Newbie Questions

[indigox3]

Hello

 

Some background:

I've been having some digestive issues for about a year (diarreaha, gas, abdominal pain). A few months ago I saw a GI specialist, and did some blood tests, a colonoscopy, and lactose tolerance test. All the tests were normal except the lactose tolerance test, which I failed miserably. So I cut lactose out of my diet and have been feeling alot better since.

 

However I still get stomach aches, diarreha and bad gas maybe once or twice a month. I suspect some other type of food intolerance. I usually don't eat wheat every day so I have been trying a gluten challenge for the last week to see if that provokes any kind of reaction. So far, it hasn't. I had a few questions about it though: After a glutening how long does it typically take for digestive symptoms to appear in people with celiac disease? Also how much gluten to you need to consume per day? I've been eating about 3 cups of cooked pasta each day for dinner. Is that enough? (I've heard 2 slices of bread is the average for a gluten challenge, but I prefer pasta because I like the taste, and dry pasta keeps longer than fresh bread) Finally, are there "levels" of celiac disease? i.e. can the severity of symptoms greatly vary between people with celiac disease?

Thanks alot for reading.

 

 

[w8in4dave]

Yes some do not have any symptoms while others will have a ton of symptoms, also some are a lil more sensitive than others. I am not as sensitive as some , but that doesn't mean it is less damaging to my body. 

3 cups of pasta is quite a bit , I think that'll do it! Maby you should get a blood test? There are alot of people here who can help you out on what to ask the Dr. For.  A regular colonoscopy isn't going to show Celiac. I hope you find the root to your problems. There is the newbie thread that is ALOT of help also. 

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.  

 

Your questions:

After a glutening how long does it typically take for digestive symptoms to appear in people with celiac disease?

 

It really varies. for some it can take minutes and in others it can take days. Sometimes no GI symptoms appear. My symptoms used to vary depending on the food and the amounts I ate. Beer would bloat me terribly. Wheat flours (pancakes and muffins) gave me stomach aches. Last year I accidentally glutened myself many times by eating a few of my kids french fries every week (thought it was gluten-free) - I had no GI symptoms then, just got more fatigues, sore and headachey.

 

Also how much gluten to you need to consume per day? I've been eating about 3 cups of cooked pasta each day for dinner. Is that enough? (I've heard 2 slices of bread is the average for a gluten challenge, but I prefer pasta because I like the taste, and dry pasta keeps longer than fresh bread)

 

Three cups of pasta is plenty! Were you gluten-free prior to the gluten challenge? Are you consuming gluten to get retested? If not, you might as well go gluten-free (to check for non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGI)) since you know you aren't feeling well now. Keep a food and symptoms journal; it will help you see the trends as the changes can take months.

 

BTW, negative tests happened with my kids too and some have pretty obvious gluten issues. NCGI is more common than celiac disease - just harder to diagnose!

 

Finally, are there "levels" of celiac disease? i.e. can the severity of symptoms greatly vary between people with celiac disease?\

 

There are no levels of celiac disease. You either have it or you don't... like type 1 diabetes. Some people get slightly more intestinal damage but that doesn't correlate with symptoms severity very well. There are many with NCGI around here who had worse GI symptoms than I did after living undiagnosed my whole life. Symptom variation is the main thing.

 

Hope you feel well soon.

[indigox3]

Thanks alot for the info guys I really appreciate it.

 

Prior to trying this gluten challenge, I hadn't gone gluten-free, but I also didn't eat gluten on a regular/daily basis. So I figure if I start feeling continually sick in the next few weeks after eating some gluten every day, I should hopefully be glutened enough to go back to my GI and do a gluten blood panel and maybe an endoscope with biopsy. (Although I'm really hoping to avoid the endoscope if possible...)

 

I have been keeping a food journal as well, but so far I haven't been able to see a pattern yet. I'm going to keep at it at least for the next couple months though.

 

One last question: How long is a gluten challenge on average? I've read anywhere from 2-8 weeks?

[nvsmom]

Often if a person has been gluten-free for a long time, a longer gluten challenge is needed.  . Times range from 4 weeks to 12 weeks with about 8 weeks being the norm (if you've been off gluten).  For an endoscopy, I have seen gluten challenges ranging from 2 to 6 weeks; less time is needed for those.