I think a UTI caused by Aspirin, made me a Celiac

[jimmydee]

Let me start by saying that I am self- diagnosed Celiac. I didn't want to pay for tests, because I don't have health insurance and the doctor said I would HAVE to eat gluten for the tests and I am afraid it will kill me. I diagnosed myself by quitting dairy, sugar and gluten for a couple weeks and figured out the problem by process of elimination. 

ANYWAYS.......here's why I blame "Aspirin low dose safety coated" for my Celiac Disease. 

I started taking regular Aspirin for a couple weeks for back pain and decided to switch to low dose safety coated Aspirin because I thought a smaller dose was safer for regular use. Well about 3 days after starting low dose safety coated aspirin, I got a terrible UTI. I didn't know what to do (should have gone to doctor) I started taking cranberry pills and read Aspirin can cause UTIs, so stopped taking that. A week later, the UTI was getting worse but then my Dad gave me some probiotic pills and the next day I felt better, so I took those for a week and the UTI was gone. About a week later, I bought my family cake and pizza for a birthday party. I ate a whole bunch and there was some leftover the next day, so I ate a bunch again. Welp, that was my first Gluten attack. I was home alone and almost called an ambulance, my stomach was so full of gas I couldn't breathe, I was covered in sweat and thought I was having a heart attack. 

Since quitting Gluten I haven't had the "gas attacks" or had the awful constipation that lasts 3 days. So I'm certain I'm Celiac and I absolutely blame low dose safety coated Aspirin, I think it's the time release binder that is the problem, because I was fine with regular aspirin, I was just breaking those into halves or quarters. Actually now that I think about it I may have even used the regular aspirin at other times in my life before that, just not the little low dose safety coated Aspirin, that's what I think caused it. What's weird is my Dad took the low dose safety coated Aspirin for years and years, for it's reported heart benefits, and he never got Celiac. 

Anyways, I felt this was important to share, so they can find the cause of this disease, which seems to be affecting more people than ever before. At least Gluten Free Pizza exists, that's been my new staple food in my diet. 

 

 

 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @jimmydee!

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the consumption of gluten triggers a response by the immune system that causes the body to attack it's own tissue.

Celiac disease has a genetic base that requires some kind of trigger for the genes to be turned on. We know that there are two primary genes responsible for providing the potential to develop celiac disease and we know that about 40% of the population carries one or both of these genes. However, only about 1% of the population actually develops celiac disease. So, that tells us that something more than just having the genes is necessary in order to develop celiac disease. Something must trigger those genes to wake up and produce the active disease. It's that "something" that we are struggling to understand and that is somewhat of a mystery. But there is a growing body of evidence pointing to the culprit being a disruption of the proper balance of microorganisms in the gut. Apparently, the microorganisms that live in our intestines produce chemicals that regulate the size of the openings in the mucous lining of our small bowel. A disruption in the healthy balance of this microorganic community causes an increase in the size of the openings in the mucous lining. This in turn allows protein fragments from the food we eat that are larger than normal to invade the mucous lining where they are detected as threats by the immune system. This is what is happening with gluten for those with celiac disease. The attack in the mucous lining of the small bowel by the immune system on these incompletely broken down gluten components causes inflammation and, over time, as we continue to consume gluten, it damages the mucosal lining of the small bowel which results in the loss of efficiency of nutrient absorption. This mucosal lining is made up of millions of tiny finger like projections that create an enormous surface area for the absorption of nutrients when healthy. The "wearing down" of these millions of finger-like projections due to celiac inflammation greatly reduces the surface area and thus the ability to absorb nutrients. This in turn typically results in numerous health issues that have a nutrient deficiency base.

But the answer to the question of why there seems to be an epidemic of celiac disease in recent years may not be simple. It may have many facets. First, we don't know how much of this epidemic is real and how much is apparent. That is, how much of what we perceive of as a dramatic increase in the incidence of celiac disease is simply due to greater awareness and better detection methods? Celiac disease is not new. There is evidence from ancient writings that people suffered from it back then but they did not have a name for it. And it wasn't until WW2 that gluten was identified as the cause of celiac disease.

Current thinking on what is causing imbalance in gut biology has put forth a number of causes including overuse of antibiotics and pesticides, environmental toxins, fluoridation of drinking water, preoccupation with hygiene and sanitation, and the western diet. https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/theories-on-the-growing-prevalence-of-celiac-disease-and-gluten-sensitivity-over-the-last-half-century-video-r6716/?tab=comments#comment-25345

All this to say that I doubt your UTI or the low dose aspirin had anything to do with the onset of your celiac disease. It was probably just coincidence unless the UTI was the stress trigger that activated the celiac potential genes. The onset of celiac disease an happen at any stage of life and many people report it following a period of illness.

But what is interesting about your low dose aspirin theory is that aspirin is in a class of medications known as NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs). Scientific studies have shown that long term use of NSAIDs can damage the villous lining of the small bowel in the same way as celiac disease. 

The other thing I wish to point out is that unless you have actual testing done for celiac disease, you can't be sure if you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). They share many of the same symptoms, the difference being that NCGS doesn't damage the lining of the small bowel. There is no test for NCGS, celiac disease must first be ruled out. NCGS is 10x more common than celiac disease. The antidote for both is a gluten free diet.

Edited January 25, 2025 by trents

[jimmydee]

Thank you for the information Trents!

 

[Rebeccaj]

I'd gets a blood test, also an endoscopy mate also colonoscopy also to determine if its inflammation via junk food or sugar also food allergy to wheat gluten and flour is hard to breathe through so don't work in industry with flour. also 6 weeks to eat gluten hurts but it will save your life if you want a payment plan id eat it for 6 weeks then test then cut it out for life to save your villi's because once they tear off cancer begins so you need eat gluten free so your intestines absorb nutrition also neuropathy  nervous system disabilities will kick in if you don't have diagnoses because it attacks the body's organs also nervous system gluten ataxia is horrible . plus, you get payment if do right way it won't kill you but keep fexofenadine on you after eating also 2 puffs inhaler to help you get through the process of diagnoses also mind over matter if you were going dye would have been first time you ate. also, there's no need for epi pen as inhaler if enough adrenaline to help open air ways. don't self-diagnose.