Blood tests and symptoms

[Foggyat52]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:16 PM, trents said:

Tiwa,

You have a choice. You can ignore this new reality, enjoy your food and friends, and probably be able to pull it off for a while without a lot of physical discomfort. But over time it will catch up to you and as more damage is done to your small bowel lining from the celiac disease, the symptoms will worsen and their may be more collateral damage to other body systems that can't be reversed such as neurological damage and osteoporosis. The damage that celiac disease does to the lining ("villi") of your small bowel results in losing the inability to absorb nutrients (vitamins and minerals) from your food and over time that has many repercussions for your whole body.

Or, you can dish the denial and take the responsibility of this new reality and the lifestyle changes it demands in order to guard your health. When you are 17 it is very difficult to focus on doing smart things to protect yourself against things that won't happen for years down the road. I used to be 17 so I know what I'm talking about. Committing to eating gluten free will have a major impact on your social life. But that is now reality.

Trents, you are absolutely right!  Tiwa, just because you aren't experiencing some of the stomach and bowel pains typically associated with Celiac disease, the inflammatory response from the antibodies will cause massive damage to all your internal systems.  Neurological damage to your peripheral nervous system, brain damage, kidney damage, liver damage, etc. are some of the longer term results from ignoring gluten.  Your body can manifest systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus, MS, Hashimoto's disease, Graves disease, the list goes on and on.  Start the lifestyle change now before it gets to that point.

[Tiwa]

8 hours ago, Foggyat52 said:

Trents, you are absolutely right!  Tiwa, just because you aren't experiencing some of the stomach and bowel pains typically associated with Celiac disease, the inflammatory response from the antibodies will cause massive damage to all your internal systems.  Neurological damage to your peripheral nervous system, brain damage, kidney damage, liver damage, etc. are some of the longer term results from ignoring gluten.  Your body can manifest systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus, MS, Hashimoto's disease, Graves disease, the list goes on and on.  Start the lifestyle change now before it gets to that point.

I will soon, when I get the diagnosis (in february hopefully). 

[Tiwa]

Another strange nasty thing. (Warning disgusting) This week I’ve tried to eat more gluten just to see if it triggers any symptoms. And I’ve experienced some changes, but I don’t know if gluten is to blame or if it anything else but anyway. If you have experience this please tell me. In  the mornings I usually have had diarrhea (not floating) (Still blood sometimes) and some days I’ve had pretty normal stool I think but with like this white slimy thing floating in the toilet???? What is that????? Should I tell someone??? Is it a bad sign???

[Wheatwacked]

I had the same. It eventually went away. I can't say which specific vitamin did it but  was on GFD and after I raised potassium and folate and fiber intake (beans and rolled oats) and choline (supplement or three eggs a day) and B5 supplement. Guessing the red blood is irritation in the colon and the slimy thing is mucous to counteract the irritation. Hasn't happen in a while now. Gluten free diet and good nutrition. The better your nutrition the faster you heal.

[Tiwa]

6 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

I had the same. It eventually went away. I can't say which specific vitamin did it but  was on GFD and after I raised potassium and folate and fiber intake (beans and rolled oats) and choline (supplement or three eggs a day) and B5 supplement. Guessing the red blood is irritation in the colon and the slimy thing is mucous to counteract the irritation. Hasn't happen in a while now. Gluten free diet and good nutrition. The better your nutrition the faster you heal.

Okay normal then

[Russ H]

On 12/9/2021 at 8:50 AM, Tiwa said:

Another strange nasty thing. (Warning disgusting) This week I’ve tried to eat more gluten just to see if it triggers any symptoms. And I’ve experienced some changes, but I don’t know if gluten is to blame or if it anything else but anyway. If you have experience this please tell me. In  the mornings I usually have had diarrhea (not floating) (Still blood sometimes) and some days I’ve had pretty normal stool I think but with like this white slimy thing floating in the toilet???? What is that????? Should I tell someone??? Is it a bad sign???

That could be a fatty stool. I never had diarrhoea but my stools had the consistency of sticky porridge. Didn't float but were difficult to flush away and stained the toilet pan under the water level. Horrible but began to resolve after a couple of weeks on strict gluten free diet.

[Russ H]

On 12/7/2021 at 8:32 PM, trents said:

You must live on the side of Sweden closest to the UK.

Definitely not the UK. Diagnosis in the UK can now be by blood test alone, especially for younger people. Sadly, Scandinavia is rather backward in these matters.

[Wheatwacked]

Poor food choices over time use up our bile salts and lead to all kinds of digestive problems from acid reflux, gas, and bloating to constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and diverticulitis. Chloine is very effective in restoring GI tract health and improving digestion...Choline is considered a bile salt and it plays a pivotal role in the digestion of fats. These bile salts act as an emulsifying agent and break fats into fatty acids.    https://www.panaceanutritionals.com/blog/2018/10/27/choline-the-most-important-nutrient-of-the-body

[Tiwa]

5 hours ago, Russ314 said:

That could be a fatty stool. I never had diarrhoea but my stools had the consistency of sticky porridge. Didn't float but were difficult to flush away and stained the toilet pan under the water level. Horrible but began to resolve after a couple of weeks on strict gluten free diet.

