Possible Crohn's Or Refractory?

[duckface2]

I would really appreciate any insight that anyone out there might have for me. Anything at all would be so helpful at this point.

Okay here we go from the beginning.

Winter:

A year ago I had mono, strep throat 3 times and an absese in my throat. I took antibiotics for the strep throat each time, and then had to undergo IV anti-biotics for my absese every 8 hours for 4 days. The IV antibiotics did not work so I ended up having to get my tonsil drained and undergo some more antibiotics. I couldn't swallow at that point and would have done anything to get rid of the horrible pain. I began taking Probiotics which helped clear up yeast infections that I had from the anti-biotics. After doing this treatment I was diagnosed with mono a week later. At about this time I started having explosive diarrhea and a lot of gas. I couldn't leave my room because it would hit me so fast and I would be stuck in the washroom for hours. I thought it was an effect of the antibiotics so I went on the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, and toast) diet and only ate soups for a couple weeks. My diarrhea seemed to clear up eventually and I began to feel better again, despite continued gas.

Spring and Summer:

I felt better for 3 months eating whatever I wanted, then my bowel movements started changing, I would get really bloated after meals and I would have to use the washroom multiple times a day. My stools became very loose and towards the end of the summer I started to think I was lactose intolerant. (Sorry to go into such detail), but everything was very foul smelling, and there was so much bloating and gas. I also had a lot of yeast infections during this time. I was working at the old spaghetti factory eating a lot of pasta and working at a bookstore and drinking a lot of lattes.

Fall:

I returned to school in the fall and consulted with my doctor who suggested I try and eliminate lactose. I noticed minor improvements in the first week but then all my symptoms came back. I eliminated all dairy, and nothing changed. Diahrrea, gas, bloating still persisted. I had Strep Throat again, and went on some more anti-biotics for that, then consulted with another doctor who ordered some bloodwork and suggested I be tested for celiac. My TTG came back positive for celiac so I eliminated all gluten from my diet. I noticed some improvements in the first week but my symptoms continued, the diahrrea was less frequent but there was still so much trapped gas and bloating. I was anal about going gluten free, with personal hygiene products, ingredients etc. There was no gluten getting into my system, I've read all of the recommendations to avoid cross contamination etc and was soooo careful. I was eating gluten free baking products and started noticing that after eating them I was bloated too. Basically after anything I would become bloated and gassy. I had several yeast infections throughout this time and could not find a gluten and dairy probiotic to take. The only medication I took throughout this time was Yasmin birth control.

Winter:

I realized that my symptoms were not getting better and my yeast infections were not going away either so I consulted with another doctor who recommended I try an anti- intestinal spasm pill, Dicetel I believe it was called. I tried this pill and it gave my horrible diahrrea, so I discontinued it's use. I managed to find a gluten and dairy free probiotic in small town nova scotia finally and taking 4 a day my yeast infections cleared up. My doctor recommended I see a naturopath to seek help, so I did. I tried a brown rice diet, (minus yeast, citrus, red meat, refined sugar, dairy and a few other things as well) which gave me horrible pain in my stomach and would make me bedridden for hours. The pain was excruciating just eating a piece of fish, rice and carrots even. I had to use a hotpack to make it feel any better. I was unable to attend classes because I couldn't leave because of the pain. After hours of intense pain I would have to make myself throw up to relieve the pain. There was so much trapped gas that would come up when I was throwing up. A doctor perscribed me lostec antacids, and another antacid, one of which I had an allergic reaction to and my face swelled up. (I'd checked the meds and they were both gluten free). I discontinued the meds and stuck to organic vegetable soups with little bits of meat which seemed to not give me the excrucaiting pain (still lots of bloating and gas). The naturopath had me taking all gluten and dairy free supplements as well B12, adrenal support, and digestive enzymes. I was told to discontinue the pills and was told to do the specific carbohydrate diet. I had a small spot of what my doctor thought was impetego located on my back the size of a dime. I used a cream for this spot.

I eliminated all the required food items of the diet, and did not cheat at all. (I just want to feel better and would follow any diet that would make me feel better). I ate only cooked vegetables, cooked fruit and meat. I eliminated all yeast, sugar, carbs, nuts, dairy, soy, grains etc.) I tried accupuncture treatments, 3 rounds but saw no improvement. The accupuncture was to give me energy, but when you are malnourished there's no point. I could only seem to tolerate soups for a while but eventually worked my way up to some fruit and vegetables. I tried nuts and black bananas (Both gave me diahrrea and horrible excruciating pain.) By this point I had lost 13 pounds, was very malnourished and could not function any more. I had to leave school and return to Ontario as I could not get in with a specialist out east.

