TheCatWhisperer

I want to thank you all for replying, it makes me feel much better, and I now have notes to take to my doctor and will hopefully get tested. My insurance is very good, so I should have no issues there (and I'm in Canada, so most of it is covered anyway).

Just on other question, how long (for those of you who got diarrhea form the Celiac) did it take for the D to "go away"? I'm just wondering, if it takes months, that is fine with me, I just want o stop relying in drugs like Imodium to treat it. (If indeed I am diagnosed with Celiac).

Thanks again, you all are great!

KaitiUSA, actually, it helps quite a bit, and to think of it, i did have to rather major infections prior to coming down with the symptoms, on was a bad throat infection (they put me on a double dose of Amoxicillin). that double dosage caused me to become allergic to penicillin, and then the next infection (ear) they put me on something else, it was a few months later i came down with the diarrhea.

I should really mention this to my doc, as well as ask for those tests.

Thanks again soo much

/c

Ok, so about 4 years ago I was "diagnosed" with IBS, that is, i started suffering from diarrhea, at first mild, then within months it was bad. My doc sent me for blood, urine & stool tests, all came back fine, then he sent me for a barium X-Ray, which came back fine (minus a few minor diverticuli). His diagnosis was IBS, that it was likely *caused* by stress and put me on Paxil & Imodium. So I lived with those pills for over 2 years. Eventually I got fed up with being on Paxil & feeling nothing and quit cold turkey, I was still on about 3 Imodium per day to keep the D from happening. (would still have "attacks" once in a while).

I switched doctors and he came to the same conclusion (no tests were done), and so I continued for another year or so. I recently (about a month ago) went to a different doc one day as my regular GP was not in, he listened to my story and almost immediately asked if I had tried a Lactose or Gluten free diet. Huh? So I tried them both, I cut lactose & gluten out of my diet for 3 weeks.

So after about 2 weeks I started feeling better, I was able to cut my Imodium down to 1 & 1/2 to 2 per day, and rarly felt pain or crampiness. The next step was to re0introduce both lactose & gluten (one at a time), and the lactose went fine, but the gluten was not bad, but I feel crampy and icky again (my Imodium is the same at about 2 per day).

What I'm wondering is what does it mean? (I can't get in to see the doctor for another two weeks, they are booked...) And what should I do next?

Is it possible that I have had Celiac Disease for over 3 years?

Could that be why I haven't seen a great change in my bowel habits, but have seen some?

Is it just possible that the change in foods was just better for my IBS and I do not have Celiac?

*confused & bewildered*

Oh, yeah, I'm 28, Male, never smoked, rarely ever drink, and am usually stressed.

Thanks for any ideas, comments or help you can give, I REALLY appreciate it