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    Dr. Rodney Ford M.D.
    Dr. Rodney Ford M.D.

    The 'Masking' of Celiac: Do Not Ignore the Smoking Gun

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Journal of Gluten Sensitivity Autumn 2014 Issue

    The 'Masking' of Celiac: Do Not Ignore the Smoking Gun - Photo: CC--Dennis Jarvis
    Caption: Photo: CC--Dennis Jarvis

    Celiac.com 01/02/2015 - What an odd thing to say: “Do not mask the appearance of celiac disease.” Inferring that you keep on eating gluten, despite early signs of celiac disease, until you get enough damage to your intestines that it can be seen under a microscope. I totally disagree with this concept—but this is still a common belief of medical practitioners.

    For instance a dietitian said this recently: “Gluten-free diet as an experiment to see if you (or your children) feel better, can be beneficial, but this approach can mask underlying celiac disease.”

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    Have you ever heard of a doctor “masking” the diagnosis of heart disease by failing to treat high blood pressure or high cholesterol until the patient has a heart attack? Ridiculous! Have you ever heard of a doctor “masking” the diagnosis of depression so that the person is suicidal before given help? Ridiculous!

    A colleagues writes: “As far as ‘masking’ celiac disease, that would be like saying that a person who is pre-diabetic should continue to eat lots of sugar and carbs so they can destroy enough beta cells to develop full blown diabetes. That eating low carb might mask diabetes. Meanwhile the pre-diabetic blood sugars can continue to damage the body in many insidious ways. Maybe these dietary changes should be looked at as preventive measures that are good.”

    So why is the “masking” concept reserved for celiac disease? I regard a slightly raised tTG result as a ‘smoking gun’ (this also goes for EMA and DGP). Yes, the concept of “do not go gluten-free so that you do not mask celiac disease diagnosis” is contentious.

    There are many threads to this problem:

    1. Celiac disease is a progressive condition—it slowly gets worse the longer you eat gluten;
    2. In the early stages of celiac disease, it cannot be diagnosed by endoscopy biopsy;
    3. The biopsy test is inaccurate and relies on experts to recognize early disease;
    4. Most people who get gluten-illness do not have celiac disease;
    5. Gluten-related-disorders-without-gut-damage are indistinguishable from early-celiac-without-gut-damaage-yet;
    6. Carrying the HLA DQ2/DQ8 gene cannot be used to make a diagnosis, but if you do not carry the gene, it will be very unlikely that you have celiac disease;
    7. The “masking” concept originated a few decades ago when biopsy was the only way to diagnose celiac disease;
    8. Now, the blood tests for celiac disease (EMA, tTG, DGP) are more accurate than the biopsy, and can turn positive BEFORE there is any histologic evidence of gut damage;
    9. Once celiac disease has become established, you cannot guarantee complete remission;
    10. Gluten challenge is detrimental to your health;
    11. A gluten challenge (to create serious bowel damage) can take years, during which time ongoing body damage (brain, skin and bowel) is ongoing;
    12. Celiac disease and gluten-senitivity often co-exist.

    This concept is addressed in my new book “Gluten-related disorder: sick? tired? grumpy?” Available as an ebook at Open Original Shared Link.



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    Guest Dru

    It would be interesting to see a rebuttal of this article by Dr. Green or Dr. Fasano.

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    Guest Michael

    Posted

    Dr. Ford has the same ideas that I have, and I am firmly in his camp regarding what we should do and hope for regarding gluten and the goals of society. on October 1, 2012, I had dinner(gluten-free) with Dr. Ford. Here is one of my principles: I follow the gastroenterologist a who are gluten-free. By that I mean doctors Fine and Ford. Dr. Kenneth Fine said many years ago that only 1% of Americans don't have an HLA-DQ gene that confers risk for gluten sensitivity. Dr. Marios Hadjivassiliou says that not only DQ2 and DQ8 confer risk for gluten ataxia, but also DQ5 and DQ6. Some researchers believe DQ7 and DQ9 give some risk for celiac. What's left? Only 2% of all Caucasian American HLA haplotypes, according to information on Wikipedia. This clearly shows how ludicrous it is to pursue drugs and vaccinations for celiac disease. The gastroenterologists who pursue such folly are gluten consumers, and as such are drug crazed addicts in my opinion.

