Can Celiac or Wheat Intolerance appear in your 50's ?

[scarymonster]

Hi all, new here and am hoping for some advice or to hear from people with a similar experience.

In brief I have been having gradually worsening symptoms for about 6 months (but have been avoiding over eating wheat based products for about a year due to being suspicious after having minor problems).

1st noticed when I have certain foods, feel terrible the next day, tummy upset, gas, nausea, bloated feeling and general feeling of being unwell. Example being Veggie Sausages at the Café, Pasta, Digestive Biscuits. The latter gave me a tummy upset for 3 weeks before I realised what it was and stopped eating them.

About ten days ago I had a wrap and a sandwich the same day and by the evening I had stomach pain + upset tummy, nausea and generally felt absolutely terrible.

I then made a terrible mistake a few days later and had fish and chips and had the whole upset again but this time more tummy upset the next day. I don't think I had recovered from the previous incident as I have had fish and chips in the not to distant past with no problems. 

I went to a 'walk in doctor' as I work away from home during the week to have a chat and see if they can provide any advice. After explaining my situation the doctor focused on the change of bowel habit and my age and advised me to see my GP with a view of arranging an colonoscopy. Now I will not ignore this advice of course and am rather stressed over all this as I went in being down about the possibility of having Celiac and came out feeling even more stressed and worried I may have cancer. 

I am just wondering if anyone else has had such an experience with either Celiac or perhaps wheat intolerance.

Why is it some foods, like the 'wrap' or 'digestive biscuits' that have such a terrible effect on me? Other's like a sandwich on it's own, maybe just a bit of bloating.

A bit of history, I am a 52 year old male, medium height and build, not overweight. Hypothyroid and medicated for that for last 20 years with no issues. I also have some Vitiligo (only mentioned as it's also an auto immune 'thing'. I also have Barrett's esophagus and my last two scopes have been clear for any progression of any kind. I am due again at the end of the year (year 3) but will ask to go back early.

One last point, I woke up the day after the 'wrap' incident with a dull pain/ache on my right side, lower belly. I can remember having this before on occasion on waking. Is this where something gets swollen from wheat intolerance by any chance?

Regards to all,

sm

 

 

[cyclinglady]

3 hours ago, scarymonster said:

Hi all, new here and am hoping for some advice or to hear from people with a similar experience.

In brief I have been having gradually worsening symptoms for about 6 months (but have been avoiding over eating wheat based products for about a year due to being suspicious after having minor problems).

1st noticed when I have certain foods, feel terrible the next day, tummy upset, gas, nausea, bloated feeling and general feeling of being unwell. Example being Veggie Sausages at the Café, Pasta, Digestive Biscuits. The latter gave me a tummy upset for 3 weeks before I realised what it was and stopped eating them.

About ten days ago I had a wrap and a sandwich the same day and by the evening I had stomach pain + upset tummy, nausea and generally felt absolutely terrible.

I then made a terrible mistake a few days later and had fish and chips and had the whole upset again but this time more tummy upset the next day. I don't think I had recovered from the previous incident as I have had fish and chips in the not to distant past with no problems. 

I went to a 'walk in doctor' as I work away from home during the week to have a chat and see if they can provide any advice. After explaining my situation the doctor focused on the change of bowel habit and my age and advised me to see my GP with a view of arranging an colonoscopy. Now I will not ignore this advice of course and am rather stressed over all this as I went in being down about the possibility of having Celiac and came out feeling even more stressed and worried I may have cancer. 

I am just wondering if anyone else has had such an experience with either Celiac or perhaps wheat intolerance.

Why is it some foods, like the 'wrap' or 'digestive biscuits' that have such a terrible effect on me? Other's like a sandwich on it's own, maybe just a bit of bloating.

A bit of history, I am a 52 year old male, medium height and build, not overweight. Hypothyroid and medicated for that for last 20 years with no issues. I also have some Vitiligo (only mentioned as it's also an auto immune 'thing'. I also have Barrett's esophagus and my last two scopes have been clear for any progression of any kind. I am due again at the end of the year (year 3) but will ask to go back early.

One last point, I woke up the day after the 'wrap' incident with a dull pain/ache on my right side, lower belly. I can remember having this before on occasion on waking. Is this where something gets swollen from wheat intolerance by any chance?

Regards to all,

sm

 

 

Welcome!  

Yes, you can be in your 50’s and be diagnosed with celiac disease.  It can develop at ANY age.  

