Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Fear Of Getting Another Auto-Immune Disorder


JosieToo

Recommended Posts

JosieToo Explorer

I started having symptoms and was diagnosed with celiac disease shortly after a very bad virus. My doctor said that my celiac “gene” was very likely triggered by the virus and the toll it took on my body. As someone who was previously healthy and had never had any medical problems, it was shocking and scary to think that you can literally wake up one day to a major health challenge. Ever since then, when I get sick I get paranoid that I’m going to trigger some other unknown gene and end up with another auto-immune disorder. I know my risks are slightly elevated for other auto-immune disorders, which only amplifies the feeling. Anyone else experience this type of fear?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



mamaw Community Regular

life  itself  throws  us  many  curves  in our lifetime...yes,  it  can be  scary  but  still happens. Life  happens  whether  we  embrace  the  challenges    or crumble  to them.. So I say  " I am  strong  , I  can handle  what  life  gives  me"...I  believe  we  all  are  warriors  &  can  take on  turmoil   when it  strikes.. Body, mind, & spirit , keep  them  three in  tip top  shape....

hugs

nvsmom Community Regular

(Hugs)  Try not to worry too much... Easier said than done, right?  Staying gluten-free will help keep autoimmune caused inflammation down which will help prevent the development of further AI diseases.  If you were continuing to eat gluten, you would be putting yourself at a greater risk.  Unfortunately you do have a slightly higher than normal risk of developing more AI problems (diabetes T1 and Hashimoto's being the most common) but eating gluten-free will help to lower that risk.

 

Another thing, most of us who have other AI diseases developed them during the years or decades that we were living as undiagnosed celiacs.  I personally had my two other problems crop up after a couple of decades of eating gluten when I should not have been.  I am pretty confident that if I continue to treat myself well, that I will not develop further problems.  KWIM?

 

Just live well.  Be aware of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and diabetes, but don't dwell on it. Even if you were eating gluten, chances are that you won't get them, and since you are gluten-free, your risk is even less.

 

Best wishes.  :)

icelandgirl Proficient

I do get this. It can be very scary to think about. I have celiac and Hashis. I think keeping inflammation down in your body can help keep you from getting other AI's. By staying gluten free you keep inflammation down. Take good care of yourself and try not to worry...The worrying is the worst. I tend to do this myself. Try not to dwell on it. Be thankful that you have your diagnosis and that you are treating it with diet every day. Your body is getting healthier every day. Like Nicole said, it's good to be aware of the symptoms of Hashis and diabetes...but that doesn't mean you will get them.

Big (((hugs))) to you.

brooklyngal Rookie

Celiac has definitely made me a little more anxious about my health. I recently was diagnosed with diverticulosis + low iron as well, so I've had to change my diet yet again because of both of those things. Sometimes I get sick of having to think about food so much! 

 

But as everyone else has said, the best thing to do is not worry. I'm trying to eat more whole foods now and do other healthy stuff like exercising, and after that if I still get sick, well...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LauraTX Rising Star

I certainly understand the fear of something else going wrong.  I am almost 30 and pretty much have the body of an 80 year old, lol.  I have Celiac, Lupus, and Common Variable Immunodeficiency, and the way I cope with my fear of things going out of whack is to just take care of my current problems to the best of my ability.  I am so anal retentive about eating gluten-free I am probably the model Celiac patient to the extreme.  For my other issues, I do treatments and medications on schedule, eat right, etc.  Also, pay attention to your body and don't hesitate to get things checked out.  Better to have a false alarm than to sit on something until it is really bad.  

