Looking for some assistance

[alliso]

Hello, I've recently become very intolerant to gluten which has been a bit of a shock. I read online that it can be triggered by anxiety and it happened at the time of a serious family crisis. Can anyone tell me if this has happened to them and if so, if it's likely to recede or am I am stuck with it?

[Run_Gosh]

Hi alliso yes, very similar to myself. I’ve noticed bloating, tiredness and painful stomach while I was going through a very stressful time. Couple of visits to GP finally resulted in testing for coeliac disease and a year after I got a confirmed diagnosis. So unfortunately, with me, it was not something that went away.

Coeliac can be triggered by stress. It might be worth suggesting coeliac disease tests to your GP. Mine started with bloods and then gastroscopy.

Good luck to you!

[Dottie11]

As with any Auto Immune condition stress can flare and trigger. Also a Genetic condition. Good luck.

[Narwhal10]

Hi alliso,

Welcome here. I am very sorry to learn of your serious family crisis. I think what is superbly important to know that during these type of periods, our bodies are designed to cope with them.

What is happening on a physiological (biological) level, is increases in adrenaline and other chemicals are released. So, we have the energy to deal, organise, respond to these situations. This obviously impacts other things like the immune system. 70% of it is in the gut.

Equally, because we are dealing with a crisis, we may not forget to drink fluids, eat properly, put off going to the toilet because we are mentally (cognitively) busy.

Unfortunately, we are all different, Dottie11 is correct by saying the genetic link. So, is there any family history of Coeliac Disease ?

Run_Gosh has rightly said about getting tested for Coeliac Disease. Whilst eating gluten for 4 to 6 weeks, you can have a blood test called a tTg-IgA test which is about 90 % effective. Then whilst continuing eating gluten, you will need endoscopy with biopsy which is the gold standard for diagnosis of Coeliac Disease.

However, you can have Non Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity or Gluten Intolerance. Many people especially in the USA decide not to eat gluten anymore (because it makes them too poorly) and are happy being ‘gluten intolerant’. But that is a different Health Care system to U.K.

There are tiny junctures in the gut which can become very slightly more open. It is this permeability that can make us react to other types of food, like dairy too. In layman’s terms this is referred to as Leaky Gut. Collagen and bone-broth can help heal them.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

[alliso in reply to Narwhal10]

Thank you so much for your helpful comments. I was told I could have a test but I'd have to go back on gluten for 6 weeks and really couldn't face that.I'm hoping that as stress eases, it will settle down and am really pleased to have discovered such a large range of substitutes at ASDA. I also found Wetherspoons offer quite a range of options when eating out, although that doesn't seem to be everyone's experience.

Unfortunately as I was adopted as a child I don't have any family history. But it's been so helpful just to read the kind comments and know that others are coping with this as well.

[Narwhal10 in reply to alliso]

Take some time to relax, enjoy nature, if you are able turn off your phone.

Professor Dave Sanders’ Gluten Attack is a recommend. The way he writes is rather humorous too.

[Titaniumfox]

Chiming in to say that I too have become very gluten intolerant since last November! It also followed a period of intense stress. I only discovered it was gluten by chance. I have Hashimoto's so already have an autoimmune condition, about 6 yrs ago I went gluten free for 3 yrs but didn't notice any benefits so went back on it again.

I started having stomach pain and bad diarrhoea, had no idea what was going on, went on a low residue diet to try to help but that didn't do much. Then had the lightbulb moment of 'why not eliminate gluten again? Just in case?'. Well, that did the trick! So now avoiding gluten at all costs.

I am not coeliac though, I had the genetic test recently and I have am negative for any of the SNPs associated with the disease. So I am 'only' intolerant! Like you I would not want to eat gluten for 6 weeks in order to prove a point.

I think it's all very manageable with the right diet. Good luck to you!

[bookish in reply to Titaniumfox]

Hi, just for interest what did they actually test, genetically? Are they still only looking at HLA DQ2 and 8 or DQ1 and 3 etc also.

As well as depleting nutrients, vits and minerals, stress can increase risk of barrier permeability and change gut bacteria, so your inability to deal with gluten may (possibly) not be permanent.

Cheers

[Titaniumfox in reply to bookish]

They tested HLA-DQ2 and 8. Do the others matter? At any rate, I won't be going back to eating gluten, as I have autoimmunity. Lesson learned!

Edit: Also wheat gives me bloating and hot flushes so I clearly shouldn't eat it.

[bookish in reply to Titaniumfox]

DQ2 and 8 are the more common for coeliac but can occur in non-coeliac gluten sensitivity too (and in those who have neither and may never develop either) but DQ1 and 3 are more widely for NCGS - all still need triggers to express. Glutens gave me acne, and most likely were the cause of now-gone restless legs and familial tremor so I won't be eating grains again either!

[Titaniumfox in reply to bookish]

I'll look into it further, thank you!