Celiac symptoms can wax and wane.  It is one reason many are not diagnosed quickly.  Best to get a celiac antibody blood panel.  

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Keep in mind that all celiac testing requires you to be on a full (daily) gluten diet or the tests will be invalid.  

Cancer?  Unlikely.  Cancer screening of the large intestine is common after 50 years of age.    I had a colonoscopy at 51 and that is when the GI tested me for celiac disease.  

 

 

[Ennis-TX]

Scary and funny thing about celiac  is it has 100s of symptoms, and some people do not show them for years. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago. My symptoms had become very apparent after I did something stupid that shocked my immune system and changed them. Before this I had issues...but I assumed they were normal thing after having lived with them for most of my life. Little things that were just my normal and had progressively worsened over the years without me noticing, bloating, gastric issues, constipation where I thought it was normal not to go 3-7 days at a time...some other little things that would make up a huge list. Nothing that raised a flag til they drastically changed to include pain, vomiting, brain fog, nerve damage, and extreme issues with my mind working right from gluten ataxia which developed later on.

As cylcing lady said just go get the screening done before trying hte gluten free diet. Simple blood test first, You do have to be eating gluten daily before the testing do read up.

[scarymonster]

Thank you for the replies. I have booked a doctors appointment for Monday and will ask if I can have a blood test.

I have always suffered from a degree of bloating after food for as long as I can remember but I just learned to live with it and thought it was probably normal. Constantly undoing button of trousers while sitting down at my desk in the office. Maybe this is something I have always had and now I am older some trigger has occurred and I am receiving these more extreme symptoms.

A couple of symptoms arrived about a year ago which is a constantly itchy and sore bottom and also itching shins. I can scratch my shins until they bleed. There is no visible rash but they are extremely sensitive to touch. Almost electric. I have to really force myself not to touch them when it's happening.

Thanks again.

sm

 

[scarymonster]

Well, I called the doctors today and was told all my bloods are normal and are marked 'no further action required'. This is including the test for Celiac. Not sure what to think now. My condition has improved somewhat 1 week since I have been avoiding all bread and gluten containing foods that I can determine. I think I may try to stay off it for a while and stick to non processed foods and see if my condition improves any further. I am still a little sore inside but have not experienced the pain as before. I have also had an area of ulceration at the tip of my penis since the last outbreak and I noticed today my foreskin is very dry and breaking and getting sore. Seems to be one thing after another at the moment it's getting me down. The doctor did examine me and said i'll need to keep an eye on the ulceration. I'm quite sure its not an std so again am perplexed as to what has caused all this stress to my body.

[knitty kitty]

 

5 hours ago, scarymonster said:

Well, I called the doctors today and was told all my bloods are normal and are marked 'no further action required'. This is including the test for Celiac. Not sure what to think now. My condition has improved somewhat 1 week since I have been avoiding all bread and gluten containing foods that I can determine. I think I may try to stay off it for a while and stick to non processed foods and see if my condition improves any further. I am still a little sore inside but have not experienced the pain as before. I have also had an area of ulceration at the tip of my penis since the last outbreak and I noticed today my foreskin is very dry and breaking and getting sore. Seems to be one thing after another at the moment it's getting me down. The doctor did examine me and said i'll need to keep an eye on the ulceration. I'm quite sure its not an std so again am perplexed as to what has caused all this stress to my body.

You may want to continue eating gluten and have an endoscopy done to check for flattened villi in the intestines which is one sign of Celiac Disease, and to rule out other inflammatory bowel diseases. Even though the blood tests came back negative, your other symptoms (Barrett's esophagus, vitiligo, hypothyroidism) often occur with celiac disease.  Not everyone has positive blood work on the basic celiac disease blood panel tests.  

Celiac Disease (and other inflammatory bowel diseases) cause malabsorption which results in malnutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Your description of itchy shins may be due to vitamin deficiencies.  B12, niacin (nicotinic acid), and riboflavin deficiencies can cause itchy skin and rashes.  They are a few of the B vitamins, which are water soluble, so the body can't store them for long.  Zinc and vitamin D deficiencies can also cause rashes.  You might discuss with your doctor getting checked for vitamin deficiencies.  

Here are some articles that might help...

