HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

UC and Celiac Disease

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/19/2015 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
I have anemia and my gi thinks it may be connected to Celiac Disease. He wants me tested and says it's 80 percent accurate and has to be followed by an endoscopy.

Has anyone gotten anemic and had this be the reason?

What did you do about it?
Posted 2/19/2015 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
I thought you were already eating gluten-free?
Posted 2/19/2015 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
I was chronically anemic or just barely within normal range for most of my adulthood. It was only when I adopted a GF diet that my hemoglobin got over 12. My DRs had always blamed my menstrual cycle for my low iron but I am not sure that was it.

I do not have celiac disease.
Posted 2/19/2015 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
From my understanding, grains have the potential to cause iron and other mineral deficiencies due to their phytic acid content. White bread and white rice appear to have the least phythic acid, so I would go with those if you can. I also think the lectins in wheat are more problematic than gluten due to their processing methods. I think the current method of high yield wheat production and its hybridization is creating more health problems.

Excerpt from the book, Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel that explains phytic acid:

Phytic acid has a strong inhibitory effect on mineral absorption in adults, particularly on the absorption of iron.21b Even a small amount of phytic acid in one’s diet can lead to a significant reduction in iron absorption. While grains, particularly whole grains, are rich in phosphorous, up to 80% of this phosphorous is bound up as phytate, which is not absorbable by the body.22b Phytic acid inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin,23b which is needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and amylase,24b which is required for the breakdown of starch into sugar. Trypsin, needed for protein digestion in the small intestine, is also inhibited by phytic acid.25b The concentration of and types of enzyme inhibitors varies considerably between different types of grains.26b Grains also contain tannins which can depress growth, decrease iron absorption, and damage the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to tannins, saponins in grains may inhibit growth.27b
Posted 2/19/2015 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
I am gluten free, but don't know if I have Celiac Disease. Doc says being gluten free could cause a negative on the blood test, but if celiac is the cause of my low folate then the biopsy would show celiac disease.

I don't want an endoscopy particularly because I have to pay for a chunk of it.
Posted 2/19/2015 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Ah, I thought that if you were gluten-free, you wouldn't have anemia, even if you have Celiac Disease. But I guess not!
Posted 2/19/2015 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
How are you eating in general? Have you had your b12 checked?

have you ever had a small intestine scope done in the past?

q
Posted 2/19/2015 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Quincy, I eat well but not enough probably. Low appetite and no excercise.

Never had an upper endoscopy and I am concerned about cost. GI said even if I tested negative or positive it's only 80 percent correct. So why even take a test then. Go right to the endoscopy.

I'm sure the hematologist is testing my B12. I've got to get to the source of amenia. I do have low folate and I'm taking supplements for that.
Posted 2/19/2015 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
If you have been gluten-free for a while how would that be the cause of your anemia?
Is there a treatment for celiac other than avoiding gluten?
Something does not compute for this idea and like you I would want a better reason to have an endoscopy (I had one a few years ago).

egads I just read this related to endoscopes: www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/19/ucla-hospital-superbug_n_6709764.html
If you need one done the risk is small (and there is a risk for almost everything in life). The anesthesia probably is the greatest risk.

Post Edited (imagardener2) : 2/19/2015 1:17:50 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/19/2015 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
My understanding is that you need to be eating foods WITH Gluten in for a couple of months before being tested....have I got that wrong!
Posted 2/19/2015 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
I'm already gluten free, there's nothing you can do about celiac disease except to go gluten free (according to my GI.) Ergo what's the point of an endoscopy he's pushing to find out. Plus can you all of a sudden get celiac disease. This anemia is a new thing.

This is a good thread for me. Thanks.
Posted 2/20/2015 2:08 PM (GMT 0)
there are several kinds of anemia, journey2health - i'm unclear on what's going on with you. you mention folate and b12 - do you have pernicious anemia? Have you seen this? www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000560.htm

Mine was always iron-poor anemia (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000584.htm), with hemoglobin hovering around 11.5 and sometimes dropping below - the last time I donated blood (they shouldn't have permitted it) my hemoglobin went to 8. A couple of years before I adopted a GF diet my ferritin got perilously low so I ended up on oral iron for about 6 months.
Posted 2/20/2015 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
You know what? If I'm already gluten free and I get an endoscopy to see if I have celiac disease, what is the point of getting the endoscopy because I'm already gluten free. There is nothing you can do about celiac disease except go gluten free. And, I'm already there.
Posted 2/20/2015 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
After doing some reading, I just don't see how the anemia could be due to celiac since you already are gluten free, and have been for a while, right? I'd ask your GI that if I were you. I do still think it's important to figure out why you're anemic, though.
Posted 2/20/2015 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I agree.

And one reason to have a scope to confirm celiac is to understand the level of avoidance you need with respect to gluten. While I can tolerate a bite of bread, a person with celiac disease cannot have gluten in any amount, even down to the 1/1000 part.

However, I don't think the scope is valuable unless you are eating gluten currently, although I suppose if you had a long lasting case of celiac there would be remnant damage to the villi even after adopting a GF diet.
Posted 2/20/2015 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
lamictal can cause anemia; sure it's not that? Might look into the side effects
Posted 2/21/2015 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Wow!, Burli
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply