Celiac Disease??

[dovelysong]

Does anyone have it or know someone personally who does?

I think I may have it, as nothing else seems to explain my abdominal pain and other issues. Soooo, I'm getting ready to start an "experiment" where I'm going to TRY to stick to a gluten-free/wheat-free diet for a while and see if my issues improve. If they do, then I know that it is, in fact celiac disease.

Anyway, please... all comments welcome.

 

[sewpunk]

I do not know anyone with that.

I'd love to hear about how the gluten free works for you. I have a gulten addiction I think.

I've also heard that meat and dary milk will give people problems with what I think are the "issues" you may be refering to.

Look into IBS as well.

 

[dovelysong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewpunk I do not know anyone with that. I'd love to hear about how the gluten free works for you. I have a gulten addiction I think. I've also heard that meat and dary milk will give people problems with what I think are the "issues" you may be refering to. Look into IBS as well.

I have looked into IBS, but Celiac, at least for now, seems a bit more likely. Some of the other symptoms of Celiac Disease (other than the obvious gastrointestinal stuff) are dry skin, hives, burning throat (think that scratchy feeling you get before getting a cold), and muscle cramps. There's a bunch of different symptoms you can have, and some people have most or all, or just a few. But, I seem to have quite a few symptoms (including the ones I just named).

Lactose intolerance may be a factor. I've loved milk all my life, and as I've gotten older (I'll be 29 this year) I've noticed that I sometimes have slight issues after having dairy. I'm also Black, and I know that blacks are more likely to have problems with lactose intolerance. But, all of the symptoms I have are not all related to just that, or meat for that matter (I really don't eat a whole lot of meat).

Sooo, I don't know. We'll see what the result of this little experiment is. I've been to the doctor and to the hospital so many times, and no one can seem to tell me what's wrong with me. I feel like my own little episode of "House" (I love that show).

Anyway, I'll let you know how the experiment goes.

 

[Wattage]

Before you experiment, I think it would be wise to consult a medical professional. Self-diagnosis for something as serious as celiac disease is probably not the best course of treatment.

 

[dovelysong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wattage Before you experiment, I think it would be wise to consult a medical professional. Self-diagnosis for something as serious as celiac disease is probably not the best course of treatment.

That's the problem. I HAVE consulted the doctor countless times, and I've also been hospitalized a couple times. And not one of those times have they been able to tell me what's wrong. They literally just say they don't know. I've spoken to my doctor about Celiac, and it's generally definitively diagnosed by intestinal biopsy.

So, if all the doctor is going to do is "guess" what's wrong with me, and do what could be an unnecessary surgical procedure, I would rather try out a gluten-free/wheat-free diet for a week or so to see if I begin to feel better.

I can't begin to explain to you what it's like to not really be able to remember what it's like to have a meal that does not cause some gastrointestinal distress. I have run to the doctors countless times (at one point I went to the doctor 4 times within a two-week period for the same thing) and they have all said they don't know, yet no one has ever mentioned that it COULD be Celiac. I had my gallbladder removed, which was supposed to help the problem and it didn't, really.

I'm not saying that I definitively know that I HAVE Celiac. Just that I've done a lot of reading, and this is the one thing that no doctor has ever mentioned, yet seems to be the most fitting.

I cry almost everyday because of the pain, etc, and at this point, I am pretty much at the end of my rope.

 

[Wattage]

I am so sorry to hear about all the pain you are in

I strongly encourage you to take your findings to your doctor. Keep pushing. If your doctor wants to play guessing games, perhaps it is time to seek the advice of a new physician?

I guess I am a little confused... you mentioned that you have spoken with your doctor about CD, yet no doctor has even mentioned it? What did the doctor say when you brought it up? Did they think it was a possibility?

Also, you might want to talk to members of your family. Celiac disease is hereditary, so this might provide some clues.

Either way, I agree that a gluten-free diet couldn't hurt, at least for now. I recommend seeing a dietician to help you plan a nutritionally sound gluten-free diet, as a lot of foods unfortunately have gluten.

Best of luck - keep us posted and let us know how it goes!

 

[dovelysong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wattage I guess I am a little confused... you mentioned that you have spoken with your doctor about CD, yet no doctor has even mentioned it? What did the doctor say when you brought it up? Did they think it was a possibility?

For years I've been back and forth to the doctor for the pain and other symptoms before I knew what Celiac Disease was. Only recently (meaning in the past 2-3 months) have I begun to investigate Celiac after see something about it on TV. So, since I've been doing the research on it over the past couple months, I THEN asked the doc at the ER the last time I was there for the problems (which was about 1 month ago) and they said, "oh yeah..." as if it had JUST occurred to them at that very moment that there was even a thing SUCH AS Celiac Disease.

I then spoke with my regular doctor (who I love... we had talked about my stomach issues before, but not in context of it being related to Celiac), and once we had an in depth conversation about it (including all the other symptoms that I have that are related to Celiac) she began to question about my family history, and to explain what was involved in testing for Celiac. That's when I learned about the biopsy, etc, etc. So when I said that no doctor has mentioned it, I meant that they never brought it up as being a possible cause for my issues. Does that make sense?

Soooo, I figure, I would rather try eliminating (I KNOW it's in EVERYTHING... and that sucks) gluten/wheat for a little while to see if I feel better. As long as I am smart about it (which is why I have been researching like crazy) then I should be fine with my dietary choices, etc. I have considered consulting a nutritionist, and I know my doc will quickly give me a referral to do so if I ask.

Thanks for all of your concern and your help. I will definitely keep you posted.

 

[girlstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dovelysong Does anyone have it or know someone personally who does? I think I may have it, as nothing else seems to explain my abdominal pain and other issues. Soooo, I'm getting ready to start an "experiment" where I'm going to TRY to stick to a gluten-free/wheat-free diet for a while and see if my issues improve. If they do, then I know that it is, in fact celiac disease. Anyway, please... all comments welcome.

A lot of people have a wheat or gluten intolerance that goes undiagnosed for a long time. You should definitely try it - but make sure you read labels! Wheat is hiding everywhere.. it's even in tomato soup!! When I did a gluten free "diet" for a couple of weeks (for health reasons, not to lose weight), I was actually consuming things with wheat in them, without realizing it because I didn't read labels.

You should check out:

http://community.livejournal.com/naturalliving

Quite a few people with Celiac post there, and they have tons of info in the memories about what you can substitute for wheat!

 

[atnaturesmercy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dovelysong Does anyone have it or know someone personally who does? I think I may have it, as nothing else seems to explain my abdominal pain and other issues. Soooo, I'm getting ready to start an "experiment" where I'm going to TRY to stick to a gluten-free/wheat-free diet for a while and see if my issues improve. If they do, then I know that it is, in fact celiac disease. Anyway, please... all comments welcome.

The thing that's so hard about celiac disease is that since it's an autoimmune disease, your body actually attacks itself in response to gluten, so simply cutting out gluten for a week won't show immediate results. Unfortunately, it takes months of a completely gluten-free diet for your body to actually repair and heal itself and to start feeling better.

My advice, if you really have ruled out everything else, is to go ahead and do the biopsy. It might not be pleasant, but at least it will give you a definitive answer and will cut out all the guesswork for you. Not only that, but since celiac disease results in the destruction of the lining of your intestines, you also may not be absorbing the proper nutrients and vitamins your body needs. It's probably best just to get this diagnosed as soon as possible.

I hope you feel better!