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

Need Doctor In San Jose/bay Area California


amymm

Recommended Posts

amymm Newbie

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a doctor in San Jose, California who's well-versed in Celiac. I need one who won't take one look at me, looking very well-nurished and show me the door!

I've read mixed reviews on this board regarding Dr. Gary Gray at Stanford. Anyone care to give me their advice? I'm willing to drive a ways-but not too far.

I don't think I'm a clear-cut easy to diagnose case, so I need someone willing to listen and dig deep to find answers.

Any help appreciated!

Amy, San Jose, California

  • 2 weeks later...

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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mindy35 Apprentice

Hi, I am in Lodi, Ca and I drive to Stanford to see Dr. Pyle. She is great! She is very attentive. My first appt. with her took 2 hours so she could answer all of my questions. I think that is the longest a doctor has paid attention to me.

Hope this helps.

amymm Newbie

Thanks so much. Do you have Celiac? I have already been tested, over 5 years ago and nothing was found. I want to find a doctor to take me seriously-as I don't look malnuorished! Was it easy to get an appointment with her?

Thanks again

Amy, San Jose

Rachel--24 Collaborator

I tried to get an appt. with Dr. Pyle and was told she does not see anyone who is not biopsy proven Celiac so I could only schedule with Dr. Gray. In the end I found an excellent Dr. elsewhere so never saw Dr. Gray. You would also need a referral and records (having to do with referral) before they will schedule you. I was with Kaiser previously and it was gonna be a huge process to get my records from the GI doc and he also wouldnt refer me because they were concerned that insurance might bill them.

dlp252 Apprentice

I'm going to seen a GI on the 20th for a pre-consult for a colonoscopy. My Internist wants me to tell him about my gluten intolerance. If he turns out to be knowledgeable I'll post back.

  • 3 weeks later...
dlp252 Apprentice
I'm going to seen a GI on the 20th for a pre-consult for a colonoscopy. My Internist wants me to tell him about my gluten intolerance. If he turns out to be knowledgeable I'll post back.

I'm quoting myself, lol. I saw the GI yesterday who seems very promising. I should mention that I went to see him for a colonoscopy preconsult, so it wasn't directly about Celiac, but my Internist wanted me to mention it to him (by-the-way, the Internist didn't find the gluten intolerance either).

First of all the doctors I've seen in this group (Internist, Ear/Nose/Throat, Audiology and now GI) actually listen to you (even if it seems they aren't, lol), and they put everything into the computer, which every other doctor in the Group has access to. All the results of the tests they run are in there too. So if one doctor prescribes something, or diagnoses something, all the other doctors can pull up your chart and see it. So the GI already had a history of my self-diagnosis of gluten intolerance and the fact that my sinus problems are improved since going gluten-free (thanks to the ENT who put that in the record). I said something about not being diagnosed in the traditional way and he said he thought the dietary test was a valid method. Wow. Okay, cool.

He also didn't scoff at my Enterolab report...I don't know that he agrees that it is a valid method of testing, but he didn't scoff or discount it completely.

But, here's what really made me think he might know his stuff. He said we could do a blood test to test for Celiac, and I said that I had been gluten free since November and he said "hum, it probably won't show anything then, but we can take it for a baseline reading." Huh. Great! :)

Since I'm already scheduled for a colonoscopy he said we could do an endoscopy the same day to look for damage to my esophagus from GERD, and he said while he was in there he could take some biopsies to check for villi damage, even though it probably won't show anything. Wow again.

He thinks I have IBS and GERD but those would be in ADDITION to the gluten intolerance. The last comment he made was about taking a fiber supplement because he doesn't think I am getting enough from fruits and veggies, so he said I should take Benefiber, which he thinks is safe for people with gluten intolerance. Okay, I'm sold, lol. (P.S. I don't know for a fact that Benefiber is or isn't safe for Celiac, but just the fact that he mentioned it floored me, lol.)

So, after all that if you still need the name of a doctor let me know and I'll PM you.

amymm Newbie
I'm quoting myself, lol. I saw the GI yesterday who seems very promising. I should mention that I went to see him for a colonoscopy preconsult, so it wasn't directly about Celiac, but my Internist wanted me to mention it to him (by-the-way, the Internist didn't find the gluten intolerance either).

