Jump to content

  • 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

62 yr old woman...celiac?

Sass

By Sass
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Sass Newbie
Sass
Posted

Went to my doc with: digestive problems, bad gas and bloating, stomach ache, constipation/diarrea. She did internal exam, said I was fine and prescribed tranquillizers. My doc's typical response is to assume problems are all in my head. After a bit of research I decided to stop eating bread products and within about a week started feeling better. About a month later I was traveling and faced with limited menu started eating bread again. OMG! Very bad case of same problem. I can't wait for a diagnosis (assuming my doc would agree to tests anyway) so will just start gluten free diet. My q: if it is gluten, how long till i start to feel better?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted
9 hours ago, Sass said:

Went to my doc with: digestive problems, bad gas and bloating, stomach ache, constipation/diarrea. She did internal exam, said I was fine and prescribed tranquillizers. My doc's typical response is to assume problems are all in my head. After a bit of research I decided to stop eating bread products and within about a week started feeling better. About a month later I was traveling and faced with limited menu started eating bread again. OMG! Very bad case of same problem. I can't wait for a diagnosis (assuming my doc would agree to tests anyway) so will just start gluten free diet. My q: if it is gluten, how long till i start to feel better?

Sass.......please do not go gluten free until you have done a complete Celiac panel and possibly a biopsy for Celiac Disease.  I know it is hard when you have extreme symptoms but I think it important to try and get an official diagnosis.  Doctors do that to us older ladies and there is no excuse for that behavior.  If you do not get results from your doc, then I would suggest a new doctor. Really...it is that important.

Open Original Shared Link  I would take this information to your doctor and demand a full panel.  Do not take no for an answer.  I am not hopeful as anyone who would prescribe tranquilizers to someone with your symptoms is an asshat.  If you noticed that much of a difference between partial gluten-free and regular diet, then you probably have some degree of an issue with gluten.  But you must be very willing to go strictly gluten-free and not cheat in order to feel better and many people feel that an official diagnosis will help them do that.

FYI....I was diagnosed via blood work only.  I failed all tests except the tTg/IgG by huge numbers and had all the symptoms of classic Celiac.  That was enough for me because like you, I was really sick with extreme symptoms for a long time. I have never looked back and never cheat.  If there had been any discrepancy on the blood work, I would have gone for the biopsy. Do the panel and see what it comes up with.  Good luck!

flowerqueen Community Regular
flowerqueen
Posted

I have to agree with Gemini, you must not go gluten free until you've had an endoscopy with biopsies (first you get the blood work done, then you get your confirmation by a follow-up endoscopy), it's the reaction to the gluten that creates the antibodies' you won't get that reaction if you don't eat gluten.

It might seem inconvenient, but in the long run it will be worth it.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,202
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    PatBurnham
    Newest Member
    PatBurnham
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By trents · Posted

      NCGS does not cause damage to the small bowel villi so, if indeed you were not skimping on gluten when you had the antibody blood testing done, it is likely you have celiac disease.
    • Scott Adams
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I will assume you did the gluten challenge properly and were eating a lot of gluten daily for 6-8 weeks before your test, but if not, that could be the issue. You can still have celiac disease with negative blood test results, although it's not as common:  Clinical and genetic profile of patients with seronegative coeliac disease: the natural history and response to gluten-free diet: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5606118/  Seronegative Celiac Disease - A Challenging Case: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9441776/  Enteropathies with villous atrophy but negative coeliac serology in adults: current issues: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34764141/  Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS.
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      I'm very confused... My blood test came out negative, I checked all antibodies. I suppose my Total IgA levels are normal (132 mg/dl), so the test should be reliable. Still, I'm not relieved as I can't tolerate even a single biscuit. I need to talk to my doctor about whether a duodenal biopsy is necessary. But it is really possible to have intestinal damage despite having a seronegative results? I have really strong symptoms, and I don't want to keep skipping university lectures or being bedridden at home.
    • Scott Adams
      CT with contrast.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      They may want to also eliminate other possible causes for your symptoms/issues and are doing additional tests.  Here is info about blood tests for celiac disease--if positive an endoscopy where biopsies of your intestinal villi are taken to confirm is the typical follow up.    
    • Scott Adams
      New labs are now very elevated

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In the Europe the new protocol for making a celiac disease diagnosis in children is if their tTg-IgA (tissue transglutaminase IgA) levels are 10 times or above the positive level for celiac disease--and you are above that level. According to the latest research, if the blood test results are at certain high levels that range between 5-10 times the reference range for a positive celiac disease diagnosis, it may not be necessary to confirm the results using an endoscopy/biopsy: Blood Test Alone Can Diagnose Celiac Disease in Most Children and Adults TGA-IgA at or Above Five Times Normal Limit in Kids Indicates Celiac Disease in Nearly All Cases No More Biopsies to Diagnose Celiac Disease in Children! May I ask why you've had so many past tTg-IgA tests done, and many of them seem to have been done 3 times during short time intervals?    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.