Ibs Vs Celiac Disease

[amiller1030]

First I want to say I am so grateful that I found this board!

My husband has been suffering from was diagnosed as IBS for about 7 years now. After just talking with a friend who was told she had a gluten allergy, I think this may be what my husband has too.

He is starting immediately on a gluten-free diet. I am just wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with IBS and found that it is a gluten allergy?

I am just finding out about this disease so any insight is greatly appreciated.

Andrea

[tarnalberry]

IBS is a common mis-diagnosis of celiac, as recognized by the NIH's conference on celiac disease last year. There have been some recommendations to test all IBS patients for celiac, but that's not a formal "recommendation".

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I think pretty much everyone is diagnosed with IBS at first.

[SherriRoy]

I have the IBS diagnosis as well, but i was diagnosed early on with celiac too. I guess I got a little lucky, but I have not found any relief from my symptoms even being on the diet for almost two years. There is the possibility that yes your husband does in fact have IBS and celiac. Both which are great to know.

The one thing with IBS is it's sort of the doctors guess at what is there ... They throw the IBS term around when they really don't know what is wrong with the person.... food allergies, or sensativities is a big one. I know right now greecy foods aren't friendly to my system...but that doesn't stop the constant spazaming. Hope you have much better luck with the diet. I do notice a difference when I ingest wheat..and anything that makes a difference is well worth trying.

Good luck

Sherri

[mela14]

I was diagnosed with the IBS first........many years ago. Then it got really bad and the GI drs didn't bother to listen..Here it is many years later...and lots of illnesses later that this is finally coming to light. I don't think I'll evr get rid of the IBS as I am very sensitive to various ingredients and foods but at least I know that the gluten was making me ILL!!!! Feeling sick from eating foods , and losing weight is different than just getting bloated or having cramps....the drs. just didn't get it and some still don't!!

[kactuskandee]

I'm a bit odd in that I've been intolerant to wheat for over 25 years now (by old testing methods), but didn't come down with IBS until 2 years ago after a bout of using antibiotics and no probiotics to offset the damage it does to your gut. I was so sick with pain, and lost over 35 lbs. quickly. Everything I ate made me hurt..I had every test imaginable. It wasn't until I ate the IBS way (helpforibs.com) did I feel better....of course I still maintained my wheat free/soy free diet. Now recently, with the newer more sensitive blood testing I was upgraded from wheat intolerance to gluten intolerance. Talk about amazed when I'd been eating wheat free all these years, (but not gluten free...loved that barley and oats), and told the GI that even if I was intolerant it likely wouldn't show up in any test...At least that's what I thought....haha...no way...bingo high IgA..the joke was on ME... The only relief I have is that I know I didn't ruin my intestines over the past many years by the wise choice of staying away from wheat. But for me...yes, I have both, IBS and gluten intolerance...just not celiac disease.

Having been on the IBS boards for a couple years now it is amazing to me that the symptoms are so very much alike....but in the case of IBS 1/3 are diarrhea dominant and 1/3 are constipation dominant and 1/3 alternate between the D and C. I'm wondering (does anyone know?) what the ratios are in celiac disease? Is there a much higher percentage of "D" folks?

Kandee

[Peaches503]

I was also diagnosed with IBS first, but when the symptoms didn't clear up, even after medication, further blood testing was done, and I was diagnosed with celiac disease.

[Guest ajlauer]

I'm wondering (does anyone know?) what the ratios are in celiac disease? Is there a much higher percentage of "D" folks?

That would make an interesting poll. *giggle* Personally, I'm more of a "D". From what I've seen, I think D is more common - but maybe I just notice it more because I relate to it more. I'd also like to see a poll on skinny vs overweight. Seems like nobody is of a "normal" weight, and about 2/3rds are skinny.

On a side note, if I become a millionaire, I'm going to start some sort of funding for enterolab tests. My regular Dr. doesn't know they do blood tests for food allergies - you can forget about testing for celiac disease!! I even printed up the names of the tests, and they were still clueless. Would love to do an enterolab, but can't afford it. Anyone want to sponsor one of my kids? *laugh* For just the price of the enterolab tests, we'll send you a picture of the child every month with a handwritten note!! All macaroni art will be gluten free, I promise!

