Could This Be Celiac?

[hoot]

Hey guys,

For the past 5-6 years or so I've been dealing with brain fog (vitamin B12 or omega-3 deficiency?), general fatigue, persistent canker sores on the inside of my lower lip (again, B12?), skin problems mostly on my upper arms biceps area (not DH though), occasional pale stools, dry lips (no matter what the climate is or how much I drink), dry skin (better in humid environments), occasional bouts of diarrhea with stomach cramps, difficulty gaining weight and muscle twitching (magnesium deficiency?), among other things.

Recently the symptoms have gotten worse. Now I have had soft yellow frothy stool, usually floating, sometimes formless (but not watery; fat maybe?), lots of gas and bloating (I now have to take enzymes or I become a fart factory), acid reflux, indigestion, severe constipation (after a trip to Asia, been months since then though, still C'd; parasite or yeast?), lower abdo pain, itchy hands, mild nose bleeding, low energy (almost like low blood sugar), muscle weakness (even though I haven't done much physical activity), unintended weight loss while on a high fat diet (still ate gluten, lactose and casein) everyday, jaundice (attributed to Gilbert's Syndrome), pallor, voracious appetite occasionally and the list goes on. I don't experience all of these at the same time, but I've had every symptom in the last 12 months, most of them in the past 2 months.

I have noticed significant improvements with a gluten, casein and lactose free diet, while also reducing simple carbohydrates, and supplementing certain nutrients. I'm going to get tested for antibodies on Monday, so I've now been eating gluten for a few days and many of my symptoms have come back or worsened, I tried without digestive enzymes but I just could not stop having gas issues.

What do you guys think, does this sound like Celiac? What else could it be?

[RiceGuy]

Yes, it sure could be Celiac. Though there may be some other explanations for some or all the symptoms, your improvement with dietary changes seems fairly conclusive. How long did you keep up those changes? The longer your immune system had to allow the antibodies to diminish, the more likely the test will be negative. It is often suggested to consume gluten for six weeks prior to testing, and even then there's no guaranty.

The only other thing that I know of which could account for some of the symptoms is an intestinal yeast overgrowth (often referred to as candida). Most doctors are still in denial that such a condition can occur, and really don't know anything about it either. So your doctor is unlikely to be helpful in this regard. A good caprylic acid supplement along with following some simple dietary rules can resolve it in many cases, though not all. There are numerous threads about candida here, and you'll find lots of advice, both good and bad, as well as helpful and useless. However, the main idea is to starve out the little beasties by reducing the sugars and other things they feed on, and making the intestinal environment less conducive to them. In addition, promoting the helpful bacteria to help crowd the harmful ones out is also advised.

Many on this board have dealt with both candida and Celiac simultaneously, as Celiac often seems to create the intestinal conditions which promote an overgrowth. So you may find it necessary to treat both conditions at the same time in order to feel whole and healthy. Of course, there could still be other issues, but I won't be the only one to point out that many other problems often clear up when the gluten-free diet is strictly adhered to.

Welcome to the board! I'm sure you'll get plenty of helpful advice.

[hoot]

Yes, it sure could be Celiac. Though there may be some other explanations for some or all the symptoms, your improvement with dietary changes seems fairly conclusive. How long did you keep up those changes? The longer your immune system had to allow the antibodies to diminish, the more likely the test will be negative. It is often suggested to consume gluten for six weeks prior to testing, and even then there's no guaranty.

The only other thing that I know of which could account for some of the symptoms is an intestinal yeast overgrowth (often referred to as candida). Most doctors are still in denial that such a condition can occur, and really don't know anything about it either. So your doctor is unlikely to be helpful in this regard. A good caprylic acid supplement along with following some simple dietary rules can resolve it in many cases, though not all. There are numerous threads about candida here, and you'll find lots of advice, both good and bad, as well as helpful and useless. However, the main idea is to starve out the little beasties by reducing the sugars and other things they feed on, and making the intestinal environment less conducive to them. In addition, promoting the helpful bacteria to help crowd the harmful ones out is also advised.

