Glutening Or Fat Malabsorbtion?

[Nikki2777]

I was diagnosed with Celiac about 15 months ago, went gluten-free and felt so much better.  My supposed Lactose Intolerance went away and the main symptom I could see of the (very) occasional accidental glutening was a soreness in my mouth along with short-lived diarrhea and GI trouble.

 

For the last few weeks, I've noticed a return of the GI troubles, but no mouth pain.  I am as careful with eating out, reading labels, etc., as I've always been but I have been eating a fair amount of guacamole, cheeses and sunflower seeds.

 

I'm scheduling my annual endoscopy in a few weeks anyway, but in the meantime, is there any way to know if this is glutening or something else, like fat malabsorbtion?  I plan to stop the fats for a while anyway, as I'm really uncomfortable, but I'm hoping I haven't undone all the progress I've made.  It's the lack of mouth pain that has me confused.

 

Thanks.

[dilettantesteph]

Good question.  I made the mistake of thinking that fat malabsorption was gluten.  In my case gluten caused the fat malabsorption, and eliminating the fat made it go away, but that did not eliminate the gluten.  After more time with the gluten contamination in my diet some other symptoms reared their ugly heads.  I'm not sure how to distinguish unless you have other symptoms.  Digestive enzymes for fat absorption might help.  That was what made the difference for me as well as finding and eliminating the source of the gluten contamination by trial and error.  Could your present problems be a return of lactose intolerance rather than fat malabsorption?  Return of lactose intolerance has been caused by gluten contamination in the diet with me.  You can try eliminating dairy again and see what happens.  Have you made changes to your diet that correspond to the changes in symptoms that could be a source of gluten contamination?   I hope you get this figured out.

[Kias4]

From what I've read, celiac symptoms can change over time, and a person's sensitivity to gluten can also change over time.  The gluten-free diet that worked great for me for a couple years no longer works, as I am now getting enough cross-contamination to get a positive celiac blood test.  Also, I never used to get nausea, but with my return of symptoms I now get frequent nausea.  I'd say there's a good chance you could be simply getting cross-contamination due to increased sensitivity, and perhaps your symptoms have changed a bit.  Are you following all the guidelines like using dedicated gluten-free kitchen items, gluten-free personal care products, avoiding cross-contamination while in public, etc?

[Pegleg84]

While you should be avoiding all possible cross contamination regardless of symptoms, it is true that we can become more sensitive to gluten over time. It's also possible that your problems with dairy are returning.

A couple years gluten-free i started becoming more sensitive, and developed intolerances to dairy and soy. I also have trouble digesting fats sometimes. I'd also suggest cutting out dairy for a while, double-checking your kitchen for any possible gluten cc, and take digestive enzymes. You can mention it all to your doctor when you go back for the endoscopy.

 

Sounds like you're doing much better overall though. But it's hella annoying when something starts going wrong and you can't pin it down.

Good luck!

[NatureChick]

The previous comments seem right on the money to me, but I'd add that if you are still eating out, at all, that you are very likely getting glutened. The only restaurants I would consider safer would be those that have very few gluten items on their menu. I've had some luck with my local sushi place because, though they have items like tempura on their menu, most of the customers are ordering straight up rice, fish, and vegetable sushi so the prep areas are already less likely to be contaminated. But every time I've ever ordered items from a standard restaurant that were listed as gluten-free on the menu (and confirmed with the wait staff that they had to be gluten-free), I still got glutened, even from salads that were nothing but vegetables.

I'd recommend keeping a food/symptom diary until you get it figured out. And though fat could be a problem, I wouldn't overlook other possible intolerances or quantity issues as well. I have problems with a couple of foods if I eat too much of them in one sitting or if I eat them by themselves rather than in combination with other foods. If I looked at what I ate on any given day, I could probably find something wrong with it in one way or another ... eating the same way too many days in a row often being when problems arise.

[moosemalibu]

I thought I had a fat issue too, based on GI symptoms despite negative antibody levels. I figured out with a dietary journal that I was intolerant to eggs and sugar alcohols (they were in my protein bars). Since eliminating those from my diet I no longer have the GI symptoms (which was diarrhea and steatorrhea)

[Nikki2777]

Thanks - I think I will try a food diary for a while.  Endo is next week, that will let me know if I've been making some mistakes, I guess.  Thanks for everyone's ideas.