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Symptoms - Is There A Difference?

sierracr

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sierracr Newbie
sierracr
Posted

Is there actually a difference between celiac disease symptoms and gluten intolerance symptoms?

I went to the doctors about a month ago, but the only tests she ran were ttg IGA, IGG. They came back negative (I don't know the numbers), but she told me to try out a gluten-free diet anyway. I was feeling better for about 2 weeks, until I accidentally glutened myself. It was probably because I hadn't eaten gluten during the prior 2 weeks, but eating that small amount of gluten hit me harder than it ever had before. I was in bed all day, feeling like I had the flu (without the actual flu). I had horrible body aches and stomach pains, completely lost my appetite. Even water made me nauseous, and I ended up puking twice. For about the next week, I felt completely off- just exhausted all the time, getting cold/chills.

Could these be symptoms of Celiac, or does gluten intolerance have the same symptoms as well? I'm also lactose intolerant, but accidentally consuming dairy has never given me reactions like accidentally consuming the gluten had... With that, it's all just my stomach, not my entire body!

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Hello! and welcome to the board.

To the best of my knowledge, those with "mere" gluten intolerance can experience the exact same symptoms as those diagnosable with celiac disease. And yes, after you have been avoiding gluten for even a relatively short period, recontact with gluten can set off a much more debilitating reaction. :( I don't know about lactose intolerance, which is often caused by the destruction of the villi in the small intestine (which is associated with celiac disease). I was lactose intolerant long before I ever though of gluten intolerance, and was never tested, so I don't know if I am celiac or not. And I don't know if non-celiacs become lactose intolerant because of gluten, or just because....

jeanne- Rookie
jeanne-
Posted

Hi and welcome,

I had the genetic testing and came back with the dx of non-celiac gluten sensitivity enteropathy and have been gluten free since sept. Last week I went to a restaurant for the first time since the dx. Somewhere in the meal, I was glutened. Like you said, it has been like having the flu for the last eight days, these GI symptoms are much worse than in the past. Take care.

  • 2 weeks later...
MsCurious Enthusiast
MsCurious
Posted

Hi and welcome,

I had the genetic testing and came back with the dx of non-celiac gluten sensitivity enteropathy and have been gluten free since sept. Last week I went to a restaurant for the first time since the dx. Somewhere in the meal, I was glutened. Like you said, it has been like having the flu for the last eight days, these GI symptoms are much worse than in the past. Take care.

Hi Jeanne,

Your post caught my eye because I've been trying to find out what tests diagnose NCGS. Can you tell me what tests they did that determined that's what you had rather than celiac? Did they tell you you have specific genetic markers or something? Or was it a blood test? Thanks in advance!

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