Starting out

[Treowe]

Hi, as a Noob, I am a little intimidated by what may come to be a major change in my eating habits. My middle has been uncomfortable for a couple of years and I got no help or input from my GP so I went to a GI Dr who checked me throughly and found nothing out of sorts other than some minor irritation in my esophogus and prescribed a medication. My stomach/mid section still is uncomfortable and really disturbingly big. The GP finally suggested that I try being gluten free for 6 weeks to see if it made a difference. I have no other symptoms of gluten intolerance, as far I know. I've had anxiety issues longer than the stomach discomfort but I am having depression and lethargy so I guess I will try to rule this out.

My question is, how strict does this have to be in order to ascertain that there is a correlation between my discomfort and possible gluten allergy? How stringent is the cross contamination issue, like using a toaster oven and other daily food prep precautions. Right now, eating like this for 6 weeks feels like 6 years. But if I start to feel better in a few weeks, I guess I'll make the transistion permanently, and I'd really like my gut to be normal looking, or at least not 7 months pregnant. 

Female, nearly 70, 5'8", overweight at 170 lbs. 

Thanks.

[cyclinglady]

Your GI is sadly mis-informed!  You should be tested for Celiac Disease before embarking on a gluten free diet.  Celiac Disease should be ruled out first!  So many doctors think that you have to be malnourished and wasting away to have celiac disease -- not true!  You can develop celiac disease at ANY age.  Do you have any other autoimmune disorders?  

Celiac disease is also genetic.  So, if you have it, your kids and sibliings should be tested even if they are symptom free!  Celiac Disease has so many other issues that come with having it.  That's why having a proper diagnosis is important.  You will get the care you need.  Also, sticking to a life-long especially when you are older and it is hard to make changes in general (hey, I'm there!).  

 Your GP can actually order the celiac blood panel.  In addition, I would search around for another GI (one who is celiac savvy).  

Here's a link regarding the exact tests:

Open Original Shared Link

I encourage you to read up on celiac disease.  Only you can be your best health advocate!  I wish you well!  Feel free to ask any questions!  

[Treowe]

That's interesting. I asked her if there was a blood test I could take, she said no. I don't think she feels I have celiac disease, per se, just wants to rule out an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. If after the 6 weeks, there is no difference, she suggested eliminating something else from my diet. She mentioned leaky gut and GMOs as well. Thanks for your input. I appreciated it.

[squirmingitch]

I agree with everything cyclinglady said. You need to be tested BEFORE you go gluten free!!!!!!

I was just reading an interview with Joseph A. Murray, MD who is head of the celiac dept. at Mayo Clinic & one of the top celiac experts & researchers in the world. He talks about this subject of going gluten free before testing many times during this interview. It's interesting reading. Please take a little time to read it all the way through.

Open Original Shared Link

[Treowe]

I will request the test. Thank you. 

[cyclinglady]

28 minutes ago, Treowe said:

That's interesting. I asked her if there was a blood test I could take, she said no. I don't think she feels I have celiac disease, per se, just wants to rule out an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. If after the 6 weeks, there is no difference, she suggested eliminating something else from my diet. She mentioned leaky gut and GMOs as well. Thanks for your input. I appreciated it.

Ugh!  Run from that doctor.  Are you located on Mars?  Kidding aside, here's the deal.  If you go gluten free just to test it out and you feel good, then you might think you have a gluten issue.   A few months or a year go by and you realize that this is HARD.  REALLY HARD.  So, you start to cheat.  You get sloppy.  You start sharing a toaster.  Your symptoms come back, but you don't worry about it or maybe you start to get violently ill.  Symptoms so different from your old symptoms that you think you must have something else. 

(You could be the type of person who makes a decision and sticks with it.  But those are rare folks.)  

I could go on with more stories, but type in lymphoma in our forum's search box.  Look at member's who were misdirected by their physicians and who have had celiac disease all along.  Now they are dealing with cancer.  

It is not my intent to scare you into thinking you have cancer.  The odds of you having it are slim and none.  I am trying to scare you into finding another doctor who really CARES about you and follows a normal standard level of care (like reading currant medical journals or checking Dr. Google, like my ER neighbor doctor does because he can not know everything!)

It's just a simple blood test.  So easy.  If negative, then give the diet a try!

[cyclinglady]

45 minutes ago, squirmingitch said:

I agree with everything cyclinglady said. You need to be tested BEFORE you go gluten free!!!!!!

I was just reading an interview with Joseph A. Murray, MD who is head of the celiac dept. at Mayo Clinic & one of the top celiac experts & researchers in the world. He talks about this subject of going gluten free before testing many times during this interview. It's interesting reading. Please take a little time to read it all the way through.

Open Original Shared Link

Hey, do you have to be a member of Medscape to see the article?  I could not get in pass the sign-in page.

 

[squirmingitch]

24 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

Hey, do you have to be a member of Medscape to see the article?  I could not get in pass the sign-in page.

 

I guess you must have to be a member then. I don't know because I am a member. It doesn't cost anything & I've never gotten any junk mail from them or anything unpleasant. 

Gee, I didn't even think about that when I posted the link. OOPS!

Let me know if you need me to copy & paste it because I will if you want.