I Think I Might Have Celiac Disease.

[NickP]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the helpful site. From reading around on the web I think I may have celiac disease. In the last week or two I've had stomach cramps; bouts of diarrhea, occasional nausea, tiredness, aching muscles - other times I feel fine though. Since a teenager I've always had trouble putting on weight (I'm 22 years old now 6ft2 155lbs) despite eating a lot and always feeling hungry. Also I get a strange reaction to beer/lager/ale even on a few sips - I get a sort of head cold yet when I have gin or cider I don't feel any adverse effects. I'm going to read up on gluten free diets and try one out to see if I feel better. Do my symptoms sound like I may have celiac disease? Or maybe just a wheat intolerance.

Thanks for any replies in advance.

Nick.

[CarlaB]

Welcome, Nick.

Before you go off gluten, go to your doctor and get a celiac panel done. You have to be eating gluten for the celiac testing to be valid, so it's best to do it before you go gluten-free.

[mftnchn]

Agreed. You'll want to do any testing first if you can. Then even if the tests are negative, try the diet. The testing doesn't pick up every celiac or gluten sensitive person.

Meanwhile, it does take a lot of preparation to do the diet well. You will need to also replace some kitchen items and check all personal care products for gluten. So you could do the research and start making a plan while you are doing your testing.

The other thing is that you may not have an immediate positive response to the diet, sometimes it takes many months. Some people are lucky and have a quick improvement though.