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Open Original Shared Link

 

 

[Bruins21Fan]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with having an endoscope done if the blood work is negative. You need the blood work to be positive, having the anti-body for celiac disease to have insurance pay for such a procedure. Also, if in fact you do have celiac disease, the treatment---gluten free the rest of your life. So, if not eating gluten makes you feel better, continue eating that way. People should eat the way a person with celiac does. Shop the perimeter of the store, eat unprocessed foods. Fruits, vegetable, protein, nuts and good fats like olive oil. Stay away from pizza, pasta, bread, crackers, fried foods, fast food, and deserts. If people eat this way, they generally feel better regardless of having celiac disease or not. Good Luck! Hope you feel better.

[kareng]

44 minutes ago, Bruins21Fan said:

I'm sorry but I don't agree with having an endoscope done if the blood work is negative. You need the blood work to be positive, having the anti-body for celiac disease to have insurance pay for such a procedure. Also, if in fact you do have celiac disease, the treatment---gluten free the rest of your life. So, if not eating gluten makes you feel better, continue eating that way. People should eat the way a person with celiac does. Shop the perimeter of the store, eat unprocessed foods. Fruits, vegetable, protein, nuts and good fats like olive oil. Stay away from pizza, pasta, bread, crackers, fried foods, fast food, and deserts. If people eat this way, they generally feel better regardless of having celiac disease or not. Good Luck! Hope you feel better.

I don't see what it would hurt to have the endoscopy while they are doing the colonoscopy.  Something is wrong, they can check both ends ans see what is going on.

[scarymonster]

I am due an endoscopy by the end of this year to check on my barretts so I can always ask them to check for signs of Celiac.

However I have cut right down on my breads and other wheat containing foods since my original posts and am symptom free at the moment so don't know what to think. Without some kind of formal diagnosis I'm guessing I am just very sensitive to too much wheat! Strange thing is though I can eat toasted spelt bread or sough dough and not get a reaction... Does that point to something about modern wheat or refined wheat that is causing the problem? I don't know enough about it just thinking aloud. I've been re listening to 'Wheat Belly' and think I will just stop eating it for now and see how it goes over the next 3 months. Apart from checking for other issues just in case, I can't see the point in putting myself through months more discomfort so I can have a few more tests when if I stop eating it I can feel better now.

My next challenge is to find more things to eat. I notice there is a wealth of information on youtube so need to learn to cook some simple, non processed and wheat free meals so I don't get too bored.

Regards to all,

SM

PS. Also thanks everyone for your replies, I have read and will re read and take everything on board.

 

[scarymonster]

Just as an update, it is now 2 months and I've been avoiding all Wheat and Gluten. The only thing I have eaten in that category is Spelt Sourdough toasted. It seems to be something I and others also can tolerate when other breads are out of the question. Some observations. I've not woken once with a stomach ache since stopping and it was a regular thing. I just realised today when on the bus, I've also not undone my trouser button when sitting down. This is something I have been doing for years as it's so uncomfortable (and I'm not overweight).

Stomach is still a little delicate though depending on what I eat. A little sore at times. I did have a terrible virus a couple of weeks ago which started with 12 hours of diarrhoea, probably norovirus following by another virus, sore head, neck, nausea, exhaustion. So not really been at my best, maybe I need to give things more time.

I've probably lost 5 pounds. I'm about 12 stone now (and 5.9" in height) so 5 pounds is quite a lot for me.

Bowels have not completely resolved themselves, things are better but not brilliant which leaves me thinking it's a fodmap thing (or am I still recovering from the norovirus). I'm seeing my consultant in early August for an endoscope to check my Barratts, and will also ask for the other end just to check so I can discount anything nasty before messing with my diet and exploring fodmaps more....

 

[scarymonster]

Fell off the gluten-free wagon starting with Fish & Chips last week, Veggie Burger in a bun last Friday & few biscuits while out with the family over the weekend. I also had a toasted sandwich 2 days ago, it was sourdough bread but probably made with wheat and not Spelt which I know I can tolerate.

Result being I feel like I'm back to square one again, feeling bloated and sore, waking with stomach ache in the middle of my belly, frequent trips to the bathroom to pass even the smallest stools but so uncomfortable before I just need to go.

Still very worried about what the hell is going on. Had my endoscope two weeks ago and getting results on Saturday when I get home as letter is waiting for me. Scope was to check my barratts but consultant took extra biopsies to double check for Celiac (I told him my bloods were negative for Celiac). Also waiting for referral from GP for colonoscopy. 

Very worried about colon or bowel cancer and just want this all checked so I can get on with my life without worrying what is wrong with me.

