quadrant when I'm recovering from accidental gluten ingestion. A few years ago (before I self-diagnosed and right after Easter, during which I'd baked and eaten a lot of breads and pastries) the pain was bad enough that I was sent in for an emergency CT scan to make sure my appendix wasn't about to burst (it wasn't). Very interesting.

[georgie]

Emergency appendix op aged 11. I mean ER. It was ready to burst. Dr came to home to see me as I had been ill for 2 days in bed. That was 7pm. By 8pm I was in hospital. I was so ill I could not walk by this time and was carried into hospital. I was pretty out of it.

Funny but had been thinking about this recently. My brothers teased me after surgery that all my stomach was taken too... so can only assume I had the bloated tum look previous to this. Classic Coeliac tum. Coeliac dxed 35 years later..

I have a pic taken starting school aged 5 and have a huge swollen tummy then.

Dad who I think I inherited Coeliac from - had his appendix removed aged mid 20s.

I still get that rhs pain when glutened..

[minniejack]

BTW, while doctors say the appendix is a "useless" organ, research released in the past few years revealed that our good beneficial bacteria is housed in the appendix. Therefore, it's more important than ever that your daughter gets on a good probiotic and stays on it for life.

I must have been tired when I typed that--I must've meant throw her into the mix....??

Being an ex-librarian, I'm into research and they say to eat fermented foods--yogurt, kraut, etc to keep appendicitis at bay, but she was the yogurt queen--not the sugary stuff--the good greek kind and she took a probiotic pill, too.

I'm thinking maybe they should do a study about people with gluten problems and appendicitis. Even my sis who knows nothing about celiac commented that maybe it had to do with that...

I've been making kefir with grains that my daughter didn't want to drink, but I'm adding mangoes, strawberries and fresh pineapple with just a small amount of agave and she's been lapping it up like a kitten.

[bman34]

Just to throw this into the mix, I had my appendix removed summer 2009, and this year I started a gluten free diet based on my symptoms and a meeting with my Doctor. My severe stomach cramps/gastro issues with diaharrea started to be worse post appendix removal.

I definitely think they're linked, and it makes me insanely mad that doctors always parrot the same response: "The appendix is a useless organ"

When I confront them with more current data they usually say that it could be used for something, but most stick to the party line.

[nrl321]

i know this is an old topic, but has there been a link studied recently? the only people in my family with celiac disease have all had their appendix removed

[sa1937]

i know this is an old topic, but has there been a link studied recently? the only people in my family with celiac disease have all had their appendix removed

I have no idea of any links but will say that I still have my appendix as well as all my other body parts.

[carecare]

I really am curious about a link. My daughter had her appendix removed at the age of 11. She presented with pain on her right side and was sent home from the dr's 3 times in a week. Told her to tell me if she feels nauseas to come and get me immmediately. She woke me up at 5 am a week after the pain had started...with nausea, took her to the ER. Dr's and surgeon weren't convinced so she had a CT which told them it was her appendix. By that time she started running a fever, had diarrhea and vomiting and her white count was elevated. They took it out but I was told it wasn't highly inflamed but the fluid surrounding the appendix (lymphocitic Tcells) was consistent with someone who has celiac disease. A blood test was done 2 months later...she had high antigliadin IgA. I was told her blood test was normal and she didn't have celiac. Fast forward 5 yrs and husband realizes gluten is his enemy. Daughter also realizes gluten bothers her when she ingests too much. No celiac diagnosis but I really think we are a celiac family. I have had bouts of IBS...and had my appendix out at the age of 16. Hmm...makes me wonder.