Celiac's Vs Gluten Intolerance Diff?

[Eric-C]

Whats the diff?

If you just have an intolerance and have gluten by mistake do all the 'bad' things still happen to you?

By bad I mean the long term stuff. Celiac's who continue to have gluten have an extremely high likely hood to develop other diseases.

What about with just intolerance?

I've never been officially tested and I'll never go through a gluten tolerance test but if there is an advantage to know if its one or the other then I might look into it further.

I found out last night at our favorite Mexican place that they deep fry their corn chips. I asked them about the whole flour thing and they said no the fryer is dedicated to chips except for when they get busy and need to make a quick fried ice cream or something, the wait staff makes it themselves in this separate fryer.

I was wondering because we usually grab a bite there when we're extremely busy and that is usually during the week. Never have any issue. With a bit of belt tightening starting a new business we dropped the during the week part...except yesterday which was business...so now we go on a Friday/Saturday night when it is extremely busy and people are more likely to order dessert.

I don't get sick but I don't feel the greatest maybe every 5th time we've been there on a weekend and now I think I know why.

So now I have a decision. I don't get sick, I feel a bit iffy but never have any bad reaction. If I truly do have Celiac's than even that is not something I can tolerate regardless of how I physically feel.

But what if I just had the intolerance?

I know plenty of people who are lactose intolerant who just suck it up once in a while and deal with the after effects.

To this day I've wondered why I can have Naan and Arabic flat bread, huge amounts, and never get sick but I eat one little piece of bread from Bone Fish Grille or Carraba's and I'm running to the bathroom in 2 minutes.

Figured gluten is gluten...I've been gluten free for over a year and sure I feel better, in fact I felt normal 85 percent of the time, now that I've been doing the vitamin B and D daily for the past month I feel 100 percent each and every day, even if I do accidentally get gluten and have stomach issues its just that and I'm done.

Is it worth going through all the tests to find out? Another reason I wonder if my Dad...he has had stomach problems his entire life much like mine. My mother always said we all had sensitive stomachs. He's over 80 and a lot of what he went through is a lot of what I was going through but he's never had any Celiac related problems from his life long, including now, ingestion of gluten.

[sbj]

Whats the diff? If you just have an intolerance and have gluten by mistake do all the 'bad' things still happen to you? By bad I mean the long term stuff. Celiac's who continue to have gluten have an extremely high likely hood to develop other diseases. What about with just intolerance? I've never been officially tested and I'll never go through a gluten tolerance test but if there is an advantage to know if its one or the other then I might look into it further.... If I truly do have Celiac's than even that is not something I can tolerate regardless of how I physically feel. But what if I just had the intolerance? ... Is it worth going through all the tests to find out?

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are different. Most here will disagree with me but I will pipe in with my two cents anywho:

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[Lisa]

<a href="Open Original Shared Link disease.htm" target="external ugc nofollow">Open Original Shared Link disease.htm</a>

(From the American Celiac Disease Alliance)

Why is it important to know if you have celiac disease, versus wheat allergy or gluten intolerance?

Celiac disease, wheat allergy and gluten-intolerance are treated similarly, in that patients with these conditions must remove wheat from their diet. It is important to note, however, that there is a difference between these three medical problems. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, where the body's immune system starts attacking normal tissue, such as intestinal tissue, in response to eating gluten. Because of this, people with celiac disease are at risk for malabsorption of food in the GI tract, causing nutritional deficiencies. This can lead to conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis. Since a person with wheat allergy or gluten-intolerance usually does not have severe intestinal damage, he or she is not at risk for these nutritional deficiencies. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, putting the patient at risk for other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease, type I diabetes, joint diseases and liver diseases. Since wheat allergy and gluten intolerance are not autoimmune conditions, people who have food allergies and intolerances are not at increased risk to develop an autoimmune condition over the general population's risk. And finally, celiac disease involves the activation of a particular type of white blood cell, the T lymphocyte, as well as other parts of the immune system. Because of this, patients with celiac disease are at increased risk to develop GI cancers, in particular lymphomas. Because food allergies and intolerances do not involve this particular immune system pathway, and do not cause severe GI tract damage, these patients are not at increased risk for these cancers.

Thus, while celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten-intolerance may be treated with similar diets, they are not the same conditions. It is very important for a person to know which condition they have, as the person with celiac disease needs to monitor himself or herself for nutritional deficiencies, other autoimmune diseases, and GI cancers. In general, the symptoms from food allergies and intolerances resolve when the offending foods are removed from the diet and do not cause permanent organ damage.

