Hi all,
I'm Rohan from india i've been mostly on an indian vegetarian diet all my life, whereby wheat and rice is a staple ingredient. I've had a lot of gas (and diaorrhea problems) since childhood which generally speaking ppl attribute to a vegetarian diet. I've started having meat regularly since the last 8 years. I also had a lifting accident at work and have had tests done for hernia which were inconclusive. Incidentally, my problems have been aggravated since the incident. I've been suggested by doctors to check for gluten intolerance or IBS. I wanted an opinion from actual GI sufferers, if you could enlighten me on the most common symtoms and the tests you have gone through to determine that. I want to avoid unnecessary tests. My symptoms were not so troublesome prior to the incident but now they include a severe persistent pain in the lower left abdomen, a lot of gas, pain gets worse with gas, frequet diarrhoea mostly gets worse when i eat (diet does include lot of wheat). On occassions when i've had meat without any wheat the problem has been more manageable. Any help in the matter would be really appreciated!
Regards,
Rohan.

I would encourage you to get a blood test (the standar celiac panel), and go from there, depending on the results. The blood test is fairly straight forward, and you can decide after getting the results from that whether or not you want to do an intestinal biopsy. You can also try the gluten-free diet, but do not try the diet prior to doing blood tests, because the blood tests look for antibodies to the wheat protein, and if you are not consuming gluten, your body will have nothing to react to, and you may not see antibodies in the bloodstream.

There are a lot of grains that you can eat that are gluten free that provide adequate protein (some celiacs are vegetarian), including quinoa, millet, buckwheat, teff, and amaranth, so you're not stuck with rice and corn. :-) In addition to all those wonderful fruits, veggies, lentils, and beans, of course. :-)

Hi Rohan,

You should have the "full" celiac panel done which includes five tests. I couldn't tell from your post if you are currently in India. Please determine that the lab at which the tests are done is a reliable one, experienced with celiac testing. Here in the US, I believe Prometheus is considered the most reliable. Be aware however that it is possible to have negative tests and still have celiac. You will have to determine after your blood tests whether to proceed with an endoscopy/biopsy. As Tiffany, said make sure you remain on a gluten diet until you have been biopsied (if you decide to go through it). You may also want to be checked for other food intolerances/sensitivities/allergies. A search on this site will easily inform you about both celiac blood panel as well as common symptoms.

Hello,
Thankyou for your input. I am curretly in India, Athough i did spend last 6 years in Australia. I was mostly on a meat diet back in Oz. One doctor here told me my immunity is lower to indian conditions now because of life abroad due to the difference in hygiene practices. I take RO water here so the water couldn't be responsible. I have had a colonoscopy (OMG its the most disgusting thing i've ever been through), endoscopy and a duodenum biopsy, all of which were inconclusive. Which biopsy are you referring to? I have not had any allergy testing done though.
Have a good day!
Regards,
Rohan.

duodenal biopsy. what made your biopsy "inconclusive"? I just received such a diagnosis. see http://www.glutenfreeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=17010

Hi Rohan.....I have always loved Indian food, but while a lot of it is actually great for people with celiac disease, here are some things I have trouble with: The naan breads are of course eaten a lot, so there might be your #1 problem. Some people with celiac/gluten problems also have problems with dairy, and so some of the cream sauces could cause problems, the yogurt, etc. This wass true for me as I also tested casein sensitive. In addition, I discovered I am also quite sensitive to starches, so that wonderful rice also gave me problems.

You might try to eliminate the bread and rice, and avoid the dishes made with cream and other dairy. Just give it a week or so and see how you feel. This is an easy way to test yourself, actually. Response to the gluten free (and perhaps also casein-free, starch free) diet will tell you a lot. When I cut all these things out I felt a thousand per cent better within just a few days.