Could I actually have coeliac disease?

Posted , 6 users are following.

I have Ibs-c and I was tested for coeliac 2 years ago which came out negative. I was recently recommended by a friend to try gluten free so I went out and bought a guide. I read that anyone who suffers from a rash called dermatitis herpetiformis will definitely have coeliac. After reading the description of the rash and looking at pictures online, it appears and is identical to a rash I've been suffering from, on and off, for the past year or so. When I first showed my doctor my rash he was unsure of it and gave me cream. Another doctor said it was a form of eczema, however, it is unlike the eczema I get on the rest of my body. I have also been suffering from many non-gastrointestinal symptoms of coeliac (as the gastrointestinal ones are exactly the same as Ibs) such as iron deficiency anaemia and acne. I'm not really sure of my next move as my faith in the blood and stool tests has somewhat gone. Any advice?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Has the gluten free diet helped?? I say if it does then stick with it.. some people with celiac don't even have symptoms at all.

    • Posted

      I'm not too sure really. My stomachs been really bad at the minute but I'm not sure how long it takes for the gluten free diet to have effects?

    • Posted

      Ok u will need to go back on gluten and for a scope to find out for sure
  • Posted

    Sometimes celiac blood tests show a false negative.  If your doctor thinks you still have it, an endoscopic biopsy of the villi in your intestine would confirm if you have celiac.
    • Posted

      Great, I'll ask him ons Thursday smile I haven't ate gluten for about a month now, will it still show celiac?

    • Posted

      You will need to go back on gluten prior to an endoscopy because it can affect the results and give you a false negative.
    • Posted

      You may get a false result as you need to be eating gluten for several months before the test in fairly large quantities
  • Posted

    Hi loni. I am currently being retested for coeliac by blood test antibodies yesterday, (negative november 2012) ,& having my small bowel looked at next week with a contrast mri scan due to ongoing symptoms to look for any issues in my small bowel. i suffer with ibs-d, colitis, fructose malabsorption, & bile acid malabsorption (bam for short) everything i just mentioned is being succesfully treated with either meds or diet but i still have symptoms of daily diarrea, frequent bowel movements,incomplete emptying, almost constant abdominal pain mid - lower area, random rectal pain, no appetite in day, fatigue, & a history of oesophagitis, dermatitis/eczema randomly on one foot, gastritis, proctitis. my recent colonoscopy in july was "within normal limits" so its not the colon, which is why(after i requested/pointed out) they are now looking at my small bowel. i also had a recent positive calprotectin stool test which if no problem in colon, can indicate possible coeliac or crohns affecting the small bowel. Have you had a calprotectin stool test? & what was the result if you have? (btw positive calprotectin stool test means inflammation somewhere in colon or small bowel). i cannot digest most vegetables or leafy salad - it comes out undigested in stool - do you? also its important if you're being retested for coeliac you need to have been eating gluten in your diet for at least 6wks before test (my gastroenterologist told me this) or it will be an inaccurate test. xxx

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