Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Could I Have Celiac Disease?

ses32

Recommended Posts

ses32 Newbie
ses32
Posted

For many years I have had problems with loose stools that started gradually. In the beginning I only had loose stools when I was nervous or stressed. Then I started having loose stools everytime I had my period and now I have them every single day. They have also started being pale in color and they smell bad. For many years I was also depressed. 

 

Then for one year I took birth control pills and all of my symptoms disappeared. Every day I had perfect stools and no stomach pain or bloating and I was no longer depressed and I had much more energy and I just felt generally really good and I hadn't felt like that for years.

After one year I stopped taking the pills because I wanted to get pregnant. A couple of months after I stopped I had really bad stomach pains. I thought it probably was just because I stopped taking those pills. But then gradually I started getting loose stools again. It has been 9 months now since I stopped taking them and everyday I have loose stools. 

 

Maybe it's just related to hormones. I don't know but I just thought maybe it could be celiac disease because my grandmother has celiac disease and my mother hasn't been diagnosed with it but she refuses to eat bread or pasta because she says it makes her bloated.

 

Could it be that I have celiac disease even though my digestion was completely normal when I took those pills? I'm not sure if it could be because that year I basically lived on bread (I was a poor student).

 

 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


notme Experienced
notme
Posted

being as your grandmother has celiac, and it is a genetic disease, certainly you could have celiac.  but you could also have something else.....  you should go and see a doctor.  they can test you for celiac and also other things which may be your problem.  can't remember b.c. pills ever making my digestion any better?  but everyone is different.  really, you should see a doctor.  and, keep eating gluten if you intend to be tested, otherwise the test will not be accurate.  good luck and i hope you find some answers :)

Celiacandme Apprentice
Celiacandme
Posted

You never know. If I were you I would schedule an appt with my gp. Explain to them your bathroom issues, etc, and request that they run the full celiac panel on you. Keep eating gluten so it will be accurate. I would tell them you'd really like to be tested because of the fact that you are having some issues and your grandmother has it. Good luck. Keep us posted!

ses32 Newbie
ses32
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for answering. Yeah, I should definitely see a doctor. I went once and said I thought I maybe had it but that doctor didn't do anything. She just said it's really hard to diagnose it and told me to book an appointment with a gastroenterologist. But I'll try again. I'm really sick of having this problem. 

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

The loose stools may be hormone related but that doesn't mean it isn't celiac disease linked either.

 

Right before menstration, the body clears out the large intestine - it does the same thing in early labor.  Before I was diagnosed I looked forward to that because it was the only time I felt cleared out; I had chronic constipation so that time of the months was loose to normal and got things moving.

 

Now, I have normal stools so for a day or two each month, I'm in the bathroom a few times a day with looser stools.  It's just the hormones clearing you out.

 

That being said, loose stools every day isn't normal so you might as well get that checked. 

 

You doctor is incorrect to say that celiac disease is hard to diagnose.  If they actually run the right tests, it isn't usually that difficult.

Ask for:

tTG IgA and tTG IgG

DGP IgA and DGP IgG (deaminated gliadin peptides)

EMA IgA

total serum IgA - control test

AGA IgA and AGA IgG (antigliadin antibodies) - older and less reliable tests replaced by the DGP tests

 

Make sure you are eating gluten in the 2-3 months before testing.

 

You also might want to check your thyroid. Hyperthyroidism can cause loose stools.  Other food sensitivities can do it too.

 

Best wishes and welcome to the board.  :)

ses32 Newbie
ses32
Posted
  • Author

The loose stools may be hormone related but that doesn't mean it isn't celiac disease linked either.

 

Right before menstration, the body clears out the large intestine - it does the same thing in early labor.  Before I was diagnosed I looked forward to that because it was the only time I felt cleared out; I had chronic constipation so that time of the months was loose to normal and got things moving.

 

Now, I have normal stools so for a day or two each month, I'm in the bathroom a few times a day with looser stools.  It's just the hormones clearing you out.

 

That being said, loose stools every day isn't normal so you might as well get that checked. 

 

You doctor is incorrect to say that celiac disease is hard to diagnose.  If they actually run the right tests, it isn't usually that difficult.

Ask for:

tTG IgA and tTG IgG

DGP IgA and DGP IgG (deaminated gliadin peptides)

EMA IgA

total serum IgA - control test

AGA IgA and AGA IgG (antigliadin antibodies) - older and less reliable tests replaced by the DGP tests

 

Make sure you are eating gluten in the 2-3 months before testing.