Yes I talked to my doctor yesterday and she said that both the fact that I struggle to focus on schoolwork and my stool problems are signs of celiac disease. And since my blood test are nearly 5 times upper normal she said there was no point in hoping I don't have it.

5 hours ago, Russ314 said:

Definitely not the UK. Diagnosis in the UK can now be by blood test alone, especially for younger people. Sadly, Scandinavia is rather backward in these matters.

I just found out 😫

[Tiwa]

But when starting on a gluten-free diet is it okay to eat “may contain traces of gluten”

[trents]

Just now, Tiwa said:

But when starting on a gluten-free diet is it okay to eat “may contain traces of gluten”

Not really. The traces of gluten may or may not be enough gluten to trigger inflammation. And whether or not you experience physical distress is not necessarily a reliable indicator of whether or not inflammation is taking place. The inflammation may not be intense enough to discern. And with the same food with that label, the amount of gluten in it may vary from production batch to production batch.

[Tiwa]

3 minutes ago, trents said:

Not really. The traces of gluten may or may not be enough gluten to trigger inflammation. And whether or not you experience physical distress is not necessarily a reliable indicator of whether or not inflammation is taking place. The inflammation may not be intense enough to discern. And with the same food with that label, the amount of gluten in it may vary from production batch to production batch.

But even gluten-free foods say “may contain” on it?

[trents]

7 hours ago, Tiwa said:

But even gluten-free foods say “may contain” on it?

I haven't seen "may contain traces of gluten" on gluten free products in the USA. To use the gluten-free label in the USA requires that foods contain no more than 20ppm of gluten. Now, while 20ppm can trigger a gluten reaction in some more sensitive celiacs, at least there is a standard of compliance. Is that true in Sweden and what is the standard? If foods in Sweden labeled "gluten free" may still state they may contain "traces of gluten" what is the limit in parts per million or is there one?

[Tiwa]

5 minutes ago, trents said:

I haven't seen "may contain traces of gluten" on gluten free products in the USA. To use the gluten-free label in the USA requires that foods contain no more than 20ppm of gluten. Now, while 20ppm can trigger a gluten reaction in some more sensitive celiacs, at least there is a standard of compliance. Is that true in Sweden and what is the standard? If foods in Sweden labeled "gluten free" may still state they may contain "traces of gluten" what is the limit in parts per million or is there one?

/There is no requirement in the regulations to mark food and drink with "traces of", which makes it a voluntary warning marking. There is also no upper limit for what a "track" is.

Sometimes the marking is misused to have "the back free", and not because there is a real danger of contamination. This can place an unnecessary restriction on those who have to eat gluten-free, because it can be difficult to assess the real risk.

Some manufacturers test tracked products regularly, and find that in the vast majority of cases they contain less than 20 ppm gluten. For this reason, NCF considers that the vast majority of people with celiac disease, or another form of gluten intolerance, tolerate well products marked "traces of" in moderate amounts./

No, I think you're right. It can be more than 20 ppm in them but sometimes people mess labeling up I think.

[trents]

Sounds like eating things labeled "may contain traces of wheat/gluten" is as risky as it is here in the USA. Russian roulette.

[Tiwa]

1 minute ago, trents said:

Sounds like eating things labeled "may contain traces of wheat/gluten" is as risky as it is here in the USA. Russian roulette.

Yes, I think so...

[trents]

And the thing is, you may be fine with one production batch because the gluten content is quite low but another production batch may contain much more gluten and make you ill. When you have an open-ended label statement like that it is what you will get.

[Russ H]

On 12/13/2021 at 3:00 PM, trents said:

And the thing is, you may be fine with one production batch because the gluten content is quite low but another production batch may contain much more gluten and make you ill. When you have an open-ended label statement like that it is what you will get.

In the UK, foodstuffs are marked with a list of ingredients and any possible allergens in BOLD letters. It is easy to see whether something contains gluten. In all of Scandinavia, I never saw this. Eating out is a nightmare because staff don't know and don't seem to care about allergens and food intolerances. The only places that were safe were genuine French and Italian restaurants staffed by French and Italian people, otherwise no chance. I have moved back to the UK because it was so difficult in Scandinavia.

[yuluyouyue]

21 hours ago, Russ314 said:

In the UK, foodstuffs are marked with a list of ingredients and any possible allergens in BOLD letters. It is easy to see whether something contains gluten. In all of Scandinavia, I never saw this. Eating out is a nightmare because staff don't know and don't seem to care about allergens and food intolerances. The only places that were safe were genuine French and Italian restaurants staffed by French and Italian people, otherwise no chance. I have moved back to the UK because it was so difficult in Scandinavia.

I think bold lettering is the law in the EU and Sweden is in the EU. Also, Finland is doing pretty good on the celiac front too. 

[Russ H]

On 12/23/2021 at 7:42 PM, yuluyouyue said:

I think bold lettering is the law in the EU and Sweden is in the EU. Also, Finland is doing pretty good on the celiac front too. 

I didn't find this in Sweden or Denmark, and I was there for a year. Haven't visited Finland (which is not Scandinavia). It does seem to be EU law, and the UK has similar regulations, which are strictly applied.