Poll: Have you been tested for leaky gut?

[Cheesus]

I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF EVERYONE COULD CONFINE THEIR RESPONSES TO OBJECTIVE TESTS. IF YOU ONLY HAVE A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS WITH NO OBJECTIVE MARKERS, PLEASE RESPOND "NO".

Interesting research and prominent hypotheses suggest that so-called "leaky gut" could be implicated in the pathophysiology of ME. I would like to know if people have been tested for leaky gut and, if so, what the results were.

Different tests have different degrees of specificity and sensitivity, so please state in the comments what kind of testing you performed.

The lactulose/mannitol test only measures the permeability of the small intestine so cannot rule out increased permeability of the colon. I performed this test as I was not aware of these shortcomings at the time. As such, and because my result was negative, I am choosing to respond "Yes - The results were inconclusive".

If you had leaky gut in the past which has since been successfully treated, please let us know in the comments the impact of treatment on your health.

 

[Invisible Woman]

It was a long, long time ago.

They were pretty sure I had a leaky gut problem and also severe candida problems.

The whole candida issue was very tricky. Rounds of diflucan and special diets and so on. Eventually after being really, really strict with my diet over a number of years I finally got that under control.

I have to be very careful with the amount of refined carbs and sugar in my diet.

I think the hope was once we sorted the candida problem, the leaky gut would improve and then the ME symptoms would improve. My IBS (which had been a nightmare since childhood) became controllable but the ME remained as severe as ever.

 

[Cheesus]

@Invisible Woman

How did you respond to the poll? Did you have any testing for the candida or the leaky gut specifically or was it just assumed? I was told i had candida once upon a tine, then found out I actually did not.

 

[char47]

didnt even know there was a test. Presumably it's not NHS recognised?

 

[Richard7]

@Cheesus I was diagnosed by a doctor based on my symptoms not the lactalose/manitol test.

 

[wdb]

didnt even know there was a test. Presumably it's not NHS recognised?

Leaky gut itself isn't recognised by the NHS

While it's true that some conditions and medications can cause a "leaky" gut (what scientists call increased intestinal permeability), there is currently little evidence to support the theory that a porous bowel is the direct cause of any significant, widespread problems.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/leaky-gut-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

 

[Hip]

Leaky gut itself isn't recognised by the NHS

It's actually leaky gut syndrome which is not recognized by the NHS; but the NHS does recognize leaky gut (it says so in the excerpt you quoted). See here for more info.

 

[Thinktank]

Yes, i definately have a leaky gut.

Lactulose/mannitol test positive
IgA against certain gut bacteria
Severe IgG reactive foods
Increased zonulin in stool
Elevated CD14, this indicates LPS from gram negative bacteria in the bloodstream
Inflammatory bowel disease - so i'm predisposed to a leaky gut
Bad gut dysbiosis as shown on several PCR DNA stool tests

 

[kangaSue]

Lactulose/mannitol test positive

Bear in mind that the Lactulose/Mannitol test is not foolproof and can be prone to false positives where GI motility is already in an impaired state.
http://www.immunoscienceslab.com/Articles/Size Matters.pdf (see table 1, pg 10)
11. Lactulose/mannitol can be affected by GI motility, the distribution of the tracer, variations in gastric emptying,renal clearance, the use of medication, smoking, and alcohol consumption, leading to even more false positive results.

Inflammatory bowel disease - so i'm predisposed to a leaky gut

Microvascular intestinal ischemia is an overlooked etiology in IBD. It can result in impaired blood flow to the GI tract causing GI dysmotility leading to food and or drug sensitivity problems. That is my experience with intestinal ischemia anyway.

There is no test to detect this until such time as the bowel is approaching the point of necrosis when there will typical signs seen in blood pathology results. Peripheral artery vasodilators are about the only treatment option for those having this as a chronic problem.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19685450

 

[Invisible Woman]

@Invisible Woman

How did you respond to the poll? Did you have any testing for the candida or the leaky gut specifically or was it just assumed? I was told i had candida once upon a tine, then found out I actually did not.