First of all the doctors I've seen in this group (Internist, Ear/Nose/Throat, Audiology and now GI) actually listen to you (even if it seems they aren't, lol), and they put everything into the computer, which every other doctor in the Group has access to. All the results of the tests they run are in there too. So if one doctor prescribes something, or diagnoses something, all the other doctors can pull up your chart and see it. So the GI already had a history of my self-diagnosis of gluten intolerance and the fact that my sinus problems are improved since going gluten-free (thanks to the ENT who put that in the record). I said something about not being diagnosed in the traditional way and he said he thought the dietary test was a valid method. Wow. Okay, cool.

He also didn't scoff at my Enterolab report...I don't know that he agrees that it is a valid method of testing, but he didn't scoff or discount it completely.

But, here's what really made me think he might know his stuff. He said we could do a blood test to test for Celiac, and I said that I had been gluten free since November and he said "hum, it probably won't show anything then, but we can take it for a baseline reading." Huh. Great! :)

Since I'm already scheduled for a colonoscopy he said we could do an endoscopy the same day to look for damage to my esophagus from GERD, and he said while he was in there he could take some biopsies to check for villi damage, even though it probably won't show anything. Wow again.

He thinks I have IBS and GERD but those would be in ADDITION to the gluten intolerance. The last comment he made was about taking a fiber supplement because he doesn't think I am getting enough from fruits and veggies, so he said I should take Benefiber, which he thinks is safe for people with gluten intolerance. Okay, I'm sold, lol. (P.S. I don't know for a fact that Benefiber is or isn't safe for Celiac, but just the fact that he mentioned it floored me, lol.)

So, after all that if you still need the name of a doctor let me know and I'll PM you.

I would love the name of the doctor. Thanks


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



dlp252 Apprentice

Hi Amy, I decided to post it here...I guess that's okay. His name is Sanjay Ramrakhiani (pronounced ram-rock-eee-an-eee), with Camino Medical Group. A co-worker of mine recommended him for the colonoscopy so I was pleasantly surprised that he seemed to have the right things to say about Celiac--it was a nice bonus.

ETA: My next course of action if this didn't/doesn't work out is the clinic that Rachel goes to.

Also forgot to mention his office is in Sunnyvale.

amymm Newbie
Hi Amy, I decided to post it here...I guess that's okay. His name is Sanjay Ramrakhiani (pronounced ram-rock-eee-an-eee), with Camino Medical Group. A co-worker of mine recommended him for the colonoscopy so I was pleasantly surprised that he seemed to have the right things to say about Celiac--it was a nice bonus.

ETA: My next course of action if this didn't/doesn't work out is the clinic that Rachel goes to.

Also forgot to mention his office is in Sunnyvale.

Donna-thanks so much for in the name. I will keep him in mind when I'm ready to see another doctor

Amy

Rachel--24 Collaborator

Donna,

How funny! I just saw the same GI doc today. When I changed insurance and got out of Kaiser I went to camino medical group since my mom goes there and I went there when I was a kid. I got a referral to the GI cuz of my c-diff dx and also cuz my grandmother died of colon cancer at 45 and I've never had a colonoscopy yet.

I really liked him (cant say his name though). I didnt go there because of Celiac but we talked about it. Personally. I dont believe I have Celiac but he pretty much told me the same thing as my last GI and my HealthNow doctor....he said that since my bloodtest was 2 weeks into the diet and my biopsy 6 months into the diet...there is no way to know for sure. He thinks I could have Celiac but he said it doesnt matter what I choose to call it and it doesnt matter what the results of the test are. The main thing is that I improved from the diet. Even though I'm still having problems he said clearly gluten wasnt good for me and when something is not good for you you need to avoid it...regardless of what the tests say. OK...I can agree with that.

He wanted to order the full panel but I told him its kind of pointless since I've been off gluten almost 1 year now. He wanted to order it anyway. I told him the one test I'm really interested in is the total IgA since that was never run. I only had Anti-gliadin IgA and tTG (IgA).

He actually had never heard of the total serum IgA for Celiac and he didnt intend on ordering it *but* unlike my previous arrogant doctors who didnt like to be *told* anything...he called the lab right then and there to ask about the test. It ended up taking awhile for them to get it all figured out but in the end I got the full Celiac panel w/ the total IgA. :)

He was very nice, he listened, he was cooperative and he was thorough. I cant complain. I mentioned my Enterolab results and he said he's had other patients who have gotten the stool tests (I'm assuming he's thinking of you) and he does not believe in them. He said there is no evidence that they are valid and he simply doesnt believe in them. That doesnt surprise me at all...I would have been more surprised if he told me something different. Oh well...overall it was a good visit...I didnt get into all my lingering problems cuz basically I just wanted to get scheduled for the colonoscopy. I'm still counting on HealthNow for the other stuff.

