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

DO I have a Gluten Allergy- Japan, need test

shiffd

Recommended Posts

shiffd Newbie
shiffd
Posted

Hello,

I am 34 and living in Japan.   I have had a weak stomach for a long time.  I just thought "I have a weak stomach".  I have heard of gluten allergy before but never gave it much thought.   I tried to cut out gluten a few days ago, my idea from something i read was to stop eating gluten for two weeks, then try to eat some and see how I felt before/after....

I do feel better.   I haven't had diarrhea but my stools have still been soft....overall though I just felt much better going to the bathroom where usually for me diarrhea is my normal situation.  It's hard to tell if I have more energy or not.

I have two big questions-

How likely is it that I have serious intestine damage at 34 if I AM suffering an allergy?   I would say I've had regular diarrhea for about 3 or 4 years at least.  I have bad skin too.  I basically never remember ever being constipated.  And will I be able to heal 100% if I do have damage??

2nd question-  Does anyone know I way I can get tested in Japan that is affordable?

 

I really want to know what is going on with this.   I guess something is abnormal about my stomach, but is changning my diet the answer?  Its REALLY hard to be gluten free.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


SLLRunner Enthusiast
SLLRunner
Posted

Hi Shiffd,

Welcome!

I suggest calling your doctor asking to be tested for celiac disease, as well as a full blood panel to check for other things. Celiac testing is a blood panel followed by an endoscope.  However, you must be eating gluten every single day until all testing is complete, otherwise you can get false negatives.

If you have celiac and continue to eat gluten, damage to your intestine will continue.  Age does not matter. For many people, getting the celiac diagnosis is what helps them to stay gluten free. It really is difficult to stay gluten free without a diagnosis but it can be done.

If you have gluten sensitivity but not celiac, you will not have damage to your intestine but you might continue to feel horrible. 

Other than saying this, I don't know about affordability of testing in Japan. Do you have health insurance? Are there any medical clinics there? 

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

You are right.   It is hard to be gluten free in Japan, but not impossible.  But I think you need to do more research.  It is difficult, but again not impossible to be gluten free, without a proper diagnosis.  First, you need to be consuming gluten daily for 8 to 12 weeks prior to the celiac blood panel tests.  Next, you need to learn more about celiac disease which is an autoimmune disorder (like Lupus or MS) that is triggered by gluten (no known triggers for MS and Lupus) that sets off a "flare-up" that can last for days, weeks or months!  Being educated is your best defense especially since you are in a country where celiac disease is not as common so doctors might not be as familiar.  That means you need to share your newly found knowledge with your doctor (take in copies.  The University of Chicago has an excellent celiac website and there's a section for medical professionals.  

Damage to your intestines?  Only a biopsy will reveal that.  celiac disease can develop at any age.  You could go years causing damage or just a few months.  So, at 34 years old who knows?  

Let's hope a few of our members who are living in Japan can help you with your other questions!  

etbtbfs Rookie
etbtbfs
Posted
5 hours ago, shiffd said:

Hello,

I am 34 and living in Japan.   I have had a weak stomach for a long time.  I just thought "I have a weak stomach".  I have heard of gluten allergy before but never gave it much thought.   I tried to cut out gluten a few days ago, my idea from something i read was to stop eating gluten for two weeks, then try to eat some and see how I felt before/after....

I do feel better.   I haven't had diarrhea but my stools have still been soft....overall though I just felt much better going to the bathroom where usually for me diarrhea is my normal situation.  It's hard to tell if I have more energy or not.

I have two big questions-

How likely is it that I have serious intestine damage at 34 if I AM suffering an allergy?   I would say I've had regular diarrhea for about 3 or 4 years at least.  I have bad skin too.  I basically never remember ever being constipated.  And will I be able to heal 100% if I do have damage??

2nd question-  Does anyone know I way I can get tested in Japan that is affordable?

 

I really want to know what is going on with this.   I guess something is abnormal about my stomach, but is changning my diet the answer?  Its REALLY hard to be gluten free.

No, its not hard to be gluten free.  At least where I live.

Gluten is fiendishly difficult to digest, even for "normal" people.  The wheat growers associations have covered that up.  You should have the gliadin antibody and TTG tests before you have been off gluten too long.  If you can afford it, there are stool tests that will show if you have developed enteropathy (leaky gut).  If so, chances are you have deep nutritional deficiencies.  Also, you may have autoimmune antibodies; thyroid autoimmunity is the most common.

Estes Contributor
Estes
Posted

I am from the US, lived in Japan for four years and then moved back to the US  before I started getting sick.  Now that I know I have celiac I am eating Japanese rice everyday.  Also, fresh fruits and veggies.  I know that can be expensive in Japan and I feel for you.  I believe that Japanese curry is made with wheat and I am assuming noodle soups are mostly out for you unless you have rice noodle varieties in your area.  You will need to research each item which will be difficult.  Where in Japan do you live?  It will take a lot of research.  I am having my Japanese friends research my favorite items but I don't have the results yet.  I think rice balls should be safe if you avoid and sauces.  Just fish or plain sound gluten free to me.

I tried to put my son on a gluten free diet while in Japan and it was very difficult.  No one at school or my neighborhood understood what I was talking about.