Since Home:

I came home and my mom got me going on Vega meal replacement, it seemed to help for a while, but it has Xanthan GUm and Chicory root so I am scared to use it. Benefiber in Canada is gluten-free and made from Chicory root. I was fluctuating between constipated and diahrrea, so I tried benefiber which gave me horrible diahrrea. A few days later I broke out in a terribly itchy skin rash, which my specialist thought was dermatitis herpeformis.I ditched the supplement and went back to the specific carbohydrate diet, and it seemed to help for a while but my symptoms of pain, cramping, diarhea, bloating, gas and constipation kept coming back for seemingly no reason. Foods that I have eaten without problem in the past seem to make me feel pain like squash even. I went in and had an endoscope done on April 1st, and my doctor thought I might have refractory celiac. I went back for the results this week, and I am anemic, my biopsies of my duodenum came back normal, and another Celiac test I scored only an 8, where people with celiacs score in the hundreds. The Doctor thinks I may have Crohn's now, but thinks I could also have Refractory Celiacs. If i had Refractory Celiacs, though would my villi not still be damaged? I mean I've been gluten free since October and soooo careful about it haven't eaten out or anything. I don't know what to think, my specialist also said that people who have Crohn's don't have Celiacs too. I guess there'e nothing I can do now but I just wanted to know if anyone out there has had this experience or one similar to it? I would appreciate any help at all. Or any insights things I should ask my doctor anything really!

I'm Supposed to have a colonoscopy done on Wednesday to see if I have Crohn's. So maybe I'll have a better idea then but I would really be so grateful for anything from this group.

Thanks<3

P.S. this is my first post soo if you need to know anything else let me know!

[mushroom]

A warm welcome to the forum even if you are not feeling well enough to respond. You poor dear, you really have been through the wringer. You must be suffering horribly.

I have only some quick questions and possible insights to offer. You mention you had a yeast infection. Where was the yeast? Was it overgrowth in the gut, or somewhere else, and how was it treated? Have they made sure that this has been controlled/eliminated? Or was it vaginal yeast or some other location? Have you had stool samples done to see if there is any other bacterium/bacteria causing problems in your gut, like C.difficile? Some of these bacterial overgrowths (beyond yeast) can really create havoc in our bodies. I am only throwing out suggestions here. I had a C.difficile infection that I thought was really going to get me, blasting explosive gas through my system while I was trying to work a new job. Only a stool sample to Great Smokies (now Genova) Laboratories diagnosed what was going on (I also had yeast overgrowth in the gut). Conventional alleopathic medicine at the time was hopeless to cope with this. Many doctors don't even seem aware that such things exist. I was sent to Great Smokies by a western Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and treated by a very unconventional M.D., with great success I am happy to say. My PCP didn't believe any of it.

Tell us more specifics and what testing and treatment you have had done., and maybe we can offer more suggestions.

[RiceGuy]

Well, mushroom basically said what I was thinking - that there may be some yeast or other infection of some kind. It sounds like you've had a lot of antibiotics, and that often leads to yeast overgrowth. I don't know if it can cause the severity of symptoms you've outlined, but it's the only thing in my experience which comes close to explaining it. The best thing I know to combat it is caprylic acid capsules.

Having mono before the Celiac symptoms started may be common, as I've read a number of similar stories on this board. It doesn't necessarily mean you have Celiac, but a positive blood test seems pretty conclusive to me. False negatives are common, with both blood tests and biopsies. I don't recall reading anything about false positives though. So I think your blood test turned out with better accuracy than your biopsy.

