Coeliac & colitis flare up - is it possible that getting glutened could trigger a flare up of colitis

[lessan]

I have recently been diagnosed with colitis having been diagnosed with coeliac the previous year. I am just coming off prednisolone down to 2 a day & am starting to worry that if I accidentally get 'glutened' it may trigger off a flare up.

[Hidden]

Hi lessan, you were in hospital for tests for colitis a little while ago I believe. And you have been diagnosed with colitis and I take it that this is ulcerative colitis as you're taking a mild steroid and that is obviously working as they are reducing the dosage, which's a great sign.

I believe that the longer an undiagnosed coeliac ingests gluten the more damage is done to their body so on one level there could well be a link with you having CD and colitis.

I also think that by worrying about what might happen makes us doomed and as your body responds to prednisolone, then 'if' you do accidentally get glutened and 'if' that causes a flare up then you know what to take so I would try not to worry about it and just take it one step and one day at a time and keep off the dreaded gluten...

Being diagnosed with colitis is a much better option than other things that could have been causing the inflammation so whilst it's not a barrel of laughs it is treatable and you know what's wrong with you and your Dr knows what med's to give you.

Many of us have associated illnesses and I've been told that I have microscopic colitis and at the end of the day this is our lot and it's how we deal with it that makes the real difference.

So I'd try not to worry about 'what if' and I'm pleased that your diagnosis was not more serious.

That's my 2p's worth,

Jerry

[brybaby]

Hi Lessan,

I agree with Jerry. Do your best with the GF diet and try not to worry about what might or might not happen.

You might already being do so but if not take some quality probiotics and prebiotics, gut and bowel flora are extremely important for bowel health. Some form of regular aerobic exercise ( I personally prefer before breakfast ) I find helps me get the day off to a positive start. Plenty of water and fresh vegetable juices included in your diet should also be beneficial to your digestive system and general well being. Hope things work out for you.

[Karen77]

You might find The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne of interest. She goes into a lot of detail about the immune system, gluten and its affects on the immune system/gut and proposes a GF way of eating that is more than just GF (processed, refined, grain, legume, and dairy free = Paleo + elimination of other potential allergens/aggravants with the addition of nutrient dense foods to heal the gut so that you can successfully reintroduce a lot of those foods - but never grains). Good luck! It's no coincidence that Coeliac is often linked with other inflammatory and autoimmune issues. Best of luck.