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Can Gluten Harm The Colon Too?

sspitzer5

By sspitzer5
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

sspitzer5 Apprentice
sspitzer5
Posted

Hi, my boyfriend had ulcerative colitis and had to have surgery for it. His colon was very damaged. I know there are some correlations between Celiac and colitis and I've been urging (aka bugging the hell out of) him to get tested for Celiac - he's half Irish and his cousin has derm. hep.

What I'm wondering is if eating gluten can damage not only the small intestine, but the colon. He never had a small intestine biopsy, so I don't know if there is damage there or not. Any info would be appreciated.

S

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Rusla Enthusiast
Rusla
Posted

Yes, it can. I know someone who ended up with colon cancer from Celiac and now he has to have all his waste drained into a bag for the rest of his life.

luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

That molten lava that rushes from my small intestine thru my large intestine as it fights its way out of me CAN'T be good for any part of me, I'm thinkin'!! We're talking alien acid that melts the space ship floor!!

  • 3 months later...
DeeTee33 Newbie
DeeTee33
Posted

Oh yes, Gluten can harm the colon!

I had been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 1989 and it never got better. It actually got worse no matter how much medicine I took. The doctor said they didn't know what caused Ulcerative Colitis and there was no cure for it so I did a little research on my own.

Late 2003 I went on a Gluten-Free diet and started digesting food in less than 2 weeks. I went off all my medicine in a couple months and have never felt better. By the time I found a new doctor and had the blood test for Celiac Disease I had already been on a Gluten-Free diet for over 3 months. The test didn't come back negative though, it came back inconclusive. He offered to do the biopsy but I told him it wasn't necessary. For me Gluten-Free is the key to healthy living!

I encourage anyone diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease to get tested for Celiac Disease.

corinne Apprentice
corinne
Posted

I have collagenous colitis (not celiac) and the symptoms quit when I went off gluten (and other grains). My mother is celiac and many people with collagenous colitis have a first degree relative with celiac. For some people, the inflammation of colitis (including ulcerative or crohn's) may be triggered by gluten. It will be interesting to see when I have my next colonoscopy if the damage is reduced.

DeeTee33 Newbie
DeeTee33
Posted

Just took my 19 year old daughter for the first time to the GI for digestive problems. Even though I haven't been officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease he has decided to give her the blood test next week. I'm really curious on what the results might say.

My mother passed away at the age of 54 with Cancer of the Pancreas. She previosly also had been diagnosed with Colitis and Osteoporosis. At that time neither one of us had heard of Celiac Disease. Hopefully my daughter doesn't follow in either of our footsteps.

Next month I will be having my 1st Colonoscopy since being on a gluten-free diet for 2 1/2 years. I don't know who is more curious of the results, my doctor or me.

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  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Test interpretations

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Based on those results alone, it’s not possible to say you have celiac disease. The test that is usually most specific for celiac, tTG-IgA, is negative in your results, and the endomysial antibody (EMA) is also negative, which generally argues against active celiac disease. However, your deamidated gliadin IgA is elevated, and your total IgA level is also high, which can sometimes affect how the other antibody tests behave. Another important factor is that you were reducing gluten before the test, which can lower antibody levels and make the results less reliable. Because of that, many doctors recommend a gluten challenge (eating gluten regularly for several weeks) before repeating blood tests or considering an endoscopy if symptoms and labs raise concern. It would be best to review these results with a gastroenterologist, who can interpret them in context and decide whether further testing is needed.
    • trents
      Test interpretations

      By trents · Posted

      Since you compromised the validity of the antibody testing by experimenting with gluten withdrawal ahead of the testing, you are faced with two options: 1. Reintroduce significant amounts of gluten into your diet for a period of weeks, i.e., undertake a "gluten challenge". The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat-based bread) for at least two weeks leading up to the day of testing. Note: I would certainly give it more than two weeks to be sure. 2. Be willing to live with the ambiguity of not knowing whether gluten causes you problems because you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). There is no test for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we have tests for it. Celiac disease has an autoimmune base. NCGS does not. GI symptoms overlap. In the early stages of celiac disease, other body systems may not be showing stress or damage so, symptomatically, it would be difficult to distinguish between celiac disease and NCGS. Both conditions require elimination of gluten from the diet for symptom relief. Some experts feel that NCGS can be a precursor to celiac disease.
    • suek54
      Need advice for some relief!

      By suek54 · Posted

      Hi Kayla Huge sympathies. I was diagnosed in December, after 8 months of the most awful rash, literally top to toe. Mine is a work in progress. Im on just 50mg dapsone at the moment but probably need an increased dose to properly put the lid on it. As you have been now glutened, I wondered whether it might be worth asking for a skin biopsy to finally get a proper diagnosis? Sue  
    • MicG
      Test interpretations

      By MicG · Posted

      I had been eating reduced gluten until about 3 days before the test. I did realize that wasn’t ideal, but it was experimental to see if gluten was actually bothering me. One slip up with soy sauce and it was quite clear to me that it was, lol. 
    • trents
      Test interpretations

      By trents · Posted

      Possibly. Your total IGA (Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum) is actually high so you are not IGA deficient. In the absence of IGA deficiency, the most reliable celiac antibody test would be the t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA for which your score is within normal range. There are other things besides celiac disease that might cause an elevated DGP-IGA (Deamidated Gliadin Abs, lgA) for which you do have a positive score. It might also be of concern that your total IGA is elevated as that can indicate some other health problems, some of which are serious.  Had you been practicing a gluten free or a reduced gluten free diet prior to the blood draw? Talk to your physician about these things. I would also seek an endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel to check for damage to the villous lining, which is the gold standard diagnostic test for celiac disease.
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