Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Can I Tell If I Am Celiac Or Just Sensitive? Are There Specific Symptoms Or Signs?

bleufulol

Recommended Posts

bleufulol Newbie
bleufulol
Posted

Hi all,

I'm new to this site, but I've been gluten-free for about a year and a half after doing an elimination diet due to some symptoms I was having...and felt MUCH better. However I had a celiac test about a year ago and it came back negative, although my doctor told me it was pretty much useless because I didn't eat gluten leading up to it. I've been pretty careful, but yesterday went out to eat and accidentally consumed gluten. I'd forgotten how AWFUL I feel--I got the worst brain fog and fatigue after, and today I woke up feeling exhausted, my joints hurt, muscles feel a weird mix between achy and weak? among other things. Anyway, just wondering if there are any telltale signs of celiac disease versus just intolerance? Haven't found any online. Just feel so crappy that I can't imagine "just" an intolerance could provoke something like this? unless I'm mistaken. 

 

I can't imagine going on a glutenous diet for weeks just to be accurately tested!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


notme Experienced
notme
Posted

the sad reality is, that is exactly what you would need to do at this point to be tested.  :(  the same thing happened to me (so, my blood test came back negative because i'd been off gluten, therefore no antibodies to detect)  hopefully they will develop a better test soon.  you could get an endoscopy, but, same thing:  you would need to go back on gluten for a few months.  i was dangerously malnourished and my doc advised not to.  i was diagnosed pretty much by accident.  

 

so, there are your choices:  continue on the gluten-free diet and doubt your exact problem or consume gluten and get tested.  sorry to say, celiac is under-diagnosed and mis-handled by the medical profession all too often.

 

good luck and welcome to the forum :)  (sorry to be debbie downer lolz)

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

The only real difference between celiac disease and NCGS is what shows up in the diagnostic tests.  Celiacs can be positive in the ttG, DGP, and EMA blood tests.  Celiacs will usually (80+%) show villi damage during and endoscopic biopsy, or show antibodies during a skin biopsy.  The AGA tests are positive in many celiacs and in a minority of those with NCGS - it's not a very sensitive or reliable test.

 

Otherwise the symptoms are the same.  Nutritional deficiencies, neuropathies, migraines, arthritis, stomach aches, D, C, rashes, fatigue... all the same symptoms.  :(

 

If 2-3 months on gluten is too much, I would skip the test too.  The test outcomes wouldn't matter because you already know the treatment, right?  ;)  Welcome to the board.

BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted

Welcome to the board!

 

I can't do 2-3 months of gluten, so I live 100% gluten free. It works for me and keeps me as a functioning, productive member of society.

cashs mom Rookie
cashs mom
Posted

This is a very interesting thread for me.  I have also gone gluten free on the advice of my chiropractor after going to 3 doctors and taking more and more stuff and getting worse.  With me my main symptom is sleeplessness and feeling like I'm tired but wired all the time.  I do feel better since going gluten free but I'm struggling as to what I can and can't eat.  I'm not sure I want to eat gluten and go back to feeling so bad and barely sleeping since I've developed a sensitivity to so many other things that would help me sleep that I'm afraid to take anything.   I'm thinking after reading this, I may have to just go ahead and stay gluten free so that I can continue to be productive.  Being self employed, I can't afford to be non functional for 2 to 3 months.

dbva Newbie
dbva
Posted

I just tried to do the gluten challange after being gluten free for two years, and your symptoms are EXACTLY what I have been going through! I decided I can't do this to myself for any longer and am going back on a gluten free diet. I wanted to know if it was celiac or an intolerance, but since the treatment is the same, it's just not worth it to me.

I will add that my mom was diagnosed as celiac, so it runs in my family and I already know the odds of my having it are good, especially with an obvious intolerance. I wish I could handle it simply to "cast my vote" for the number of diagnosed individuals, as the more people that are officially diagnosed would increase awareness, but I just can't do it.

Good luck with whatever choice you make as far as testing :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,793
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Oli1904
    Newest Member
    Oli1904
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jordan23
      Potato Intolerance

      By Jordan23 · Posted

      Ok so know one knows about cross reactions from yeast,corn, potatoes, eggs, quinoa ,chocolate, milk, soy, and a few more I forgot.  There all gluten free but share a similar structure to gluten proteins. I use to be able to eat potatoes but now all of a sudden I was stumped and couldn't figure it out when I got shortness of breath like I was suffocating.  Then figured it out it was the potatoes.  They don't really taste good anyways. Get the white yams and cherry red 🍠 yams as a sub they taste way better. It's a cross reaction! Google foods that cross react with celiacs.  Not all of them you will cross react too. My reactions now unfortunately manifest in my chest and closes everything up . Life sucks then we die. Stay hopeful and look and see different companies that work for you . Lentils from kroger work for me raw in the bag and says nothing about gluten free but it works for me just rinse wellllll.....don't get discouraged and stay hopeful and don't pee off god
    • K6315
      Newly gluten free… withdrawal?

      By K6315 · Posted

      Hi Lily Ivy. Thanks for responding. Did you have withdrawal? If so, what was it like and for how long?
    • trents
      Can I trust the gluten free label if a product was made in a facility that also processes gluten?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Doris Barnes! You do realize don't you that the "gluten free" label does not mean the same thing as "free of gluten"? According to FDA regulations, using the "gluten free" label simply means the product does not contain gluten in excess of 20 ppm. "Certified Gluten Free" is labeling deployed by an independent testing group known as GFCO which means the product does not contain gluten in excess of 10 ppm. Either concentration of gluten can still cause a reaction in folks who fall into the more sensitive spectrum of the celiac community. 20 ppm is safe for most celiacs. Without knowing how sensitive you are to small amounts of gluten, I cannot speak to whether or not the Hu Kitechen chocolates are safe for you. But it sounds like they have taken sufficient precautions at their factory to ensure that this product will be safe for the large majority of celiacs.
    • Doris Barnes
      Can I trust the gluten free label if a product was made in a facility that also processes gluten?

      By Doris Barnes · Posted

      Buying choclate, I recently boght a bar from Hu Kitchen (on your list of recommended candy. It says it is free of gluten. However on the same package in small print it says "please be aware that the product is produced using equipment that also processes nuts, soy, milk and wheat. Allergen cleans are made prior to production". So my question is can I trust that there is no cross contamination.  If the allergy clean is not done carefully it could cause gluten exposure. Does anyone know of a choclate brand that is made at a facility that does not also use wheat, a gluten free facility. Thank you.
    • trents
      Hidden Gluten in distilled vinegar

      By trents · Posted

      @Manaan2, have you considered the possibility that she might be cross reacting to some food or foods that technically don't contain gluten but whose proteins closely resemble gluten. Chief candidates might be dairy (casein), oats (avenin), soy, corn and eggs. One small study showed that 50% of celiacs react to CMP (Cow's Milk Protein) like they do gluten.
×
×
  • Create New...