Many on this board have dealt with both candida and Celiac simultaneously, as Celiac often seems to create the intestinal conditions which promote an overgrowth. So you may find it necessary to treat both conditions at the same time in order to feel whole and healthy. Of course, there could still be other issues, but I won't be the only one to point out that many other problems often clear up when the gluten-free diet is strictly adhered to.

Welcome to the board! I'm sure you'll get plenty of helpful advice.

In Hong Kong I was consuming lots of whole wheat, other gluten and dairy products (and simple carbs like candy, white rice) for about 4 weeks, then the symptoms just got so bad I had to get home and figure this out. Prior to that I was almost gluten free by accident, and had made huge improvements (normal stool and consistency, felt better than I had in years) with the aid of mostly digestive enzymes and fiber. I was trying to reduce the semi-diarrhea I had and it was working!

Been gluten free ever since I got back in early June, was almost back to normal except for a lingering constipation, but when I tried a few gluten/lactose free pizzas lately it made my constipation worse (probably reacting to the casein) and some symptoms came back or worsened. So I decided to get tested and doc told me to eat gluten before the test, and have been doing so for 4 days only to find some symptoms getting worse, especially gas, bloating and constipation, and others like fatigue, muscle weakness, brain fog and reflux returning.

Yeah doctors have been pretty useless, they just say the basic stuff you can find out on the first page of a Google search; eat more fiber, drink lots of water, get some exercise, reduce stress etc. like I haven't tried that yet, and they basically say I'm a hypochondriac, that it's all probably in my head. And part of it could be, but I'm not THAT worried or nervous, at least I don't feel like I am.

I did however find some black sesame seed-like things in my stool when I wiped last time, and I have seen these before. I've been meticulous about what I eat recently, and I keep track of it. I can say with certainty that I have not eaten anything even resembling that in almost 2 months. So it could be parasites in addition to candida and celiac, or some combination of those. That's why I still want to have a stool culture done to see what it could be. Otherwise I'm taking a break from the arrogant docs who rarely listen and always cling to their medical text book.

[Mari]

The light colored stools indicates that you have a partly blocked gall bladder and some of your other symptoms may be a result of this condition and a build-up of toxins in your liver and body. If you look at the Liver Flush Support forum at Curezone you will see what others are doing about this.

[ravenwoodglass]

I did however find some black sesame seed-like things in my stool when I wiped last time, and I have seen these before. I've been meticulous about what I eat recently, and I keep track of it. I can say with certainty that I have not eaten anything even resembling that in almost 2 months. So it could be parasites in addition to candida and celiac, or some combination of those. That's why I still want to have a stool culture done to see what it could be. Otherwise I'm taking a break from the arrogant docs who rarely listen and always cling to their medical text book.

I think you are wise to go and get checked for parasites, especially since you have recently been overseas. It can take some time for us to heal fully after we have done a 'challenge'. Just keep eating clean and get that stool culture done and hopefully you will be feeling better soon.

[hoot]

The light colored stools indicates that you have a partly blocked gall bladder and some of your other symptoms may be a result of this condition and a build-up of toxins in your liver and body. If you look at the Liver Flush Support forum at Curezone you will see what others are doing about this.

Usually yes, but then it would be constant and I had an upper abdominal ultrasound which showed that my gallbladder, bile ducts, liver, pancreas etc. were all normal and quite healthy. Blood tests supported that, except for the elevated bilirubin. I have also been diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome, and pale stools are an occasional symptom of that, as well as of Celiac and certain parasites. Also, for me it seems to vary depending on what I eat, on a gluten-free or low gluten diet my stool color returns to normal after a while. I recently had normal brown stool but then did a gluten challenge and it got pale/yellow again, along with other symptoms.

I think you are wise to go and get checked for parasites, especially since you have recently been overseas. It can take some time for us to heal fully after we have done a 'challenge'. Just keep eating clean and get that stool culture done and hopefully you will be feeling better soon.

Yeah I will, already feeling a bit better actually. Thanks!