I wish I had something more for you. Perhaps others will have further insight.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Libbyanne]

Has anyone else heard that it's not possible for someone with Celiacs to have Crohn's? And if so, does this hold true for someone who only has a Gluten Sensitivity? I was tested in December '08 for Celiacs and it came back negative but these last few months all my symptoms got worse. My doctor never mentioned cutting out gluten but wanted me to have a colonoscopy to check for Crohn's. I decided I wanted to try a few other things first. After fiber pills and laxatives were no help I read an article about Gluten Sensitivity and decided to give it a shot. I cut out the gluten and had immediate relief. When I went back to my doctor he seemed skeptical about my discovery but decided I could still hold off on the colonoscopy a while longer to see if this continues to work. He also said there is no way to test for sensitivity but I thought I read about an allergy test. I know it may come back negative and my reaction is the best thing to go off of but I'm just wondering if maybe I need a second opinion, or a new doc altogether....

[skymgirl]

Has anyone else heard that it's not possible for someone with Celiacs to have Crohn's? And if so, does this hold true for someone who only has a Gluten Sensitivity? I was tested in December '08 for Celiacs and it came back negative but these last few months all my symptoms got worse. My doctor never mentioned cutting out gluten but wanted me to have a colonoscopy to check for Crohn's. I decided I wanted to try a few other things first. After fiber pills and laxatives were no help I read an article about Gluten Sensitivity and decided to give it a shot. I cut out the gluten and had immediate relief. When I went back to my doctor he seemed skeptical about my discovery but decided I could still hold off on the colonoscopy a while longer to see if this continues to work. He also said there is no way to test for sensitivity but I thought I read about an allergy test. I know it may come back negative and my reaction is the best thing to go off of but I'm just wondering if maybe I need a second opinion, or a new doc altogether....

It's possible - I'm living proof! I was diagnosed with Celiac through bloodwork, and diagnosed with Crohn's a week later after a CT scan confirmed thickening/inflammation of my terminal ileum. I have a colonoscopy scheduled in late May so my GI can determine the extent of the Crohn's, for now I've been told it's mild and I'm on a low dose of an 5-ASA drug.

I'm not sure why a doctor would say it's not possible for those conditions to exist at the same time, it's not as one inhibits the other. (Though some Crohn's patients voluntarily do a gluten-free diet and feel benefits from that.) If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor it might be time to look for a new one, and a second opinion can't be a bad thing at all.

Hope you start feeling better soon, all the testing can be frustrating.

[duckface2]

A warm welcome to the forum even if you are not feeling well enough to respond. You poor dear, you really have been through the wringer. You must be suffering horribly.

I have only some quick questions and possible insights to offer. You mention you had a yeast infection. Where was the yeast? Was it overgrowth in the gut, or somewhere else, and how was it treated? Have they made sure that this has been controlled/eliminated? Or was it vaginal yeast or some other location? Have you had stool samples done to see if there is any other bacterium/bacteria causing problems in your gut, like C.difficile? Some of these bacterial overgrowths (beyond yeast) can really create havoc in our bodies. I am only throwing out suggestions here. I had a C.difficile infection that I thought was really going to get me, blasting explosive gas through my system while I was trying to work a new job. Only a stool sample to Great Smokies (now Genova) Laboratories diagnosed what was going on (I also had yeast overgrowth in the gut). Conventional alleopathic medicine at the time was hopeless to cope with this. Many doctors don't even seem aware that such things exist. I was sent to Great Smokies by a western Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and treated by a very unconventional M.D., with great success I am happy to say. My PCP didn't believe any of it.

Tell us more specifics and what testing and treatment you have had done., and maybe we can offer more suggestions.

Thanks so much for reading my story and offering some advice!

I collected my medical history before I came back home so I can tell you exactly every test result I had done. Okay so a year ago, when my digestive problems started and were explosive I was tested for C.Diff Cytotox, but since the stool was not watery it was not processed. I was tested for Stool Culture and no salmonella, Shigella, E. Colli 0157, Yersinia os Campylobacter were found. I was tested for Ova and Parasites and none were found. This was a year ago though so I don't know if that should maybe be redone.

The yeast infections which I mentioned were vaginal, and I used monistat almost weekly for a couple months, and Duflocan once to treat them. I eliminated yeast from my diet too, and still now if I miss a couple probiotics in a day I will start to get a yeast infection.

My first TTG came back positive in October when I was still eating gluten, the ones I had at the start of this month came back negative, (could this be because I've adhered strictly to a gluten-free diet?)

I've had various bloodworks done, the most recent one showed I was negative for H. Pylori. My ALT, and ALK Phosphate was lower than normal. My RBC was low as well as my Hematocrit. My Mean Corpuscular was high. None of these numbers were dramatic but were either above or below the normal cut off limits.