 

You also might want to check your thyroid. Hyperthyroidism can cause loose stools.  Other food sensitivities can do it too.

 

Best wishes and welcome to the board.  :)

I've been to a doctor now and had all those tests done. I'm still waiting for the results.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Keep us posted! Celiac disease symptoms can wax and wane. It is so frustrating! I sincerely hope you find answers.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Rogol72
      - Rogol72 replied to HAUS's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      8

      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      @HAUS, I was at an event in the UK a few years back. I remember ringing the restaurant ahead to inquire about the gluten free options. All I wanted was a few gluten free sandwiches, which they provided and they were delicious. The gluten-free bread they used was Warbutons white bread and I remember mentioning it on this site before. No harm in trying...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to HAUS's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      8

      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      In the U.S., most regular wheat breads are required to be enriched with certain B-vitamins and iron, but gluten-free breads are not required to be. Since many gluten-free products are not enriched, we usually encourage people with celiac disease to consider a multivitamin. In the early 1900s, refined white flour replaced whole grains, and people began...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to deanna1ynne's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Inconclusive results

      Keep in mind that there are drawbacks to a formal diagnosis, for example more expensive life and private health insurance, as well as possibly needing to disclose it on job applications. Normally I am in favor of the formal diagnosis process, but if you've already figured out that you can't tolerate gluten and will likely stay gluten-free anyway, I wanted...
    4. JoJo0611
      - JoJo0611 replied to JoJo0611's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      CT with contrast.

      Thank you.
    5. deanna1ynne
      - deanna1ynne replied to deanna1ynne's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Inconclusive results

      Thank you all so much for your advice and thoughts. We ended up having another scope and more bloodwork last week. All serological markers continue to increase, and the doc who did the scope said there villous atrophy visible on the scope — but we just got the biopsy pathology report back, and all it says is, “Duodenal mucosa with patchy increased int...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,441
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Linda Boxdorfer
    Newest Member
    Linda Boxdorfer
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rogol72
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By Rogol72 · Posted

      @HAUS, I was at an event in the UK a few years back. I remember ringing the restaurant ahead to inquire about the gluten free options. All I wanted was a few gluten free sandwiches, which they provided and they were delicious. The gluten-free bread they used was Warbutons white bread and I remember mentioning it on this site before. No harm in trying it once. It's fortified with Calcium and Iron. https://www.warburtonsglutenfree.com/warbs_products/white-loaf/ The only other gluten-free bread that I've come across that is fortified is Schar with Iodized salt, nothing else.
    • Scott Adams
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In the U.S., most regular wheat breads are required to be enriched with certain B-vitamins and iron, but gluten-free breads are not required to be. Since many gluten-free products are not enriched, we usually encourage people with celiac disease to consider a multivitamin.  In the early 1900s, refined white flour replaced whole grains, and people began developing serious vitamin-deficiency diseases: Beriberi → caused by a lack of thiamin (vitamin B1) Pellagra → caused by a lack of niacin (vitamin B3) Anemia → linked to low iron and lack of folate By the 1930s–40s, these problems were common in the U.S., especially in poorer regions. Public-health officials responded by requiring wheat flour and the breads made from it to be “enriched” with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. Folic acid was added later (1998) to prevent neural-tube birth defects. Why gluten-free bread isn’t required to be enriched? The U.S. enrichment standards were written specifically for wheat flour. Gluten-free breads use rice, tapioca, corn, sorghum, etc.—so they fall outside that rule—but they probably should be for the same reason wheat products are.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Keep in mind that there are drawbacks to a formal diagnosis, for example more expensive life and private health insurance, as well as possibly needing to disclose it on job applications. Normally I am in favor of the formal diagnosis process, but if you've already figured out that you can't tolerate gluten and will likely stay gluten-free anyway, I wanted to at least mention the possible negative sides of having a formal diagnosis. While I understand wanting a formal diagnosis, it sounds like she will likely remain gluten-free either way, even if she should test negative for celiac disease (Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If her symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet, it would likely signal NCGS).        
    • JoJo0611
      CT with contrast.

      By JoJo0611 · Posted

      Thank you. 
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      Thank you all so much for your advice and thoughts. We ended up having another scope and more bloodwork last week. All serological markers continue to increase, and the doc who did the scope said there villous atrophy visible on the scope — but we just got the biopsy pathology report back, and all it says is, “Duodenal mucosa with patchy increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, preserved villous architecture, and patchy foveolar metaplasia,” which we are told is still inconclusive…  We will have her go gluten free again anyway, but how soon would you all test again, if at all? How valuable is an official dx in a situation like this?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.