Ibs Or Celiac Or ?

[Kari Anne]

I am just at the beginning of a two-week gluten free diet as my dr. is trying to determine if I'm having symptoms of IBS or Celiac disease?

I've followed an IBS diet just on my own but didn't notice any significant changes in the way I felt however she said that my symptoms are so "vague" that there are many possibilities.

This has been on-going now for about 3 months and I'm just wondering what symptoms, specifically, would indicate Celiac's? Most days I have what I call and upset stomach but it feels more like just a big lump sitting there. I occasionally feel this in my back as well. I suffer from constipation on and off too.

Would someone please give me some insight into this. I would surely appreciate hearing some words of wisdom.

Blessings, Kari

[Lisa]

I am just at the beginning of a two-week gluten free diet as my dr. is trying to determine if I'm having symptoms of IBS or Celiac disease?

I've followed an IBS diet just on my own but didn't notice any significant changes in the way I felt however she said that my symptoms are so "vague" that there are many possibilities.

This has been on-going now for about 3 months and I'm just wondering what symptoms, specifically, would indicate Celiac's? Most days I have what I call and upset stomach but it feels more like just a big lump sitting there. I occasionally feel this in my back as well. I suffer from constipation on and off too.

Would someone please give me some insight into this. I would surely appreciate hearing some words of wisdom.

Blessings, Kari

Kari:

Welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here.

I have to comment, I think that your doctor is "vague". What are your symptoms?

[tarnalberry]

There are over 200 symptoms - some contradictory. You can have constipation or diarrhea (or alternate) or you can be overweight or thin (or in between) or you can experience lots of intestinal symptoms, just neurologic symptoms, no symptoms, or something in between... The list goes on. This is why celiac is partially a diagnosis of exclusion (it's not something else), but the blood tests are so darn simple to run, there's little reason not to just go run them!

[mamabear]

I am just at the beginning of a two-week gluten free diet as my dr. is trying to determine if I'm having symptoms of IBS or Celiac disease?

I've followed an IBS diet just on my own but didn't notice any significant changes in the way I felt however she said that my symptoms are so "vague" that there are many possibilities.

This has been on-going now for about 3 months and I'm just wondering what symptoms, specifically, would indicate Celiac's? Most days I have what I call and upset stomach but it feels more like just a big lump sitting there. I occasionally feel this in my back as well. I suffer from constipation on and off too.

Would someone please give me some insight into this. I would surely appreciate hearing some words of wisdom.

Blessings, Kari

The symptoms are all over the body.....starting from the top would be hair loss,migraines,mouth ulcers,sore scalded-like tongue, cracks in the corners of the mouth, thyroid conditions, asthma,indigestion,reflux,belly pains,gas,infertility,heavy periods,easy bruising,muscle cramps ,muscle twitches, numbness and tingling, night vision problems, diarrhea,constipation, arthritis, vitamin and mineral deficiencies,anemia,weight loss, weight gain, moodiness,"brain fog",depression,anxiety,osteoporosis, back pain, sacroiliac pain. This is a start........AsTiffany said, there are hundreds of symptoms which makes it harder to focus in on a diagnosis....the "medical chameleon".....but with superior blood tests available now, it is a lot easier for a smart doc to diagnose. I believe it is better to chase the diagnosis to the end, and then do the gluten-free diet. That's my personal preference.....not carved in stone!

[super-sally888]

Hi,

two weeks may not be enough of a trial, particulalry if symptoms are vague... though some people can see a dramatic improvement very quickly.

The challenge is to make sure your diet really is gluten free during the trial. The best way is to just base your diet around fresh fruits and veges and meats during your trial period.

hope you can work this out.

Sally

[Kari Anne]

I am just at the beginning of a two-week gluten free diet as my dr. is trying to determine if I'm having symptoms of IBS or Celiac disease?

I've followed an IBS diet just on my own but didn't notice any significant changes in the way I felt however she said that my symptoms are so "vague" that there are many possibilities.

This has been on-going now for about 3 months and I'm just wondering what symptoms, specifically, would indicate Celiac's? Most days I have what I call and upset stomach but it feels more like just a big lump sitting there. I occasionally feel this in my back as well. I suffer from constipation on and off too.

Would someone please give me some insight into this. I would surely appreciate hearing some words of wisdom.

Blessings, Kari

[Kari Anne]

Hi Momma Goose,

Hopefully I'm replying to your message properly. Apparently I'm not quite acclimated to this message board yet.

Yes, I'm concerned my dr. is "vague" as well. The information she gave me as far as diet and other precautions were from 1989 and seem to me suggest that IBS and Celiac are followed in the same manner?

As for my symptoms, they change, with constipation on and off, consistent stomach ache (dull ache that sometimes radiates into my back, low back pain, hip discomfort for lack of better word, I'm on Levoxyll already for hypothyroidism. That is all I can think of right now.

They plan on doing blood work after I'm finished with the restricted diet and then begin to reintroduce gluten into my body. However if I do start to feel better I may have a very hard time going back to my previous diet.

Thanks so much!

[Kari Anne]

Kari:

Welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here.

I have to comment, I think that your doctor is "vague". What are your symptoms?

Hi there,

I hope I'm replying correctly this time. Yes, I'm concerned my dr. is "vague" as well. The information she gave me was from 1989 and it seemed to me that the diet as well as do's and don'ts were for both IBS and Celiac.

My symptoms include constipation on and off, consistent stomachache (dull ache that sometimes radiates into my back, low back pain, hip discomfort, I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (take Levoxyll for that), increased menstrual cycles which have been a bit heavier than normal.

That's all I can think of right now. I should have started writing this all down awhile ago but I felt that it would clear up eventually.......definitely wrong on my part!

Thanks for your welcome to the site! Have a great day!

[Ursa Major]

Kari Anne, the big problem with doing the diet first and then doing blood work is, that during your diet trial you might heal enough to get a false negative on the blood test! You need to absolutely get the blood drawn FIRST, before you try the diet.

Also, there is no such 'illness' as IBS. That's what doctors will call a collection of symptoms when they are clueless as to what is causing them, rather than admitting that they don't know.

Irritable bowels are caused by something. Find out what it is and eliminate that cause. Most of us here were 'diagnosed' with IBS before the doctors would finally agree to test for celiac disease. And many of us just gave up on doctors and took things into our own hands and went on the gluten-free diet on our own. Nobody can stop you from changing your diet if you feel that it would help you feel better.

[Kari Anne]

Kari Anne, the big problem with doing the diet first and then doing blood work is, that during your diet trial you might heal enough to get a false negative on the blood test! You need to absolutely get the blood drawn FIRST, before you try the diet.

Also, there is no such 'illness' as IBS. That's what doctors will call a collection of symptoms when they are clueless as to what is causing them, rather than admitting that they don't know.

Irritable bowels are caused by something. Find out what it is and eliminate that cause. Most of us here were 'diagnosed' with IBS before the doctors would finally agree to test for celiac disease. And many of us just gave up on doctors and took things into our own hands and went on the gluten-free diet on our own. Nobody can stop you from changing your diet if you feel that it would help you feel better.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I, too, wondered at the time why not just run the blood work while this would be evident within my body? This is all very new for me and I was uncertain as what procedures are best. At this point now I'm wondering if it is too late to be tested? I've been on the diet since Saturday.

I must add that the scripture verse you wrote it one of my dearest!

Kari