Hi, I have had t1 for about 4 years.
I was wondering if anyone knows if completely random gastro problems-constipation, going to the toilet like 6 times a day, bloating, gas-like the radioactive kind, stomach pains, nausea (i always attribute this to high bg and then am surprised to see im normal)-should be reason to see my endo. i know that once you have one autoimmune disease, you are more suspeptible to others, and that celiac is common among us. but how long should i have these symptoms before i go to the doctor?
I have never had stomach problems before t1. last year i started feeling more and more bloated as the day went on, weird, burny stomach pains off and on for a couple of days, constipated for a couple of days-i eat loads of fibre. but because it was only ever for a couple of days, you just kind of get on with things-and the last month i am having these symptoms and more-like the bad gas and going to the toilet a million times a day.
ive mada an appt for next week. is there anything else this could be? my grandmother had crohns and i really would not like to have that or celiac.
Could also be SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and/or Candida overgrowth. Probably need to go to a specialist to get tested for these.
Also possible to have food sensitivities caused by gut permeability. You could try eliminating some of the most common foods that cause distress–gluten, eggs, peanuts, cow dairy–and see if you get relief.
I had all of the above in 2014. A year staying clear of those foods, eating lots of bone broths and aloe vera, as well as taking herbal anti fungals and anti bacterials got me back on track. I still stay away from gluten, but I do eat everything else again.
If you plan on getting tested for celiac disease, DO NOT eliminate gluten from your diet or the tests will be invalid! Like, T1, the celiac tests check for antibodies. If gluten is not being consumed, you will not be creating antibodies. I recommend checking out the University of Chicago’s celiac website. It discusses symptoms and testing protocol.
Are you taking any new meds? I had horrible gastro problems, and my finally looked up my blood pressure med, Benicar. It was like the list of side effects was written about me. My problems stopped the day I stopped the medication. I’m on another BP med and doing great.
Could be any of a large number of things causing your issues. Personally, I have had a LOT of digestive problems tagging along with my D. I do have some level of gastroperisis and full blown Celiac. The Celiac is easy to treat. You just CANNOT consume wheat, rye or barley(which really sucks when you love beer). There is no alternative protocol.
For me, simply getting my BG in a normal range helped some, say maybe 25% or so. When I stopped ALL gluten that improved to about 85%. Then I found that I had problems when consuming items that used different sweeteners like stevia and Splenda. A little bit of one was okay, but not if another item used something else. So, I avoid mixing sweeteners and that helps a little bit more. But I still had some pretty uncomfortable episodes.
Finally, I quit drinking soda pop altogether. I used to have 1/2 to 1 can of cola in the afternoon. It did not matter whether it had stevia or splenda. They both caused problems (I have never been able to tolerate aspertaine). Since adding soda to the “no fly” list I can say that my issues have improved to around 98%. There are just certain things I must avoid and it took some experimenting to figure it all out. Thing is, I didn’t spend untold hours and dollars with the lab and my doctor to do this (which would have entailed the same experimenting coupled with long hours and expensive tests). I DID talk with my Dr regarding this process and now my symptoms are at a very managable level.
This is MY story. What I have found is very likely different than what you might discover. It just makes sense to me that with things that are diet influenced we are much better off finding our own way (with study and guidance, of course) than to see a doctor every few weeks for a few minutes to get their best guess. Educated as they may be. If nothing else, we have much better and complete information to take to our doctor when we do need their full expertise.
As other have already written, it could be any number of causes. I’ve had diabetes much longer than you, 32 years, and 4 years ago I had symptoms like you describe. I received a gastroparesis (GP - delayed stomach emptying) diagnosis. It has responded very well to tighter blood sugar control.
I also consume resistant starch every day in the form of potato starch. Resistant starch resists breaking down in the stomach and small intestine and then goes on to feed the good bacteria in the large intestine. If you google resistant starch, you will discover medical studies going back to the '70’s. These studies often used potato starch as the study material. When I started taking resistant starch my symptoms receded by about 90%.