[lonewolf]

Gluten intolerance may not cause an autoimmune reaction in the GI tract, but it can cause it other places. There is very little research to prove this, but I've seen something, somewhere, and I have my own personal experience.

I'm "just" intolerant, but I have thyroid issues, psoriasis, tooth enamel defects and had arthritis. I also have a kidney disease that the nephrologist told me was autoimmune. When I went fanatically gluten-free the kidney disease went into remission and hasn't come back for almost 5 years. My thyroid has gotten a tiny bit better, my psoriasis is better (but not gone), I stopped getting cavities and I no longer have any signs of arthritis.

If you're "just" intolerant you might not damage your intestinal tract, but you might be damaging your brain, kidneys, pancreas or some other slightly important body part.

[sugarsue]

This is one question that I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out and I still don't fully understand. However, the articles I've read here are interesting. I am wondering then, with my highly gluten intolerant, negative celiac panel daughter, since she has malabsorbtion issues, does this imply that she really has celiac? Either way, for her, she is highly sensitive and can't have any gluten and is sensitive to cross contamination and I would like to know for sure because maybe I'd be even more diligent, but we can't do a biopsy since I can't possibly put her through months of gluten to see if she has damage.

[Lisa]

This is one question that I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out and I still don't fully understand. However, the articles I've read here are interesting. I am wondering then, with my highly gluten intolerant, negative celiac panel daughter, since she has malabsorbtion issues, does this imply that she really has celiac? Either way, for her, she is highly sensitive and can't have any gluten and is sensitive to cross contamination and I would like to know for sure because maybe I'd be even more diligent, but we can't do a biopsy since I can't possibly put her through months of gluten to see if she has damage.

Testing is far from accurate for Celiac Disease, especially for children; and, I believe that the diagnostic envelope is far too narrow. You daughter could very well have Celiac. Never-the-less, diligence is important.

Gene testing could be another piece of the puzzle for you.

[celiacsoyfree]

In answering this question for myself, I would just want have"proof" to give to all my family and friends that I'm not a hypochondriac and I really am sick. All those years of problems aren't just because I'm crazy or too sensitive.

The doctor only gave me 1 blood test. I started a gluten free diet then went back on gluten for 2 weeks before taking that test which came out negative. I didn't know at the time what was the right thing to do because the doctor never explained anything. Right after the blood test I continued gluten-free and eventually got better. Since the major improvements I don't think I could purposely eat what I deem to poison again. I do wish there was an easier way to prove my "medical condition" celiac or gluten intolerance. I also think it's important to have the proper diagnosis in case of an ER visit.

[ravenwoodglass]

This is one question that I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out and I still don't fully understand. However, the articles I've read here are interesting. I am wondering then, with my highly gluten intolerant, negative celiac panel daughter, since she has malabsorbtion issues, does this imply that she really has celiac? Either way, for her, she is highly sensitive and can't have any gluten and is sensitive to cross contamination and I would like to know for sure because maybe I'd be even more diligent, but we can't do a biopsy since I can't possibly put her through months of gluten to see if she has damage.

She may very well be celiac. The fact that I was negative repeatedly on blood panels but doctors never told me anything other than to be glad I didn't have 'sprue' delayed my diagnosis by oh so many painful years. While I was testing I was developing more than one other autoimmune mediated problem, all of which resolved on the diet once I was finally diagnosed. I am definately a celiac who tests negative on panels, some of us do. This is especially true for children. In countries where they screen they test at around age 4 and again at puberty and whenever symptoms warrent it. There may come a time when testing gets more reliable. There are really good tests, one of which is a challenge using the rectal or oral mucosa, that are easy and quite reliable. From my understanding the doctors here think they pick up too many positives so we don't use that test in the US.

Also if you haven't already make sure you get actual copies of the test. Some doctors will say that a really low positive is a negative. Even if she is only one point into the positive range she should be doing the diet with her history.

You could gene test but it is common to only look for DQ2 or DQ8 but there are 7 other celiac related genes.

[Aleshia]

To this day I've wondered why I can have Naan and Arabic flat bread, huge amounts, and never get sick but I eat one little piece of bread from Bone Fish Grille or Carraba's and I'm running to the bathroom in 2 minutes.