In terms of treatments I haven't had much done other than my own dietary changes and accupuncture and a few ineffective medications.

The antacids were Buscopan, and Losec.

The intestinal spasm medication was Dicetel

In March I was taking, Adrenal Capsules, Trophic Acidophilus (6 per day), and Moducare Plant Sterols. And adhereing the the specific carbohydrate diet with no: sugars, grains, canned vegetables, fungus (mushrooms etc.), grins, canned meats, processed meats, dairy, and a few others.

In February I was taking Trophic Acidophilus (6 per day), M6 Digestive enzyme and an Orti-B complex. In addition I was told to eliminate sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, wheat and gluten, yeast, red meat and pork, citrus, eggs, soy, and corn. On this Brown Rice Diet the pain started after consuming brown rice with every meal.

Currently I am on the Specific Carbohydrate diet, and have only been eating:

Baked apples, peaches, strawberries and pears.

Cooked squash, tomato, spinach, green beans, chopped carrots.

Garlic, salt, onion and olive oil to season occasionally. (no other spices.)

Cooked lamb, beef, chicken, and fish. (No eggs or pork as I get so bloated and gassy from them).

I can't tolerate any raw foods, everything has to be well cooked or I bloat right up.

Even just eating these foods, and avoiding cross contamination by using bleach to was dishes and such is not working for me. I can go for about 2 days feeling alright but then something will just set me off and set me back for days with rashes and irregular bowel movements.

I've gone off all the naturpathic drugs as they made me feel a lot worse cause I was having a hard time digesting those.

I dunno this has me puzzled?

[oceangirl]

I'm so sorry for all this pain for you. I don't have anything brilliant to say but I do suspect that, in addition to whatever is at the root of the problem, your whole system has been assaulted by so many things that it will most likely take some time for you to be on the road to recovery. In the beginning when I was diagnosed through bloodwork (positive tTg), I, too, could only eat things well-cooked and not a lot of them. And one day something would be tolerated well and another the same thing would bother me.

I hope you begin to see marked improvement very soon. Sending healing energy your way and hopefully others will post who'll be more helpful.

Take care,

lisa

[TES]

Thanks so much for reading my story and offering some advice!

I collected my medical history before I came back home so I can tell you exactly every test result I had done. Okay so a year ago, when my digestive problems started and were explosive I was tested for C.Diff Cytotox, but since the stool was not watery it was not processed. I was tested for Stool Culture and no salmonella, Shigella, E. Colli 0157, Yersinia os Campylobacter were found. I was tested for Ova and Parasites and none were found. This was a year ago though so I don't know if that should maybe be redone.

The yeast infections which I mentioned were vaginal, and I used monistat almost weekly for a couple months, and Duflocan once to treat them. I eliminated yeast from my diet too, and still now if I miss a couple probiotics in a day I will start to get a yeast infection.

My first TTG came back positive in October when I was still eating gluten, the ones I had at the start of this month came back negative, (could this be because I've adhered strictly to a gluten-free diet?)

I've had various bloodworks done, the most recent one showed I was negative for H. Pylori. My ALT, and ALK Phosphate was lower than normal. My RBC was low as well as my Hematocrit. My Mean Corpuscular was high. None of these numbers were dramatic but were either above or below the normal cut off limits.

In terms of treatments I haven't had much done other than my own dietary changes and accupuncture and a few ineffective medications.

The antacids were Buscopan, and Losec.

The intestinal spasm medication was Dicetel

In March I was taking, Adrenal Capsules, Trophic Acidophilus (6 per day), and Moducare Plant Sterols. And adhereing the the specific carbohydrate diet with no: sugars, grains, canned vegetables, fungus (mushrooms etc.), grins, canned meats, processed meats, dairy, and a few others.

In February I was taking Trophic Acidophilus (6 per day), M6 Digestive enzyme and an Orti-B complex. In addition I was told to eliminate sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, wheat and gluten, yeast, red meat and pork, citrus, eggs, soy, and corn. On this Brown Rice Diet the pain started after consuming brown rice with every meal.

Currently I am on the Specific Carbohydrate diet, and have only been eating:

Baked apples, peaches, strawberries and pears.

Cooked squash, tomato, spinach, green beans, chopped carrots.

Garlic, salt, onion and olive oil to season occasionally. (no other spices.)

