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Are Gluten Intolerance And Celiac Disease The Same?

Blenderly

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Blenderly Newbie
Blenderly
Posted

I am 33 years old and am gluten intolerant. I had been eating relatively gluten free for some time, and my blood test came back negative for celiac. I asked my doctor if my eating gluten free could have altered the results and she said yes. I requested a referral to a gastroenterologist because I have had chronic pain in my colon for 8 years. I've tried to get help for it, but because I don't have dramatic weight loss, the doctors don't believe it's anything but irritable bowel. I even had one doctor tell me I just had weak stomach muscles and needed to exercise more! :angry:

The specialist said that I definitely have a gluten intolerance and to stay away from gluten, but that I don't have celiac because of not having the weight loss. Does that make any sense? Is there a difference between gluten intolerance and celiac? I apologize for my ignorance, I've just been frustrated for a long time. When I do eat wheat I get bloated, cramps, diarrhea, sometimes a skin rash. It seems I'm allergic to almost everything under the sun. And I've been getting flu like symptoms that last for about 2 days at a time. When my doctor told me that it was irritable bowel and not celiac, I went back to eating wheat. The pain in my colon has become so intense that I can't sleep at night. When I cut out wheat it's not as bad, but the pain never goes away. Does anyone have any insight? I would really appreciate it! Thanks ;)

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024Mandy Newbie
024Mandy
Posted
I am 33 years old and am gluten intolerant. I had been eating relatively gluten free for some time, and my blood test came back negative for celiac. I asked my doctor if my eating gluten free could have altered the results and she said yes. I requested a referral to a gastroenterologist because I have had chronic pain in my colon for 8 years. I've tried to get help for it, but because I don't have dramatic weight loss, the doctors don't believe it's anything but irritable bowel. I even had one doctor tell me I just had weak stomach muscles and needed to exercise more! :angry:

The specialist said that I definitely have a gluten intolerance and to stay away from gluten, but that I don't have celiac because of not having the weight loss. Does that make any sense? Is there a difference between gluten intolerance and celiac? I apologize for my ignorance, I've just been frustrated for a long time. When I do eat wheat I get bloated, cramps, diarrhea, sometimes a skin rash. It seems I'm allergic to almost everything under the sun. And I've been getting flu like symptoms that last for about 2 days at a time. When my doctor told me that it was irritable bowel and not celiac, I went back to eating wheat. The pain in my colon has become so intense that I can't sleep at night. When I cut out wheat it's not as bad, but the pain never goes away. Does anyone have any insight? I would really appreciate it! Thanks ;)

Hello,

you can be gluten intolerant and not have celiac. If you have an intolerance to gluten it will not cause damage to your intestines, just create symptoms (IBS). Your blood work will not be accurate because antibodies to gluten are only produced if you have celiac and are currently eating gluten. If you stop eating gluten your body stops producing the antibodies. Everyone with celiac has different symptoms, not every one has weight loss. In order for you gastro to diagnose celiac you have to be eating gluten. the biopsies from your small bowl can only be positive if you are eating gluten(the villi will be flatened). Most gastros have a rule about how long you have to be consuming gluten before they perfore a endoscopy to test for celiac disease(around 3 months). Don't accept IBS for a diagnosis untill you have had an endoscopy and colonoscopy to rule out other issues. Many diseases' can cause those symptoms you describe including: candida overgrowth, microscopic colitis, Lactose intolerance, other intolerances and allergies.

Good Luck

curlyfries Contributor
curlyfries
Posted

The jury is still out on that question. Some posters here are sure they are the same.....others are sure they are not......and still others don't know or care....the diet is the same either way.

Celiac's can be underweight OR overweight, so that has no bearing.

You said when you cut out wheat, the pain is not so bad, but doesn't totally go away. Are you only eliminating wheat? What about other gluten ingredients?

I used to feel pain in my colon, too....but no more. I know that sugar was at least partially if not completely responsible for this. BTW.....I don't know if I have celiac or gluten intolerance......do not wish to eat gluten ever again, not even for a diagnosis.

And your symptoms won't completely go away if you continue to be relatively gluten free.

If you get a rash from eating wheat, you could have it biopsied (not ON the rash, but the surrounding area) If it is dematitis herpetiformis, then you definitely have celiac.

Blenderly Newbie
Blenderly
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the info, gluten intolerance vs. celica, I really appreciate it. As for the grains, I've tried Spelt, Kamut, barley, rye, Oat flour etc...and they all give me the same symptoms. I am lactose intolerant and haven't had dairy in a very long time. I had to cut out Soy milk because it made me very sick as well. So...my diet is quite restrictive, gluten free, dairy free, soy free.....But, still have chronic pain. I am going for a colonoscopy in May, which I'm hoping will tell me something, at least I'll know where to go from there.

Thanks again and hope you are all doing well.....take care! :D

nora-n Rookie
nora-n
Posted

Only 5% of newly diagnosed celiacs are under-weight, and 40% are over-weight or obese. The doctor has got it wrong.

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    • trents
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By trents · Posted

      The blood tests you had done are not the main ones. The two main ones are the "Total IGA" (to check for IGA deficiency) and the "TTG-IGA". Current guidelines for the "gluten challenge" when people have been gluten free for a significant time period are the daily consumption of at least10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks leading up to the day of the blood draw. That should give you some perspective.
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      Thank you, really.  I took a test for DGP-IgA and DGP-IgG. Effectively, it is not enough to discard Celiac Disease. I was consuming gluten until then, I only started gluten-free some days ago, when the symptoms became horrible and now I feel considerably better, which is a second confirmation that gluten is the main problem. It's been more than 4 years I have the same suspect, when I first thought gluten was causing me problems, I made a gluten-free diet for a year, I felt really good as never before. However, neither I or my parents were well informed about Celiac disease, so none of us tried to make further exams. My father suffer digestive problems and other members of my family as well. Unfortunately, no one have ever been tested for Celiac disease. I'll have to restart eating gluten in the next weeks, so I can make a serious blood test in laboratory, hopefully between two or three months.
    • trents
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By trents · Posted

      As Scott said, in order for celiac disease testing to be valid, you need to be eating generous amounts of gluten on a regular basis for weeks or months before the blood draw. The blood tests are designed to detect antibodies that the immune system produces in response to the ingestion of gluten. It takes time for them to build up in the blood to detectable levels.
    • Scott Adams
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Based on what you've described, it is absolutely crucial that you pursue further medical exams for Celiac Disease and related conditions with a gastroenterologist. Your symptoms—especially the worsening fatigue, loss of muscle mass, neurological symptoms like migraines, and palpitations, coupled with being underweight—are significant red flags that extend beyond typical IBS. The negative home test is not reliable, particularly given your concern about sample contamination and the fact that you were likely not consuming sufficient gluten at the time for the test to be accurate, which is a common issue. While probiotics like Bifidobacterium Infantis can support gut health, they cannot resolve an autoimmune response to gluten or heal intestinal damage caused by Celiac Disease. Your declining blood test results, even if still "in range," further indicate a trend that needs a doctor's investigation. Please do not hesitate to seek a specialist; a formal diagnosis is the first step toward getting the correct treatment, allowing your body to heal, and finally addressing your weight and overall health concerns. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Buckwheat

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I would only add that cross contamination with wheat may still be a possibility, so it's still best to seek out buckwheat that is labeled "gluten-free."
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