Now I have Japanese friends who understand both gluten and celiac.  I believe there is a better understanding than 7 years ago.

I wish you luck and am happy to help if I can.

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. AlwaysLearning
      - AlwaysLearning replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      Gluten related ??

      Get tested for vitamin deficiencies. Though neuropathy can be a symptom of celiac, it can also be caused by deficiencies due to poor digestion caused by celiac and could be easier to treat.
    2. Colleen H
      - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      Gluten related ??

      Thank you so much for your response Yes it seems as though things get very painful as time goes on. I'm not eating gluten as far as I know. However, I'm not sure of cross contamination. My system seems to weaken to hidden spices and other possibilities. ??? if cross contamination is possible...I am in a super sensitive mode of celiac disease...
    3. Jmartes71
      - Jmartes71 replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      My only proof

      EXACTLY! I was asked yesterday on my LAST video call with Standford and I stated exactly yes absolutely this is why I need the name! One, get proper care, two, not get worse.Im falling apart, stressed out, in pain and just opened email from Stanford stating I was rude ect.I want that video reviewed by higher ups and see if that women still has a job or not...
    4. AlwaysLearning
      - AlwaysLearning replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      My only proof

      We feel your pain. It took me 20+ years of regularly going to doctors desperate for answers only to be told there was nothing wrong with me … when I was 20 pounds underweight, suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies, and in a great deal of pain. I had to figure it out for myself. If you're in the U.S., not having an official diagnosis does m...
    5. AlwaysLearning
      - AlwaysLearning replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      Gluten related ??

      If you're just starting out in being gluten free, I would expect it to take months before you learned enough about hidden sources of gluten before you stopped making major mistakes. Ice cream? Not safe unless they say it is gluten free. Spaghetti sauce? Not safe unless is says gluten-free. Natural ingredients? Who knows what's in there. You pretty much...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,086
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    M A Humphries
    Newest Member
    M A Humphries
    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

    • AlwaysLearning
      Gluten related ??

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      Get tested for vitamin deficiencies.  Though neuropathy can be a symptom of celiac, it can also be caused by deficiencies due to poor digestion caused by celiac and could be easier to treat.
    • Colleen H
      Gluten related ??

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Thank you so much for your response  Yes it seems as though things get very painful as time goes on.  I'm not eating gluten as far as I know.  However, I'm not sure of cross contamination.  My system seems to weaken to hidden spices and other possibilities. ???  if cross contamination is possible...I am in a super sensitive mode of celiac disease.. Neuropathy from head to toes
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      EXACTLY! I was asked yesterday on my LAST video call with Standford and I stated exactly yes absolutely this is why I need the name! One, get proper care, two, not get worse.Im falling apart, stressed out, in pain and just opened email from Stanford stating I was rude ect.I want that video reviewed by higher ups and see if that women still has a job or not.Im saying this because I've been medically screwed and asking for help because bills don't pay itself. This could be malpratice siit but im not good at finding lawyers
    • AlwaysLearning
      My only proof

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      We feel your pain. It took me 20+ years of regularly going to doctors desperate for answers only to be told there was nothing wrong with me … when I was 20 pounds underweight, suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies, and in a great deal of pain. I had to figure it out for myself. If you're in the U.S., not having an official diagnosis does mean you can't claim a tax deduction for the extra expense of gluten-free foods. But it can also be a good thing. Pre-existing conditions might be a reason why a health insurance company might reject your application or charge you more money. No official diagnosis means you don't have a pre-existing condition. I really hope you don't live in the U.S. and don't have these challenges. Do you need an official diagnosis for a specific reason? Else, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you're diligent in remaining gluten free, your body should be healing as much as possible so there isn't much else you could do anyway. And there are plenty of us out here who never got that official diagnosis because we couldn't eat enough gluten to get tested. Now that the IL-2 test is available, I suppose I could take it, but I don't feel the need. Someone else not believing me really isn't my problem as long as I can stay in control of my own food.
    • AlwaysLearning
      Gluten related ??

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      If you're just starting out in being gluten free, I would expect it to take months before you learned enough about hidden sources of gluten before you stopped making major mistakes. Ice cream? Not safe unless they say it is gluten free. Spaghetti sauce? Not safe unless is says gluten-free. Natural ingredients? Who knows what's in there. You pretty much need to cook with whole ingredients yourself to avoid it completely. Most gluten-free products should be safe, but while you're in the hypersensitive phase right after going gluten free, you may notice that when something like a microwave meal seems to not be gluten-free … then you find out that it is produced in a shared facility where it can become contaminated. My reactions were much-more severe after going gluten free. The analogy that I use is that you had a whole army of soldiers waiting for some gluten to attack, and now that you took away their target, when the stragglers from the gluten army accidentally wander onto the battlefield, you still have your entire army going out and attacking them. Expect it to take two years before all of the training facilities that were producing your soldiers have fallen into disrepair and are no longer producing soldiers. But that is two years after you stop accidentally glutening yourself. Every time you do eat gluten, another training facility can be built and more soldiers will be waiting to attack. Good luck figuring things out.   
×
×
  • 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.