Being Tested For Celiac Disease

[scifigirl]

Hi everyone

I'm new to the forum and trying to figure out why I've had bloating, gas, diarrhea and a consistent stomach ache for the last month. I've gone right off eating and feel sick at times.

I was on a low carb diet for 3 months prior to this problem, where I cut out bread, pasta and any wholegrains. I mainly eat meats, eggs, vegetables and salads. After I'd lost a reasonable amount of weight, I started to add carbs again and now I have ended up with this uncomfortable stomach problem.

I'm guessing that because I cut out alot of the carbs (the gluten) and then added it again, that this has highlighted some intolerance that I have always had? I know that for the last 10 years (since I was 29) that I have had excess phlegm and sometimes have to clear my throat alot. I visited the doctor who just shrugged it off as an allergy to dust mites but am wondering now if this is all related.

My doctor is testing me for celiacs and thyroid problems and I'm waiting for the results which may take a few weeks.

I'm worried that I have caused this problem myself by going on this low carb diet - can anyone else relate to my concerns?

Nice to meet you all

scifigirl

[Roda]

I don't think going low carb "triggered" your issues. IMHO, when you went gluten light by avoiding the things you mentioned, your body wasn't under the constant attack like before. Upon reintroduction the immune system went into overdrive against the gluten. I inadvertantly went gluten light while I breastfed my youngest son for the first 12 months. I eliminated things in my diet because he would react. I felt wonderful during that time. Around the 1 year mark I started to add back in all the things I was avoiding. About 2 months later I started having symptoms..not GI but very rapid heart rate. I ended up in the ED twice. About 6 months later I started with uncontrollable reflux. I had low ferritin and anemia. All said and done it took a total of 2 1/2 years to figure out it was celiac disease. When I was tested it was positive and so was my biopsy. Looking back many years I believe I have had celiac since mid 20's(I'm almost 39) and maybe some form of gluten intolerence since a child. I had a nice time in my late childhood-teen years that I was fine. A lot of the things I considered "normal" for me can probably be attributed to gluten. I really feel if it wasn't for my son (he was diagnosed with celiac last year) I wouldn't have figured it out. I'm wondering now if the trouble he had as a baby was from gluten too. He was fine from about 3-5.5 yrs old then he was diagnosed at age 5 1/2.

So if you want to get tested stay on gluten. Tests include: total IgA, IgA/IgG tTG(tissue transglutaminase), IgA/IgG AGA(anti gliadin antibodies), IgA/IgG DGP(deamidated gliadin peptide), EMA(endomysial antibody). You can also have a EGD with small intestinal biopsies. It's recommended to have at least 8-11 samples taken in the small intestine from different areas to test for celiac. There is a risk of having false negatives on the blood and biopsy. Even if they are negative it doesn't rule out gluten as a problem. Sometimes a strict trial of gluten free for a good three months, then reintroducing it and noting effects, is the most diagnostic with negative or inconclusive results. This is what I am currently doing with my oldest son. All his testing is negative but still feel gluten is an issue. He has been gluten free since the end of August. I have noticed differences in him, for the better. I will be reintroducing gluten to him in Dec. for a challenge. He will probably remain gluten free. This is something I let him decide with me (he is 10) and his father. Dad needs some evidence, in lieu of the negative blood/biopsy, to continue gluten free. I already know it is the right decision.

Feel free to continue to ask questions. There are a lot of knowledable people on here that are willing to help.

[scifigirl]

Hi Roda

Thanks for your reply

I'm not sure that I have celiac's or just intolerances to certain foods now that have been made apparent by cutting out certain foods and then eating them again.

I'm still eating gluten until my blood test on Monday. I will make sure they are trying for all the types of test you mention in your post. I was also wondering how do you just get tested for food intolerance or allergies? The reason I'm not sure about celiac's now is that last night I eat two eggs with my dinner and I ended up with awful d all night - I've never had anything like it. I thought that eggs would be fine to eat as I never cut them out whilst on my low carb diet and they don't contain gluten. How wrong I was!

Hopefully I will have an answer to all of this soon. I think at least, I will go gluten and now egg free for 3 months (as you suggest) after the blood test to see if that makes a difference.

I'm off to sleep early tonight, to catch up after last night's drama!

Scifigirl

[Skylark]

A LOT of us discover that we're more sensitive to wheat after we cut it out for a while. You didn't trigger the intolerance by cutting out wheat. Think of it this way. You probably eat a lot of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Asparagus in the spring, plums in late summer, pumpkin pie this time of year. You don't trigger intolerance by going without those foods the rest of the year.

On the board, we're guessing what happens is your immune system gets to settle down from the constant assault of wheat. It normalizes a little, and then when you eat wheat again you get a big "kill the intruder" response.

Gluten reactions can be delayed, so don't panic about other intolerances until you've been gluten-free for a while. Also remember that you could have just gotten into a little food poisoning. It happens.

[AVR1962]

My husband went on a low carb diet and he started reacting to it. Carbs actually help break down pruines on the body and so with the lack of it in his diet it caused it gout to flare up. He went off, did not have a reaction to carbs when he went back to eating bread and pasta.

A low carb diet probabaly did not trigger celiac but it is possible that by going off you know realize that gluten is troublesome for your body. If this is the case, it might be worth staying off the glutens no matter what your test results are.

[scifigirl]

Thanks everyone

What you say makes sense about me reacting to gluten. I guess I'm just a bit gutted (no pun intended!) that I may never be able to just pop out to a restaurant on whim, or eat out on holidays etc. I realise it isn't impossible to do so but it just kinda takes the fun out of enjoying food somewhat, as I will have to plan ahead.

Anyway, it is a moot point if the low carb diet triggered this or not, as here I am and now I'm fairly sure I have an intolerance at the very least, if not celiacs. I cannot wait for my blood test on Monday as after that I am going on a gluten free diet and hopefully these terrible symptoms will ease.

Best wishes

scifigirl