Thanks for all your kind comments on my last post. Fortunately, my mom got an appointment with an orthopedic today, so we will find out her fate later on!
We are hoping it’s nothing too serious because she uses her hands to work since she’s a dental hygienist.
Anyway, there is something I needed to talk about today since tomorrow is what I ate Wednesday.
I know, what the heck does that have to do with anything? Well, hear me out.
As you all know, I have had tons of stomach issues. I got a colonoscopy and endoscopy and was tested for chron’s, celiac, and everything else.
I came back negative for everything. So, I got a blood test to check for gluten intolerance. My GI doctor told me that it came back positive, so I went gluten free.
I felt better. Not immediately, but I did feel a little bit better….. I think. I definitely was not 100% better, and I was STILL continuing to have stomach issues.
Pain sometimes, irregular bowel movements, etc. I didn’t think much of it, but I was wondering why the heck I still wasn’t completely fine. I mean, I cut out gluten, shouldn’t I be better?
Well when I recently went back to the GI doctor because of the blood in my stool, she was surprised that I was gluten free.
I was confused as to why she was confused! Didn’t my blood test come back positive?
It turns out the positive test meant that I had a positive allele.
What does that even mean? Basically, I have the GENE for Celiac disease. I could possibly get it in the future, and I could also NEVER get it in the future.
She explained that it is like a hang nail. You could wait your entire life to see if you get a hang nail, but you may never get it. Does that mean I wouldn’t go out and live my life in fear of getting that hang nail? It could never happen.
GI doctors always suggest not going gluten free unless you have Celiac disease. There really is no reason to avoid it unless it is a threat to your life, which at this time, it is not a threat to MY life.
So what did I do? I ate gluten this past weekend and I did not die.
I was scared I was going to get sick, have intense stomach pain, etc.
I didn’t have ANY of that. Sure, I still had my usual irregularities and some movement in my stomach, but apparently gluten isn’t the entire issue for me.
I basically just have IBS and I just have to figure out what bothers me and what doesn’t.
Moral of the story, I ate gluten and I was fine. I was okay with eating gluten free, but I won’t lie, it is HARD.
If I had Celiac disease, I obviously would have no choice. But the fact that I do not HAVE to avoid gluten, is kind of a sigh of relief.
I did not avoid gluten AT ALL this entire vacation. And I was practically the same as when I was avoiding gluten. Some days I was completely FINE, no troubles at all, and others my stomach was a little weird. However, I had no pain.
I am super grateful for that! Sorry this was SO wordy, but I just had to update you all. Especially if you start seeing foods that are not gluten free on the blog, you now know what’s up.
Does anyone else have IBS?
Do you know if you have the positive “allele” for the celiac gene?
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I consider myself very lucky with the fact that I have a stomach of steel and rarely have issues (unless there is too much fiber) but that is so interesting to here that you have the allele for celiacs but might never get it. Hope it works out for the best
I’ve got IBS-C (which means I rarely go to the bathroom … until I feel like I am going to explode) .. sorry if that sounds gross. I have had extreme difficulty treating it.. and sometimes it looks like I am a couple of months pregnant I get so bloated and full. I have found that symptoms decrease when I am not stressed. Stress.. seems to be the cause for most of my problems!
I tried Amitiza (meds) but.. found no relief so I just stopped taking them. I did get some relief from taking a probiotic pill, however. Good luck!
Cait @ Beyond Bananas recently posted..Color Me Rad Recap!
Definitely not TMI, I have the SAME problem!! Consitpation!! Grrr, hope you feel better:)
it seems like that is overall good news! I’m sure its a lot easier not having to worry about every food item and whether or not it contains gluten..i hope your stomach pain continues to go away!
chelcie @ chelcie’s food files recently posted..Memorial Day Fun
Yey! That’s great news that you don’t have to be 100% GF anymore! I’ve actually toyed around with the idea of trying to incorporate bits of eggs into my diet again here and there (i’m talking like once or twice a week) to see if my body can handle it. Surprisingly, my wheat intolerance is easier to handle– I miss my eggies
Anyway, that’s really awesome that the gluten didn’t upset your stomach this weekend. Here’s to hoping that the hangnail never falls off!
