Why Now ?

[DVK]

I was wondering if anyone knows why celiac disease kicks in all of a sudden. I am sure I have it and I am waiting on tests, But I am 33 and I have had some stomach problems here and there but Why now has it kicked in to full Force?

DVK

[2kids4me]

The trigger is variable - stress - physical or emotional. Physical illness - viral, bacterial or injury. You may have had celaic for years and been asymptomatic. It is an autoimmune disease like Type one diabetes, Hashimotos, Lupus, to name a few of the 60+ immune mediated diseases.

Why did I get Type 1 diabetes at age 25 but my son dveloped it at 9 ? I will never know.

If you have celiac or gluten intolerance - it is important that you educate yourself about the diet. Some people are not diagnosed til later in life (50 or 60) after suffering years of neurologic symptoms, osteoporosis, depression, anemia etc and no one checked for celiac til after that.

I am glad you have a doctor who is testing you for it, it is easier to deal with the unknown than the uncertainty of what is making you ill.

Welcome

[DVK]

The trigger is variable - stress - physical or emotional. Physical illness - viral, bacterial or injury. You may have had celaic for years and been asymptomatic. It is an autoimmune disease like Type one diabetes, Hashimotos, Lupus, to name a few of the 60+ immune mediated diseases.

Why did I get Type 1 diabetes at age 25 but my son dveloped it at 9 ? I will never know.

If you have celiac or gluten intolerance - it is important that you educate yourself about the diet. Some people are not diagnosed til later in life (50 or 60) after suffering years of neurologic symptoms, osteoporosis, depression, anemia etc and no one checked for celiac til after that.

I am glad you have a doctor who is testing you for it, it is easier to deal with the unknown than the uncertainty of what is making you ill.

Welcome

Thank you for the information, the funny thing is after all the cat scans and ultrasounds and blood tests, it took me doing research and finding this sit to even bring it up to my Doctor,

[Kaycee]

Same with me DVK, it took years for me to find out what was wrong with me. It was me who suggested to the Doctor what the problem might be, but before that I must add, he did not even know I had a problem, as silly me did not think my bowel habits were serious enough, and partly because I was so embarassed about it. But upon going gluten free, I now realise I had other little problems that have cured since themselves.

Even with all the cat scans, ultrasounds and blood tests you have had, they would not have been picked up coeliac as the blood tests etc for coeliac are quite specific. The closest I thing I got to finding out I had a problem was when I was told 20 years ago that I had high levels of antibodies, but the doctor thought it was because I had a rumbling appendix, but it wasn't that, and I never thought about that blood test till earlier this year.

My trigger could be a number of things, but I think it could've been when I was about 16 and my brother had been killed in a motorbike accident. It was about that time that I started having stomach problems on and off. Then when I was 30 I was in a very destructive relationship and that was what probably sealed my fate, as my symptoms were getting worse and worse, but slowly till earlier this year eating was no fun anymore and I felt I had to find out what gives.

Cathy

[Marlene]

Hi DVK,

There is a thread somewhere else on this board which deals with "The Trigger". Sorry I'm not sure which section it's under. You will find a lot of interesting stories on that thread. It seems for a lot of people that illness, such as mono, was the trigger. Also, for a lot of people it was a time of extreme emotional stress. I have also read that it can be set off by abdominal surgery such as gall bladder or appendix. Although I think that could be hard to prove seeing as how gall bladder disease can be a symptom of gluten intolerance. That would make it a symptom rather than a trigger.

Marlene

[KaitiUSA]

Mine was activated due to mono but many things can trigger it to activate. Likely, you have the gene for it and something activated that gene and that's why you have it now.

[imagine22]

mine got significantly worse during pregnancy and post-partum.

[pinktulip]

When I went to my GI and we were talking he said that it's become more common in our area due to the living conditions. I live in New Orleans and he said since Katrina he has seen an increase in Auto Immune disorders across the spectrum.

[Canadian Karen]

When I went to my GI and we were talking he said that it's become more common in our area due to the living conditions. I live in New Orleans and he said since Katrina he has seen an increase in Auto Immune disorders across the spectrum.

Now that is interesting...... I wonder if the poor living conditions, contaminated water, etc. contributed to a greater number of gastrointestinal illnesses, which served as the "trigger" to bring on the celiac....

I know my trigger was when I got food poisoning down in Jamaica......

Karen

[Rachel--24]

Now that is interesting...... I wonder if the poor living conditions, contaminated water, etc. contributed to a greater number of gastrointestinal illnesses, which served as the "trigger" to bring on the celiac....

Yeah...I'm thinking bacteria and parasitic infections.

[darlindeb25]

Being no one knows very much about the why's and why nots of celiacs, I know mine was always there at some extent. My mother used to tell me that as a very young child she had to extra clothes for me because I would get sick while traveling. I do not have a great memory of childhood like my sister does, although I do remember her eating stones and dirt as a young child and the doctor saying it was a vitamin deficiency causing her to do it. She is also celiac. Then when I was pregnant with my 2nd son, things became much worse, stomach troubles several times a week, etc, he is 30 yrs old today, Dec. 2. When I was pregnant with my son Joe who is now 25, my sister lost her first baby--the stress of that situation kicked in my celiacs, full force. It took me another 19 yrs to finally find out what was wrong with me. I have been gluten-free now for over 5 yrs. 4 of my 5 kids are showing signs of gluten intolerance, one has been tested and told he doesn't have it, yet how many of us had false negatives? My oldest has terrible acid reflux and the doctor wants to test for ulcers, my daughter definitely is intolerant of corn, yet doesnt want to go gluten-free, she feels she would have to give up too many favorites.

[maribeth]

I know mine was triggered bu a lot of stress and the dr just said it was depression or all in my mind and would put me on pills which I didn't take for very long as they made me feel worse. I can't believe how much better I feel after going gluten-free . Wish I'd know this years ago-life certainly would have been much different for me I'm sure. Beth.

[Mary Contrary]

I knew years ago wheat was not my best friend, too much bread or pasta cause bad C for a few days.

But three months ago we had a major family trauma, my step-dad died of cancer, I was constantly driving my poor mother 100 miles a day to see him in the hospital where he was for one month prior to his death..that is when my constant D started up, along with major bloating and gas and I still have it, but it has been better this last week, I have cut out all gluten for two months now, no official diagnosis yet, and maybe I'll never have one but I know what it is....the bloating and gas went away almost instantly, in a few days, after getting off of gluten though.

negative blood work last month, but I am going for biopsies this coming week and from what I gather on this site a positive there is doubtfull at this point because I have been of of gluten for 2 months now, but it is worth a shot anyway...that and a colonoscopy, just for my piece of mind if nothing else. But no matter what I am off of gluten...