Had Endoscopy Yesterday.....

[kpryan]

So I had my endoscopy yesterday after a 1 month gluten challenge. I know that many argue that 1 month is not long enough (I was gluten free for about 1 year to 18 months).

The biopies won't come back for 1 week. He also took biopsies for H pylori. The immediate endoscopy results were:

- Z-line irregular

- Small hiatal hernia present

- Gastritis (localized mild inflammation was found in the gastric antrum)

My doc thinks that I most likely just have reflux since the Nexium seemed to have resolved my bathroom issues. Although my chief complaint of bad abdominal bloating remains.

I guess we'll see when the biopsies come back, but I have a feeling that they'll be negative. Blood work has yet to come back either.

Yesterday was the first day in a month I didn't eat gluten, and my husband already said that i looked better ( less bloating...)

I asked if reflux caused bloating and he said not usually...and since I dont' really have heartburn...I'm still confused...

Not that i am wishing a disease on myself, but i just want a concrete answer...which i may have to realize i may not get.

So I'm going back off gluten now to see if that helps...

[ravenwoodglass]

Do give the diet a good strict try. Acid reflux and heartburn are not uncommon with celiac. Hopefully the doctor took lots of biopsies but your body will give you the best answer. How did your body react to the one month challenge? If you had symptoms come back that is also pretty diagnostic.

[Lisa]

Yes, as Raven mentioned or implied, if you felt better going gluten free, that too can be supportive in achieving a diagnosis. Many times, it's fitting the puzzle pieces together.

Positive dietary response may not tell you if you have Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance... it will tell you that you have an issue with gluten.

[kpryan]

I had been on a strict gluten-free diet prior to the challenge for a good year. And initially I felt completely better. I later gave up dairy b/c some of my symptoms had returned and then felt better again. But most recently saw this doctor mainly bc of bloating.

When I first started the challenge, I had the same usual symptoms (though the intestinal ones were less than I had expected). After starting Nexium though, I really didn't have many intestinal issues besides constipation and bloating. I did have other symptoms (such as fatigue, brain fog, irritability...)....

So now I'm back on gluten-free diet with Nexium (for now at least) and see how I feel on that.

  On 10/20/2010 at 10:28 PM, ravenwoodglass said:

Do give the diet a good strict try. Acid reflux and heartburn are not uncommon with celiac. Hopefully the doctor took lots of biopsies but your body will give you the best answer. How did your body react to the one month challenge? If you had symptoms come back that is also pretty diagnostic.

[GFinDC]

It is not unusual to develop additional food intolerances after going gluten-free. That might explain the bloating that incited you to go see the doctor before the gluten challenge. I don't know why that happens, the additional intolerances. But it seems pretty common on this board. Sometimes it may be that they were always there but just were not noticed when eating gluten amid the general discomfort etc. But others seem to develop later.

[Mari]

I found this website informative

Introduction - The Gluten Syndrome, GlutenSensitivity, Gluten ...

The Gluten Syndrome.net. top. Patient perspectives on gluten grain intolerances and sensitivities . including the celiac disease subset,

theglutensyndrome.net

[ravenwoodglass]

  On 10/20/2010 at 11:37 PM, kpryan said:

I had been on a strict gluten-free diet prior to the challenge for a good year. And initially I felt completely better. I later gave up dairy b/c some of my symptoms had returned and then felt better again. But most recently saw this doctor mainly bc of bloating.

When I first started the challenge, I had the same usual symptoms (though the intestinal ones were less than I had expected). After starting Nexium though, I really didn't have many intestinal issues besides constipation and bloating. I did have other symptoms (such as fatigue, brain fog, irritability...)....

So now I'm back on gluten-free diet with Nexium (for now at least) and see how I feel on that.

Have you tried eliminating soy? If you haven't you may want to do so. It is not uncommon to become intolerant to it after we are diagnosed and gluten free. The stomach pain I get from soy is incredible and at first I thought I was being glutened but I didn't get the other issues, neuro and D that I get when I get glutened.