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance recently posted..Double the Chicken, Double the Fun
That is good news, my celiac disease was a diagnosis I officially got two years ago despite the pain that had been going on for 5+ years. However, they are still so confused on whether I have IBS as well – let’s just say though I have less self control with dairy compared to gluten. Glad you got some guidance on this!
Alex @ therunwithin recently posted..Trade-em Up Tuesday
Hey hun! I have IBS. It was HORRIBLE when I was little. As in every single day I was sick on the toilet if you catch my drift. My family literally had to look for the restrooms at every place we went when we were on trips. It sucked, but it’s something you can sort of get used to. Honestly, it made for some hilarious stories, and I’d rather laugh than cry any day
Luckily, I have grown out of it to a certain extent over the years, but about once a month or so I’ll get sick, especially if I’m under a lot of stress or traveling. There is really nothing I’ve found to prevent it other than avoiding certain foods (spicy, greasy, high saturated fats) and hoping for the best. I take a pill whenever I have an episode and it calms my stomach down, but there is no cure. And the bloody stool? Yep I’ve had it. Apparently the IBS can get so bad that it’s your stomach lining coming through? WAY TMI, but I figured it’s on topic haha. It’s not anything to get too worried about, but keep taking it easy, watch what you eat, and stay active. I swear it’s something that you will get used to, even though is seriously sucks. Let me know if you ever need to talk or have questions!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope recently posted..Photo a Day May–Week 4
Thank you for the tips, Heather!!!
I’ll be crossing my fingers for your stomach to be happy
Do you eat artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols? When I mostly cut those out from my daily intake my GI issues almost completely cleared up … just something to think about 
XO
Electra @ Vanilla Bean Lean recently posted..About Those Calories & BodyMedia CORE Armband Review
Thank you! And I definitely know what you mean, those bother my tummy too! I usually use stevia and I try to stay towards the liquid
HEY GIRL! i have IBS too! i actually went on a low dose of zoloft (i read that as a treatment online and suggested it to my doctor!) and that definitely helped with the stomach pains/ bloating. other than that honestly i just kicked the RANDOM things that are a NO NO with my stomach aka cooked onions? anything cooked too heavily in oils, broccoli, cauliflower, too many nuts (they give me blood in my stool too if I have too much sorry for the TMI lol)
basically i just stick to a pretty bland diet and in the end no stomach problems is SUCH a better trade off!!
good luck girl<3
Emily@RunningPerspective recently posted..a little break
That is very random! But plain is definitely keeping it on the safe side
Thanks!
My symptoms are more like Cait. Luckily, since I haven’t been too stressed lately, I haven’t had many issues. When I was in grad school, it was another story. I was really uncomfortable, and I thought I had Celiac since my hair was also thinning. I was happy when I found out I could eat gluten, though having IBS is still no picnic!
Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers recently posted..What Willpower?
Me too! I’m glad you haven’t been hving many issues lately!
you just might be my twin. But mine is a malabsorption and avoiding gluten just helps my gut heal and absorb more. I know, it’s the worst with the tesiting. Hang in there friend.
Thank you, Lindsay<3
Ooof I’ve had issues with my digestion for years. What really helped me was taking a probiotic everyday…
Jocelyn @ Peace Love Nutrition recently posted..My Memorial Weekend Photos
It’s so great to hear you don’t have celiac disease! That would honestly be no fun at all! Oh man, I have a pretty severe case of IBS as well, and have had the EXACT same issues that you have. It is very stressful and irritating that it’s so painful and so hard to find an answer. Have you read Elise’s blog, she talks a lot about FODMAP friendly foods and it has seriously helped A TON with my stomach issues. Her blog is http://hungryhungryhippie.com, and you can look at some of her FODMAP posts, it sucks because its something you have to discover for yourself without having someone tell you to just do this and it works. Hope you find some answers soon! <3
Lisa recently posted..Italian turkey burgers + hangover toast
We are twins! ha. I actually do read her blog, thanks!
My mom and my best friend both have IBS. For my mom it’s brought on by certain kinds of dairy (like in ice cream, but not regular milk) and nuts. My friend can’t have cow’s milk or garlic. It’s strange how both can have the same thing but it’s not brought on by the same foods. And sometimes it comes on without having had either of them, so that bit’s still a mystery!