Cooked lamb, beef, chicken, and fish. (No eggs or pork as I get so bloated and gassy from them).

I can't tolerate any raw foods, everything has to be well cooked or I bloat right up.

Even just eating these foods, and avoiding cross contamination by using bleach to was dishes and such is not working for me. I can go for about 2 days feeling alright but then something will just set me off and set me back for days with rashes and irregular bowel movements.

I've gone off all the naturpathic drugs as they made me feel a lot worse cause I was having a hard time digesting those.

I dunno this has me puzzled?

Your meat...fresh or frozen before cooking??

[BlakeNYC]

It's possible - I'm living proof! I was diagnosed with Celiac through bloodwork, and diagnosed with Crohn's a week later after a CT scan confirmed thickening/inflammation of my terminal ileum. I have a colonoscopy scheduled in late May so my GI can determine the extent of the Crohn's, for now I've been told it's mild and I'm on a low dose of an 5-ASA drug.

I'm not sure why a doctor would say it's not possible for those conditions to exist at the same time, it's not as one inhibits the other. (Though some Crohn's patients voluntarily do a gluten-free diet and feel benefits from that.) If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor it might be time to look for a new one, and a second opinion can't be a bad thing at all.

Hope you start feeling better soon, all the testing can be frustrating.

It is absolutely possible. As Skymgirl pointed out, she is living proof. But also, there has been research done on the relationship between Chron's and Celiac. It is definitely rare to have both, but not impossible. A statement like this from your Dr. would make me call in to question his/her competence. You might want to seek out a new Dr.

[GlutenGuy36]

I would really appreciate any insight that anyone out there might have for me. Anything at all would be so helpful at this point.

Okay here we go from the beginning.

Winter:

A year ago I had mono, strep throat 3 times and an absese in my throat. I took antibiotics for the strep throat each time, and then had to undergo IV anti-biotics for my absese every 8 hours for 4 days. The IV antibiotics did not work so I ended up having to get my tonsil drained and undergo some more antibiotics. I couldn't swallow at that point and would have done anything to get rid of the horrible pain. I began taking Probiotics which helped clear up yeast infections that I had from the anti-biotics. After doing this treatment I was diagnosed with mono a week later. At about this time I started having explosive diarrhea and a lot of gas. I couldn't leave my room because it would hit me so fast and I would be stuck in the washroom for hours. I thought it was an effect of the antibiotics so I went on the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, and toast) diet and only ate soups for a couple weeks. My diarrhea seemed to clear up eventually and I began to feel better again, despite continued gas.

Spring and Summer:

I felt better for 3 months eating whatever I wanted, then my bowel movements started changing, I would get really bloated after meals and I would have to use the washroom multiple times a day. My stools became very loose and towards the end of the summer I started to think I was lactose intolerant. (Sorry to go into such detail), but everything was very foul smelling, and there was so much bloating and gas. I also had a lot of yeast infections during this time. I was working at the old spaghetti factory eating a lot of pasta and working at a bookstore and drinking a lot of lattes.

Fall:

I returned to school in the fall and consulted with my doctor who suggested I try and eliminate lactose. I noticed minor improvements in the first week but then all my symptoms came back. I eliminated all dairy, and nothing changed. Diahrrea, gas, bloating still persisted. I had Strep Throat again, and went on some more anti-biotics for that, then consulted with another doctor who ordered some bloodwork and suggested I be tested for celiac. My TTG came back positive for celiac so I eliminated all gluten from my diet. I noticed some improvements in the first week but my symptoms continued, the diahrrea was less frequent but there was still so much trapped gas and bloating. I was anal about going gluten free, with personal hygiene products, ingredients etc. There was no gluten getting into my system, I've read all of the recommendations to avoid cross contamination etc and was soooo careful. I was eating gluten free baking products and started noticing that after eating them I was bloated too. Basically after anything I would become bloated and gassy. I had several yeast infections throughout this time and could not find a gluten and dairy probiotic to take. The only medication I took throughout this time was Yasmin birth control.