I wonder if you have an issue with yeast?? I don't think naan or flat bread have yeast in them... as yeast is what makes the other bread rise/expand

[Amyleigh0007]

Gluten intolerance may not cause an autoimmune reaction in the GI tract, but it can cause it other places. There is very little research to prove this, but I've seen something, somewhere, and I have my own personal experience.

I'm "just" intolerant, but I have thyroid issues, psoriasis, tooth enamel defects and had arthritis. I also have a kidney disease that the nephrologist told me was autoimmune. When I went fanatically gluten-free the kidney disease went into remission and hasn't come back for almost 5 years. My thyroid has gotten a tiny bit better, my psoriasis is better (but not gone), I stopped getting cavities and I no longer have any signs of arthritis.

If you're "just" intolerant you might not damage your intestinal tract, but you might be damaging your brain, kidneys, pancreas or some other slightly important body part.

I agree that other problems can arise as a result of gluten intolerance. I suffered from infertility, acne, mystery rashes, and Restless Leg Syndrome until I went gluten free.

[Amyleigh0007]

In answering this question for myself, I would just want have"proof" to give to all my family and friends that I'm not a hypochondriac and I really am sick. All those years of problems aren't just because I'm crazy or too sensitive.

The doctor only gave me 1 blood test. I started a gluten free diet then went back on gluten for 2 weeks before taking that test which came out negative. I didn't know at the time what was the right thing to do because the doctor never explained anything. Right after the blood test I continued gluten-free and eventually got better. Since the major improvements I don't think I could purposely eat what I deem to poison again. I do wish there was an easier way to prove my "medical condition" celiac or gluten intolerance. I also think it's important to have the proper diagnosis in case of an ER visit.

Have you seen an allergist? After my Celiac bloodtests came back negative (a false negative I believe), my allergist diagnosed me with gluten intolerance. That was my "proof" that I was not insane. I was like you, I needed proof of my illness and my allergist gave it to me. My primary doctor was worthless.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Many people with "just" gluten intolerance are actually in the early stage of celiac. They just don't have enough villi damage YET for a diagnosis.

Others with actual celiac are not tested properly, or even with proper testing, still show up as negative.

Then there are those who, according to current thought, are "only" gluten intolerant, but they suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases that are enough to put them in wheelchairs or worse. Those diseases miraculously seem to disappear on a gluten-free diet--which kind of shoots holes in the current thought that "just" gluten intolerance doesn't lead to deadly consequences.

There has been a lot of heated debate on this very topic on this board. The upshot is, you can talk all you want about the differences between celiac and "just" gluten intolerance, but in the final analysis, the cure and the outcome are both the same: either you follow a gluten-free diet, or you suffer ever-worsening systemic damage.

[Lisa]

Many people with "just" gluten intolerance are actually in the early stage of celiac.

Can you please list support documentation for this statement?

Testing is far from accurate. And I believe that the diagnostic envelope is far too narrow.

Whether you have Celiac, Gluten Ataxia of the Brain or a Gluten Allergy, the spectrum is wide and the RX is the same. We are in the same boat.

[buffettbride]

I've been interested in this topic lately as well.

My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac about 2 years ago. My Hubby (who is not my daughter's biological dad) discovered his own gluten intolerance when we removed gluten from the home and his skin rash and bowel problems cleared up w/out gluten. He went in for testing for Celiac (blood), and it came back neg. and decided against an endoscopy.

He shows glutening symptoms just like she does, but we really have no way to know if the damage is happening on the inside like we know it does with her. We just play the safe card and assume it does, especially as motivation for getting a grown man to stick with the diet.

[Gentleheart]

<a href="Open Original Shared Link disease.htm" target="external ugc nofollow">Open Original Shared Link disease.htm</a>

(From the American Celiac Disease Alliance)

Why is it important to know if you have celiac disease, versus wheat allergy or gluten intolerance?

