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Celiac Disease With Constipation?

gointribal

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gointribal Enthusiast
gointribal
Posted

I still don't know if I have celiac disease but I was wondering if you can have it and be constipated? I don't get the runs (every once in a while), the doctors keep saying I have IBS but as far as I know IBS people don't have the achy body. When I get gluten in my system I vision gets really bad and my whole body hurts, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Can anyone else relate? I have other symptoms too, I think I might just go gluten free, its not worth the pain I am dealing with. Thanks guys!

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gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

YES YES YES YES YES!!!! Your doctor is working out of the "old-school" paradigm of Celiac. I had major constipation with my Celiac. And there are many others here that had the same symptom, rather than D. You don't have to have a cycle of it with D either (some do though)--you can just have constant C. Perhaps you need to take in some literature or a show your doc a webpage that lists this as a symptom. I can point some out if you like. And remember, Celiacs are often misdiagnosed with IBS--I was, and there are quite a few here who also had the same story. IBS should be a diagnosis of elmination--meaning, if everything else, like Celiac, has been ruled out. If I was you I would insist to my doc that he run a Celiac blood panel. If not, tell him you will see another doc. (Sometimes you have to be very directive--that's how I got diagnosed in the end). Let us know what you find!!

gointribal Enthusiast
gointribal
Posted
  • Author
YES YES YES YES YES!!!! Your doctor is working out of the "old-school" paradigm of Celiac. I had major constipation with my Celiac. And there are many others here that had the same symptom, rather than D. You don't have to have a cycle of it with D either (some do though)--you can just have constant C. Perhaps you need to take in some literature or a show your doc a webpage that lists this as a symptom. I can point some out if you like. And remember, Celiacs are often misdiagnosed with IBS--I was, and there are quite a few here who also had the same story. IBS should be a diagnosis of elmination--meaning, if everything else, like Celiac, has been ruled out. If I was you I would insist to my doc that he run a Celiac blood panel. If not, tell him you will see another doc. (Sometimes you have to be very directive--that's how I got diagnosed in the end). Let us know what you find!!

Jen- I have to tell you that I really appreciate your posts, we seem to have a lot of the same symptoms and I always come away encouraged. I am glad to hear that one can have C with celiac disease, I have had the blood work done but when I them done I had already been gluten free for a week and half. The doctor had me on Metamucil, which made my life 10 times worst, I was in a constant state of pain and I ate breads and stuff which I think made it worst. I've stoped the Metamucil but I've continued to eat things containing gluten. I've been suffering from night sweats, blurry vision, a weird rash and my body hurts like I've been beat up. Do you know if people with IBS get the pain all in the body? I have a friend who as IBS but she doesn't have that. I know I only get it when I eat gluten, it hurts to have cloths on, but the doctor doesn't seem to believe me and my blood tests were negative. All I need done is an EDG to rule out any major stomach problems and for them to test my intestines. I would really like some more info on Celiac with constipation if you had some. Thank you so much! :)

~Jen or gointribal

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

Constipation can be a symptom for some people with celiac disease. I can get both D and C when I accidently have gluten. Usually D at first and then C.

When I get gluten in my system I vision gets really bad and my whole body hurts, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Can anyone else relate?
When I get gluten in my system, sometimes I feel like I have the flu. I get aches just like I would if I had the flu.
I have other symptoms too, I think I might just go gluten free, its not worth the pain I am dealing with.
The fact that you notice a reaction when you ingest gluten is important. You may be gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. If you want a blood test or a biopsy, you must be consuming gluten or you may get false negative results.
plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted

I was always, always, ALWAYS constipated, never had diarrhea as a celiac reaction. I have been glutenfree for a little over 2 years, and got contaminated a week ago. It was the very first time ever that celiac caused me to have diarrhea. Talk to your doctor, tell him you want an endoscopy just to look and make sure nothing is wrong. My endo was ordered by a doc that was looking for ulcers, and instead we got a celiac diagnosis.

key Contributor
key
Posted

I had constipation, but also days of D! Since going gluten free I never have D, unless I am gluttened. I had been gluten free for two months when I had my blood work and I had borderline positive results. THey wanted to do the biopsy, but I didn't want to start consuming gluten in order to be tested. I am no longer nauseated, stomach pains, no more bloating, gas, etc. Now when I am gluttened I get D for a day and then C for a week. It is definitely a symptom in some people. There are some kids around here that that was there only symptom. My mom has bad C and I am about 98% sure she probably has celiac too. We have the genes for it and also my son has celiac that is two years old. He had Diarhea when we found out and failure to thrive.

