Celian/gluten Intolerance Vs. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

[southernbelle]

Last year I got really sick and had C-diff and colitis - twice and was hospitalized for a week both times. Ever since then I've had GI issues - bloating, gas, stomach discomfort and mild cramping, some constipation then all of the sudden diarrhea. Sometimes I have stomach distention - separate from the bloating. Often my abdomen area hurts to touch. In a follow up visit I mentioned these things to my GI doctor and that I noticed they seemed to be more noticeable and worse when I eat processed carbs. He said that it was just IBS from the c-diff and colitis. I asked him if I could be developing a gluten intolerance and he said the symptoms are similar. However, I've noticed that when I only eat natural foods and no processed carbs or anything with gluten, my symptoms go away. So, do I probably have celiac's or a gluten intolerance or is it really just IBS acting like Celiac's and I should just cut out the gluten/processed carbs anyway b/c I feel better?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. So tired of feeling bad.... : (

[mushroom]

Hello southernbelle, and welcome. Why not just come right out and ask / demand (depending on your level of assertiveness) him to test you for celiac disease? Serious physical stress can be a trigger for celiac disease, meaning that even though you may carry the gene(s) which predispose you to it, you will not necessarily develop celiac unless something sets it off. Sometimes it is emotional trauma, sometimes childbirth, or physical trauma as in a major illness. At least ask him to run the celiac blood panel before you give up eating gluten, because once you do it's too late for testing unless you want to go back on it again for three months.

[peeptoad]

Last year I got really sick and had C-diff and colitis - twice and was hospitalized for a week both times. Ever since then I've had GI issues - bloating, gas, stomach discomfort and mild cramping, some constipation then all of the sudden diarrhea. Sometimes I have stomach distention - separate from the bloating. Often my abdomen area hurts to touch. In a follow up visit I mentioned these things to my GI doctor and that I noticed they seemed to be more noticeable and worse when I eat processed carbs. He said that it was just IBS from the c-diff and colitis. I asked him if I could be developing a gluten intolerance and he said the symptoms are similar. However, I've noticed that when I only eat natural foods and no processed carbs or anything with gluten, my symptoms go away. So, do I probably have celiac's or a gluten intolerance or is it really just IBS acting like Celiac's and I should just cut out the gluten/processed carbs anyway b/c I feel better?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. So tired of feeling bad.... : (

This is pretty much what happened to me originally, except that I didn't have a C-diff infection to start things off (I did have SIBO that was treated though). I had all sorts of GI symptoms which seemed to get worse with consumption of carbs and especially processed carbs. Of course my celiac blood tests were negative, and my GI doctor didn't really have any response to me telling him carbs seemed to set everything off.

Even if your tests wind up being negative you might want to trial a gluten free diet. That was the only way I was able to determine that gluten was the problem (vs. fructose, dairy, etc.).

[peeptoad]

Hello southernbelle, and welcome. Why not just come right out and ask / demand (depending on your level of assertiveness) him to test you for celiac disease? Serious physical stress can be a trigger for celiac disease, meaning that even though you may carry the gene(s) which predispose you to it, you will not necessarily develop celiac unless something sets it off. Sometimes it is emotional trauma, sometimes childbirth, or physical trauma as in a major illness. At least ask him to run the celiac blood panel before you give up eating gluten, because once you do it's too late for testing unless you want to go back on it again for three months.

Re: bolded- this is exactly how my GI symptoms originally started... never knew celiac could start that way (or gluten sensitivity, as opposed to celiac).