[Chrissy in England]

Ha! I was diagnosed with IBS 1 1/2 years ago after 13 years of coplaining that something is wrong with me (my husband agreeing with me of course). We got a new doctor (military) and he said that he thought I might be gluten intolerant and wanted me to try the diet. After 5 weeks gluten free, I feel really well! He seems to think this is the way to go. So for the poll - skinny, "D" and "C" - lately after adding grits to my diet the big D.

I believe the doctors do tend to say IBS without actually listening to what the patient is suffering from.

Andrea take your husband on the road to gluten free - it worked for me!!!

Take care,

Chris

[plantime]

"C" here. Most definitely "C"!

[nikki-uk]

My husband would be skinny and'D'.Never 'C'!

[KaitiUSA]

Before I went gluten free I had "C" ....now I don't

[celiac3270]

Before gluten-free......D

Now....neither.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

My doctor also told me, I had IBS. This didn't help me, though. But when I found out, that it's gluten, that bothers me, I got a lot better. One of my students told me, she was diagnosed with IBS. I told her, my doctor said, it would be IBS with me, too, and at the end it came out, that it's celiac disease and not IBS. She got tested for celiac disease and guess what...

[plantime]

That's great Stef! Your own experience helped someone else!

[skbird]

I was usually C but started having some D before going gluten-free. LOL! Talk about alphabet soup!

Stephanie

[Guest ajlauer]

I remember when I was diagnosed with IBS about 8 years ago, and researched it.... IBS was what they diagnosed you with when everything else was ruled out. And by "everything else", I mean only the 2 or 3 common things that all the doctors knew about.

[Guest BERNESES]

I had C then D and something in between (YUCKO!) before gluten-free. Now it's starting to work itself out so I'll keep poop posted.

[pixiegirl]

D every single day for 13 years often so bad I could not leave the house. Now... no D except when I'm accidently glutened... then I have D for a good 3 weeks.

Oh also I'm lean-ish but certainly of normal weight... not skinny or heavy.

Susan

[julie5914]

I was diagnosed with IBS by a GYN and when I would mention from there on out, no other doc questioned it - never had any testing. I am normal weight (though I have gained of late and feel fat) and suffer from both D and C, kinda something in between though. I had blood tests as part of an IBS study that showed high pos. for celiac disease, and I am waiting to see a specialist next month about it.

From what I understand, IBS is not supposed to get progressively worse, which has been the case for me. It is also not supposed to be tied to anemia... Can't wait to try gluten - free- I believe it helps IBS people anyway, so I will probably do it either way after the specialist visit (or after scope if that's what he wants to do) to see if it helps. For me it is just the difference of how strict I have to be. If it is just IBS, I know that if I fudge I will suffer but will not damage my intestines. With celiac disease, no fudging allowed.

[jcgirl]

I was diognosed with IBS, then colitis, then back to IBS. Self diagnosed and gluten-free and the "D" is gone, except for accidental gluten poisoning as I like to call it.

My son, "D" and going straight to a specialist in pediatric GI that specializes in celiac. No wrong diagnosis for my baby boy but he has to deal with the big D until August

[Wandering Hermit]

Sorry to ask for details on this, but how exactly do you have something between C and D?

I have one BM a day, and it initally seems normal, until I flush, then it practically explodes and disintegrates. It is almost like D but initially in a solid form, if that makes sense. It is not normal, IMHO.

[steadyed]

I tend to get more C than D these days, though the D has never really left. And ther ever present "G" (gas), if you understand me.

Ed

[julie5914]

Hermit, yeah, that is what I meant. By a mix between C and D (about to give TMI.......) I meant no watery really loose stuff, but not well formed either, does the same as yours does. Except mine is about 4-5 times a day, a lot of volume. Then sometimes I can only get pellets and only once a day or less - that is the C and the most bothersome.

[jenvan]

Ha ha! You guys and the poop talk! This is embarrassing, but a bit funny, and helpful too of course. When I was always constipated, my husband would say I had 'rabbit poop.' Yeah, poop is a big topic in our house. But a lot of time, and still after begin gluten-free for several months, mine are between c and d. I hate hate to use this word to describe, but they are like sludge. ah-its gross to say! (forgive me!) And I always have undigested food. I'm like-I must still not be getting nutrients since my food can move through me only partially digested !