Do I Have Celiac?

[katrinacara]

I started to develop problems about 2 months ago that seem like could be celiac disease, but I'm not sure if that's really what it is...

I hear that most people that have celiac have leaky gut...that's not the case with me. I never have that problem. When it first started I noticed that I would get really constipated...for days if i ate any grains. And I would have a swelling and sharp pain in my left rib cage.

I've tried gluten free...It does the same thing. Anything that has grain or is a substitute for grain completely stops me up.

I've thought it could possibly be dairy or soy...but when i quit those and try to eat grain or grain substitutes, it happens again.

I've tried spelt flour, almond flour, bean flour, rice flour, and soy flour. They all affect me.

does this even sound like celiac? or maybe an allergy to something else?

[ShayFL]

You could be intolerant to grains in general. This is not uncommon.

But you would need to be tested to find out if you have Celiac since the dietary response is unclear. Blood and biopsy.

[wschmucks]

You should get a food allergy test. If it was gluten you would feel a big difference even within a week. I also suffered from constipation with Celiac, and didnt notice major changes with it for a few months after going gluten free. But I did feel SOOOO much better after going gluten-free. Go to the Dr and go through the necessary tests. Stomach issues can be so complicated, it will drive you crazy trying to figure out what it is on your own.

[AliB]

Many who are gluten intolerant can't digest carbs very well at all, including sugar. Because of gut damage they appear to lack the enzymes needed.

Sometimes it can be due to a lack of or dilution of stomach acid. If the stomach cannot produce enough acid then enzyme production is not triggered properly for carb digestion further down in the duodenum.

Certain microbes, like Helicobacter can actually neutralise stomach acid to protect themselves. Have you been tested for Helicobacter?

Eating good sources of (preferably organic) raw fruits and veg (salad) can help supply enzymes too and can help the gut heal.

Leaky gut can manifest in many different ways and with different responses. Some get allergic responses but others just intolerance reactions - it depends where the Leaky gut is, how bad it is and how it manifests in the individual.

PS. Gluten itself will not normally show up as an allergy. It does not usually present as an allergic response as it is only a protein fraction of wheat, rye or barley, all of which in their entirety could show up as an allergy. Only foods that cause an histamine response - an anaphylactic reaction will show up in an allergy test. Gluten intolerance can only be picked up through IgA, IgG, IgE, TtG antibody blood tests.

If only determining gluten intolerance was as easy as having an allergy test.......