Does celiac disease cause green stools and abdominal pain in the right side?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have thoroughly reviewed your case history, and I would like to provide a step-by-step analysis:

1. Your altered bowel habits, including diarrhea and cramps, align with the diagnosis of celiac disease, especially given the improvement you have experienced since adopting a gluten-free diet.
2. The mildly abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) can also be attributed to celiac disease. But, these should have improved by now, given the management of your celiac condition.
3. If your LFTs remain abnormal, we should consider other potential causes, such as alcohol-related issues, fatty liver, or common infections like hepatitis B or C.
4. The right-sided pain near the ribcage is of particular concern since it corresponds to the location of the liver. An enlarged liver, often caused by conditions like fatty liver or alcohol-related concerns, could lead to prolonged dull pain. The accuracy of ultrasound results can vary depending on the operator, potentially leading to underreporting of mild liver conditions.
5. Another possibility is gallbladder-related pain, but this can be detected easily on ultrasound, making it less likely if the previous ultrasound was reported as normal.
6. Prolonged periods of sitting or the use of computers can lead to costochondritis, inflammation of the lowermost rib border, causing persistent pain, particularly at the same location. This is often associated with truncal obesity.
7. Regarding green stools, the issue can be addressed by conducting a microscopic examination of a stool sample, known as a stool detailed report. Dietary factors like the consumption of leafy vegetables or bacterial overgrowth in the gut, can also lead to changes in stool color.
8. Alarming stool colors to watch out for include fresh red blood, maroon stools (indicating altered blood), or deep black stools (indicative of upper gastrointestinal bleeding).

To investigate your condition further, I would suggest you do comprehensive liver function tests, a high-quality abdominal ultrasound, and stool examination, as mentioned earlier, to pinpoint the cause of your green stools. In the meantime, pay attention to your diet to identify any potential sources of green stools. I would also suggest you add probiotics like yogurt to your diet daily. Continue observing your stool color for the next 1-2 weeks.

Thank you.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your response.

After carefully reviewing your reports (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity), some key points I would like to highlight are:

1. It is reassuring that your recent blood workup, which includes a complete blood profile and thyroid evaluation, returned within the normal range.
2. Your mentioned investigation reports, particularly the Hepatitis C and stool tests, have also come back with normal results, which is a positive sign.
3. The negative result for the fecal occult blood test is encouraging, as this test is effective in detecting even trace amounts of blood in stools and is often used as an indicator for decisions like colonoscopy. In your case, it is a good sign.
4. The negative or normal result of the fecal calprotectin test, which is highly sensitive to gut inflammation, is also reassuring. This test is typically used to differentiate between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel issues. Your result indicates that significant inflammation within the colon is unlikely.

I would suggest you to recheck your liver function tests and undergo another ultrasound to confirm the normal condition of your liver, gallbladder, and biliary channels.

In the meantime, consider reducing your consumption of green leafy vegetables, including kale, and monitor any changes in stool color. If you have no dietary restrictions, adding meat to your diet may be a worthwhile consideration. Continuing to include yogurt and commercially available probiotics in your diet is beneficial, as this can aid in restoring the balance of your natural gut microbiota.

Thank you.

Kind regards