w8in4dave Community Regular

I remind myself not to worry about something that may or may not ever happen.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,326
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Diane Nicholetts
    Newest Member
    Diane Nicholetts
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • NoGlutenCooties
      For anyone looking for a great place to eat near Wilmington, DE, I did not find anyplace in Wilmington that looked like they could do safe gluten free. I was also there on a Sunday and most places are closed on the weekends. However, I found a really great place in Newark, DE - just 20min away.  It's Ted's Montana Bar and Grill and it was absolutely amazing! They have a great gluten free menu and they really understand about keeping things from being cross contaminated. They had the best Bison burgers and hand-cut fries.  Yes, in a separate frier, of course. My friend got the gluten free bun and she said it was really good. Ted's Montana Bar and Grill is also a chain, with several locations across the country.  If you happen to be near one, I highly recommend them.
    • Mari
      I havesome of the replies to your post(which by the way is a gread piece of writing) and think that it will take lots of time and reading to decide what you are going to do. I would like to give you some practical suggestions. Your anxieties and OCD are a perfectly natural response when your body is sending signals that you have physical problems. The body does not use words it uses biochemistry and electric interactions. Celiac disease is not a killer disease so you are not going to die in the near future if you get glutened.  It can be a disabling problem unless you stay gluten free. For OCD attacks I have used spearmint or peppermint teas to relax. I also sitorlay down , relax as much as possible and review what I have been eating for the last few days and can usually identify that I have been eating too much of something and not enough of other foods that would balance my body. My body may have become too acid when it needs to be slightly alkaline. For me this means eating more vegetables and less starches and proteins. There are some websites that will list acid forming foods and alkaline forming food and many foods that are in between. Just admit that you are anxious about gluten being present in foods and anything that is used to prepare foods or even in your environment. When you eat anything that makes you anxious take a capsule of an anti-gliadin enzyme. I use a brand called GliadinX. It works in the stomach and will break down small amounts of gluten. Look up online the amount of plain water your body height and weight needs every day. Two years ago I was 5' 4" and weighed 100 lbs and needed 48 oz. every day.  Even if you can't drink the full amount if you just drink more water you will notice some improvement in your digestive system.  That's enough for tonight and it's way past my bedtime. Don't hesitate to ask more question or ask for more information.       
    • Scott Adams
      Canker sores can definitely be frustrating, especially when you're already managing a strict gluten-free lifestyle and have been diagnosed with celiac disease for so long. While these painful mouth ulcers aren’t exclusive to celiac disease, they can be linked to nutritional deficiencies—particularly of iron, folate, or vitamin B12 (as @trents mentioned )—which are common in people with celiac, even those who are very careful with their diet. Ongoing fatigue and aches might also suggest that your body isn’t fully absorbing nutrients or that there’s some underlying inflammation. It could be helpful to get bloodwork done to check for these deficiencies, and possibly even a full nutritional panel. Sometimes, new sensitivities or hidden sources of gluten or additives like sodium lauryl sulfate (common in toothpaste) can trigger symptoms like canker sores too. Since your reactions are so severe and you're highly vigilant, it might also be worth considering whether any other autoimmune conditions could be involved, as they can develop over time and overlap with celiac. Consulting with your doctor or a celiac-informed dietitian may help pinpoint the cause and bring relief.
    • knitty kitty
      @Dora77, You shouldn't worry about getting glutened through your skin.  You would have to touch a gluten infested doorknob and then put your hand in your mouth.   I'd be more concerned with your mom's heating up gluten bread in the oven and boiling gluten noodles.  These methods cause particles of gluten to become airborne which would then enter your nose and be swallowed, going into your digestive tract.  I have to avoid the bakery aisle at the grocery store for this reason.  An M95 mask helps. If you get nutritional deficiencies corrected, your immune system will calm down and be less reactive to gluten expose.  Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system.  Thiamine and Niacin help make digestive enzymes which would help digest any accidental gluten exposure.  Thiamine helps Mast cells not to release histamine, an inflammatory agent released as part of the reaction to gluten, and also a neurotransmitter that causes alertness and anxiety, and the flight or fight response.  Pyridoxine will help improve the OCD.  Remember your brain is part of the body.  Vitamin deficiencies affect your brain and mental health as well as the rest of your body.  
    • Jacki Espo
      I do not have evidence other than anecdotal but I am certain when I have gotten these it's the result of eating gluten (back when I did).  I don't get them now that I don't eat gluten. 
×
×
  • Create New...