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Can Gluten Harm The Colon Too?


sspitzer5

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sspitzer5 Apprentice

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

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

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

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

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

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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    • trents
      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @McKinleyWY! There currently is no testing for celiac disease that does not require you to have been consuming generous amounts of gluten (at least 10g daily, about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks and, to be certain of accurate testing, longer than that. This applies to both phases of testing, the blood antibody tests and the endoscopy with biopsy.  There is the option of genetic testing to see if you have one or both of the two genes known to provide the potential to develop celiac disease. It is not really a diagnostic measure, however, as 30-40% of the general population has one or both of these genes whereas only about 1% of the general population actually develops celiac disease. But genetic testing is valuable as a rule out measure. If you don't have either of the genes, it is highly unlikely that you can have celiac disease. Having said all that, even if you don't have celiac disease you can have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) which shares many of the same symptoms as celiac disease but does not involve and autoimmune reaction that damages the lining of the small bowel as does celiac disease. Both conditions call for the complete elimination of gluten from the diet. I hope this brings some clarity to your questions.
    • McKinleyWY
      Hello all, I was diagnosed at the age of 2 as being allergic to yeast.  All my life I have avoided bread and most products containing enriched flour as they  contain yeast (when making the man made vitamins to add back in to the flour).  Within the last year or so, we discovered that even whole wheat products bother me but strangely enough I can eat gluten free bread with yeast and have no reactions.  Obviously, we have come to believe the issue is gluten not yeast.  Times continues to reinforce this as we are transitioning to a gluten free home and family.  I become quite ill when I consume even the smallest amount of gluten. How will my not having consumed breads/yeast/gluten for the better part of decades impact a biopsy or blood work?  I would love to know if it is a gluten intolerance or a genetic issue for family members but unsure of the results given my history of limited gluten intake.   I appreciate the input from those who have gone before me in experience and knowledge. Thank you all!
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      I know what you mean. When I get glutened I have severe gut cramps and throw up for 2-3 hr. and then have diarrhea for another several hours. Avoid eating out if at all possible. It is the number one source of gluten contamination for us celiacs. When you are forced to eat out at a new restaurant that you are not sure is safe, try to order things that you can be sure will not get cross contaminated like a boiled egg, baked potatos, steamed vegies, fresh fruit. Yes, I know that doesn't sound as appetizing as pizza or a burger and fries but your health is at stake. I also realize that as a 14 year old you don't have a lot of control over where you eat out because you are tagging along with others or adults are paying for it. Do you have support from your parents concerning your need to eat gluten free? Do you believe they have a good understanding of the many places gluten can show up in the food supply?
    • Peace lily
      Okay went online to check green mountain k cups .It was said that the regular coffees are fine but they couldn’t guarantee cross contamination.with the flavors. im trying to figure out since I eliminated the suyrup so far so good. I’m hoping. thanks it feels good to listen to other people there views.
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