Updated 2nd October 2024
April is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) awareness month, so I thought it would be a perfect time to share this post with you.
IBS affects many people, but unfortunately it’s a common misdiagnosis for people later diagnosed with coeliac disease.
One in four people diagnosed with coeliac disease have previously been treated for IBS.
As there’s currently not a specific test for IBS (it’s a process of elimination), tests must be done to rule out any other bowel related conditions first. This is SO important to ensure other more serious conditions such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and bowel cancer are picked up and diagnosed, so they can be treated as soon as possible.
IBS can display very similar symptoms to coeliac disease. Such as stomach pains, cramps, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation and a general feeling of being wiped out. Unlike the other conditions that should be ruled out, coeliac disease can currently only be accurately diagnosed whilst gluten is being included within the diet. Therefore it’s crucial a test for coeliac disease is done before gluten is removed.
Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people in the UK, but only 30% have been medically diagnosed. And as I mentioned, to get an accurate test result you need to have been including normal amounts of gluten in your diet 6 weeks prior to testing for the condition (blood test and endoscopy). The initial test will be a blood test and if positive, you’re generally then referred for an endoscopy. On some occasions the blood test for coeliac disease can give a false negative reading. An endoscopy is quite often referred to as the ‘gold standard’ when testing for coeliac disease.
It appears that more and more that people are self-diagnosing themselves with IBS or dabbling a little with a gluten free diet. And It’s a known fact, that people that have removed gluten prior to testing find it extremely difficult (sometimes impossible) to then introduce it back into their diet, as the symptoms they had before seem to magnify. This highlights why it’s so important that people are tested for coeliac disease before they’ve had chance to adjust their gluten intake.
Coeliac disease is a genetic condition and other family members should also be tested if you’re diagnosed, as their chances of having the condition increases to 1 in 10. Family testing should still be carried out, even when no symptoms are displayed.
If you’ve been advised by your GP that you have IBS but have not had coeliac disease (and other conditions) ruled out, ask that you’re tested and thoroughly checked out.
Another thing to mention is that coeliac disease can materialise at any time. Therefore, if it’s a been a little while since you were last tested for the condition, but you’re still displaying symptoms, ask that the test is repeated.
As you know, I’m not medically trained, just desperate to hunt out people living with undiagnosed coeliac disease, to ensure they get the best chance possible to be able to live a long, healthy, and very happy life!
Liz x
