[jststric]

After listening to the new mammogram recommedations that I feel takes women's healthcare back several steps, I got to thinking about all the times doctors have seemingly not had a clue (or care much) about my issues in the past. I got to wondering if anyone knows if Celiacs or gluten-intolerance has a gender majority? I know there are both men and women on here and suffer from it, but wondered if it seems to be more one than the other. Anyone know?

[amberlynn]

That's a very interesting question, and I'm going to be interested inthe results!

I know in the past, I've had a VERY hard time getting my doctor's to listen to my issues. Most of the time it was written off as 'hormonal', or they ignored me entirely (like when I was 14 and complained about my back hurting awfully and all the doc did was run a thumb down my spine and said I was fine - then sent me out of the room, and told my Dad I was just seeking attention , when in truth I had scoliosis causing severe pain). Migraines were due to my cycle or stress. Same with stomach issues. Very frustrating, and got to the point where I just gave up asking for help, and went withouth a doctor for years becasue of it. I'm still not sure that my current doctor takes me seriously, or just thinks that I'm a hypochrondiac.

[Lisa16]

This is tricky because so many people are undiagnosed.

I read that more women than men develop celiac disease, but that men tend to get sicker from it. But perhaps what this really means is that a man has to get pretty ill before they even consider testing for it? Maybe it is part of that whole macho-thing of men not complaining/ telling doctors they are sick until it gets them somewhere visible?

And definitely more women than men have been diagnosed with IBS.

However, I think I also read recently on a DH website that more men than women get DH. Go figure. But maybe it is not that surprising. I have the theory that having DH might mean the disease has reached the stage where your body is totally overwhelmed and it is expressing it through the skin. I feel strongly this is what happened to me after going undiagnosed over 20 years (it was a "late symptom" in my case). So maybe this happens to men too as part of our societal bias (ie women are more likely to complain about being chronically sick than men)?

[jststric]

This is exactly my point and cause for wondering. When I started having issues, my doctor, a female doctor at that, was clueless and even was convinced and had me tested for STD's! My major symptoms tend to be in very private places. She didn't believe that I and my husband had been completely monogomous with one another and no one else prior in more than 22 yrs! Of course, they came back negative. I have also had a history of pains and such not being taken seriously and explained away as hormonal. And the comment about symptoms being much worse for men......is that because they are taken more seriously? Or that women tend to take more pain before going to the doctor because of our experiences of being dismissed so easily?? See what I mean? And upon reflection, it seems that more of the posts in this site come from females. I don't mean to dismiss the males at all......it all just got me to wondering what the truth would really be.

[summerteeth]

amberlynn, on Nov 18 2009, 08:53 AM, said:

That's a very interesting question, and I'm going to be interested inthe results!

I know in the past, I've had a VERY hard time getting my doctor's to listen to my issues. Most of the time it was written off as 'hormonal', or they ignored me entirely (like when I was 14 and complained about my back hurting awfully and all the doc did was run a thumb down my spine and said I was fine - then sent me out of the room, and told my Dad I was just seeking attention , when in truth I had scoliosis causing severe pain). Migraines were due to my cycle or stress. Same with stomach issues. Very frustrating, and got to the point where I just gave up asking for help, and went withouth a doctor for years becasue of it. I'm still not sure that my current doctor takes me seriously, or just thinks that I'm a hypochrondiac.

Ugh I know. I have had SO many doctors blame my maladies on "my cycle". Um... no. I used to have migraines for weeks at a time - with no pattern whatsoever. If it was related to my cycle, don't you think it would have a pattern?? Like maybe a 28 day pattern?!

And my stomach problems were always negated to my "fiber intake". Yeah, right. So that started a cycle of it's own - more bran, more wheat, more oats! Did not help AT ALL.

I get frustrated just thinking about it!

[Lisa16]

I know what you mean.

