Fat digestion with celiac

[Mikeymike93]

I was diagnosed with celiac about 4months ago. I was having issues mainly with digesting certain foods, especially anything even moderately fattening. As I recover I notice overall I am digesting a bit better, however eating fat is still a challenge. However it is a specific type of foods with fat not all. Ex: I can eat a nut granola bar that has 15grams of fats and be fine, yet if I have A turkey burger or extra lean beef with the same amount of fats, it causes stomach upset. Basically anything with grease or oil added. Has anybody else experienced this issue? I dont even bother trying to eat steak. Hoping as the months pass I am about to not have issues. 

[cyclinglady]

Welcome!  

I think you probably need more healing time.  

Celiacs on this forum have reported gallbladder, liver,  and pancreatic insufficiency issues, that with time and adhering to the gluten free diet, can heal.  If you still are having issues and it looks like you have healed from celiac disease, have your GI investigate these organs.  You might need to temporarily take enzymes while continuing your low fat diet.  Also, use the search feature and learn from those who have had the exact same problems as you.  

 

[GFinDC]

Right, digestive enzymes might help for now.  The gallbladder stores and releases bile made by the liver when needed to digest fats.  That's only if the gallbladder is working right though. 

There have been multiple people post on the forum who had their gallbladder's removed.  Often before they knew they had celiac disease.  If they had gone gluten-free before getting gallbladder surgery some of them might have been able to keep their gallbladder and avoid surgery.  But celiac aware doctors are lacking and ignorant doctors sometimes do the surgery without looking for the cause of the problem first.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-celiac-disease-can-affect-your-gallbladder-4148347 

[Mikeymike93]

9 hours ago, GFinDC said:

Right, digestive enzymes might help for now.  The gallbladder stores and releases bile made by the liver when needed to digest fats.  That's only if the gallbladder is working right though. 

There have been multiple people post on the forum who had their gallbladder's removed.  Often before they knew they had celiac disease.  If they had gone gluten-free before getting gallbladder surgery some of them might have been able to keep their gallbladder and avoid surgery.  But celiac aware doctors are lacking and ignorant doctors sometimes do the surgery without looking for the cause of the problem first.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-celiac-disease-can-affect-your-gallbladder-4148347 

Thanks for sharing. I actually have gallstones and though never had severe pain, was almost certain it was a gallbladder problem. I actually saw a doctor about surgery but he was smart and suggested an upper scope and blood test which confirm celiac. In his words "glad we didnt just go for surgery". Though with gallstones I might have to get surgery eventually anyway. Lol

[cyclinglady]

I lost my non-functioning, starting to rot, gallbladder a few years before my celiac disease diagnosis was caught.  I really think that if I had been treating my celiac disease, I would have kept my gallbladder.   I am doing fine without it, but other family members have had issues after their surgeries. 

[Ennis-TX]

>.< I spent years with issues eating fried foods, added fat foods, and anything with animal fats. I found taking enzymes high in lipease and or targeted for the keto diet helped me break them down. But my issue was linked to my pancreas not working right and producing enough enzymes. Another thought could me low stomach acid...as in the acid is not acidic enough to work with the enzymes to break it down in which case a bit of betaine hcl
Funny I went to a vegaterian diet living on egg whites, nut butter, seed meals, vegan protein powders, and soft veggies for a few years since I knew eating more then a oz of meat had me sick and vomiting it up 6-12 hours later undigested. Now days I just take enzymes in ratios to what what I eat (so many units of each per gram of each macro I eat) and pop a betaine pill before the meal. Still avoid heavy fat meats,  and fried foods but I can eat several oz of meat now and whole eggs without issues.

[Charli61]

On 9/6/2019 at 5:44 AM, GFinDC said:

Right, digestive enzymes might help for now.  The gallbladder stores and releases bile made by the liver when needed to digest fats.  That's only if the gallbladder is working right though. 

There have been multiple people post on the forum who had their gallbladder's removed.  Often before they knew they had celiac disease.  If they had gone gluten-free before getting gallbladder surgery some of them might have been able to keep their gallbladder and avoid surgery.  But celiac aware doctors are lacking and ignorant doctors sometimes do the surgery without looking for the cause of the problem first.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-celiac-disease-can-affect-your-gallbladder-4148347 

 

I wasn't celiac until after my gallbladder was removed, that was the stress that turned on my celiac gene

[Mikeymike93]

On 9/8/2019 at 4:30 PM, Ennis_TX said:

>.< I spent years with issues eating fried foods, added fat foods, and anything with animal fats. I found taking enzymes high in lipease and or targeted for the keto diet helped me break them down. But my issue was linked to my pancreas not working right and producing enough enzymes. Another thought could me low stomach acid...as in the acid is not acidic enough to work with the enzymes to break it down in which case a bit of betaine hcl
Funny I went to a vegaterian diet living on egg whites, nut butter, seed meals, vegan protein powders, and soft veggies for a few years since I knew eating more then a oz of meat had me sick and vomiting it up 6-12 hours later undigested. Now days I just take enzymes in ratios to what what I eat (so many units of each per gram of each macro I eat) and pop a betaine pill before the meal. Still avoid heavy fat meats,  and fried foods but I can eat several oz of meat now and whole eggs without issues.

Interesting. Same here, anything as I call it "wet" fats such as oil, butter, grease my body doesnt seem to disgust well even healthy foods such as salmon. But "dry" fats such as nuts with same amount of fat in them are ok. I have gerd symptoms that are helped with ppi's so I doubt low stomach acid is a problem but more enzymes might help. 

[Ennis-TX]

1 hour ago, Mikeymike93 said:

Interesting. Same here, anything as I call it "wet" fats such as oil, butter, grease my body doesnt seem to disgust well even healthy foods such as salmon. But "dry" fats such as nuts with same amount of fat in them are ok. I have gerd symptoms that are helped with ppi's so I doubt low stomach acid is a problem but more enzymes might help. 

I use PPIs also but oddly it is because my body does not not producing acid...and a weak acid. IE it can not break down foods but it keeps making the stuff so I just burp it up without PPIs even without eating...side effect of almost ODing on Caffeine as a kid I guess. I have managed to taper down my PPI doses to less then half of what I was originally prescribed over the past few years.

From self experimentation I found weaker stomach acid can be a trigger to gastroparaisis among other things for ME. IE my stomach will not dump to my intestines and just holds food til I get sick and vomit.  The Enzymes helped break it down but the Betatine HCL sorta triggers my stomach to dump food to my intestines thus preventing burping it back up later.
Of course their are many other factors for this trigger like vitamin D, Magnesium, and Coffee when combined. Sorta of trial and error.

The wet fat, dry fat concept is interesting, I always split on animal and plant bases, but I will admit certain plant fats did the same thing for awhile IE olive oil, seed oils etc I could only cook with coconut oil or avocado oil, but I was oddly alright with Epic Brand Pork rinds.