Another Uninformed Doctor

[Marlene]

So, my 11 year old niece has been having major stomach/ bowel issues ever since she had parasites last summer. She has been extremely lethargic, has stomach pains, and is so constipated that her parents have to give her laxatives just to get her to go (which they don't like doing - obviously). Someone at my sister-in-law's work mentioned Celiac to her so she called me and we talked about the whole gluten intolerance thing.

They took my niece off gluten and within a few weeks, her symptoms improved. She was not always as strict with the diet as she could have been but they did improve, nonetheless. So they took her to a gastroenterologist who refuses to test her for Celiac. He said there is no way she can have it because (are you ready for this??) SHE HAS LONG HAIR. He told them to put her back on a regular diet. They did and within a week she was back to major constipation and stomach pains.

Anyway, I think they are going to put her back on the diet but they are the kind of parents who seem to want re-assurance from a medical professional that they are doing the right thing. That is understandable but I am just trying to encourage them to keep her on the diet since it is helping, no matter what the doctor says.

Do you think doctors will ever figure this out??

Marlene

[Electra]

  Marlene said:

So, my 11 year old niece has been having major stomach/ bowel issues ever since she had parasites last summer. She has been extremely lethargic, has stomach pains, and is so constipated that her parents have to give her laxatives just to get her to go (which they don't like doing - obviously). Someone at my sister-in-law's work mentioned Celiac to her so she called me and we talked about the whole gluten intolerance thing.

They took my niece off gluten and within a few weeks, her symptoms improved. She was not always as strict with the diet as she could have been but they did improve, nonetheless. So they took her to a gastroenterologist who refuses to test her for Celiac. He said there is no way she can have it because (are you ready for this??) SHE HAS LONG HAIR. He told them to put her back on a regular diet. They did and within a week she was back to major constipation and stomach pains.

Anyway, I think they are going to put her back on the diet but they are the kind of parents who seem to want re-assurance from a medical professional that they are doing the right thing. That is understandable but I am just trying to encourage them to keep her on the diet since it is helping, no matter what the doctor says.

Do you think doctors will ever figure this out??

Marlene

Marlene,

Tell them to get a new GI doctor. If I heard an absurd statement like that about long hair, I would be out of there quicker then ever!! PLEASE, PLEASE encourage them to go to a new GI doctor especially if a diagnosis is that important to them!! Good Luck!!

[Canadian Karen]

*sigh*......

Shaking my head in disbelief!

[Creative-Soul]

I had to read that about three times before replying... I'm speechless...

Thank God your neice and her parents have you around as a voice of sanity! I hope they find a knowledgable doctor soon!!!

[jerseyangel]

Long hair???? That's a new one!

I hope the next doctor they see is better informed--keep us posted.

[chrissy]

that is too funny!!------we see how doctors can have old info and think that all celiacs must have the runs and be wasting away, but long hair?????

hope they find a new doctor!!!

[Phyllis28]

They need to find a new doctor. My hair was nearly waist length when I was diagnoised.

[happygirl]

Find a new doctor, have her continue eating gluten until they run the full Celiac panel (AGA IgA, AGA IgG, total Serum IgA, EMA, ttG), and send this doctor some information about the NIH Campaign to increase awareness among doctors about Celiac, because he is a classic example of why this campaign is needed.

[debmidge]

  Marlene said:

They took my niece off gluten and within a few weeks, her symptoms improved. She was not always as strict with the diet as she could have been but they did improve, nonetheless. So they took her to a gastroenterologist who refuses to test her for Celiac. He said there is no way she can have it because (are you ready for this??) SHE HAS LONG HAIR. He told them to put her back on a regular diet. They did and within a week she was back to major constipation and stomach pains.

Marlene

OMG! So that's how my 27year old husband got celiac! He had long hair to his mid back for years, even when I met him and then he decided to cut his hair and Whammo! he came down with celiac AFTER he had long hair! What a revelation! So the moral is that he should have never cut his hair!

Oh, I see now!

Is this doctor a real gastro or a real doctor for that matter?

I told my husband about this doctor and his first response was "Is that a joke?"

[darlindeb25]

My son had a doctor look at him and say, "You do not need to be tested, you do not look like a celiac!" Do we look different? I was under the impression that we look the same as other people. Do we have antenna that none of us know about? Another son was told, "It's not necessary to test you for that now!" I finally get them to agree to be tested and an unknowlegable doctor tells them this crap!

I do think more doctors are getting it, yet some may never understand!

[tummyache]

  Electra said:

Marlene,

Tell them to get a new GI doctor. If I heard an absurd statement like that about long hair, I would be out of there quicker then ever!! PLEASE, PLEASE encourage them to go to a new GI doctor especially if a diagnosis is that important to them!! Good Luck!!

She has LONG HAIR??? What does that have to with anything? Are all Celiac's bald? That makes no sense at all! Yes, definitely tell them to see another GI person. This one sounds like a total quack.