Close Relatives of Celiac Patients More Likely to Have "Silent" Celiac Disease

I find it astounding that this is a new approach.  I was a "silent" celiac sufferer for 50 years, with no symptoms.  At age 50, I became addicted to ice, (the hard form of water type).  My doctor had never encountered a celiac patient and was not familiar with the disease or the symptoms.  He put me through the ringer with multiple blood tests and a colonoscopy when he found that I was severely anemic.  The doctor that administered the colonoscopy wondered why I was back for another one after just a few months after a prior screening with both colonoscopy and endoscopy.  I described the situation, and his nurse assistant immediately asked if I had been checked for "Sprue" in the previous endoscopy.  They hadn't, and did so in that appointment.  The positive blood test came back the same day as the endoscopy positive biopsy.  The doctor called me when I was traveling on business sitting in the hotel room eating a hamburger with a side of pretzels. 

After a short conversation all the food went in the trash.  Even though my doctor was a celiac "rookie", he did extensive research, and immediately recommended that all of my children, and grand children get the blood screening. (None were symptomatic.)  Keep in mind this was 11 years ago.  2 of my three children, and one of my five grandchildren at the time tested positive. (I have two newer grand kids that have not yet been tested that I know of.  They are my daughter's, who is positive for celiac, so  they may have been.  I will remind her.)

At any rate, my celiac rookie doctor recognized the potential of the situation and recommend the exact same protocol that is described in the article as "new".

As an aside, other than the chronic anemia that developed after 50 years, I never had any symptoms severe enough to seek help.  There were others, but I only recognized them after I was diagnosed and researched the topic.  However, after about a year of total gluten free intake, I developed very severe immediate reactions to gluten contamination, mainly severe nausea and vomiting that would last until my system was emptied.  I now carry Zofran, when I travel, (75% of my time).  If I take it when I find out I've been contaminated, (yes, I have restaurants come to my table and tell me they screwed up), or if I develop the sudden intense waves of nausea, sweating, etc., it will keep me from throwing up, but I still feel bad for a few days after.  I highly recommend this to celiac sufferers when they travel. 

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