Gluten, stress and digestive issues

[stopmoaningpip]

In spring 2013 I cut down drastically on gluten and wheat in my diet at a locum GP's suggestion after developing chronic diarrhoea, possibly coinciding with a very stressful time at work.
This immediately (within 24 hours) resolved the diarrhoea, as well as one or two other signs I had eg joint pain and I've had limited wheat/gluten ever since, eg I eat gluten free pasta and bread, but still eat normal sausages and burgers.
I have generally been very well since then, including getting pregnant after 4 years of unsuccessful trying, followed by getting pregnant the second time straight away.

However I have had a blood test for coeliac disease/inflammatory bowel disease which was negative.
I have had flare ups of diarrhoea, several times apparently linked to eating bread but also sometimes relating to stress without any obvious dietary trigger.
I have also occasionally eaten high wheat foods without obvious digestive ill effect (poss subtle brain fog type signs).
I find a high fibre diet seems to help.

I'm expecting number two in a few months and don't want to change things just now, but in the longer term I'm not sure whether I should carry on as I'm doing since it seems to be working for me, or whether I should be trying to eat more wheat/gluten as I don't have a proper diagnosis of anything. (Therefore presumed IBS). GP is fairly disparaging 'so you've put yourself on this diet then'.

It would be much more convenient to be able to eat everything, at least from time to time.

Sorry that was a bit long. Anyone else had a similar experience? Has anyone been able to eat more wheat over time and if so did you do anything particular?

I tried eating no wheat for a while but actually still got some of the IBS symptoms. GP also wasn't impressed by my self imposed diet either and my bloods negative too and she told me to eat it again. I do occasionally but not every day. Honestly after keeping a month long diary mine is stress, anxiety and the constipation/diarrhoea cycle. Have you kept a diary?

No advice but am interested in responses! Been gluten free for ibs a couple of months but haven't been brave enough to try going back on.

It seems to have helped but not completely if that makes sense..

Hmm, yes I wondered about still keeping it limited, eg one meal with bread/pasta/pizza and then the rest of the day without. And/or have a few completely wheat free days per week.
With hindsight, at the time I had really bad diarrhoea I was usually eating Weetabix for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner so it wasn't exactly the most varied diet.
Not sure diary would be very useful at the moment as I am pregnant (third trimester) so there will a lot of hormonal changes at the moment and over the next few months, but it's definitely a good idea for the future. I do think I was prone to having minor flare ups at certain times of the month, for example.

There is no virtue in eating gluten so not sure why your dr is a bit

If you think of the stone age diet, cereals were few and far between- in fact we didn't eat any.

Cereal eating in a long way along the evolutionary scale.

If you feel the need for some cereal or carbs, why not eat gluten free breads, (Genius), oat cakes, porridge and gluten free pasta?
I've been gluten free (with the occasional tiny mouthful now and then) for about 20 years.

You can have an intolerance that won't show up as celiac, but nonetheless gives symptoms of IBS.

Your blood test for Coeliac won't have worked if you hadn't been eating wheat normally a week or two beforehand as it tests for your bodies reaction to wheat.

I'm in a similar ish situation. My dad is diagnosed allergic (not sure if coeliac or what?) after tests. I became the same as him - stabbing pains and feeling sick. I went on paleo diet and it all stopped. Now I can eat wheat and sometimes be fine (one entire takeaway pizza and no side effects) but other times Christmas buffet I will feel ill and in pain and it's always after I've eaten a fair amount of wheat or binged on sugar. So I'm not sure what's going on :S

There is such a thing as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.There has been a very small amount of research o this if you google.Doctors are divided into how common it is.

For an accurate coeliacs diagnosis you will need to be on a 'normal' gluten diet for approximately 6 weeks (as far as I recall!)
I had to do this and I'll be honest it wasn't pleasant but without doing it you'll never get a conclusive answer.
The fact your symptoms improved so swiftly after cutting out gluten, would suggest you may have coeliacs.

I have RA that was triggered by a lifetime of being on a wheat heavy diet. I know it was because I spent 6 months with zero wheat/grains in my diet doing low carb high fat and lost 3 stone. But then i fell off the wagon. At the time I honestly believed that the sudden onset pain at the time was due to my new bed and I even went on to buy another 3 beds and mattresses to resolve it. It was only upon diagnosis that I came across the autoimmune protocol diet and inked the two up. I also suffer horrific heart burn if I eat wheat. Anyways. you have been wheat free for 3 years, but been pregnant for a massive chunk of that time. When we are pregnant- allergies, Ai issues and intolerances very often fade into the background as its in our bodies interests not to react to any foreign bodies or reject the growing baby. But for most people that experience this brief respite, they are shocked when the baby is born and then they are even more sensitive to the things that trigger them. So honestly? why would you stop what is obviously working for you ? your body is happier for it as you discovered when it was easier to get pregnant after 4 years of trying. Stay wheat free or restrict it to very small amounts.

Oh, and I get the dicky tummy with stress too. This is a new thing for me but it happens like clockwork the night before a new school term (why?!) and the day before I go on a plane ( despite not being scared!).

I was diagnosed with IBS 30 years ago and tested negative to Celiacs. I went on a GF diet for 12 years, just to cope with working FT. I'd get terrible bloating with wheat and agonising trapped wind pain, unable to go, followed by loose episodes.

About 15 years ago I came off the GF diet, just because I got fed up of it and I was then working from home, a lot less stress, could go to the toilet when I needed to - so less IBS symptoms.

I don't think it was a good idea on the whole. I gained 3 stone in weight. Developed duodenitis (agonising wearing of part of the stomach) that lasted a couple of years. I now have Fibromyalgia (a chronic pain condition that limits me working and exercising, requires numerous drugs and will never get better). I have no proof it is related, but I suspect it is.

