Crohns and Coeliac?

[vickie_x]

(sorry if this isn't the right place and if it's been asked before - I did a quick search but wasn't easy to check all the threads on my iPad)

I was just wondering if it's possible to have both crohns and coeliac. I was diagnosed with the crohns after biopsies from my colon showed granomulas (I think that's the word) and some ulcers. They did an upper endoscopy too but I don't think they took any biopsies which I've read is the way they diagnose coeliac.

I'm just worried that this may have been missed and now I'm facing yet another diagnosis. Can they exist together? Or if coeliac testing is positive does that mean I don't have crohns and my symptoms were all untreated coeliac? And is the only treatment for coeliac diet?

Sorry for all the questions, just a bit panicked that after a year of coming to terms with crohns it may all be about to change again x

 

[Terriernut]

It is possible. I'm supposed to have my bloods done to check it actually. Because my belly is so huge and I have the big D all the time.

You can have it checked by blood tests from what my IBD nurse tells me. Let us know how you get on?

 

[vickie_x]

Thank you for such a quick reply and for clearing up the co-existence confusion.
I think my IBD team were considering a blood test for it, presumably with my weekly 6MP bloods on Monday so I guess I'll know a bit more after that
Something else to throw in the mix I guess, just hoping for negative!
Hope you are okay too x

 

[David]

They not only can exist together but there is a significantly increased risk.

 

[Ihurt]

Just to note, the blood tests are not always very accurate when dx celiacs disease. I have been gluten free for the last 6 years. It was a life saver for me. Biopsies are the only way to dx this accurately. Also, you can have gluten intolerance which can cause alot of the same symptoms as celiacs, but it is not actual celiacs. Either way, the treatment is to go on a strict gluten free diet. I will not lie, it is challenging in the beginning in terms of diet, but once you get use to it, you will find that there is alot you can eat that is gluten free and more and more restaurants and grociers are carrying gluten free products. Also going gluten free is a healthier lifestyle if you ask me.

Thank you for such a quick reply and for clearing up the co-existence confusion.
I think my IBD team were considering a blood test for it, presumably with my weekly 6MP bloods on Monday so I guess I'll know a bit more after that
Something else to throw in the mix I guess, just hoping for negative!
Hope you are okay too x

 

[vickie_x]

Thank you all so much for your info! I have been so busy that I never managed to get online to update. I had the bloods taken for a coeliac screen and it was reported as negative provided I hadn't been following a gluten free diet for 6weeks prior - so good news!
My team would still like to take biopsies to confirm it but as the blood test was a pretty conclusive no they are going to wait until i have another colonoscopy and do them together.

They do however think the symptoms I had that were pointing towards coeliac was the very start of another flare things just seemed to go downhill and I've been back on the pred since Wednesday as the blood came back. Just as I thought my crohns was under control... Trying to remain positive - thanks for the support guys x

 

[Terriernut]

I'm glad you arent celiac as well! I had my bloods done just Friday. Cause I'm Flaring! *(grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

I hope you get your flare under control soon Vicki!
xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[GFinDC]

Hi,

The celiac antibody tests are not 100% reliable, so the usual advice is to go ahead and trial the GF diet for 3 or 4 months even if the antibody results are negative. Some people with celiac never test positive for antibodies though. People with celiac are more prone to having a low IgA level, which means their IgA antibodies are not going to show up as positive even if they have full blown celiac. So a total IgA test is best done to determine if that is a problem.

If you are on immune suppressors the antibody tests would not be likely to show anything either. I don't know if steroids have the same affect though. Another problem with diagnosis is people sometimes start the GF diet before they get tested. That will skew the results also, so testing should be done before trying the GF diet.

The other common test for celiac is the endoscopy where they take 5 or more biopsy samples. The multiple samples are needed because the disease may not affect the entire small intestine at the same time. The problem with the endoscopy is that it can only reach the beginning few feet of the small intestine, so you could have damage a few inches farther along and they would never find it/see it. The damage in celiac is to the villi lining the small intestine. Sometimes doctors can see the damage plainly with the endopscope. but other times it hasn't progressed to the point of being visually observable. That's why the biopsy samples are important, so the villi can be checked under a microscope for damage. The damage is "rated" according to the Marsh scale.

Another possible test is stool testing by Enterolab, but it is not accepted as diagnostic by physicians.