There is also the theory that women are actually "tougher" than men in the sense that we are built to be the last standing (for reproductive purposes, one assumes) and can take more pain and survive illness better (they say our hormones protect us from heart disease, say). We also have a higher percentage of body fat, which is a huge advantage when you have something like celiac disease.

These two theories (the women=survivors and the men=more undiagnosed) seem to contradict each other someplaces. Who really knows?

But I do think that in general women are more verbal and would tend ot talk about it more.

[lizard00]

Women are at a higher risk for autoimmune diseases in general. I'm not sure if I read this or not, but my belief is that it's because women tend to have more of the stressors to trigger AI diseases than men. For me personally, childbirth did it.

[carsondcat]

summerteeth, on Nov 18 2009, 07:10 AM, said:

Ugh I know. I have had SO many doctors blame my maladies on "my cycle". Um... no. I used to have migraines for weeks at a time - with no pattern whatsoever. If it was related to my cycle, don't you think it would have a pattern?? Like maybe a 28 day pattern?!

I get frustrated just thinking about it!

Just remembering the "migraines" where no medication would make it better and they would be endless in their duration... Haven't had a "migraine" since being gluten-free. I'm very thankful for that

[Swimmr]

I think it's not one gender or another who has it more...

HOWEVER, I think more men would ignore or ride off the symptoms longer than a woman, so there might be discrepancies there.

I would like to know if it's more prevalent in one race than another...I've wanted to ask, but was kinda keeping that to myself.

[jststric]

Swimmr, on Nov 18 2009, 12:22 PM, said:

I think it's not one gender or another who has it more...

HOWEVER, I think more men would ignore or ride off the symptoms longer than a woman, so there might be discrepancies there.

I would like to know if it's more prevalent in one race than another...I've wanted to ask, but was kinda keeping that to myself.

I read somewhere that the beginnings, or gene origins, of gluten issues seemed to have come from the European Anglo-Saxon regions. I'm not much of a history person, but my background came from England, so I'm thinking that may be our ground zero. That COULD be why the European regions seem to know more and have better options in the eateries, and doctors know so much more than our US docs do. Just my suppositions and assumptions. I suspect like most everything else, it has morphed over the centuries to include more ethnicities these days.

[Lisa16]

I think that it is more a question of who is eating wheat. Celiac is not as prevalent in cultures that are not wheat-based. But when they start eating it, then it appears. It strikes people of every race and ethnicitiy. It is a "human thing"-- or maybe a "wheat thing" rather than a "race thing."

[GottaSki]

I've also seen statistics that women are more likely to get autoimmune diseases, but I think Celiac may be an equal opportunity disease.

For what I think...sometimes celiac is dormant until triggered by an event like illness, surgery or child birth...that last one may bring the numbers of disease triggered in women higher.

As for doctors...I often wondered if I would have been diagnosed sooner if I were male. I went to at least 8 doctors over 25 years with the same symptoms, only difference was the severity of the symptoms. Once severe enough I wouldn't stop until they found something. So if I were male with digestive issues along with boughts of fatigue, flu-like symptoms and constant anemia, would I have been dismissed as readily?????

[amberlynn]

"Equal Oppurtunity Disease" I like that, lol

Well, I did figure out that chocolate triggers migraines for me as well - I cannot handle even the tiniest amount of caffeine.

Glad I'm not the only one who got the 'get more fiber in your diet' junk. I was eating so much fiber, I was beyond bloated and in pain, and STILL having blood in my stool. I mean, really?!? This was shortly after my 2nd son was born, and they just kinda gave up on me. Whatever. I will never understand why he couldn't just run the necessary tests when I asked for them, and instead told me to just 'try the elimination diet, and log your food." Well, now I'm screwed out of a pure diagnosis. And I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm nuts.

[ianm]

I am a male and my complaints about my health were completely ignored by doctors. All they would do is write me a dozen or so prescriptions each time and say, "One of these might work." The doctor issues are just as bad on this side of the gender fence.