Celiac Or Ibs?

[captaincramp]

Recently I have been having chronic stomachaches. I have had bloating, gas, fatigue,I am short and very thin, "Excercise Enduced Athsma" where the inhaler doesnt help, and anxiety/depression. I am a 14 year old male, amd I have not been tested, except for a blood test. The results arent't back yet, but the thing is my doctor diagnosed me with IBS. I am 4 days gluten free and I have had gluten withdrawals as some people have said. These symptoms include EXTREME HUNGER, fatigue, lightheadedness, irritability, depression, anxiety, and more gas. Do I have celiac or something else? I know it wont be a 100% answer, but your diagnosis' will be read and appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[ravenwoodglass]

You could be either celiac or gluten intolerant. Hang in there, your body will eventually give you the answer. Hopefully your stomach issues are improving but it can take a bit to heal. It is a good idea to limit your dairy intake at first and do try to go with as much unprocessed food as you can.

I know it is hard to be patient but it does sound like you are going through withdrawl. If you stay away from gluten that should lift fairly soon. We don't go through withdrawl to stuff we are supposed to be having in our system so that is an indication that you are doing the right thing by giving the diet a good strict try.

[sb2178]

Definitely stick with it, and keep a detailed record of your progress for your next dr's appointment. Write down what you eat, how you feel, etc.

A diet trial really takes a couple weeks before you can be remotely sure that it's the right thing. Only your body will have the answer. If you still aren't sure after about 4 weeks, you could try to reintroduce wheat or rye to see what happens. It's very uncomfortable if gluten is a problem, but gives you a solid answer if you are still doubtful at that point.

[nora-n]

Asthma meds often involve steroids (keep in mind you must take asthma meds like you are supposed to, or you get sicker and can get seriously ill) and if patients take any kinds of steroids, the celaic tests might be negative, especially the gut biopsies.

False negatives.

Maybe you just have to try to go gluten free without tests.

[vbecton]

Hi CaptainCramp. I have exercise enduced asthma as well and use an inhaler when needed...as probably your script says. Just like you, the inhaler NEVER worked anyway. It actually made me more lightheaded because it's pumped full of speed . Since going gluten-free, the inhaler is a distant memory. Not that I really ever used it, but I had one around just in case. I attribute the shortness of breath, cold, burning feeling in my throat & heart palpitations to my low blood sugar attacks. Now that those are gone because of gluten-free, so is the "asthma".

As far as the IBS vs. Celiac situation. Not sure, as my bowels are still in full-blown war. I think mine is a malabsorption problem, as yours might be. Hopefully you can get some answers soon.

[WheatChef]

Just a quick clarification to the whole "IBS or Celiac" thing. IBS is the acronym for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In the medical field the word syndrome is used to describe any set of symptoms that are commonly found together. The word syndrome is not used to define an illness, disease or condition. Many of the symptoms for celiac disease qualify for IBS as they are a collection of symptoms commonly found occurring together in a malfunctioning intestine.

IBS currently is kinda a made up term. It doesn't have any exact cause, it doesn't have any exact cure, it doesn't have any specific marker that can be tested for. It's pretty much like a modern times diagnosis of the old fall-back standard of "infected with evil spirits".

Celiac disease on the other hand has certain genetic causes, has testable markers, has observable triggers and can easily be observed and manipulated. One is a scientific term, one is a kind of catch all term for "we're not really sure whats wrong with you".