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

Looking For Doctor In Baltimore, Md Area


haphenomenon

Recommended Posts

haphenomenon Newbie

I have been gluten free for almost a year now, but have had no positive diagnosis. I had one doctor (gastroenterologist) who didnt really listen and prescribed a drug called raglan- which "empties the stomach out faster" in his words.

I started to read up myself and decided to stop eating wheat, at which point my symptoms decreased and I started feeling better. The doctor accepted this and even though the blood test was negative prescribed me to believe I have wheat sensitivity and stick with it. Needless to say I dont want to return to him.

I have further deduced that it is gluten I am sensitive to as I have almost immediate reactions of bleching and cramps. Well, after joining this forum and reading and looking into the enterolab tests I find myself wanting a definitive diagnosis. I am wondering if there is a doctor not only willing to accept the results but possible insurance coverage for the tests?

I also am just interested in finding a good GP who not only understands the gluten thing but is sympathetic to some nutritional and non western approaches to healing. Any suggestions as to where to find one?


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Guest gillian502

If you're in Baltimore, the first place I'd try would be Johns Hopkins. Another possibility is the University of Md. Celiac Center for Disease Research.

Sara Lydia Newbie

I am in College Park, MD. I asked the same question trying to find a specialist familiar with Celiac Disease. YOu'd think with Johns Hopkins and UMD theyd be easy to find, but nope. I've had horrible luck with docs here.

However, the local Celiac Support Chapter highly reccommends this guy:

Dr. Michael Epstein of the Digestive Disorder Assoc, Annapolis, Md. telephone number 410 224-4887 .... he can also be seen in Glen Burnie Maryland on Mondays or Wednesdays I think.

I am seeing him on the 19th, his next opening is in late August, but they said the other docs there are very familiar. Good luck.

Sara

Guest gillian502

I'm in Rockville, and I had no trouble finding Celiac specialists at JH or U. of Md., but I did have to wait 10 weeks to see them! That was no fun, I'll admit. I'm seeing Dr. Alessio Fasano in July at the U.ofMd. Celiac Center, I'll post how that goes if anyone else needs the info.

  • 2 weeks later...
haphenomenon Newbie

Thank you so much for the help! I really appreciate your responses.

I'm going to call both doctors suggested and

try to hook up with the local celiac support group.

thanks, julie

miup2l8 Newbie

Hi - I seem to have had the same problem about getting diagnosed....my

(ex)dr who is a gastroenterologist, basically said - "you're not losing weight so I wouldn't worry about it too much! Come back and see me in three years for a follow-up colonoscopy" Yeah! Riiiiiight!

Anyhow, I found a dr in Annapolis - Dr Suzanne Sankey of the Annapolis Gastroenterologist Assoc. 410)224-2116 (703 Giddings Ave. Suite M). She also has an office in Severna Park - if you're familiar with that area. The office phone number there is 410)647-5980.

The only problem is that Dr Sankey seems to be extremely busy; when I called for an appt last week, the earliest I can get in is 09/02! There are other drs in her office that I might have been able to get an earlier appt with but her name was listed at another website that I was reading about Celiac so I'm willing to wait. After all, I've already had the problem for a long time so 2 months more is not going to kill me (hopefully) :D

I too have started avoiding gluten and have started feeling much much better.

Hope this information helps you some!

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,620
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Loni75
    Newest Member
    Loni75
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Xravith
      Thank you, really.  I took a test for DGP-IgA and DGP-IgG. Effectively, it is not enough to discard Celiac Disease. I was consuming gluten until then, I only started gluten-free some days ago, when the symptoms became horrible and now I feel considerably better, which is a second confirmation that gluten is the main problem. It's been more than 4 years I have the same suspect, when I first thought gluten was causing me problems, I made a gluten-free diet for a year, I felt really good as never before. However, neither I or my parents were well informed about Celiac disease, so none of us tried to make further exams. My father suffer digestive problems and other members of my family as well. Unfortunately, no one have ever been tested for Celiac disease. I'll have to restart eating gluten in the next weeks, so I can make a serious blood test in laboratory, hopefully between two or three months.
    • trents
      As Scott said, in order for celiac disease testing to be valid, you need to be eating generous amounts of gluten on a regular basis for weeks or months before the blood draw. The blood tests are designed to detect antibodies that the immune system produces in response to the ingestion of gluten. It takes time for them to build up in the blood to detectable levels.
    • Scott Adams
      Based on what you've described, it is absolutely crucial that you pursue further medical exams for Celiac Disease and related conditions with a gastroenterologist. Your symptoms—especially the worsening fatigue, loss of muscle mass, neurological symptoms like migraines, and palpitations, coupled with being underweight—are significant red flags that extend beyond typical IBS. The negative home test is not reliable, particularly given your concern about sample contamination and the fact that you were likely not consuming sufficient gluten at the time for the test to be accurate, which is a common issue. While probiotics like Bifidobacterium Infantis can support gut health, they cannot resolve an autoimmune response to gluten or heal intestinal damage caused by Celiac Disease. Your declining blood test results, even if still "in range," further indicate a trend that needs a doctor's investigation. Please do not hesitate to seek a specialist; a formal diagnosis is the first step toward getting the correct treatment, allowing your body to heal, and finally addressing your weight and overall health concerns. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      I would only add that cross contamination with wheat may still be a possibility, so it's still best to seek out buckwheat that is labeled "gluten-free."
    • Xravith
      Hello, I've been diagnosed with IBS since I was little. I’ve visited many doctors because my intestines have always been very reactive to food. I have chronic swelling, and I struggle to gain weight. This year has been worse than others: I started noticing fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and many digestive problems, especially after consuming products with gluten. My doctor suggested that this might be due to some imbalance of gut bacteria, so I started taking Bifidobacterium Infantis supplements. However, my symptoms have been getting worse every day. I experience nausea, frequent abdominal pain, migraines, and palpitations after eating. I had these symptoms before, but now they are more intense. I thought I might have Non-celiac gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, so I took a home test for Celiac, and it came out negative (though there may have been an error—I was nervous and accidentally contaminated the sample with air bubbles). Based on your experiences, should I pursue further medical exams for Celiac? I’m worried about being underweight and about my blood test results, which, even if still within normal ranges, have been declining each year.
×
×
  • 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.