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

Will Trace Amount Of Gluten Complelety Ruin All You Have Been Dieting For

justinjames

Recommended Posts

justinjames Newbie
justinjames
Posted

I have heard that even trace amount of gluten will damage your small intestines. I have not been diagnosed with celiacs but I have constant cankers sores (literally i have multiple canker sores in my mouth 20 days out of a month). I have received no help from the doctors about my cankers sore so I have decided to try a gluten free diet to see if this will help. I also am very underweight (6'2 135 lbs. male), so I am hoping that gluten is the culprit of my canker sores underweight problem. I really have no stomach problems just these two symptoms along with anemia and anxiety.

So my question is if somehow I consume trace amounts of gluten in my diet is it going to ruin my intestine and make all my dieting in vain? I just don't understand this because I use to consume large amounts of gluten so I would expect this to ruin the whole lining of the villi in my intestine. So then I would assume if I had just trace amounts in my diet then it would only ruin a small portion of the villi in my intestine, leaving the majority of the villi fine. Is this correct to assume or not. I would appreciate the expertise of a doctor on this topic but if anyone else know anything I welcome your help.

Thanks

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

What damages our bodies is the antibodies we form from gluten. Early on in recovery many find they are more sensitive to trace amounts than after they have been healed for many years. It takes a while for the antibodies to leave the system, in the skin for example it can take up to two years. Trace amounts can make the antibodies flare into action and cause a severe flareup of symptoms. That is why we need to avoid sharing stuff like toasters, strainers and condiments with gluten eaters. Some are more sensitive to trace amounts than others. The best thing to do in the beginning is to go with as much whole naturally gluten free food as you can to give the antibodies the chance to leave your system. Will a trace amount like a shared line ruin all the progress you have made? Well trace amounts can keep the antibodies active and prevent you from healing fully. Would one or two accidental injestions send you back to square one I don't think so but it could take you weeks to get over it and have the antibodies subside again.

mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

Why don't you push for the celiac blood work? Most doctors will do that....also all four of the symptoms you mention could be celiac related....I have a friend whose only symptom is anemia, no other celiac symptoms. The blood work & endoscope was done & boom celiac!

Plus for meone must be 100% gluten free tohave the best results & without further damaging your body. If a person does it half way then one never knows if the gluten-free is or is not helping.....As Dr. Fansano says " Can one be half pregnant" don't think so......

hth

mamaw

justinjames Newbie
justinjames
Posted
  • Author

Thanks guys for your help, thats good to know. Im just starting my gluten free diet and it seems a little overwhelming but Im sure in time I will get use to it. I have been avoiding getting blood work because Im terrified of needles so Im just gonna do a test run at being gluten free and if it makes the canker sores go away I will happily give up gluten forever. No need for me to know for sure by getting the blood work/biopsy done if I find that this gluten free diet gets rid of these symptoms. Thanks again for your help

josh052980 Enthusiast
josh052980
Posted

I'm in the same boat as you are Justin. I'm about 5 weeks into gluten free. Last night I had some gluten free bread my mom made me, but it was made in a pan that was used for regular baking and it seems to have set me off. Not as bad as I used to get, but when you've been feeling perfect for a week, it's pretty easy to tell if you've been "glutened". I'm not planning on going to get blood work done either, for the same reason... I don't like needles, or doctors for that matter. I'd give you the same advice given to me though... If things get too bad, just suck it up and go to the Dr... It's not worth putting yourself at risk to avoid a needle.

ndw3363 Contributor
ndw3363
Posted

I have had negative blood test and skin biopsy results. But I don't need an official diagnosis to convince me to stop eating gluten. When I have it, I feel terrible...when I don't, I feel better. Good enough for me! Since going gluten free, I put weight back on (which is good but it happened rather quickly which was a little of a bummer - time to get back in the gym!!), I can eat a full meal without being uncomfortable, and my energy level is much better. Oh, and my skin condition (which I was told was not DH), magically cleared up on it's own. Whatever doctors - I don't need your diagnosis. I feel better and that's what keeps me from eating that donut in the break room! :-)

Lori2 Contributor
Lori2
Posted

My daughter's canker sore problem was diagnosed at Mayo Clinic as an iron malabsorbtion problem. Finding an iron supplement that she could absorb has helped the problem.

Her celiac blood panel was negative.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

I'm in the same boat as you are Justin. I'm about 5 weeks into gluten free. Last night I had some gluten free bread my mom made me, but it was made in a pan that was used for regular baking and it seems to have set me off. Not as bad as I used to get, but when you've been feeling perfect for a week, it's pretty easy to tell if you've been "glutened". I'm not planning on going to get blood work done either, for the same reason... I don't like needles, or doctors for that matter. I'd give you the same advice given to me though... If things get too bad, just suck it up and go to the Dr... It's not worth putting yourself at risk to avoid a needle.

Once you are gluten free your test will not come up positive and the test is not valid. You must be eating large amounts of gluten to have a valid result. So the original poster has to decide now if he wants testing before he goes gluten free.

All of your symptoms can be celiac. Not all of us have GI symptoms. And yes you must get rid of all gluten even trace amounts. But that doesn't mean that one little crumb will ruin all of your dieting. Getting glutened makes you sick but it doesn't undo weeks, months or years of healing from the diet.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Even a trace of gluten will often give me a canker sore. I used to have them all the time eating lots of wheat.

There are lots of studies on how much gluten it takes to do damage. The answer is very little, and it depends on the person. A crouton a day is too much for all celiacs. Some might be able to eat a crumb every now and again with no damage. Other people will react to traces of gluten with very strong symptoms and they can't even eat the tiny traces of gluten that sometimes sneak into gluten-free breads and pasta.

