Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac Disease And Ulcerative Colitis


bumblebby

Recommended Posts

bumblebby Newbie

I was diagnosed with UC 13 yrs ago. Since then I have been hospitalized more times then I can count, often for conditions not directly related to UC.

I started reading up about celiac disease recently and decided to try a gluten free diet. Many of my worst symptoms have subsided drastically.

Anybody else see a drastic improvement in their UC on a gluten free diet? Makes me wonder why in all these years I was NEVER tested for celiac disease.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Noel1965 Apprentice
I was diagnosed with UC 13 yrs ago. Since then I have been hospitalized more times then I can count, often for conditions not directly related to UC.

I started reading up about celiac disease recently and decided to try a gluten free diet. Many of my worst symptoms have subsided drastically.

Anybody else see a drastic improvement in their UC on a gluten free diet? Makes me wonder why in all these years I was NEVER tested for celiac disease.

Hi Bumblebby - I don't know if what I will have to say will help you but you sure have me questioning a link between celiac and UC as well. When my son was born in 1993 he cried constantly and his doctor said it was colic. As time went by (weeks) he continued to cry nonstop and could not keep his formula down. A few tests were done but did not get a diagnosis soon enough to avoid the tragedy soon to come. My husband (at the time) shook my son and damaged his brain very badly. He was left severely brain damaged, blind, cerebral palsy, seizures.... After this his crying and inability to keep food down was thought to be related to his brain damage. He had surgery so his food would go directly to his stomach and a fundo. to keep the food down. A few years after that he was diagnosed with UC and based on the symptoms I believe it was diagnosed correctly. He got a colostomy bag and had constant D which I thought was because of the shortening of the length of intestine he had. My Jordie passed away last year due to RSV and pneumonia.

A few months ago I saw an episode of "House" with the outcome being the mother had celiac and her baby also had it. I now question whether or not my Jordie had celiac and that was the start of our"new lives". My friends say not to think about it as it doesn't change anything but I wonder if that was the problem.

So yes, if I was told there was a link between celiac disease and UC I would believe it.

bumblebby Newbie

Sorry to hear about your son. That is just horrible.

It would be interesting to see if there are more people who have had experiences that they believe relate UC and celiac disease.

bmzob Apprentice

i have a feeling it might be related too b/c i ended up with uc and celiacs as well. I know UC is a very common misdiagnoses of celiacs. i'm planning on doing more research on it online.

mouse Enthusiast

I am so sorry Noel for the hardship that you and your son had to go through. I am sending you many Hugs.

I was diagnosed about 40 years ago with UC. Over the next couple of years it went away. Before it disappeared, I was in the ER several times and put on so many drugs to control the pain. Which leads me to believe that it was not UC but probably my undiagnosed Celiac Disease.

Noel1965 Apprentice
I am so sorry Noel for the hardship that you and your son had to go through. I am sending you many Hugs.

I was diagnosed about 40 years ago with UC. Over the next couple of years it went away. Before it disappeared, I was in the ER several times and put on so many drugs to control the pain. Which leads me to believe that it was not UC but probably my undiagnosed Celiac Disease.

Thanks for the hugs mouse.....unfortunately I am still needing them. So based on the responses so far it does look like there could be a connection. It just angers me so much if celiac disease was what my son had to start and the doctors missed it and the death of my son and the pain for all of us could have been avoided! Sorry for ranting just so much pain

jerseyangel Proficient

Noel, please accapt a hug from me, too. I don't know much about UC, but it does seem like there could be a link. I know that a lot of UC patients do better on a gluten-free diet.

I'm so sorry about what happened to your Jordie. Your story made me so sad. I also don't blame you for still trying to get answers for him. Not being able to change what happened is no reason to tell you to move on and not think about it. It's quite possible that the poor little thing had Celiac--of course you'll never know for sure but it's clear that there was something else going on with him.

Take care :)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



spunky Contributor

I'm sorry for your pain, Noel. Doctors seem to be of no help in these things and much suffering comes because of their inadequacy, many times.

I've read of a curious link between nicotine and ulcerative colitis. Some people with ulcerative colitis get sick of the awful, often ineffective drugs, and use either a nicotine patch, or real tobacco in the equivalent of around 4 cigarettes' worth per day to control uc symptoms.

I've run across another study that says celiac disease doesn't happen as much in smokers as in nonsmokers, same as uc. Sometimes when people stop smoking they get smacked with sudden onset of celiac or uc.

I've read another study that says canker sores are a common complaint in people who stop smoking...canker sores can sometimes be a symptom of celiac disease.

I think if doctors had as much brain power as they want us to believe, research would be ongoing to find a safe way to deliver nicotine to people who could benefit from it medicinally, not to mention just learn to accurately diagnose people so that they can fight a disease before it destroys life and health.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Mmoc replied to Mmoc's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

    2. - Aretaeus Cappadocia replied to Clear2me's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      6

      Gluten free nuts

    3. - trents replied to Larzipan's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      42

      Has anyone had terrible TMJ/ Jaw Pain from undiagnosed Celiac?

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Larzipan's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      42

      Has anyone had terrible TMJ/ Jaw Pain from undiagnosed Celiac?