He told me the C-Diff could have just been there w/out making me sick. He said since I didnt have any change after the antibiotics he thinks it wasnt making me sick. He just said it was good that I took the antibiotics because at some point it could have caused problems if it wasnt now. I still dont know if the c-diff is gone...I have to retest next week. All I know is I feel the same as before I took the antibiotics.

Anyways I would recommend him to anyone looking for a GI...he was very nice. :)

dlp252 Apprentice
Donna,

How funny! I just saw the same GI doc today. When I changed insurance and got out of Kaiser I went to camino medical group since my mom goes there and I went there when I was a kid. I got a referral to the GI cuz of my c-diff dx and also cuz my grandmother died of colon cancer at 45 and I've never had a colonoscopy yet.

I really liked him (cant say his name though). I didnt go there because of Celiac but we talked about it. Personally. I dont believe I have Celiac but he pretty much told me the same thing as my last GI and my HealthNow doctor....he said that since my bloodtest was 2 weeks into the diet and my biopsy 6 months into the diet...there is no way to know for sure. He thinks I could have Celiac but he said it doesnt matter what I choose to call it and it doesnt matter what the results of the test are. The main thing is that I improved from the diet. Even though I'm still having problems he said clearly gluten wasnt good for me and when something is not good for you you need to avoid it...regardless of what the tests say. OK...I can agree with that.

He wanted to order the full panel but I told him its kind of pointless since I've been off gluten almost 1 year now. He wanted to order it anyway. I told him the one test I'm really interested in is the total IgA since that was never run. I only had Anti-gliadin IgA and tTG (IgA).

He actually had never heard of the total serum IgA for Celiac and he didnt intend on ordering it *but* unlike my previous arrogant doctors who didnt like to be *told* anything...he called the lab right then and there to ask about the test. It ended up taking awhile for them to get it all figured out but in the end I got the full Celiac panel w/ the total IgA. :)

He was very nice, he listened, he was cooperative and he was thorough. I cant complain. I mentioned my Enterolab results and he said he's had other patients who have gotten the stool tests (I'm assuming he's thinking of you) and he does not believe in them. He said there is no evidence that they are valid and he simply doesnt believe in them. That doesnt surprise me at all...I would have been more surprised if he told me something different. Oh well...overall it was a good visit...I didnt get into all my lingering problems cuz basically I just wanted to get scheduled for the colonoscopy. I'm still counting on HealthNow for the other stuff.

He told me the C-Diff could have just been there w/out making me sick. He said since I didnt have any change after the antibiotics he thinks it wasnt making me sick. He just said it was good that I took the antibiotics because at some point it could have caused problems if it wasnt now. I still dont know if the c-diff is gone...I have to retest next week. All I know is I feel the same as before I took the antibiotics.

Anyways I would recommend him to anyone looking for a GI...he was very nice. :)

