Been gluten and lactose /dairy free for months

[Lauralee1981]

I was tested for Coeliac last year November time and bloods came back that Coeliac was in my blood... After a long wait and being told to eat gluten for 6 weeks on lead up to endoscopy which made me feel terrible. Lethargic, constant sick & diarrhoea anxiety through the roof, couldn't stomach anything containing lactose or dairy either as they had the same effect. After another 29 days awaiting biopsy results I've finally had my results!  Turns out it's giardiasis :(... 

Turns out it's an infection of the gut where pesticides are feeding off any lactose or dairy that enters the system and anything else eaten you aren't getting any nutrients from. I was convinced it was Coeliac or crohns disease due to the inflammation and pain and lethargy caused by this.

Thankfully a week of antibiotics will hopefully cure this. To go back for another endoscopy in 3 months time and more biopsies.  Just glad it can be cured as was struggling with life really thinking something was seriously wrong. So anyone having these symptoms and are on this site their could be a possibility a treatment to cure the symptoms.  But I've enjoyed being on here and reading all the advice everyone shares on here. Thank you all for keeping me in the loop xx

[Diana]

Perhaps you may take something from all of this?   Rice, Is your best friend, dietary carb wise, flour and as a food

[Penel]

Glad to hear you have, hopefully, got this sorted out. Have had to look up giardiasis, it certainly sounds unpleasant, so thank goodness for antibiotics. 

Perhaps have a look at probiotics and prebiotics to help support your healthy gut bacteria. Your damaged gut is likely to need some time to repair, so you may have to avoid dairy for a while.

Interesting/odd that your initial blood test was positive for coeliac disease? 

[Lauralee1981 in reply to Penel]

I found that rather odd as well Penel . I dont know if I will be tested again after the course of antibiotics as eating gluten-free was helping and not eating cheese or having milk in my diet also did. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough but hoping I can live a normal lifestyle after its all settled. I shall be purchasing prebiotics and probiotics for the gut though that's for definite. 

Thanks 

[Jacks]

I keep saying GET A DIAGNOSIS as I've had friends contract this and my neighbour has UC - both mirror undiagnosed CD.  I feel that my motto is: 

Not everything is CD. 

[mrmax]

Good for you. But you mean to tell me that they didn't start you out with an antibiotic as a first treatment ? I'm only asking because they put me on 3 different antibiotics before they even did an endoscopy. Am I not getting proper treatment ???

[Lauralee1981 in reply to mrmax]

No these are the first antibiotics I've had since I became ill last year. All they did was take blood and stool sample.  Once bloods were back I was referred to get endoscopy.  I think some doctors have no idea.  Hope u find out what's wrong soon. 

[gfmum1]

I'm so pleased for you that you finally have an answer and some treatment which may help you to feel better.

Did the biopsies definitely rule out CD as well? Like Penel  I'm curious about that, too. I presume you were eating "enough" gluten before the biopsy (however much "enough" is, it seems to vary from one consultant to another)?

And is endoscopy the ONLY way they can diagnose giardiasis? Just curious, I wonder how many other people on here go gluten/lactose free when it's giardiasis all along but they haven't been tested for it.

[Lauralee1981 in reply to gfmum1]

I Googled it yesterday what Penel had said and apparently it's just antibodies that are picked up in the blood can be seen as either until endoscopy rules out whatever.  Yes I had eaten plenty of gluten on the lead up to the endoscopy was told to introduce it with every meal,  knowing how ill it made me though I maybe had one meal a day but made sure I ate it. Also yes I presume the endoscopy or colonoscopy would be the only way to see them as I had 4 biopsies taken. 

They have to be repeated in 3 months time. I had never heard of giardiasis until I got the letter on Friday.