    5. - Wheatwacked commented on Scott Adams's article in Latest Research
      6

      Study Estimates the Costs of Delayed Celiac Disease Diagnosis (+Video)


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,387
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    LizzieE
    Newest Member
    LizzieE
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mmoc
      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      I wanted to respond to your post as much for other people who read this later on (I'm not trying to contradict your experience or decisions) > Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts, 2.5 lbs, are labeled "gluten free" in the Calif Costcos I've been in. If they are selling non-gluten-free in your store, I suggest talking to customer service to see if they can get you the gluten-free version (they are tasty) > This past week I bought "Sliced Raw Almonds, Baking Nuts, 5 lbs Item 1495072 Best if used by Jun-10-26 W-261-6-L1A 12:47" at Costco. The package has the standard warning that it was made on machinery that <may> have processed wheat. Based on that alone, I would not eat these. However, I contacted customer service and asked them "are Costco's Sliced Almonds gluten free?" Within a day I got this response:  "This is [xyz] with the Costco Member Service Resolutions Team. I am happy to let you know we got a reply back from our Kirkland Signature team. Here is their response:  This item does not have a risk of cross contamination with gluten, barley or rye." Based on this, I will eat them. Based on experience, I believe they will be fine. Sometimes, for other products, the answer has been "they really do have cross-contamination risk" (eg, Kirkland Signature Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Salted, 1.5 lbs Item 1195303). When they give me that answer I return them for cash. You might reasonably ask, "Why would Costco use that label if they actually are safe?" I can't speak for Costco but I've worked in Corporate America and I've seen this kind of thing first hand and up close. (1) This kind of regulatory label represents risk/cost to the company. What if they are mistaken? In one direction, the cost is loss of maybe 1% of sales (if celiacs don't buy when they would have). In the other direction, the risk is reputational damage and open-ended litigation (bad reviews and celiacs suing them). Expect them to play it safe. (2) There is a team tasked with getting each product out to market quickly and cheaply, and there is also a committee tasked with reviewing the packaging before it is released. If the team chooses the simplest, safest, pre-approved label, this becomes a quick check box. On the other hand, if they choose something else, it has to be carefully scrutinized through a long process. It's more efficient for the team to say there <could> be risk. (3) There is probably some plug and play in production. Some lots of the very same product could be made in a safe facility while others are made in an unsafe facility. Uniform packaging (saying there is risk) for all packages regardless of gluten risk is easier, cheaper, and safer (for Costco). Everything I wrote here is about my Costco experience, but the principles will be true at other vendors, particularly if they have extensive quality control infrastructure. The first hurdle of gluten-free diet is to remove/replace all the labeled gluten ingredients. The second, more difficult hurdle is to remove/replace all the hidden gluten. Each of us have to assess gray zones and make judgement calls knowing there is a penalty for being wrong. One penalty would be getting glutened but the other penalty could be eating an unnecessarily boring or malnourishing diet.
    • trents
      Thanks for the thoughtful reply and links, Wheatwacked. Definitely some food for thought. However, I would point out that your linked articles refer to gliadin in human breast milk, not cow's milk. And although it might seem reasonable to conclude it would work the same way in cows, that is not necessarily the case. Studies seem to indicate otherwise. Studies also indicate the amount of gliadin in human breast milk is miniscule and unlikely to cause reactions:  https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-peptides-in-human-breast-milk-implications-for-cows-milk/ I would also point out that Dr. Peter Osborne's doctorate is in chiropractic medicine, though he also has studied and, I believe, holds some sort of certifications in nutritional science. To put it plainly, he is considered by many qualified medical and nutritional professionals to be on the fringe of quackery. But he has a dedicated and rabid following, nonetheless.
    • Scott Adams
      I'd be very cautious about accepting these claims without robust evidence. The hypothesis requires a chain of biologically unlikely events: Gluten/gliadin survives the cow's rumen and entire digestive system intact. It is then absorbed whole into the cow's bloodstream. It bypasses the cow's immune system and liver. It is then secreted, still intact and immunogenic, into the milk. The cow's digestive system is designed to break down proteins, not transfer them whole into milk. This is not a recognized pathway in veterinary science. The provided backup shifts from cow's milk to human breastmilk, which is a classic bait-and-switch. While the transfer of food proteins in human breastmilk is a valid area of study, it doesn't validate the initial claim about commercial dairy. The use of a Dr. Osborne video is a major red flag. His entire platform is based on the idea that all grains are toxic, a view that far exceeds the established science on Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and a YouTube video from a known ideological source is not that evidence."  
    • Wheatwacked
      Some backup to my statement about gluten and milk. Some background.  When my son was born in 1976 he was colicky from the beginning.  When he transitioned to formula it got really bad.  That's when we found the only pediactric gastroenterologist (in a population of 6 million that dealt with Celiac Disease (and he only had 14 patients with celiac disease), who dianosed by biopsy and started him on Nutramegen.  Recovery was quick. The portion of gluten that passes through to breastmilk is called gliadin. It is the component of gluten that causes celiac disease or gluten intolerance. What are the Effects of Gluten in Breastmilk? Gliaden, a component of gluten which is typically responsible for the intestinal reaction of gluten, DOES pass through breast milk.  This is because gliaden (as one of many food proteins) passes through the lining of your small intestine into your blood. Can gluten transmit through breast milk?  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.