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Brother Has Celiac, I Was Just Diagnosed With Ibs

reactive

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reactive Newbie
reactive
Posted

For the past year or so, I've had this intermittent, nagging pain just under my ribcage on the right side. CT scans have all revealed healthy liver, gallbladder, kidneys, etc. Blood tests show normal levels for the major organs. The general surgeon I saw recently said that the pain could likely be Irritable Bowel Syndrome and gave me some samples of Pamine Forte to try, and it does seem to work. However, I'm skeptical about taking medication for a condition that cannot be confirmed.

My half-brother (we share the same mother) has Celiac Disease. I've read up on IBS and have noticed several informational sites claiming that Celiac Disease can often be the real problem when IBS is diagnosed. I've also learned that Celiac Disease is hereditary, and since my brother has it, I've decided to try eating gluten-free to see if that helps with the pain vs. taking pills. I just started today and had bacon & eggs for breakfast, Progresso New England Clam Chowder for lunch and a few Sweet Tart Chews. I suppose I shouldn't expect immediate results, but I am having pain now despite my gluten-free diet today. Does anyone happen to know how long it would take for me to notice results if I maintain a gluten-free diet? I'm not certain if the Sweet Tart Chews are safe; I'm not exactly an expert at recognizing gluten-related ingredients.

Any responses or suggestions would be appreciated.

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eKatherine Rookie
eKatherine
Posted

Some people feel better almost immediately, others take weeks or months to feel better. Did you read the ingredients list on the soup? What sort of starch was it thickened with?

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reactive Newbie
reactive
  • Author
Posted

I see no mention of wheat on the ingredients list. Modified corn starch is listed as is monosodium glutamate. Did I slip up and eat the wrong thing?

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schuyler Apprentice
schuyler
Posted

I know regular Sweet Tarts are safe (confirmed via e-mail in May), but I'm not positive about the chews. Also Progresso is one of the companies that will list if gluten is used in the product.

I think that it is too soon to expect to see/feel results. The recovery time just depends on how much intestinal damage has been done. Because I had a lot of damage, it was a couple months before my pain went away. Good luck and don't give up!

I see no mention of wheat on the ingredients list. Modified corn starch is listed as is monosodium glutamate. Did I slip up and eat the wrong thing?

A lot of people react to any form of MSG, so that could be your problem. I just looked over the label, and it does not have any gluten in it.

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happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

before you go completely gluten free, you might want to have your dr run the blood work to diagnose Celiac. If you are gluten free for an extended period of time, the tests will not be accurate. Just a thought!

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key Contributor
key
Posted

It will be harder for you to maintain the diet and take it seriously if you don't have a positive diagnoses. Well, some people can do it. You have to be eating gluten though to be tested. Also if a doctor is well aware of the latest research on celiac disease, he should test you just because you have a blood relative with celiac disease.

Do you have any other symptoms of celiac disease? Some people have no gastrointestinal symptoms at all, but still have it. If you decide to stay gluten free without getting a firm diagnoses it will take more then a day and you have to be really careful about not getting any gluten. REstaurants, etc. Most people have their separate toasters, etc. Stick around here and you will learn alot.

Goodluck and hope you feel better,

Monica

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jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

It really depends person to person on the diet. Some folks see results only after weeks. It's hard to say. You could also go and get a quick Celiac blood panel done. The one risk of trying the diet is that if you ever want to get tested or go back, the road to returning to gluten is a hard one, if you are a Celiac or gluten intolerant.

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mart Contributor
mart
Posted

One day gluten free is not enough to tell if the diet can help you. I say give the diet a try for at least a good 2 months. If you don't feel significantly better, then go back on gluten and get tested. My son has celiac disease, but my husband was diagnosed with IBS and had negative results on the celiac panel. He is on a gluten free diet and has responded very positively. He only feels sick now with gluten cross contamination.

Hope you feel better soon.

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

I responded to the diet very quickly, and can even say that one day - heck, one meal - is definitely not enough time. You need to give it - even according to the doctors whom we all thing give WAY WAY WAY too small of a number - a minimum of two weeks. (My reactions to gluten include stomach pains which last 4-7 days.)

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plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted

A CT Scan does not tell the whole story on the health of your gall bladder. I had to have mine out in 2004, and my daughter is still recovering from having hers out at the beginning of the month. CT scans and xrays showed normal gall bladders for both of us, but a hepatobiliary scan reproduced our pain and nausea, so the gall bladders had to come out. Turns out we both had scarred gall bladders, which is what caused the pain. I learned from the surgeon that scarring like my daughter's can be caused by inflamed intestines, which could be why celiacs are more prone to gall bladder problems.

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love Newbie
love
Posted
For the past year or so, I've had this intermittent, nagging pain just under my ribcage on the right side. CT scans have all revealed healthy liver, gallbladder, kidneys, etc. Blood tests show normal levels for the major organs. The general surgeon I saw recently said that the pain could likely be Irritable Bowel Syndrome and gave me some samples of Pamine Forte to try, and it does seem to work. However, I'm skeptical about taking medication for a condition that cannot be confirmed.

My half-brother (we share the same mother) has Celiac Disease. I've read up on IBS and have noticed several informational sites claiming that Celiac Disease can often be the real problem when IBS is diagnosed. I've also learned that Celiac Disease is hereditary, and since my brother has it, I've decided to try eating gluten-free to see if that helps with the pain vs. taking pills. I just started today and had bacon & eggs for breakfast, Progresso New England Clam Chowder for lunch and a few Sweet Tart Chews. I suppose I shouldn't expect immediate results, but I am having pain now despite my gluten-free diet today. Does anyone happen to know how long it would take for me to notice results if I maintain a gluten-free diet? I'm not certain if the Sweet Tart Chews are safe; I'm not exactly an expert at recognizing gluten-related ingredients.

Any responses or suggestions would be appreciated.

You shouldnt eat Sweet Tarts because i think they have some kinda of starch u need to make sure its gluten free, it will take some time, hey i used to have the same pain u have, and i just found out that i have celiac and H-Pylory, get tested for both of them....

good luck

take care

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      Wow! Fascinating info. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance. @Spacepanther Over the years I have had rheumatologists do full lab work ups on me. They told me they had screened me for arthritis, lupus, and Lyme disease (all negative). In addition to joint pain and stiffness I had swelling in both knees that later moved to my elbow as well.  I also experience stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders when it flares. I vomited fairly often growing up, but there wasn’t a real pattern to it and I didn’t know it wasn’t normal (thought people caught stomach viruses often).  I don’t usually have stomach symptoms immediately after eating gluten that I notice.  The only other joint condition I know of is fibromyalgia. Good luck! Hope you can get it figured out. I only assumed my joint symptoms were due to the celiac’s because it is under control for the most part on a gluten-free diet.  The rheumatologist also mentioned that some inflammatory/autoimmune diseases can be slow-moving and not detectable until they progress.
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