Celiac disease, wheat allergy and gluten-intolerance are treated similarly, in that patients with these conditions must remove wheat from their diet. It is important to note, however, that there is a difference between these three medical problems. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, where the body's immune system starts attacking normal tissue, such as intestinal tissue, in response to eating gluten. Because of this, people with celiac disease are at risk for malabsorption of food in the GI tract, causing nutritional deficiencies. This can lead to conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis. Since a person with wheat allergy or gluten-intolerance usually does not have severe intestinal damage, he or she is not at risk for these nutritional deficiencies. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, putting the patient at risk for other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease, type I diabetes, joint diseases and liver diseases. Since wheat allergy and gluten intolerance are not autoimmune conditions, people who have food allergies and intolerances are not at increased risk to develop an autoimmune condition over the general population's risk. And finally, celiac disease involves the activation of a particular type of white blood cell, the T lymphocyte, as well as other parts of the immune system. Because of this, patients with celiac disease are at increased risk to develop GI cancers, in particular lymphomas. Because food allergies and intolerances do not involve this particular immune system pathway, and do not cause severe GI tract damage, these patients are not at increased risk for these cancers.

Thus, while celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten-intolerance may be treated with similar diets, they are not the same conditions. It is very important for a person to know which condition they have, as the person with celiac disease needs to monitor himself or herself for nutritional deficiencies, other autoimmune diseases, and GI cancers. In general, the symptoms from food allergies and intolerances resolve when the offending foods are removed from the diet and do not cause permanent organ damage.

If what you are proposing is true, then does a severe malabsorption level on an Enterolab test more likely point in the celiac direction than the gluten intolerance one? Or is that where possible intestinal infections or infestations might come into play and skew the diagnosis? All the other parts of the comprehensive stool test were decidedly positive. Can a person then be both actual celiac and gluten intolerant at the same time if there is a combination of gastrointestinal symptoms and symptoms elsewhere in the body?

[lizard00]

Can a person then be both actual celiac and gluten intolerant at the same time if there is a combination of gastrointestinal symptoms and symptoms elsewhere in the body?

It has always been my understanding, (confirmed by my GI) that celiacs are intolerant to gluten, it's the sensitivity that varies. The body of a celiac doesn't tolerate gluten. However, a person that is intolerant to gluten is not necessarily a celiac.

[Gentleheart]

Oops! Sorry for the accidental double posting.

[psawyer]

It has always been my understanding, (confirmed by my GI) that celiacs are intolerant to gluten, it's the sensitivity that varies. The body of a celiac doesn't tolerate gluten. However, a person that is intolerant to gluten is not necessarily a celiac.

That is also my understanding. My niece (to whom I am not biologically related) does not have celiac disease, but is intolerant to both gluten and casein.

[mushroom]

Okay, but given all that, if you have other autoimmune diseases (RA, psoriasis), does that mean you are more likely to be celiac than gluten intolerant??

[ravenwoodglass]

Okay, but given all that, if you have other autoimmune diseases (RA, psoriasis), does that mean you are more likely to be celiac than gluten intolerant??

Yes, and they will many times go into at least partial remission.

[happygirl]

Okay, but given all that, if you have other autoimmune diseases (RA, psoriasis), does that mean you are more likely to be celiac than gluten intolerant??

Its hard to make an assessment of that - we do have statistics on celiac and its relation to other autoimmune disorders, but since we do not have a full definition/testing for gluten intolerance/sensitivity, its hard to assess the relationship to other autoimmune disorders.

[purple]

I agree that other problems can arise as a result of gluten intolerance. I suffered from infertility, acne, mystery rashes, and Restless Leg Syndrome until I went gluten free.

My dd (19)is not a Celiac but she was having extreme PMS to the point she had all the symptoms of endometriosis...all cleared up with normal PMS on a gluten-free diet. She is still allergic to pet dander and dust at times. The bloating is gone and she is not sensitive.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Can you please list support documentation for this statement?

From www.celiac.com:

The excellent English researchers that made the discovery that they could detect the immunologic reaction to gluten inside the intestine before it was evident on blood tests or biopsies knew it was a breakthrough, testing it many times over in different ways, and further extending the clinical spectrum of gluten-induced disease to include a phase before the villi are damaged, so-called

[Lisa]

From www.celiac.com:

The excellent English researchers that made the discovery that they could detect the immunologic reaction to gluten inside the intestine before it was evident on blood tests or biopsies knew it was a breakthrough, testing it many times over in different ways, and further extending the clinical spectrum of gluten-induced disease to include a phase before the villi are damaged, so-called

[celiacsoyfree]

Have you seen an allergist? After my Celiac bloodtests came back negative (a false negative I believe), my allergist diagnosed me with gluten intolerance. That was my "proof" that I was not insane. I was like you, I needed proof of my illness and my allergist gave it to me. My primary doctor was worthless.

My allergist, a very prominent allergist in San Francisco didn't help me at all, except to give me more meds.