Jump to content

  • 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

Pregnant And Wondering If My Ibs Is Really Celiac Disease

proud mommy

By proud mommy
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

proud mommy Newbie
proud mommy
Posted

About six years ago I began having stomach cramping and side panes when I was was going to school and working full time (I was under a lot of stress). I began going to Dr.'s to see what the problem might be. None of the Dr.'s I was seeing were able to find anything wrong and then I became pregnant so they were unable to continue doing tests on me. During my pregnancy the stomach and side cramping seemed to go away. After I had my son (who was very healthy) My pains returned, this time they were worse, I also had bloating and diarrhea. I saw a GI Dr. who told me that it was IBS and to cut gluten and dairy out of my diet. I did it for a while and my pains and other problems went away. Little by little I added gluten and dairy back into my diet and the pain and bloating (etc.) would return until I cut out gluten and dairy for a while. I've gone back and forth with cutting these things out of my diet for several years now. But as soon as I became pregnant this time (I'm 13 weeks now) I have not been able to tolerate gluten at all (much worse than before). I have started cutting out gluten and lactose form my diet and I am feeling much better. I'm concerned that I might really have Celiac Disease instead of IBS for a few different reasons A. I don't think I was ever tested for it B. I've been borderline anemic on and of and C. I already have an autoimmune disease, Vitiligo. Should I ask to be tested during pregnancy? I'm wondering this because I heard you have to eat gluten for several months for the tests to be accurate and I'm afraid that if I do have it that it will be bad for the baby. Or should I just continue trying to eat a gluten free diet and maybe ask just to talk with a specialist? Any advice? Thanks for reading!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lamegirl Newbie
lamegirl
Posted

If you are preggers and are very sensitive, it could be a cue from your baby - so I would stick to whatever diet you need to. When your baby is born, get her/him tested as soon as they start on solid foods for celiac, etc.. You'll know quickly if they can stomach milk products.

But for you, it could be you have a mild intolerance to gluten that is helped by a gluten-free and diary free diet. It also could be the case that you might have gallbladder issues (?), another allergy, or maybe something completely different.

The keys for when you are pregnant are to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D/ omega 3's, folic acid (of course), but also make sure your B vitamins are high enough (especially B12)... these are routine tests.. better to get b's by injection - less loss through gut.

I would see how you feel on a gluten-free and diary free diet for the rest of your pregnancy. If you feel better, keep with it. It might be the case that you can take some time later to get diagnosed, but really when you are pregnant, I would do whatever feels best.

Dixiebell Contributor
Dixiebell
Posted

Hi. It sounds like you might be on the right track. As for testing you could get the blood work done while you are pregnant and get your vitamin levels checked too. If you feel better not eating gluten and dairy, don't eat it. After you have your baby you could go back to eating gluten for three months or longer and have the blood test and an endoscopy. Be aware that the tests are NOT 100%. My blood test were negative but I feel like a different person since I cut gluten. Oh, the IBS diagnosis usually means 'we don't know what is wrong with you'. You said you have vitiligo, did you see a derm. for that? I think my 9yr old may have it. He is fair skinned so I am trying to get him tanned again so his ped. can see it better. I also read on web md that it can be connected with diabetes.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Here's what I would do in your situation:

1) stay gluten free during the pregnancy and during breastfeeding. yes, that may mean the next two to three years.

2) IF you want a formal diagnosis after that, then go back to eating gluten for at least four months prior to any testing.

the reason I say to stay gluten free is because you KNOW that you react to gluten. you don't know if it's a random sensitivity or actually celiac. but IF it IS celiac, you do not want to ingest gluten during your pregnancy (the autoantibodies in celiac also attack the placenta), and I wouldn't want to pass the antibodies in breastmilk either. (no particular research I know of addressing the later issue, but it's why I'm being fairly paranoid about gluten while I'm breastfeeding.)

you know gluten bothers you, and you don't need a prescription to eat gluten free. so stay gluten free until you can be tested without impacting the baby.

(of course, all of this is just my own opinion, and there are other ways to go if you want.)

proud mommy Newbie
proud mommy
Posted
  • Author

Thanx for all of the advice! I will for sure stay away from gluten during this pregnancy not only because of concerns about the baby, but also because I feel a lot better when I do! But as far as dairy is concerned I'm still a little confused, dairy does bother me but I seem to do OK with Lactose free things. Just assuming (for safety sake) that I really do have Celiac disease or an intolerance, is it OK to eat/drink things that are lactose free or products that are gluten free but may contain a small amount of dairy? That wouldn't hurt the baby, right? Oh and yes I went to a derm. for my Vitiligo when I was little, it hasn't really been much of a problem except you just have to make sure you always keep sunscreen on the spots that have no skin pigment because those spots are more at risk for skin cancer, because there's no pigment to protect the skin from the sun. I am fair skinned also which is good because you can hardly see the spots up against my light skin!

Dixiebell Contributor
Dixiebell
Posted

I wouldn't think dairy would hurt the baby. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. You may just be lactose intolerant too. If you continue to have problems lactose free then I would try dairy free.

gflooser Contributor
gflooser
Posted

I wouldn't think dairy would hurt the baby. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. You may just be lactose intolerant too. If you continue to have problems lactose free then I would try dairy free.

i totally agree with what everyone is telling you. definately stay gluten-free durning and after pregnancy. BUT, you do need to have the dairy so have you tried introducing just a little dairy without the gluten??? you might be able to tolerate just dairy. if not, then of course there are other ways to get those vits!

stay away from gluten!!!!!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


SGWhiskers Collaborator
SGWhiskers
Posted

Some people with celiac just don't do well with dairy for one reason or another. For me it is an allergy. For many it is because the damage done to the intestinal villi also affect the ability to digest lactose. Lactaid would help in this situation. For others, difficulty with dairy may be for other reasons. You can be blood tested for an allergy now. If you just stopped gluten, you MIGHT still be able to get a positive on the celiac blood test. I would trust a positive, but not a negative result in that situation. If you think you can tolerate dairy with the lactaid, then stick to that. Otherwise, no point irritating your intestines. But hey, what do I know.

Congrats on baby and stick gluten free.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    2. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,870
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KABoston
    Newest Member
    KABoston
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.