Is It A Coincidence That I Have These Symptoms.

[JerryK]

I've put stars** by the symptoms that I have. Hmmm starting to REALLY wonder here.

I thought I was normal....

Signs and symptoms

The diverse range of coeliac disease symptoms may make it difficult to diagnose. There are over two hundred symptoms that have been identified; not all people have the same symptoms; some people have no symptoms at all; and the symptoms may mimic other diseases. Thorough lists are available[1][2].

Gastrointestinal or digestive problems occur in some coeliacs. It used to be thought that all coeliacs had diarrhea, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies, but it is now known that only a small percentage have these symptoms. The wide range of digestive symptoms include everything from canker sores to diarrhea** to constipation to nausea**. Many of the symptoms may mimic other diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, or even Crohn's disease and coeliac may be misdiagnosed as any of these. Other symptoms that may occur are bulky, pale, offensive-smelling stools which may float in the toilet bowl**,excess flatulence, infrequent, minor rectal bleeding** or persistent pain in the abdomen.

Some symptoms appear to be caused because the villi are unable to absorb nutrients. Some examples are osteoporosis, damage to teeth enamel**, anemia, fatigue, rapid or unexplained weight loss, overweight, failure to thrive or stunted growth in children, etc. Yet other symptoms appear to be emotional, such as depression and irritability**. Dermatitis herpetiformis is an itchy blistering skin disease that occurs in some coeliacs and is considered to be an external manifestation of coeliac disease.

While some untreated coeliacs may be symptom-free, they are still doing damage to their small intestines. Regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms, the disorder is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, miscarriage, certain types of intestinal cancers, and other auto-immune disorders.

[Mango04]

You have very valid reasons to get tested for celiac disease. If you test negative, you should still experiment by eliminating gluten from your diet. A lot of people think it's normal to feel a little bit crummy all of the time. That's because most people do feel a little bit crummy all of the time. If you look at a typical diet of an average person, it's no wonder.

It's totally possible to get rid of all of those symptoms if you find the right diet for you. For me, it's no gluten, no dairy, no soy and very limited packaged foods. I hope you find what works best for you.

[JerryK]

I just talked to my twin, who also has severe enamel hypoplasia. He has pretty severe joint and muscle pain, arthritis like symptoms, serious gum problems, mouth ulcers and "burning tongue". Different symptoms than mine but also consistent with celiac disease. If one identical twin has it, I'm guessing the other one probably would. Hmmmm.

[Nancym]

Actually, identical twins don't always get it even if one does. Sometimes even though you have the genes, whatever it takes to activate them doesn't happen. But it sounds to me like you two do have a possible issue!