GP is the result of the impairment of the autonomic nervous system. There’s a nerve that connects the brain to the digestive system. High blood sugars degrade the nerve tissue and the signal sent from the brain doesn’t get through.
I second @Randy5’s method to learn as much as you can about what’s going on. Unless you are lucky to find a gifted doctor than not only listens to you but also persists, you may have to wait a long time to actually determine what’s going on. I’m a firm believer that a fully engaged and knowledgeable patient combined with a curious doctor is the best situation.
The most important element, however, is a well-informed patient. Google is your friend but only trust respected sources like the Mayo Clinic or the National Institute of Health in the US. I’m sure there are good info sources in Spain, too.
@Terry4, how does one get tested for GP? Is it done through a gastroenterologist? I’ve had many problems with digestion over the past few years, and while a lot of it is probably related to food allergies, I do wonder about GP sometimes given my blood sugar difficulties (although I don’t seem to have the typical going-low-then-shooting-high pattern) as well as the fact I’ve had diabetes for 24 years.
To the OP, I would talk to your doctor about it and see what they recommend. I was tested for celiac years ago (as well as when I was first diagnosed with diabetes as a kid) and the blood test was negative. Then two years ago I got a biopsy as part of a different diagnosis, which was also negative. I was re-tested via blood test last year, and it was negative but it was also after going on a wheat-free (though not gluten-free) diet due to another allergic/autoimmune diagnosis. My gastroenterologist feels my problems are related to food sensitivities. I’ve found some foods definitely cause problems, and plan to ask my allergist to test me to see if I’m allergic, but even if I’m not allergic it may be that certain foods just upset my digestive tract.
I’ve also wondered about the whole gut bacteria balance issue, because I’m sure that my gut bacteria is messed up since I have allergic and autoimmune diseases, and lots of research I’ve been reading has said that bacterial inbalances lead to both of those problems.
I have had ibs for years but everything has gotten worse with D- more constipation which causes lows etc. I have gone gluten free and my celiac test was negative after that but it helps the wheat reaction I have to be gluten free and for thyroid issues now which are affecting things too prolly. I would go to a gastro doc and get some tests. I hope it’s not crohns or celiac or gp. It’s hard to tell the difference between gp and constipation/ibs sometimes I think because they can have the same effects. I hope you feel better. If you notice any foods that seem to trigger this like dairy etc. I would try elimination one by one and see if it helps you. I hope you get some relief.
My endo ordered the stomach emptying test. Here’s a cut and paste from [a good Healthline article][1]:
Once your doctor has ruled out other possible causes of your symptoms, they’ll order tests that will confirm that you have gastroparesis. These tests can include:
a gastric emptying scintigraphy test, which involves eating a small
amount of a radioactive substance so your doctor can see how fast
food is being digested
a SmartPill, which is a capsule that contains a device to track how fast food moves through your digestive tract
Once the resistant starch in potato starch is cooked and the temperature is elevated beyond a certain level then it converts to digestible carbohydrates. I mix the potato starch with warm tap water and it doesn’t elevate my BG at all.
Thanks for the information! I may ask my doctor about it. Athough, since I don’t really have any symptoms of GP, I’m not sure he’d go ahead and order the test. If anything, sometimes I feel like my food digests too fast, but at other times it simply “disappears”, and at other times my stomach just hurts or is unhappy and upset. I have other stuff going on with my digestive tract, though, so am seeing a gastroenterologist every six months or so, but he hasn’t found any reason for my stomach symptoms.
I’ve had the same problems starting a couple of years after diagnosis . It got worse and worse and still couldn’t figure out any solution. The doctors seemed to not take me seriously except to preform a colioscopy. The last year or so, I stopped any artificial sweetners in gum and coke. I also went low carb and gluten free (although I do have some crackers rarely). Very little dried beans,etc. AND I’M FINE! Only happens very rarely now. WHAT A RELIEF! Truly this was becoming a real handicap.
I feel for you and hope you will find something that works for you.
