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

Recently Diagnosed T1 Diabetes: Digestive Problems

m19peters

Recommended Posts

m19peters Newbie
m19peters
Posted

A brief synopsis of my symptoms currently are:

Gas (especially bad during the morning/night)

Bloating

Greasy/Wet, sometimes floating stools (1 to 2 a day)

Anxiety

Rough vertical lines in fingernails

Pain in upper left abdomen that comes and goes in very short spurts (1

out of 10 on pain scale)

Frequent indigestion

My story...

A year ago I had what I think was a mild pancreatitis attack that sent

me to the ER.

I'll put this in a list to make it easier to read...

October 06 - What I think was a mild pancreatitis attack a year ago

(lipase not too high, 340, in ER but the pain had somewhat subsided

when I went

the hospital, pain lasted about 6-7 hours, was a 5 out of 10 on pain

scale, with

pain I had nausea and diarrhea, ER released me with a strained rib

muscle)

November 06 - Saw Gastro and diagnosed with GERD just from describing

symptoms,

had CT scan negative, stool studies showed nothing, upper GI endoscopy

negative

January 07 - Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes due to two high fasting

blood sugars (180)

March 07 - another CT scan negative, upper GI endoscopy negative

March 07 - Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes due to GAD antibody positive

test, celiac blood panel negative, A1C of 7.9

May 07 - Gallbladder utrasound negative

July 07 - MRCP negative

September 07 - endoscopic ulrasound negative... checked gallbladder

and pancreas

NOTES: during a 4-5 month period with unknown type 1 diabetes I went

from 215lbs to 175lbs.

215 was heavy for my 5'9 frame...I am now back up to 188lbs...

enzyme tests throughout the past year have had fequent lipase

elevations (usually in low 300's)...

amylase has always been fine as has my liver enzymes. In March I

started with just 5 units of Lantus... I now am up to 20 units and

take Novalog for meals on a 20 carb/1 unit scale

My blood sugars are fairly regulated with diet, exercise, ...

my last A1C was 5.9... I can seem to have weeks of normal digestion

and then have weeks

of abnormal digestion without any known cause. I've tried cutting out

trigger foods

like tomatoe sauce, alcohol, caffeine, etc... tried fasting for a

day... nothing seems to help.

Can these symptoms above be just IBS? Greasy/wet stools? Celiac

disease,

I was tested with a blood test; could this be missed through that

test?

Would it be possible to rule out malabsorption? Concerns about my

fingernails and stools? Pancreatic Insufficiency?

I've never had a colonoscopy; should this be next step?

While I understand from reading and going through what I have, that it

is very hard to diagnose

certain digestive problems... I would really appreciate any thoughts

that anyone has to my

current situation. And I cannot ignore that these problems started a

year ago

the day that I had a pancreatitis attack and later found I have LADA

(type 1.5 or

type 1, however you want to classify) diabetes.

Thanks

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


m19peters Newbie
m19peters
Posted
  • Author

I'm a 26 year old male.. forgot to mention that.

I'm working on finding out the specific test that I was given for celiac... during my upper endoscopy I know they took a scrape of my stomach or small bowel I believe and got it tested for something. Could this be for celiac?? Also I've had my blood drawn numerous times, so I might just have been tested that way. Again I am looking into this.

I don't know at this point if thats what I have... I might be one of the tweeners or it might just be in my head. At this point there is just too many variables... Is it IBS, Celiac, diabetes... all of these unkowns make me very stressed and its quite possible that I am doing this to myself at this point. I've learned this past year its amazing what stress can do to the body. Just yesterday I could feel the stress coming in... and it was one of my worst days in awhile. Gas, three trips to the bathroom, exessive urination... I lost 4lbs in a day. Tough to destress though with all of these thoughts in my head that something is very wrong with me. From the day I felt that pain a year ago I cannot get it out of my head that I don't have cancer or something else... its tough to trust these doctors who look at you as another mental case... I've had every test in the book that I know of to try and get my mind at ease but my symptoms just won't go away... thanks for listening.

elye Community Regular
elye
Posted

Hi, m19, and welcome!

Well, the most recent reliable statistics tell us that one in eight type one diabetics have trouble with gluten (celiac or intolerance). My guess is that it's even higher than that. So, you're diabetic and you've got some classic symptoms of celiac disease. Couple that with the fact that yes, there can absolutely be false negatives with the celiac blood panel, and even with the biopsy. The only truly accurate diagnostic tool for this illness is dietary response. I suggest you try the gluten-free diet. Nothing to lose, and SO much to gain. An added bonus could very well be better control of your blood sugars. I am a tightly controlled type one, and the gluten-free diet has helped me to stay tighter. It can be reaaly tough at first to have to deal with two restrictive diets, but they really do go together. Good luck, and again, welcome to this great place where there's lots of advice and support available!

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

Well, obsessing on your health issues is just going to make you feel worse. You need to divert yourself a bit. Definitely read up all you can (the Internet is good, but don't get mislead by schlocky/quacky web sites). A support group like this is good. But you need to relax and not obsess. My nephew does the same thing. :)

My suggestion for you is look into how a Paleo Diet might help you.

m19peters Newbie
m19peters
Posted
  • Author

Thanks Emily and Nancy for the replies...

I think I am going to try Gluten free but I just don't even know where to start... So I look at the back of the ingredients for wheat, barley, and oats... is that it? If it doesn't have those then I can eat it? I mean does all pizza have gluten in it?? I guess I just need to research some more... The Paleo diet, isn't that aka the Caveman diet?? that should make things simple to follow.

I think the obsessing is part of my generation... I want to know what I have wrong with me and I want to know now. ;-) I was doing fine... and plop hear comes diabetes... ok figured that out... but whats with these digestive problems...

Besides that I know I've got some obsessive compulsive in me... this situation brought out the worst in that. I use to just obsess about hockey, lifting, video games, work, wife, kids, etc... now I obsess about whats wrong with me day in and day out.

elye Community Regular
elye
Posted

This excellent website has all kinds of info on what's gluten-free and what isn't. You also have to worry about cross-contamination and personal care products (yes, some shampoos, soaps and toothpastes have gluten in them...). Eating like a caveman is very wise for anyone, and particularly for diabetics and celiacs, as gluten and sucrose are loaded into most processed foods, something you don't touch when you're eating like a caveman did. Not easy in our society to stay away from everything packaged, processed and/or refined, but I must say I now eat very little that isn't a fruit, vegetable, meat, nut or seed. Just set aside an hour (or two!) :rolleyes: to peruse this site, and another while to start taking it in. There's a LOT to digest, and it's a steep learning curve, but I can promise you that it gets much easier. :)

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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. Celiac.com Sponsored Post
      0

      An Inclusive Valentine's Day: Easy Tips for a Celebration Everyone Can Enjoy

    2. trents
      - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    3. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    5. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,337
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Susan1001
    Newest Member
    Susan1001
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • 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.