Can someone tell me their Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance Story?

Atown, I spent about 10 years thinking about a gluten-free diet before I tried it and learned that it helped me. However, in those 10 years I was also being treated for inflammatory bowel disease, and I think my gluten sensitivity is related to my bowel disease.

My IBD causes joint pain, diarrhea, upper GI pain and fatigue, and although I was treating it with a lot of medication I was still struggling with some soft stool, crampy bowels and fatigue. That's when I decided to trial a gluten-free diet. Within 2 weeks I noticed significant changes in my fatigue levels and also in my ability to concentrate, which was something I hadn't linked to my gut before. Within a month all the soft stool was gone. I've been gluten free now for 6 months and I have no regrets.

I would suggest that you get a regular check-up and talk to your DR about the issues you describe above. You should also think carefully about maintaining a healthy diet. As a young adult you are surrounded by people making unfortunate food choices, I would guess, but you're going to be responsible for yourself soon enough so this is a good opportunity to figure out how to eat to stay well. Your DR can order some blood tests to check some basic things like vitamin and iron levels in your blood, and look for signs of infection or inflammation.

I may have celiac disease. I had my first doctor's appointment recently with a GI regarding digestive issues that I just litterally couldn't stomach any more plus a bothersome rash I was seriously concerned with. After listening to a long list of tummy troubles from bloating, gas, D, and C, loose stools, you name it I've had trouble with it. I also have numerous autoimmune diseases. He feels pretty strongly that it my troubles maybe related to celiac disease. So now I'm freaking out somewhat about all the test and changes I'll have to go through yet again. Somewhat happy that maybe just maybe with some work I could actually feel good and mean it. I just had my blood work done so far. I go for a colonoscopy in January and possibly to a dermatologist to further comfirm the rash. He said that I celiac disease can cause a rash. He basically said my gut was screaming for a colonoscopy so now I'm worried. I've gone so long with all these issues I wonder my god how much damage have I caused for myself by not speaking up sooner. Hey its not an easy topic to talk with no matter who you are. I mean no one likes to say my plummin isn't working so good these days. It would all make so much sense to me. I really thought maybe it was IBS or Chron's but then he mentioned celiac and that through me for a loop. Guess that's why he's the doctor. So now the waiting game takes place. I guess just to play it a little safe I'll take it easy over the christmas. I was miserable after thanksgiving several days with D. I just wish I had mentioned this to my doctor a long time ago. What really triggers this though. I'm Hypothyroid and hashimoto's disease, Raynaud's disease, and ITP. So this would be just another piece of the puzzle. How long does it usually take when they send off the lab work to hear back? I hope I hear something by the end of the week. Why all of a sudden would foods i love be back firing on me?

Celiac runs in my family, both my aunt & uncle who are married have it, and it seems like digestive disorders (although mild) run in our entire family. Yet I was diagnosed with Chrons in september. I've started to do the SCD diet (simple carbohydrate diet), i'm also tapering prednisone now and not seeing the worst results I saw a month ago... so who knows. Did a celiac test, we'll see for the results.

I can't decide what I would like better: Chrons or Celiac. I'm leaning towards celiac, because then I know ultimately how to treat myself, where with Chrons/Ulcerative Colitis, there is only trial and error treatments so far.

Can your blood tests for the coeliac antibody come back negative yet you still have Coeliac without knowing it?

about four weeks ago, I started antibiotics for a throat infection. Three days into the antibiotic treatment, I was having bloody stools, watery diarrhea, severe lower left abdominal pain as well as upper abdominal pain.

I was in and out of ER's for dehydration and they all dismissed me with having maybe a stomach bug. I was also having rashes. Three hospitals just sent me home with narcotics without a proper diagnosis.

So on the side, my mother made an appointment with a GI. He listened to my symptoms and automatically diagnosed with me ulcerative colitis. He planned to do a colonoscopy just to be sure four days later.

On the day of the colonoscopy, which was a week and a half ago, I asked him to do an endoscopy to check out my stomach because the medication he gave me was giving me acid reflux. He agreed, even though he felt it wasn't really needed.

Four days later, I was back in the ER for dehydration. By then they got news that I had C. Difficile. I almost died last Saturday.

When I was getting better on Monday and ready to be discharged... a doctor walked up to me and said, "You have Celiac disease, and a biopsy confirmed it." They ACCIDENTALLY stumbled upon my Celiacs!! It was only because I asked him to check for an ulcer because of the acid reflux did he find it!

My reaction was shock.

No one else in my family has it, that I know of. I wasn't even experiencing symptoms beforehand, and yet he found damage in my small intestine.

In a twisted way, my GI said that I'm lucky that I had C. Difficile (and survived), because if I never had it, they may not have discovered the underlying Celiac (which sometimes has no evident symptoms) nor colitis, and I could have increased my chances significantly to getting cancer.

I am 19 years old, I have C. Difficile, ulcerative colitis AND celiac disease.

I am on a gluten-free diet. I have to avoid oily, caffeinated, spicy foods for at least a month to end my colitis flare. And I am on a lactose-free diet for a month, but he said I might be permanently lactose intolerant.

-- But if you shop in the right places, you'll find tons of gluten free foods and snacks to keep you from starving :)

You'll be fine, don't worry!

You may have an intolerance to soy as well as gluten/wheat/dairy.  Some friends of mine had recently went vegan and were eating mostly whole foods, but had eaten some soy sausage links and some soy noodles.  He was getting sick and couldn't figure out why.  Now that he has eliminated soy he is doing much better.

Not sure if that is what your issue is, but its worth a shot.  As far as I'm concerned nothing is worse than being sick with your stomach chronically.