I responded yes but inconclusive. I had a range of tests done and repeated, but it was so long ago I cannot for the life of me remember exactly which ones were done. There was a breath test and blood tests and I seem to remember something about saliva. This was nearly 20 years ago.

I very definitely had a candida problem but clearing it up was very difficult. It will also come back unless I am very careful with my diet.

Food allergies and sensitivities probably clouded the picture too.

I don't think we ever actually proved I had a leaky gut, but my dietician and consultant both believed I had.

 

[Cheesus]

@Cheesus I was diagnosed by a doctor based on my symptoms not the lactalose/manitol test.

How did you respond? I have been told by clinicians they were certain of things in the past but objective testing has proven otherwise. If you haven't been tested I think the best answer for the poll would be "No" in your situation. The symptoms of leaky gut are so non-specific they could be caused by any number of things.

I'd really prefer if everyone could keep their responses to objective testing only.

 

[Cheesus]

Bear in mind that the Lactulose/Mannitol test is not foolproof and can be prone to false positives where GI motility is already in an impaired state.

And false negatives where increased permeability is in the colon rather than the small intestine.

 

[Cheesus]

@Thinktank What steps have you taken to remedy it? Does objective testing show any improvement in the extent of your leaky gut? If so, has your health improved?

 

[wdb]

It's actually leaky gut syndrome which is not recognized by the NHS; but the NHS does recognize leaky gut (it says so in the excerpt you quoted). See here for more info.

Thanks, didn't know there was a distinction. To quote your post though it seems pointless to talk about 'leaky gut' then as all anyone is interested in is if it causes symptoms or plays a role in triggering disease, at which point it would be leaky gut syndrome, if it exists but does not cause symptoms then what interest is it to anyone ?

There is no question that leaky gut exists (you can find over a 1000 papers on PubMed with "intestinal permeability" in the title); the controversy is whether leaky gut can cause symptoms, or play a role in triggering disease.

 

[Cheesus]

Thanks, didn't know there was a distinction. To quote your post though it seems pointless to talk about 'leaky gut' then as all anyone is interested in is if it causes symptoms or plays a role in triggering disease, at which point it would be leaky gut syndrome, if it exists but does not cause symptoms then what interest is it to anyone ?

Not necessarily. The degree of intestinal permeability can predict relapse in Crohn's disease. In this instance it isn't a syndrome and nor does it cause symptoms per se, rather it is a biomarker used to guide treatment decisions within a well defined disease.

 

[Biarritz13]

Yes, i definately have a leaky gut.
Elevated CD14, this indicates LPS from gram negative bacteria in the bloodstream

Are you sure about the bacteria in the bloodstream?

 

[Cheesus]

Are you sure about the bacteria in the bloodstream?

There are indeed bacteria translocated from the gut to the bloodstream and beyond, and not just in patients with sepsis. They're not always viable - sometimes present as fragments (epitopes) that can illicit the same immune response as live organisms - but there are also viable organisms within the bloodstream. One study suggests that it may be a causal factor of PEM.

 

[Biarritz13]

There are indeed bacteria translocated from the gut to the bloodstream and beyond, and not just in patients with sepsis. They're not always viable - sometimes present as fragments (epitopes) that can illicit the same immune response as live organisms - but there are also viable organisms within the bloodstream. One study suggests that it may be a causal factor of PEM.

There is indeed bacterial translocation from the gut to the bloodstream but if there is gut permeability, which I don't have but an elevated (little) sCD14.

 

[Thinktank]

Are you sure about the bacteria in the bloodstream?

Translocation of bacteria or LPS that leaks through the intestinal barrier.
Why do i think so?
1. Any probiotic makes me feel sick. Translocation perhaps?
2. Increased CD14
3. IgA against several gut microbes.

 

[Biarritz13]

Translocation of bacteria or LPS that leaks through the intestinal barrier.
Why do i think so?
1. Any probiotic makes me feel sick. Translocation perhaps?
2. Increased CD14
3. IgA against several gut microbes.

I meant the
"Elevated CD14, this indicates LPS from gram negative bacteria in the bloodstream".