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    Guest carolle

    Posted

    It would be interesting to see a rebuttal of this article by Dr. Green or Dr. Fasano.

    I went through blood work and it showed up negative for celiac disease...but I had been sick all my life and then one day I was told to look up the symptoms...I had most of them...so I decided to go gluten-free all the way and I have never felt better in my life as I do now. Most of my symptoms have gone away. I have been on this gluten-free diet for 6 years now. If I have anything with wheat, rye, barley, oat or anything modified or anything of the sort...I get really sick. I'm thankful I'm on the gluten-free diet. It is a life changing experience and something I have to stay on for the rest of my life. Some people do not understand but that doesn't matter all that matters is that I am healthy.

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    Guest Hialry

    Posted

    Thank you so much for bringing this to the attention of all of us. I appreciate being able to send dieticians, family and anyone to your references. This really explains a lot of misconceptions and by an expert... Thank you Dr. Ford.

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    Guest Deborah Ross

    Posted

    I was heartened to see this critique of what has passed for celiac diagnosis for so long. Just six years ago, after years of eating gluten (because at age 10 my pediatrician told my mother "she's outgrown the condition" the symptoms returned - with a vengeance. Everything I ate passed through me in under an hour. To make a long story short: I wound up putting myself back on a gluten-free diet despite a gastroenterologist poo-pooing (pun intended) my description of childhood symptoms and multiple family members with gluten intolerance. Today I enjoy relatively good health at nearly 67 years. I stay away from wheat, rye, and barley. I eat all other foods with great enjoyment! While I try to watch my salt intake, I use a large grain of this with doctors' advice!

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    Guest Ktb

    Totally agree!!! I continually find it the height of unethical medicine to suggest that patients need to have such total damage to their intestines that an MD can see it before getting a 'real' celiac diagnosis. Why not have a questionnaire with a matrix of questions etc. and the blood test and HLA testing in order to diagnose the massive numbers of people without a proper diagnosis? The whole process of diagnosis needs an overhaul that works for everyone, not just those with good enough health insurance to guarantee they can afford the biopsy.

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    Guest Sue

    Please send more info on gluten intolerance and anxiety and depression.

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    Guest J M

    Thank you for posting this article. I was told by 3 GI medical docs to continue eating gluten, despite celiac disease family history and severe symptoms myself for years, because my biopsy and blood tests were negative. I smartly have followed the very simple strict gluten free diet now for years and I am glad I disregarded the bad advice. I have since told my anecdotal experience to many individuals who have shared similar stories of lack of helpfulness, or bad advice really, from their MDs. With all due respect to physicians, I personally wish more doctors would take a more out of the box approach with the complexities of this disease and gluten intolerance in general.

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    Guest Teresa

    Posted

    This article doesn't reveal that Dr. Ford believes that no one should eat gluten. "Everyone is at risk from eating gluten: any person, any symptom, any time." See his web site.

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    Guest Eustace

    Posted

    I am totally on board with these comments.

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    Guest DonH

    The problem doctors have with celiac disease is that it is only profitable during the diagnostic stage. Gluten damaged my rectum to such an extent that I required surgery. I had vision disrupting headaches. The moment we discovered the source of my suffering we were going to everything in our power to avoid the cause of my pain. Why would I voluntarily subject myself to the health destroying agent responsible just so the medical services industry can make more money?

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    Guest Margy tuckman

    Posted

    Excellent: my daughter was diagnosed by blood test eliminated the gluten and felt better very soon after/ her endoscopy was performed later and no damage found....would not have encouraged her to eat gluten if endo done first

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  • About Me

    Dr. Rodney Ford M.D.

    Dr. Rodney Ford is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He was Professor of Pediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine. He runs the Children's Gastroenterology and Allergy Clinic in New Zealand. He has written a series of 7 books on gluten (www.DrRodneyFord.com). His main theory is that symptoms from gluten reactions arise from brain and nerve damage. His latest book is "The Gluten Syndrome" which encapsulates current ideas and concepts of gluten and the harm that it does.


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