 

[TrainInVain]

I'm 48 and was diagnosed with Celiac a month ago, after biopsy and blood test. I dreaded the colonoscopy and the preparation is as bad as they say, but you will likely be glad you did once its over. They removed a precancerous polyp during my colonoscopy so I was incredibly happy afterword to have done it.
Just make sure you follow all directions for the prep. When I was checking in for mine, right next to another person, so I couldn't help but hear, she told them she had a sandwich in the morning before coming in so they weren't sure about her getting her procedure. You do not want to get turned away and have to go through the prep again. 
I had a lot of the fears you did before the colonoscopy on what if I had colon cancer. The GI told me before I even asked that she didn't think it would be cancer without black tarry stools or blood in the stool, and I didn't see that you mentioned those symptoms.

[scarymonster]

 

~Hi TiV, thanks for your message. No I don't have black stool or any blood. I would describe my stool as sticky though since I went gluten-free, mostly neither loose or firm and I have seen some mucus now and again ~(before & after going gluten-free), but not frightening amounts and am wondering if that is more of an IBS type symptom. After I gave up Gluten I did use Senocalm for a while which seemed to be working well and calming my system down but now I've strayed from the path I guess I need to wait for my system to clear out properly and start again. Lesson learnt. Strange thing is, the fish and chips take away last week did not seem to cause any issues. Maybe it did not have enough gluten in the fish batter and then when I added to that over the next few days, BANG! 

I hate this feeling in my tummy, sort of at belly button height. Sore and uncomfortable.

Did they sedate you before the colonoscopy? I am not a good patient. I went into a bit of a panic during my endoscopy. I was slightly sedated same as last time but this time it was all so quick and I don't think they gave it enough time for me to calm down. It was quite horrible. Have you had both procedures and is the colonoscopy easier to cope with, the actual procedure?

I will certainly remember not to eat if that is what they specify. As you say, you don't want to repeat the prep nightmare.

 

 

[squirmingitch]

scarymonster, you went gluten free & then had your endoscopy? Nope, that's not how it's done. 12 weeks of eating gluten every day is what's required HOWEVER you may just luck out since I see you really didn't go gluten free at all. You were still eating sourdough bread & apparently some other things. Oh, spelt is wheat so it doesn't matter that it was spelt sourdough. Doubtless you were getting cross contaminated all over the place too -- at home -- eating out. If your biopsies turn up negative then you'll never know for sure. Oh well.

[TrainInVain]

12 hours ago, scarymonster said:

 

~Hi TiV, thanks for your message. No I don't have black stool or any blood. I would describe my stool as sticky though since I went gluten-free, mostly neither loose or firm and I have seen some mucus now and again ~(before & after going gluten-free), but not frightening amounts and am wondering if that is more of an IBS type symptom. After I gave up Gluten I did use Senocalm for a while which seemed to be working well and calming my system down but now I've strayed from the path I guess I need to wait for my system to clear out properly and start again. Lesson learnt. Strange thing is, the fish and chips take away last week did not seem to cause any issues. Maybe it did not have enough gluten in the fish batter and then when I added to that over the next few days, BANG! 

I hate this feeling in my tummy, sort of at belly button height. Sore and uncomfortable.

Did they sedate you before the colonoscopy? I am not a good patient. I went into a bit of a panic during my endoscopy. I was slightly sedated same as last time but this time it was all so quick and I don't think they gave it enough time for me to calm down. It was quite horrible. Have you had both procedures and is the colonoscopy easier to cope with, the actual procedure?

I will certainly remember not to eat if that is what they specify. As you say, you don't want to repeat the prep nightmare.

 

 

I had anesthesia and had both the endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time. The option for anesthesia may not be available depending on your doctor and where you have it done though. I only remember the doctor asking me to lift up my head to put in the mouth guard for upper endoscopy and then waking up in recovery. I didn't have any pain or discomfort from the colonoscopy. I started having normal bowel movements instead of diarrhea a few days later, even though I was eating a lot of gluten. It wasn't until a month later after biopsy and blood test confirmed celiac.

I don't know if its an option for you but my GI also had me do a Abdominal CT scan with Enterography. I don't know to what degree it can detect IBS or Chron's Disease but mine the report said no signs of either. I had to have it second time for comparison purposes for a separate Urology issue, 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after Celiac diagnosis, but they also noted improvement in inflammation of my intestines so going gluten free is helping. But it can give doctors a good overview of your intestines and organs. They also said I have a small fat containing hernia at belly button I had no idea about.

[scarymonster]

Thanks for the reply TiV and apologies for the late response. Still waiting for my biopsy results after my scope for over a month now.