Winter:

I realized that my symptoms were not getting better and my yeast infections were not going away either so I consulted with another doctor who recommended I try an anti- intestinal spasm pill, Dicetel I believe it was called. I tried this pill and it gave my horrible diahrrea, so I discontinued it's use. I managed to find a gluten and dairy free probiotic in small town nova scotia finally and taking 4 a day my yeast infections cleared up. My doctor recommended I see a naturopath to seek help, so I did. I tried a brown rice diet, (minus yeast, citrus, red meat, refined sugar, dairy and a few other things as well) which gave me horrible pain in my stomach and would make me bedridden for hours. The pain was excruciating just eating a piece of fish, rice and carrots even. I had to use a hotpack to make it feel any better. I was unable to attend classes because I couldn't leave because of the pain. After hours of intense pain I would have to make myself throw up to relieve the pain. There was so much trapped gas that would come up when I was throwing up. A doctor perscribed me lostec antacids, and another antacid, one of which I had an allergic reaction to and my face swelled up. (I'd checked the meds and they were both gluten free). I discontinued the meds and stuck to organic vegetable soups with little bits of meat which seemed to not give me the excrucaiting pain (still lots of bloating and gas). The naturopath had me taking all gluten and dairy free supplements as well B12, adrenal support, and digestive enzymes. I was told to discontinue the pills and was told to do the specific carbohydrate diet. I had a small spot of what my doctor thought was impetego located on my back the size of a dime. I used a cream for this spot.

I eliminated all the required food items of the diet, and did not cheat at all. (I just want to feel better and would follow any diet that would make me feel better). I ate only cooked vegetables, cooked fruit and meat. I eliminated all yeast, sugar, carbs, nuts, dairy, soy, grains etc.) I tried accupuncture treatments, 3 rounds but saw no improvement. The accupuncture was to give me energy, but when you are malnourished there's no point. I could only seem to tolerate soups for a while but eventually worked my way up to some fruit and vegetables. I tried nuts and black bananas (Both gave me diahrrea and horrible excruciating pain.) By this point I had lost 13 pounds, was very malnourished and could not function any more. I had to leave school and return to Ontario as I could not get in with a specialist out east.

Since Home:

I came home and my mom got me going on Vega meal replacement, it seemed to help for a while, but it has Xanthan GUm and Chicory root so I am scared to use it. Benefiber in Canada is gluten-free and made from Chicory root. I was fluctuating between constipated and diahrrea, so I tried benefiber which gave me horrible diahrrea. A few days later I broke out in a terribly itchy skin rash, which my specialist thought was dermatitis herpeformis.I ditched the supplement and went back to the specific carbohydrate diet, and it seemed to help for a while but my symptoms of pain, cramping, diarhea, bloating, gas and constipation kept coming back for seemingly no reason. Foods that I have eaten without problem in the past seem to make me feel pain like squash even. I went in and had an endoscope done on April 1st, and my doctor thought I might have refractory celiac. I went back for the results this week, and I am anemic, my biopsies of my duodenum came back normal, and another Celiac test I scored only an 8, where people with celiacs score in the hundreds. The Doctor thinks I may have Crohn's now, but thinks I could also have Refractory Celiacs. If i had Refractory Celiacs, though would my villi not still be damaged? I mean I've been gluten free since October and soooo careful about it haven't eaten out or anything. I don't know what to think, my specialist also said that people who have Crohn's don't have Celiacs too. I guess there'e nothing I can do now but I just wanted to know if anyone out there has had this experience or one similar to it? I would appreciate any help at all. Or any insights things I should ask my doctor anything really!

I'm Supposed to have a colonoscopy done on Wednesday to see if I have Crohn's. So maybe I'll have a better idea then but I would really be so grateful for anything from this group.

Thanks<3

P.S. this is my first post soo if you need to know anything else let me know!

Hi,

Sorry you are struggling with this. I was diagnosed with Celiac on July 14th 2008 after absolutely having horrible abdominal pains, joint and muscle pain. neuropathy and many many more issues.

When you have Celiac your immune respnose damages your intestines which intern can weaken them and allow other bad things inside you to proliferate. Since you are having alot of trouble with the yeast I would definitely try and find a doc that will do a test of some kind to see if that is the main cause of all of your trouble. From what I have read about Candida Albicans ( yeast ) is that it can take a long time for you to get rid of it completely.

If you are ingesting any type of complex carbohydrate that takes time to digest, it feeds the Candida as you already know. My Gastro doctor told me that if your villi aren't damged then there really isn't any reason to worry about Refractory Sprue.

It seems like you are on the right track. Don't give up and I hope you feel better soon.