Vitamins

[Anteau25]

Hello. I've only posted a couple times. I've been pretty much reading posts and absorbing information. I was just wondering if someone could clarify a couple things for me.

I had my biopsy 6 weeks ago. My doctor told me that there was relatively mild damage to my small intestine. Obviously the longer you have untreated celiac disease the more damage to the small intestine. My question is this- could it possible that I have had celiac disease for at least 4 years even though I only have mild damage? Also, is it possible that I could have vitamin deficiencies? My specialist told me that considering my age (25yrs) and that I have mild damage, I should be ok with just taking a multivitamin every day.

I am also a type1 diabetic (since age 7), so I'm used to seeing a variety of doctors. I've had too many bad experiences and wrong advice. Althogh I am very thankful for being quickly diagnosed by this doctor, I just wanted make sure he was right about the vitamins.

[AndreaB]

A multi vitamin would be good to take. Whether you need more than that would have to be determined by your doctor.

I use Freeda vitamins. There is a thread about vitamins that isn't too terribly old. Hopefully others will pipe up with what they use.

[All-about-March]

Anteau,

For me it was my vitamin deficiencies that led my reg. GP to consider celiacs. I have several needs for supplements. I take B12, iron, calcium with D and magnesium, C, E and folic acid. Also a multi at night. I use Jamieson (canadian brand I believe) which is free of wheat, gluten, yeast, starch, sugar and lactose.

Are you working with a dietician for your new gluten free diet? My GI doc recommended me to one to discuss the diet and nutritional/ supplemental needs. Most of the initial supplements were from her recommendations, and I see my GP for reg. bloodwork to check on the levels and then adjust accordingly.

Other than intestinal damage, there are so many variables that may cause defieniencies ie: vegitarian diet, other allergies, being female, medications etc...

If you eat a well balanced diet, I would say that a multi would be good for now, and if you have concerns, ask your doc to check your levels for possible deficiencies for you and go from there.

For me B12 supplementation is going to be life long due to familial tendency for pernicious anemia and now celiacs. Calcium as well - all the women in my family have osteoporosis / osteopenia.

Hope you get your answers! Good luck!

[emcmaster]

I don't know about the damage issue - I'm self-diagnosed and had a colonoscopy in July 2005 that didn't return any results (he said everything looked normal)... however, I am pretty certain that the problems I've had since January 2004 can be attributed to celiac.

As for the vitamin, I take Open Original Shared Link. It is free of all allergens and isn't too expensive. I've had good results with it.

[LKelly8]

I had my biopsy 6 weeks ago. My doctor told me that there was relatively mild damage to my small intestine. Obviously the longer you have untreated celiac disease the more damage to the small intestine. My question is this- could it possible that I have had celiac disease for at least 4 years even though I only have mild damage? Also, is it possible that I could have vitamin deficiencies? My specialist told me that considering my age (25yrs) and that I have mild damage, I should be ok with just taking a multivitamin every day.

Yes, yes and yes. I had the symptoms of celiac for 6-7 years before diagnosis and had only mild damage on biopsy, and my bloodwork came back normal twice. Damage to the villi are measured using the Marsh Scale.

From the University of Iowa website:

"The Marsh stages scale, derived from a study of patients with known celiac disease who were fed gluten, is used to assess the level of intestinal damage inflicted by celiac disease on each individual patient. Damage starts as an increase in IEL (Infiltrative, Marsh 1), then an increase in crypt length (Hyperplastic, Marsh 2), followed by flattening (atrophy) of the villi (Destructive, Marsh 3). Severe, relentless injury will result in loss of crypts and villous atrophy (Hypoplastic, Marsh 4). Often a patient's symptoms do not correlate with endoscopic or histological damage. Patients with mild symptoms may have severe damage, whereas patients with severe symptoms may have mild damage."

See Open Original Shared Link for the full article.

[tiffjake]

Hello. I've only posted a couple times. I've been pretty much reading posts and absorbing information. I was just wondering if someone could clarify a couple things for me.

I had my biopsy 6 weeks ago. My doctor told me that there was relatively mild damage to my small intestine. Obviously the longer you have untreated celiac disease the more damage to the small intestine. My question is this- could it possible that I have had celiac disease for at least 4 years even though I only have mild damage? Also, is it possible that I could have vitamin deficiencies? My specialist told me that considering my age (25yrs) and that I have mild damage, I should be ok with just taking a multivitamin every day.

I am also a type1 diabetic (since age 7), so I'm used to seeing a variety of doctors. I've had too many bad experiences and wrong advice. Althogh I am very thankful for being quickly diagnosed by this doctor, I just wanted make sure he was right about the vitamins.

Welcome! Well, I know you said you have been here for a while, but welcome from me! I take GNC's Prenatals. And their sublingual B12. Both are gluten-free, and work for me!

[Anteau25]

Thank you everyone for responding. Since being diagosed with celiac disease, I have looked back and now see sympotoms as far back as four years. It was only a few months before the diagnosis that I got really sick and vomiting all the time. My dr told me that my bloodwork showed that my "numbers are very high". Then the biopsy showed mild damage. I was a little confused, but it's clearer now. Thanks.