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

What Benefit Is It To Me To Know?


txnmaryann

Recommended Posts

txnmaryann Rookie

OK, newbie here.......I had a biopsy 2 weeks ago, the pictures of my duedoem (SP?) showed atrophy consistent with celiac disease. When I got home and saw the picture...it was so gross....I cut out all gluten immediately. I had been suffering w/D for a long time. It immediately cleared up. A week later, my biopsies came back normal. I continued the gluten free and continued to feel better. Went to dr. today, he wants to now have me do another test....swallow a camera....to verify if it's celiac....as well as do the blood test, which I haven't had done. I ask, what is the benefit to me, I know the diet is making me feel better. He says, well that other diseases can result from celiac, it's better for me to know one way or the other if I should be on the lookout for the other diseases. My husband and I are thinking, go gluten for another 2 weeks, spend half the day in the bathroom and in pain, spend more money at the doctor, to then go back on the diet??!! Is there really any benefit for me to know for sure one way or another?? I really have not had a hard time on the diet so far b/c it has made such a drastic difference in how I feel........Thanks in advance for any advice!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



eKatherine Apprentice

Going on the assumption you are either gluten intolerant or have celiac, you're already planning to treat it properly, and you can keep an eye out for any of those symptoms you should watch for. But if you're gluten-free, you should be minimizing your chances of complications anyway.

Ursa Major Collaborator

Your husband is right. Save yourself the agony and the expense, and keep doing what you're doing. It's obviously working, you're feeling much better, no need for further testing. Tell your doctor you're happy just staying on the gluten-free diet, and you have no intention whatsoever of making yourself purposely ill again.

It's often the hardest thing to get your spouse to be supportive without a 'proper' diagnosis. Your husband is obviously backing you 100%, be glad and keep up the good work.

Nancym Enthusiast

The only reason I got tested was so I could have a piece of paper to wave at my family and tell them they probably have it too. It didn't work though. They don't want to go gluten-free.

spunky Contributor

I agree with the others. It sounds pretty barbaric to purposely make yourself sick for a confirming diagnosis. Sometimes I wish I would've gone to doctors over this, rather than having totally treated myself, just so I could say "I've been diagnosed..." when people don't believe the importance of my dietary paranoia. "I think I'm celiac" just doesn't sound as convincing.

But maybe it really woudn't make that much difference. As far as watching for other diseases, from what I understand, the more time you are gluten free, the more likely you are to avoid these complications, if they didn't already occur before stopping the gluten.

When I first went gluten free, it seemed I had a cerain amount of new, strange symptoms, such as getting very shaky and hyper, and I wonder if my thyroid could've been rebounding or something. I was worried for a while, but those symptoms stopped on their own after a few weeks. I think I've read that in 2-5 years gluten free, the autoimmune disorders and all of that are no more likely than they would be with non-celiacs, and I just hope that's true!

eKatherine Apprentice
I agree with the others. It sounds pretty barbaric to purposely make yourself sick for a confirming diagnosis. Sometimes I wish I would've gone to doctors over this, rather than having totally treated myself, just so I could say "I've been diagnosed..." when people don't believe the importance of my dietary paranoia. "I think I'm celiac" just doesn't sound as convincing.

I just say, "I can't eat that, it makes me sick." How can anybody question that?

txnmaryann Rookie

I'd like to thank you all for replying. I have decided to not go further with testing. And, yes, since seeing the pictures of my endoscope, my DH is understanding......before that........

I'll be posting more as I continue to cope with this.........


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,858
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Janet1234
    Newest Member
    Janet1234
    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

