How To Help An Asymptomatic Celiac Stop Cheating On A Gluten Free Diet

[SNE]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm really concerned about my partner, whom I've been seeing about a year. My partner has asymptomatic celiac disease, and was diagnosed with it about year before I met him. However, he does not follow a gluten free diet. When he first told me, I didn't think much about it, because, honestly I didn't know much about the disease or how serious it can be, and figured that he was dealing with it. We eat out all the time and I've never seen him skimp on the bread or pasta. Obviously after doing some more reading, I've realized how damaging it can be to not follow a gluten-free diet and now I am very concerned.

 

I have told him that I am really concerned with how this disease will affect him in the future, and asked him why he won't try a gluten free diet. His response is try to change the topic of conversation, or just respond with a vague "deal with it in the future". He has an unrelated autoimmune/metabolic disease which requires a lot of attention to treat and deal with. I have not expressed this to him, but I suspect with the stress of dealing with this other disease, he has trouble seeing any other disease as a priority right now.

 

I'm wondering if their is anything I can say or do to encourage him to make the change to a gluten free diet. We do not currently live together, and he travels a fair bit for work, so I know that the change really has to come from him. But, does anyone else have an experience like this, or some advice on how I can support my partner?

[kareng]

Actually, his  other autoimmune disease is probably not "unrelated".  One untreated AI disease seems to lead to another.  He probably isn't really asymptomatic either.  If he really went gluten free, he might find a lot of things, including his other illness get better.  

[notme]

what karen said:  i had a multitude of 'unrelated' symptoms clear up after i started the gluten free diet.  just because he doesn't have digestive issues doesn't necessarily mean he is asymptomatic.  migraines, joint pain, fatigue, inflammation etc and many things are misdiagnosed not to mention his immune system is in constant distress and not working correctly, so he is likely to pick up any sort of virus or whatnot and his body will not be able to fight it off (without super antibiotics, which messes up your intestinal flora)  i have not been 'sick' since i quit gluten.  not even a sniffle - i used to get pneumonia every year !  everybody else in my house was knocked down by the flu last year but me.  ME!  <the sick one, lolz, the only thing that makes me sick now is:  the evil gluten  

 

if you are feeding him, feed him gluten free  chicken, mashed taters, carrots, ta da!    you can find a ton  of dinner ideas just search "what's for dinner" in the cooking and baking section. 

 

welcome to the forum

[bartfull]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Send him to this site and hope he takes a sip.

[nvsmom]

I agree with everybody else.  He probably does have symptoms but doesn't realize that they are related, but he won't change unless he wants to.

 

Perhaps go through this list of symptoms with him: Open Original Shared Link I bet there is something in there.  Hairloss? Anemia, Osteoarthritis or osteoporesis, dementia, or fatigue?  Vit D deficiency?

 

Maybe find a good short video to watch on the effects of untreated celiac disease.  For me, a damaged gut was the least of my worries. The inflammation can do a number on a body.

 

Perhaps start having gluten-free foods in the home?  Don't eat out or just go to gluten-free places or for gluten-free treat food (like dairy queen).  If you can cut back his gluten it may help... a bit.

 

Best wishes.