WOW, how weird, lol! I've heard so many people lately recommend Camino--people at work, people at church, my cousin, lol. My colonoscopy/endoscopy is on Monday, I'm anxious to see what it all shows. I haven't received a report yet on the exact tests they did with the Celiac panel, but I'm betting since he told you he hadn't hear of the IgA, that it wasn't run on me. I've asked them to send the report anyway. The internist said I don't have C.Diff, but I'm thinking I may have H.Pylori, we'll see.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,974
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Srwells
    Newest Member
    Srwells
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.5k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      It's possible he's in the early stages of celiac disease, and it has been caught before villi damage. The blood test results so far do indicate possible celiac disease, as well as his strong family history of celiac disease. If his symptoms get better on a gluten-free diet this would be another strong indication. Personally I think it's definitely better to proceed on the safe side and go gluten-free, rather than to risk severe villi damage and all that comes with it.
    • Dora77
      For some context: I have type 1 diabetes (T1D) (since 11 years) and celiac disease(since 4 years) For about a year now, I’ve been experiencing permanent floating and undigested stools. I’ve had a pancreas elastase test done. The first result was extremely low at 44, but a second test came back at 236. My doctor said that since one result is normal, it rules out pancreatic insufficiency because, according to them, elastase levels would always stay low if that were the issue. However, could the 236 have been a false result? My doctor also thinks I don’t have pancreatic insufficiency because I’m able to gain weight. I also get hgh injections as my bone age is younger than my real age, this also contributes to weight gain, so I dont know if weight gain can rule out malabsorption. But maybe if I had real malabsorption I wouldnt gain any weight even with hgh? For celiac, I’m on a gluten-free diet, but there might b small cross-contamination from things like pepper labeled as “may contain gluten.” or sausages which dont have gluten ingredient but say may contain. My doctor said that small amounts like this wouldn’t harm me and even mentioned that an occasional small exposure to gluten may not do much damage (which seems questionable since I thought even tiny amounts could be harmful). She also said that when Im older (Im m17) I could try eating small amounts of gluten and do antibody blood tests to see if I can tolerate small amounts or not. For reference, I’m asymptomatic when it comes to celiac, so I have no idea if I’ve been “glutened” or not. My first concerning celiac blood test was semi high IgA, then 3 months later we did a check up and my IgA was high so it was confirmed celiac. Since than I’ve had celiac antibody tests done yearly to see how my diet is going, and they’ve been negative, but I’ve heard those aren’t always reliable. I’ve never had a follow-up endoscopy to confirm healing. I also always kept eating „may contain gluten“ food. (I live in Germany so I dont know if „may contain gluten“ is as risky as in the usa but I suppose both are as risky) These stool issues started around the same time I was doing excessive heavy lifting at the gym. Could stress or lifting have triggered this, or is that less likely since the symptoms persist even after I stopped lifting? Occasionally, I’ll feel very mild stomach discomfort, but it’s rare and not severe. My doctor (also a dietist) said floating, undigested stools could still be “normal,” but that doesn’t seem realistic to me. Could this be impacting my vitamin or protein absorption? I also did a fructose intolerance breath test and had a high baseline of 20 ppm, but it never increased—only decreased over time. I fasted for 12 hours and didn’t eat fructose beforehand, but my stomach didn’t feel completely empty during the test. Could this mean the test was inaccurate? For lactose intolerance, I did the breath test but only fasted 10 hours and had eaten lactose prior because I wasn’t aware of the proper diet restrictions. My results were: 14, 12, 15, 25, 35, 40, 40 ppm—which would be considered positive. But given that I didn’t fast long enough or follow the right diet, could this result be unreliable? Has anyone else dealt with similar symptoms? What ended up being the cause for you? And sorry for the long text!
    • TerryinCO
      The Docs' and NP haven't committed to Celiac determination yet but say go gluten-free diet because...  And I have with improved physical results - feeling better; overall functions better, and more energy.  Still 10 pounds down in weight but I still have BMI of ~23.  It's been just over a month now gluten-free diet.  I'm fortunate I get along with diary/milk well and most other foods. I wanted ask about this site's sponsor, gliadin X.  If this is legit, seems like a good product to keep on hand. Though it says it's only a safety for incidental gluten contact - not a substitue for gluten-free diet. What's your input on this? This may be sensitive subject since they're a sponsor. I've used resources here and other sites for information, gluten-free food/product lists. So thank you for all that support. That's it for now - Stay warm...  -2F this morning in Colorado!
    • cristiana
      I did suffer with gastric symptoms before diagnosis, but got all sorts of weird and wacky symptoms after going gluten free.   Things got much better once my antibodies fell to normal levels, but it took years (please don't panic, many people's go to normal levels relatively quickly when following a gluten-free diet). Causes of the symptoms you mention that I also experienced were iron supplements, a temporary dairy intolerance (this is common in coeliacs and should pass when your gut heals properly), and eating oats, as mentioned above.  Other symptoms I got were musculoskeletal pain after diagnosis, but again, once my coeliac blood tests were normal, I had no more pain. I did notice patterns emerging in foods that I reacted to and learned to steer clear of them, then gradually reintroduced them when my gut healed, such as soya, pure oats and dairy products.    You might like to keep a food diary. Cristiana
    • Jy11
      Well the conflicting results continue as the biopsy has come back negative. 😵‍💫 Waiting to discuss further but I really don’t know what to think now? Eight biopsy’s were taken from duodenum which surely should be sufficient if it was coeliac? 
×
×
  • Create New...