Get the tests and if they are negative, go gluten free for like 2 months and see how you feel. As far as your body aching. My legs ached really bad. I also know now that if I am constipated, I tend to ache too. Not sure if it is from the gluttening or the other. I also was bruising easier and exhausted.

Goodluck,

MOnica

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Yep. My primary symptom of continued glutening is C. If I'm just glutened once, I get D at first, but if I'm glutened again before I recover, it's C. So, of course, prior to being dx'ed, it was C.

mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

For me It's all the BIG C all the time. At first I had lost a load of weigh from the BIG D but for the last year it has been nothing but Mr. C totally.I have even thought about eating gluten to see if it would give mr.d!!!!! After I considered that thought I changed my mind .......

I really think the site should be given an award for frank open discussions about POOP--- where else can people talk so freely about waste and have others understand. And more importantly want to discuss the stinky matter anyway.....

I alway say Celiacs are special and unique, and some of us are even full of it...................

enough said

mamaw

Kristen2Denise Apprentice
Kristen2Denise
Posted

They kept telling me to take fiber and freaking metamucil too!!! My c was soooo awful and my stomach was bloated and distended and my doctor just kept telling me it was IBS and it took months and me finally bawling hysterically to get a referral to a specialist. Celiacs have different symptoms and doctors need to be aware of that! Demand that your doctor do some tests! Too many of us have done damage to our insides because no one explored the possibility of celiace.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Gluten also gives me C more often than D, and it makes me ache all over. Your symptoms sound just like mine. And if you KNOW that it is gluten causing this, why do you still eat it? You don't need to have your doctor's permission to stop eating gluten. If you know you feel well when gluten-free, and terrible with gluten, who cares about test results. Your body is telling you it doesn't want gluten. So, don't have any!

I hope you feel better!

nettiebeads Apprentice
nettiebeads
Posted

I have to agree with ursula re: eating gluten. If you can tie your problems directly to gluten, why keep eating it? I have major C now, even when I don't get glutened. I used to have the D, then C, but my body changed and now it's C to the max. Even when I eat raisins, fruit cocktail, take MOM - still C. So now my major complaints when I eat gluten (accidentally of course) are: overwhelming fatigue, brain fog, and feeling like I got hit by a Mack truck. Very rarely do I get D anymore.

Annette

Guest Pixi
Guest Pixi
Posted
I still don't know if I have celiac disease but I was wondering if you can have it and be constipated? I don't get the runs (every once in a while), the doctors keep saying I have IBS but as far as I know IBS people don't have the achy body. When I get gluten in my system I vision gets really bad and my whole body hurts, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Can anyone else relate? I have other symptoms too, I think I might just go gluten free, its not worth the pain I am dealing with. Thanks guys!

I only experienced constipation while on the gluten-free diet.. and only for about a week and a half. Everyone is different, and my GI doc did say that some people have totally conflicting symptoms.. whereas one will have the runs, another might not go at all.

Listen to your body and do what feels best for it.. your system will eventually normalize once the aggravator is removed from yoru diet.

jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

Jen-

Glad I am able to offer you some encouragement! A few more questions :) What is your rash like? Is it like DH or psoriasis, excema or ? And what does your pain feel like? Muscle pain, bone pain, in specific areas, to the touch? You said it hurts like you've been beat up...ever explored the type of pain in Fibromyalgia? It occurs frequently in Celiacs, and some folks with IBS--however, I think linking it to IBS isn't necessarily accurate since (I believe) a good portion of those with IBS have been misdiagnosed. I have it, started 3 years ago I'd say. As I mentioned before, if you have continual symptoms unresponsive to conventional IBS-fiber therapy or you have other symptoms like rash, body pain, allergies etc, I think a diagnosis outside of IBS definitely needs to be explored. Remember that some folks who are gluten intolerant "fail" conventional testing (are negative), but that does not mean that they should not be on the gluten-free diet...or that their body is suffering damage from it. Researchers in this field are just beginning to understand that there is a continuum of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance.

Here are some articles/info on the constipation/celiac disease connection:

Open Original Shared Link (Do a search for the word constipation in this article and you will see the that doctor highlighted documented 20% of his celiac disease cases manifest chronic C, not D.

Open Original Shared Link (This listing of celiac disease symptoms mentions just C or alternating C & D as symptoms, as well as the fact that these symptoms do lead to a misdiagnosis of IBS in some Celiacs)

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-46106115195.06 (Constipation also listed here as a symptom)

Open Original Shared Link (Like this b/c it mentions celiac disease symptoms can vary greatly from one person to another and that that contributes to misdiagnosis-C mentioned again)

Wish I had some more "scholarly" articles for you...but perhaps one of these might work to show your doctor or in your own research...

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