Your idea of small amounts causing small damage is not quite how it works. It's more like a threshold response. A certain amount of gluten (that is different for everyone and can change from time to time) switches on the immune system and then ALL your small intestine is a potential target for damage. A slice of bread would definitely turn on the immune system more dramatically and for longer than a crumb, but a crumb can do the job just fine. The damage accumulates, so eating a few crumbs every day for a month might do more damage than a single slice of bread.

The really bad thing about celiac is that every time you turn on the autoimmunity, your immune system might learn to attack new and different things. You can end up with nerve damage, thyroid problems, dermatitis herpetiformis, or joint pain. The less often you eat gluten and activate autoimmunity, the better. This is why it's worth putting up with the blood test if you can stand it. You have a better idea of whether you have an autoimmune disorder, or just a food intolerance, and how big a deal it is when you do eat gluten.

justinjames Newbie
justinjames
Posted
  • Author

Thank you guys so much this really clears up the questions I had. I will try the iron supplements as well and lets you know if this helps the canker sores go away.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Thank you guys so much this really clears up the questions I had. I will try the iron supplements as well and lets you know if this helps the canker sores go away.

Do get your iron levels checked before taking any more than is in a multivitamin. Iron can be toxic in large amounts.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to LizzieF's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Testing Help

      @LizzieF, if you will be seeking repeat blood antibody testing after undergoing a more rigorous gluten challenge, make sure your physician orders the "total IGA" test to check for IGA deficiency. If you are IGA deficient, all other IGA test scores will be artificially low and this can result in false negatives. Can you list the blood antibody tests that...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to LizzieF's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Testing Help

      @LizzieF, The anemia which can be caused by low iron can impede antibody production. NCGS can be a precursor of Celiac Disease, especially in those who already carry Celiac genes. Celiac is the only disease where you have to self harm to get a diagnosis. Do talk to your doctor about the updated gluten challenge requirements and a...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to LizzieF's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Testing Help

      Welcome to the forum, @LizzieF! Yes, I also question whether or not your exposure to gluten before either the endoscopy/biopsy or the antibody testing was long enough or intense enough to render valid test results. Guidelines for the "gluten challenge" have recently been revised to recommend more intense exposure: at least 10g of gluten (about the amount...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to ChrisDun's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Intermittent Fatigue

      Chris, has your husband had a recent checkup with detailed bloodwork (CBC and CMP)? Has he been checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies?
    5. LizzieF
      - LizzieF posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Testing Help

      Hi everyone - I have been gluten free for 2+ years after doing some genetic testing that showed inability to process gluten and carrying a gene for celiac (I’ve had GI related issues for 20+ years that were diagnosed as IBS/lactose intolerance). After persistent low iron, new GI suggested we look at celiac. Endoscopy results noted the below. I have to add t...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,177
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Whov19
    Newest Member
    Whov19
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.2k
    • Total Posts
      71.5k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Testing Help

      By trents · Posted

      @LizzieF, if you will be seeking repeat blood antibody testing after undergoing a more rigorous gluten challenge, make sure your physician orders the "total IGA" test to check for IGA deficiency. If you are IGA deficient, all other IGA test scores will be artificially low and this can result in false negatives. Can you list the blood antibody tests that were already done, the scores along with the reference ranges?
    • knitty kitty
      Testing Help

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @LizzieF, The anemia which can be caused by low iron can impede antibody production.   NCGS can be a precursor of Celiac Disease, especially in those who already carry Celiac genes.   Celiac is the only disease where you have to self harm to get a diagnosis.   Do talk to your doctor about the updated gluten challenge requirements and a repeat endoscopy.
    • trents
      Testing Help

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @LizzieF! Yes, I also question whether or not your exposure to gluten before either the endoscopy/biopsy or the antibody testing was long enough or intense enough to render valid test results. Guidelines for the "gluten challenge" have recently been revised to recommend more intense exposure: at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) daily for at least two weeks leading up to the day of the blood draw or the procedure. But frankly, I would certainly give it twice that long to be sure. It is also very possible you are dealing with NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) instead of celiac disease. They share many of the same symptoms but NCGS does not damage the villous lining of the small bowel. Therefore, not antibodies are produced and nothing will show up on a biopsy either. There is no test for NCGS and it is 10x more common than celiac disease. Some experts believe NCGS can be a precursor to celiac disease. Celiac diseases must first be ruled out to arrive at a dx of NCGS.
    • trents
      Intermittent Fatigue

      By trents · Posted

      Chris, has your husband had a recent checkup with detailed bloodwork (CBC and CMP)? Has he been checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies?
    • LizzieF
      Testing Help

      By LizzieF · Posted

      Hi everyone - I have been gluten free for 2+ years after doing some genetic testing that showed inability to process gluten and carrying a gene for celiac (I’ve had GI related issues for 20+ years that were diagnosed as IBS/lactose intolerance). After persistent low iron, new GI suggested we look at celiac. Endoscopy results noted the below. I have to add that I added gluten for about 12 days prior to my test (and was miserable in the process). “The differential diagnosis includes celiac disease, but the degree of intraepithelial lymphocytes does not reach the threshold for Marsh 1 lesion.” Chrons/Colitis negative. GI suggested I continue eating gluten (after a 3 day pause awaiting results) to do bloodwork. I ate gluten for another 1.5 weeks (about 4 weeks in total) and blood work came back normal. My symptoms however have continued to get worse with changes in bowl habits, sharp pains in the abdomen and nausea.  I feel like I did not have gluten for enough time prior to my endoscopy for accurate results. What do you do in such a case? (Note: still pending follow up from GI)
×
×
  • Create New...