    • Rogol72
      Some interesting articles regarding the use of Zinc Carnosine to help heal gastric ulcers, gastritis and intestinal permeability. I would consult a medical professional about it's use. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpgasthep0778 https://www.rupahealth.com/post/clinical-applications-of-zinc-carnosine---evidence-review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146259/ https://www.fallbrookmedicalcenter.com/zinc-l-carnosine-benefits-dosage-and-safety/
    • Jillian83
      He is. Which makes everything even more difficult. I’m not a believer in “staying for the kids” but I have nowhere to go and it’s not just me, it’s me plus my babies. We live in a beautiful place, lots of land in the country and me and the kids love the place we’ve called home for their entire lives. But Im seeing that he’ll never change, that my kids deserve a happy healthy Momma, and that staying in this as is will be the early death of me. Then I look at the scars covering my entire body…this disease and the chronic stress I’ve been enduring for years that tell me I’m no longer beautiful and no one will ever look at me with interest again. I try self care, try to give myself grace so I can just start loving myself enough to gain strength but the slightest sparkle in my eye and skip in my step attracts his wrath and it all comes crashing ten fold. Life is just absolutely railing me from every single direction leaving me wanting to wave that white flag bc I don’t feel like there’s much hope no matter what happens. 
    • trents
    • Jillian83
      Hi, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis after years of suffering without answers. I lost my mind. I lost my job. I lost so much time. I lost Me. Conventional doctors are opulent come near me and the one who did sat across the room, misdiagnosed me, pumped me full of steroids which collapsed my entire hip for 6 months. So without answers I began my holistic journey. Fast forward a couple of years and still struggling with a mysterious whole body itchy, crawling “skin hell”, perfect teeth now deteriorating, thick hair now thinning rapidly and no more than a day or 2 at most relief….An acquaintance opened up a functional medicine practice. Cash only, I found a way. Within a month tests clearly showing my off the charts gluten allergy/sensitivity as well as the depletion of vital nutrients due to leaky gut and intestinal damage. dermatitis herpetiformis was more than likely what I was experiencing with my skin. I was happy. I thought this is easy, eat healthy Whole Foods, follow the diet restrictions and I finally get to heal and feel confident and like myself again very soon! 😔 Supplements are very pricey but I got them and began my healing. Which leads to the other major issue: not working, stay at home Mom of young kids, entirely financially dependent on my man of 7 plus years. He’s never been supportive of anything I’ve ever done or been thru. He controls everything. I’m not given much money ever at a time and when he does leave money it’s only enough to possibly get gas. His excuse is that I’ll spend it on other things. So my “allowance” is inconsistent and has conditions. He withholds money from me as punishment for anything he wants. Since being diagnosed, he’s gained a new control tactic to use as punishment. He now is in control of when I get to eat. He asked for proof of my diagnosis and diet bc he said I made it up just to be able to eat expensive organic foods. Then after I sent him my file from my doctor he then said she wasn’t a real doctor. 😡. I go days upon days starving, sometimes breaking down and eating things I shouldn’t bc I’m so sick then I pay horribly while he gets annoyed and angry bc I’m not keeping up with all the duties I’m supposed to be doing. His abuse turns full on when I’m down and it’s in these desperate times when I need his support and care the most that I’m punished with silence, being starved, ignored, belittled. He will create more of a mess just bc I’m unable to get up and clean so that when I am better, I’m so overwhelmed with chores to catch up that the stress causes me to go right back into a flare from hell and the cycle repeats. I’m punished for being sick. I’m belittled for starving and asking for healthy clean water. I’m purposely left out of his life. He won’t even tell me he’s going to the grocery or to get dinner bc he doesn’t want me to ask him for anything. I have no one. I have nothing. Im not better. My supplements ran out and I desperately need Vitamin D3 and a methylated B complex at the very minimal just to function….he stares at me blankly…no, a slight smirk, no words. He’s happiest when im miserable and I am miserable.  this is so long and im condensing as much as I can but this situation is so complicated and disgusting. And it’s currently my life. The “IT” girl, the healthy, beautiful, perfect skin, perfect teeth, thick and curly locks for days, creative and talented IT girl….now I won’t even leave this house bc Im ashamed of what this has dont to my body, my skin. Im disgusted. The stress is keeping me from healing and I think he knows that and that’s why he continues to keep me in that state. He doesn’t want me confident or successful. He doesn’t want me healed and healthy bc then how would he put the blame of all his problems on me? This journey has been hell and I’ve been in Hell before. I’ve been killed by an ex, I’ve been raped, robbed, held hostage, abused beyond nightmares but the cruelty I’ve experienced from him bc of this disease is the coldest I’ve ever experienced. I’ve wanted to give up. Starving and in tears, desperate…I found a local food pantry in our small town so I reached out just saying I had Celiac and was on hard times. This woman is blessing me daily with prepared gluten free meals, donations, educational info, people who know this disease and how they manage life and the blessings just keep coming. But it’s overwhelming and I feel like I don’t deserve it at all. He just glared and I know he’s going to sabotage it somehow. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I’m so broken and just want peace and healing. 
    • cristiana
      @Colleen H   I am just curious,  when you were tested for coeliac disease, did the doctors find out if you had any deficiencies? Sometimes muscle pain can be caused by certain deficiencies, for example, magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.   Might be worth looking into having some more tests.  Pins and needles can be neuropathy, again caused by deficiencies, such as iron and B12,  which can be reversed if these deficiencies are addressed. In the UK where I live we are usually only tested for iron, B12 and vitamin D deficiencies at diagnosis.   I was very iron anemic and supplementation made a big difference.  B12 was low normal, but in other countries the UK's low normal would be considered a deficiency.  My vitamin D was low normal, and I've been supplementing ever since (when I remember to take it!) My pins and needles definitely started to improve when my known deficiencies were addressed.  My nutritionist also gave me a broad spectrum supplement which really helped, because I suspect I wasn't just deficient in what I mention above but in many other vitamins and minerals.  But a word of warning, don't take iron unless blood tests reveal you actually need it, and if you are taking it your levels must be regularly monitored because too much can make you ill.  (And if you are currently taking iron, that might actually be making your stomach sore - it did mine, so my GP changed my iron supplementation to a gentler form, ferrous gluconate). Lastly, have you been trying to take anything to lessen the pain in your gut?  I get a sore stomach periodically, usually when I've had too much rich food, or when I have had to take an aspirin or certain antibiotics, or after glutening.  When this happens, I take for just a few days a small daily dose of OTC omeprazole.  I also follow a reflux or gastritis diet. There are lots online but the common denominators to these diets is you need to cut out caffeine, alcohol, rich, spicy, acidic food etc and eat small regularly spaced meals.   When I get a sore stomach, I also find it helpful to drink lots of water.  I also find hot water with a few slices of ginger very soothing to sip, or camomile tea.  A wedge pillow at night is good for reflux. Also,  best not to eat a meal 2-3 hours before going to bed. If the stomach pain is getting worse, though, it would be wise to see the doctor again. I hope some of this helps. Cristiana    
×
×
  • 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.