Do I Have Celiac Or Glucose Sensitivity?

[susanm]

Hi, I just joined. I'm trying to figure out the extent of my gluten allergy. When I have pasta or pizza or anything with wheat, I usually feel sluggish afterwards, not anything incapacitating, just blah and yuk. I've been feeling this way my whole life and I just chalked it up to being full or tired after eating. Also, I've always had mild intestinal problems on and off through my life. I thought it was related to my lactose intolerance, but I wonder if it could be the gluten too.

I just started to try a gluten-free diet and I'm not getting that feeling anymore. I have an autoimmune disease (Addison's disease) and I heard that hidden celiac disease could cause these kinds of diseases. Is that true?

Does it sound like I have just a mild gluten sensitivity or celiac disease? I'm going to call my doctor, but I was curious what people thought first.

[ShayFL]

You should be tested NOW. Keep eating gluten and get a blood test for Celiac. It could be Celiac. But if you stop eating gluten, it can skew your tests.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Be aware that there might be very little difference between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Celiac disease is currently defined as intestinal damage caused by gluten sensitivity. If you are sensitive or intolerant to gluten, do not YET have intestinal damage, and keep eating gluten, it is very likely that you will then cause intestinal damage and/or develop other autoimmune disorders.

Also, you might want to make sure that you remember that it is "gluten" and not "glucose." Glucose is sugar. Different issue! (Though you might have problems with that, too...)