I think gluten/wheat just doesn't agree with some people. You don't necessarily need to be diagnosed with celiacs for that to be the case. Just my view however.

There is research linking Fibromyalgia to Gluten Sensitivity.Its a Spanish paper ,I think in one of the Rheumatology journals.This is a very new area of research though and the number of patients involved is small.

Teta - I have read something to that effect. Years ago when I had IBS the GP was very scathing about gluten being related. Now I think it's much more thought to be a possible cause., whether or not Celiacs is diagnosed.

I would do what works for you op. I don't think we are there yet with all the answers from a medical point of view.

Coeliac is an auto immune disease and very different to allergy or intolerance.

Most people have intolerance (true allergy is a severe, immediate reaction, like a peanut allergy for example.)

Intolerance shows itself as low key, chronic symptoms.

You can only test yourself for intolerance by cutting out the 'offending' food for a few weeks and the eating it in a large amount and checking reactions.

All intolerances are different. Some people can manage a small amount ( ie a piece of cake or slice of bread once in a while) but others can't.

Personally, I think if you have any suspicion that it doesn't agree with you, cut it out. Nearly all cafes now provide gluten free food or you can adapt what they have, or, worst case, take your own food with you. I have stayed in hotels and taken my own bread and asked them to toast it for breakfast.

Hmm, thank you all, some good points there.

I have wondered about the non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and/or a wheat intolerance, but as far as I know there is no test for either of these?

I think the reason I am interested in trying to get back to a normal diet is that it would make life easier at home if we could all eat the same thing (too expensive to feed us all gluten free pasta, for example), and also it would be easier when visiting people - weirdly it's easier in restaurants etc than when visiting the in laws, for example. But yes perfectly possible to overcome that by taking my own GF pasta and similar, I just don't want to be making a fuss about it if I don't actually need to.

If it was just digestive signs I wouldn't really hesitate to do some trial and error, however the possibility it is linked to some of the wider signs I've had (unexplained infertility, joint pain in fingers) makes me worry about experimenting.

I have also had one or two bouts of labyrinthitis/vertigo - thankfully only a few times and only brief but a really horrible experience. Has anyone heard of this being related to it? It did happen once after I ate some veggie sausages which when I looked at the ingredients were made with wheat gluten. Could well have been coincidence though - I ate a slice of pizza at a relative's house with no ill effects, but then I am pregnant...

I do eat porridge, oatcakes, rice etc so do have plenty of carbs.

So hard to know what to do for the best - would be easier in some ways if I had a definite diagnosis but obviously I know coeliac disease is not a good thing to have so I don't really want that.

PS GP said that because I wasn't on a completely gluten free diet (eg was eating sausages) I didn't need to worry too much about eating gluten before the coeliac test. I did make sure I ate a few biscuits a day anyway just to make sure. But I did have the flu in the middle of the 6 week period and didn't eat much for that week...
So there is a possible question mark there I suppose. Don't think the GP would be very keen on a repeat test though!

I've currently got Vertigo and I'm wondering whether it's related now.I've had it a few weeks. Oh my osteopath reckons it's due to sinus congestion not crystals diagnosed by the doctor.It has improved by sleeping on two pipes to increase drainage and no dairy ( as this increases mucus production .I must say I am probably following a. Very similar diet to you.Have 4 kids and it's difficult to remain entirely gluten free, but I try 95% of the time.

'Pillow' not pipes - would be very hard!!

I was going through a period of stress and caught a virus and was followed by a couple of weeks of bad acid reflux and bloating. My mum suggested cutting out gluten and these symptoms disappeared overnight. Since then I've cut out gluten mostly but still have it in small amounts occasionally e.g. Sausages but not pasta or bread. The symptoms don't reoccur or very slightly.

That's interesting, I've had a couple of bouts of vertigo. As an aside Heck sausages are GF and taste the same as normal ones.

I'm not 100% strict with it - I'd eat whatever a friend had made for me. But I cook GF generally for the family. We tend to eat meat, fish, veg, rice, GF pasta anyway. It's only really a case of having GF stock cubes in the cupboard. You can buy so many GF products now, it's great.

Has your GP ever suggested the FODMAP diet? My BF follows this for IBS at the moment and it seems to be helping x

I haven't really had any in depth discussions with the GP about diet because the appointments are always so rushed. But I have heard of the FODMAP diet.
Also I've really been very well from the digestive point of view for the last two years ish so I haven't had any reason to talk to the GP about it recently.

A couple of posters have mentioned sausages.

There are loads of gluten free sausages available now in the supermarkets. I buy Good Little Sausages, (Waitrose) but there are many other brands too.

@stopmoaningpip I'd really try and book an appointment with a more sympathetic GP, they should give you a hospital referral and be able to do internal scans for this. BF had pretty much the same symptoms with a negative coeliac test and he has had numerous scans etc with eventually appointments with a dietician for FODMAP now. Don't let your concerns be dismissed. x

I should've posted that last night but I read through OP in a rush

My husband is very much like you. He had so many bad symptoms before he cut out gluten and cutting it out made him like a different person. He gets so poorly on gluten, he hasn't had the blood test as you have to be fully on gluten for 6 weeks before and it would be horrendous. He's made a huge effort lately to balance his gut bacteria too. Actimel drinks/ yoghurts etc. Bananas and avoiding tap water and he can now tolerate small amounts of gluten. He has now actively promoting not drinking tap water to everyone he meets. Honestly it has made such a difference for him.

Looney - out of interest what effect does tap water have on your husband?