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Being tested


Bella93

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Bella93 Newbie

I recently went the doctors over bloating which I've had for years, I was sent for scans and blood tests, the tests came back with an iron deficiency and low B12, I was told it may be celiac disease and I have to go for cameras and a gut biopsy.

The more I've been looking into symptoms, the more I'm convinced I'm celiac. I'm 21 and only 4ft10, very pale, bloated, I suffer from depression, acne on face, chest and back which I've never been able to subdue even with acne Medicine from the doctor, constipation, tummy aches, odd periods, migraines, tiredness, bad balance/coordination, fainting in heat or after high energy exercise and I also had to go to the doctors every week when I was 5 years old as I was underweight, suffering from malnutrition and not developing at the right speed. Yet with all of these symptoms (most of which have been told to the Dr over the years) it's taken me near 22 years to get diagnosed? Which is frustrating to think that this could have been caught years ago and I wouldn't of had to suffer so long! In a way I'm hoping I am celiac, just so that I know why I've had all these problems for so long and don't feel like it's just me going crazy!

But I'm also a little scared, EVERYTHING seems to have gluten in and I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to eat, I've seen things that completely say the opposite to the last thing. I saw a post that said makeup can have gluten in, and chicken because of what they're fed? And cross contamination? It seems like there's nothing safe to eat >.< help?

  • 4 weeks later...

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Nicki Raeleen Rookie

Take a breath, lol i promise your not going crazy. I was diagnosed in high school, so i know how scary this can all be. I remember being scared to eat at the though of what could happen, but you live in a world full of gluten, and no on is perfect. Remember that getting mad wont help solve the problem ( believe me when i look at how long it took to diagnose me i wanted to scream), celiac is more of a recent thing. Hint the gluten free fad diet.  

As for things containing gluten, you will cry for the first couple of months; You will have withdraws and it is a little scary. Makeup i wouldn't worry about right at this moment, they only thing that really needs to be gluten free is what goes ON your lips. Focus on food (because it will be over whelming at first) and you will find that the more you look at labels the easier of a time you will have in the future.

Being gluten free doesn't have to be hard, basic foods like fresh fruits and veggies are gluten free.  Almost all meats are gluten free; if they have wheat its because of injections to make the chicken/turkey bigger NOT because of what they ate when they were alive. There are a lot of gluten free options out there now, take advantage of them. You just have to be a little creative. 

There is also some cool microwave things you can buy now that i think taste pretty yummy.

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      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @GlorietaKaro! As Scott indicated, without formal testing for celiac disease, which would require you to have been consuming generous amounts of gluten daily for weeks, it would be not be possible to distinguish whether you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). Their symptoms overlap. The difference being that celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small bowel. We actually no more about celiac disease than we do about NCGS, the mechanism of the latter being more difficult to classify. There are specific antibody tests for celiac disease diagnosis and there is also the endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel lining. Currently, there are no tests to diagnose NCGS. Celiac disease must first ruled out. Researchers are working on developing testing methods to diagnose celiac disease that do not require a "gluten challenge" which is just out of the question for so many because it poses serious, even life-threatening, health risks. But we aren't there yet.
    • lalan45
      That’s really frustrating, I’m sorry you went through that. High fiber can definitely cause sudden stomach issues, especially if your body isn’t used to it yet, but accidental gluten exposure can feel similar. Keeping a simple food/symptom journal and introducing new foods one at a time can really help you spot patterns. You’re already doing the right things with cleaning and separating baking—also watch shared toasters, cutting boards, and labels like “may contain.”
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