Hope you find out what’s causing your upset stomach soon. That’s absolutely no fun, but glad to hear you don’t have to totally avoid gluten because it would be hard work.
Sam @ Fit for My Fork recently posted..Fit Body, Fit Mind: Heather
That is very strange! I guess I will just have to find out what triggers me. Thank you!
Great that you didnt have any problems! I used to suffer really badly from IBS but I bought this Aloe Vera juice from a health food shop near me and have been taking it every day and havent had any problems since. Its meant to be really good for it!
Lot-O-Choc recently posted..Lake Champlain Chocolates 5* Peanut Bar
I’ll have to check that out, thanks!
I have IBS and have struggled with it since sophomore year of college! It’s just a battle figuring out what foods trigger the stomach pains and how you can combine certain types of foods together. My main trigger is stress so I’m learning how to handle that better!
I’m so glad to hear you’re starting to figure out what works and what doesn’t for you! I hope you feel better!
Brittany @ Britt’s Blurbs recently posted..Back At It
Stress is definitely a huge culprit! Thank you, Brittany!
That’s great news that you don’t have to avoid gluten! It must be nice to know that you don’t have such a huge restriction on your diet anymore.
I don’t have IBS, but my mom does. She’s found that increasing her fibre has helped a lot! She’s always eaten a lot of vegetables, but once she started eating a serving of bran cereal every morning, her symptoms improved so much!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin recently posted..Back on track plan: checking in
Yes, I am SO relieved!!
I eat SO many veggies, but I guess I will have to try bran cereal !
I have IBS! There were times back in early college when it was pretty bad but now I think I’ve gotten it under control for the most part. Of course there are times when I have flare-ups and irregularities with going to the bathroom, but once you figure out what really affects you I’m sure you will feel so much better!
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health recently posted..Memorial Day
Ahh very frustrating. Thank you!
I’m raising my hand! I have IBS and have experienced nearly the *exact* same symptoms. Two years ago, I was so uncomfortable that I could barely function. I had a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, and my doctor told me afterward that I had “the most beautiful colon he’d ever seen.” WTF? No way…my stomach was giving me so many problems, yet it was “perfect?” While I was relieved that I didn’t have Celiac or stomach cancer, I was frustrated because the tests didn’t provide any concrete solutions for my problems. He suggested that I try elimination diets, and once I removed gluten, I felt 75% better. However, I don’t think I was ever tested for intolerance, so I’m wondering if I too, have an allele. My stomach is still a bit crazy, but I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve been toying with the thought of adding a little bit of gluten back into my diet, to see if it makes any difference, but I’m terrified! It’s reassuring to know that you didn’t experience any problems over the weekend! Definitely keep us updated! I might write you an email soon.
xoxo <3
Sara @ Nourish and Flourish recently posted..Scenes from the Weekend: Embracing {NOW}
Wow, that’s crazy! I actually have an AWFUL colon. My doctor called it “torturous” awesome. Haha. Definitely feel free to send me an e-mail!!! I was scared to eat gluten too, but honestly you don’t know until you try, and I was fine!
This is also a reminder to all the people to be always careful with the foods they eat especially when we are growing old already..
Karyle recently posted..Hosted Sharepoint
[...] of all, I wanted to thank you all, as usual, for all your awesome comments on my stomach update. You are all SO helpful and it feels good to know that I’m not [...]
sounds like you & i are very similar–I was diagnosed with IBS about 2 years ago when I started having bloating, stomach pain, & constipation-which is weird, bc i always thought IBS meant the opposite. it’s still a struggle & most days are good, but it’s so frustrating to be diagnosed with IBS & nothing to relieve your discomfort. just something we have to deal with. i have found relief from running & keeping active however. hang in there! you’re not alone!
Sarah recently posted..(belated)Mother’s Day & Reminiscing My Youth
Yup, I had the constipation too. Thanks so much for your comment!
The doctors say I have “IBS,” but its such a vague term because honestly I don’t get IBS-C or IBS-D; if you know what I mean? haha. But instead it’s just gas, bloating and pain. I’ve had a colonoscopy and endoscopy, small intestine ultrasound and I even went off lactose so I understand your situation completely. It’s definitely frustrating not to know what’s wrong because all of my tests came back negative too
Carly recently posted..WIAW (lately); with some confessions(: