Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Joint Pain Question


Ivyblaze

Recommended Posts

Ivyblaze Newbie

Joint pain is a symptom correct? by saying that is it merely pain or swelling as well? Also does deginerative arthritis have anything to do with celiac....?

My mother had deginerative arthritis as well as other symptoms related.....

I am not even thirty and having problems with my joints and other symptoms as well....Is this celiac related?

Thank you

Deedra


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



mushroom Proficient

It is my understanding that there is no known connection between osteo-(degenerative) arthritis and celiac. There is a definite correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and celiac. RA is an autoimmune disease like celiac. Osteoarthritis is the "wear and tear" arthritis. Now both can cause pain and even swelling in the joints. But with the RA any associated swelling tends to be more generalized, and with my psoriatic arthritis entire digits swell up. RA is also associated with pain in places that you wouldn't expect osteoarthritis to occur. Osteoarthritis is evident as degeneration on x-rays. It takes some time for RA to do its work on joint deterioration that would show up on x-rays, and if you catch it early enough you can sometimes prevent joint damage with appropriate treatment. Do you, or do you think you have celiac??

Ivyblaze Newbie

Neroli,

Jeez where to begin....Family history I suppose...My Mother's side of history is all I know...the women in my family have depression. There are also several ADHD people, Anxiety, diabetes, both rheumatoid and osteo arthritis, Lupus,

My Maternal Aunt has ulcerative colitis (still alive) my maternal grandmother died of colon cancer, as well as 9 others, My Grandfather on mothers side had severe reflux, My second maternal aunt (deceased) died from Malignant brain cancer she had lupus, breast cancer, brain cancer and other auto immune disorders, My maternal cousin had one child and now is infertile (does not ovulate properly) severe depression and other problems, My mother (deceased) osteo and rheumatoid arthritis as well as others in the family, lactose intolerant, her tests frequently showed malnutrition even though she was a good weight, She died from unexplained circumstances. My grandmothers stool smelled horrible I hated going into her bathroom.

Now me...I haven't been tested yet but I have in the past been diagnosed with diverticulosis, I have had several abdominal cat scans, been hospitalized for abdominal pain for 5 days, have D constantly and if not that then constipated for days, my stool smells like my grandmas did, it looks like fat floating, I have numerous allergies to everything including MSG. they did not fully test my food allergies, I have gas alot, joint pain that is getting worse, abdominal pain alot, ADHD, anxiety, I have trouble gaining weight but can lose it over night, anemic alot, and so far cannot conceive. My face breaks out horrible, i have very itchy skin, my teeth are all of the sudden getting cavities when they didn't before. I'm sick a lot and tired all the time.....I'm 29 years old and it just gets worse as I go along.

mushroom Proficient

...and...let me guess, Ivyblaze, not one single person in your family has ever been tested for celiac disease? Am I right?? If not, or even if they have, I think it is time you went to your primary care physician and demanded to be tested on the following basis:

alternating diarrhea and constipation

cramping stomach pain and gas

foul smelling stool

fatty looking bowel movements

inability to concentrate

joint pain

anemia

inability to conceive

itchy skin

food intolerances

rotting teeth

constant sickness and fatigue

family history--especially diabetes, RA, lupus, colon cancer, as well as the symptoms like yours.

Don't take no for an answer. You will need to have a full celiac panel:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

Don't suffer any longer because I don't think it's going to get any better and it could get a lot worse. Good luck. :)

Ivyblaze Newbie

You are correct not a single person has ever been tested in my family.....not to mention I forgot most including my mother had thyroid problems and her gall bladder removed, and come to think of it her teeth were declining too, and Four of us have asthma. not to mention I am allergic to hay, wheat dust, pecans etc...the only thing they have ever told me was you have allergies take these shots one in each arm for four years and you will be fine. I have seen 8 immediate family members die in 4 years mostly my maternal side of my family and my mother 52, aunt early 40's, grandma in early 70's, grandpa in late 70's. All I know is my gut burns constanly and the cramping is almost unbearable at times...I do not want to die early too.

I happened on this by total fate...i was watching a show about celiac disease and I sat there in tears thinking oh my god those are my symptoms, those were my families symptoms.....that is how I ended up here. Strangly when I was hospitalized for 5 days they had me on almost no food I got better. Rice, beans, banans, jello etc. They released me and told me I was fine. I will be requesting a celiac panel soon....Any ideas on the costs of that?

Thank you so very much! I cannot even begin to tell you how much. Now how in the world do I explain this to my husband if this is the case...he knows my symptoms but just figured that is they way I am because for almost 8 years that we have been together this is how I have been running to the rest room after I eat and having D violently and then days no BM at all. How do you explain this? He is a southern farm boy...fried, meat, potatoes and bread!

mushroom Proficient

It's hard when families can't get on board. I am from a farm family too, meat, bread, potatoes, puddings, baked goods everywhere morning, noon and night. No wonder I was always in the vegetable garden eating the fresh peas and carrots, and climbing the apple trees. :lol: Breakfast used to be a disaster of rolled oats or Wheetbix, fried leftover potatoes, or fatty bread (sometimes both) and then, joy, at least egg and or bacon or sausage and, this being New Zealand, sometimes even a lamp chop!! Couple of slices of toast to go with that too. OMG, a good ole Kiwi farm breakfast. I would have such stomach aches at school :( .

I have a gluten intolerant sister, and another sister who is unacknowledged gluten intolerant, my mother was always gassy and belching, my father had RA and diarrhea, my brother was born with all-over eczema, had failure to thrive, diaarrhea and developed a seizure disorder (petit mal), so though I have never been gene tested I am probably a double celiac gene person. What difference? I know gluten is my problem and it turns out my husband is celiac too (he developed dermatitis herpetiformis whilst cheating on the diet) so he is on board now :lol: . But my other sister and all her family think my older sister and I are hypochondriacs because they knew us in our gluten eating days and they will make no accommodation at all. That's just the way it goes. She lives in the North Island and needless to say I don't visit her often.

With any luck you will get a positive diagnosis that will convince your husband that you must eat gluten free. You will learn new ways to cook things that taste just as delicious as the gluten thingys and he would probably be healthier too if he were to join you.

P.S. Since I live in New Zealand I don't know how much this blood panel would cost in the U.S. Maybe someone else can help you with that.

Ivyblaze Newbie

Funny note: my mother used to tell me that she craved veggies and fruit with me but bread made her sick when prego with me. Laughs....she used to find me in the garden munching too Laughs. I just know that he will get it but his family might not so I will just have to depend on him to speak up for me....his mom listens to him :) strangely we live on a farm and I enjoy everything but being around the hay lol


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,981
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    jennifergodshalk
    Newest Member
    jennifergodshalk
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      It sounds like your gastroenterologist is becoming increasingly confident that celiac disease is the likely diagnosis based on both your older and newer lab results. Her suggestion to call each Monday for possible cancellations is actually a great strategy—especially given how long the wait is until your August 29th appointment. It’s also a good sign that she’s advocating for you to be seen sooner, which shows she’s taking your case seriously. The fact that some labs might not have been drawn yet due to overlap with your functional health doctor’s upcoming testing adds a layer of confusion, but that’s unfortunately common when multiple providers are involved. Hopefully, the GI’s remaining labs will still get processed, or she can reorder them if needed. As for the colonoscopy prep, it’s totally understandable that you're dreading it—many people rank it among the least pleasant medical experiences. You’re definitely not alone in preferring the pill prep option over the liquid kind, especially if you don’t drink Gatorade and had a rough experience with Miralax in the past. Hopefully, your doctor will approve the pill form, especially since you’ve tolerated other options poorly before. Fortunately, the upper endoscopy doesn’t require any bowel prep—just fasting, usually starting the night before—so that part should be easier to handle. It’s great that you’re already trying to boost your gluten intake, but yes, tracking gluten content can be surprisingly tricky. You’re right that the general rule for wheat-based products is to multiply the protein content by about 0.75 to estimate the gluten content. That means foods like oyster crackers, while convenient, may not pack enough gluten to help reach the recommended daily goal of around 10 grams before biopsy. It’s helpful that you caught that early, and switching to more gluten-dense foods like regular wheat bread, pasta, or wheat cereals might make it easier to hit your target. It’s not easy eating more gluten when you’re trying to manage symptoms or just not used to it, but doing so can make a big difference in ensuring your biopsies are accurate. You’re on the right track—hopefully with a little luck, you’ll get a cancellation and be seen sooner.
    • cristiana
      Thanks for sharing that film, @trents.  I am not sure how I missed that film as I see it is a few years old, but it is very good.  I think you should be fine if you take your own packed lunch and eat it from your own lunchbox etc.  Might be worth doing a lunchtime recce to see how cramped the room is before making a decision - for all you know, there may be other people  there who don't eat gluten?
    • cameo674
      The GI doc messaged me this afternoon that she believes that the new blood work added to the old is definitely  looking like a celiac diagnosis is in my future.  She wants to me to call into scheduling each Monday to see if I can get my August 29th appointment moved up due to cancellations.  I have never had a doctor recommend that.  She also said there were additional labs that she requested still out that have not come back yet; so, they may have been missed drawing those since the functional health doctor has a whole slew of labs that I am suppose to be waiting until August 27th to do. I am still waiting to hear on whether or not she will allow me to do pill prep versus the typical gatorade prep that I did 8 years ago for that colonoscopy.  I do not drink gatorade to begin with and that miralax prep kept me in the bathroom up until we drove to the procedure.  My younger brother said the pill form was fairly easy when the liquid form is hard to swallow. Colonoscopy prep is definitely close to number one on the list of things I never want to experience again if I could avoid it.  Number one is a different medication that caused severe cramping that had me in tears until it wore off.  Never having had an endoscopy, I have no idea of what that prep is like, but it cannot be worse right? I started munching on oyster crackers last night.  It is shocking how filling they are.  I just read that I need to pay attention to the protein content of the wheat bread product or I will miss the gluten goal of 10 g per day prior to testing.  The post said that I should look at the protein and multiple that number by .75 if it is a wheat flour product to see how much gluten is in it.  No more oyster crackers for me.  I would have to eat 10 oz bag everyday to meet my goal.  not going to happen.
    • Alibu
      Well, I've made if from the pre-diagnosis forum to here!  I've been diagnosed with "latent" or "potential" celiac and my doctor has suggested me to go gluten-free before my appointment with him in October (first available, LOL).  My ttg-iga was 152, my EMA was positive, I have the gene, but my biopsy was negative (and he took 12 samples), so it makes sense to go gluten free to see if I improve. I know the basics - I can find lists of things to avoid, I know about hidden dangers, etc. all of that.  Where I'm struggling is just STARTING.  I need to go shopping and stock up on some staples.  My goal is to not try to find gluten-free alternatives, but to focus on naturally gluten-free foods like proteins, veggies, fruits, and carbs like potatoes and rice.  However, the rest of the household will not be gluten-free, which is fine, I don't want them to for various reasons.  But I have SO much food in my house in the pantry and fridge and cabinets, and it feels like I need to get rid of a lot in order for me to start fresh, but at the same time, I can't get rid of everything. I guess it's just feeling overwhelming and I've never given up gluten before so this is going to be a huge shift for me and I feel like I need SPACE, but I can't quite have that. Any advice on just getting started and organizing myself would be great!  
    • Scott Adams
      It’s great that you were finally able to see a gastroenterologist—and even luckier to get in the same day as your referral! It sounds like your GI is taking a very thorough approach, which is reassuring given your complex symptoms and history. The confusion around your different tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibody results is understandable. The variation between your December and June labs may be due to multiple factors, including differences in the lab performing the test (Quest vs. Mayo Clinic), the specific assay used, and the amount of gluten you had been consuming before each test. Antibody levels can drop significantly when gluten is reduced or eliminated from the diet, even partially, which might explain why your recent tTG IgA was now negative and your tTG IgG was borderline high. That’s likely why your GI mentioned it was “usually the reverse”—typically, tTG IgA is more commonly elevated in confirmed celiac, not IgG alone, especially when IgA levels are sufficient, as yours are. Your gene testing confirms that you carry HLA types (DQ2.2 most likely) that are permissive for celiac disease, meaning you can develop it, but not everyone with these genes will. These genes don’t explain why your symptoms are milder or different from others with celiac—many people have so-called "silent" or atypical presentations like yours, with issues like long-term heartburn, loose stools, nutrient intolerances, or just gradually adapting to symptoms over time. It’s not uncommon to assume these symptoms are just aging, medication side effects, or lifestyle-related until someone finally connects the dots. It’s a good thing your daughter advocated for you to be tested—many cases are missed for years because they don’t follow the “textbook” presentation. As for the immunoglobulin tests, your doctor likely ordered those to ensure your immune system is functioning normally, particularly your IgA level, since a deficiency can cause false-negative celiac blood tests. Since your IgA level is normal, your tTG IgA test should be reliable (assuming adequate gluten intake), but again, if you weren't eating enough gluten, that could explain the lower antibody levels now. The comprehensive metabolic panel and negative stool parasite results are additional pieces ruling out other causes of your symptoms, like infections or organ dysfunction. The upcoming endoscopy and colonoscopy should provide more definitive answers, especially with biopsies looking for celiac disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, and microscopic colitis. It’s completely valid to feel unsure about what you’re experiencing, especially when your symptoms have been lifelong or gradually worsening without being severe. You’re not alone—many adults with celiac or gluten-related disorders report subtle or chronic symptoms they’ve normalized. You’re doing the right thing by staying on gluten now through your procedure date in August. Try not to stress about reaching the full 6-slice equivalent each day, but do increase your gluten intake as much as tolerable (e.g., a couple of pieces of bread, pasta, crackers, etc.) to give the biopsy the best chance of detecting any damage. Good luck with your upcoming procedures—you’re closer than ever to answers and a clearer direction forward.
×
×
  • Create New...