Do I Have It Too?!?

[Momof2cuties]

Ok, so we've been going through all of the testing and struggles with trying to get a diagnosis for our 17 month old daughter. She's had blood work done, but it was inconclusive. We're now waiting for our appointment with the pedi GI in September to find out more. In the meantime our pediatrician recommended that we try the gluten-free diet and have had MAJOR improvements in all of her symptoms!! We're not great yet, but it's getting better a little at a time.

I know the disease is genetic...my sister and niece are both Celiacs. I'm now beginning to wonder if I don't have it, too. I've never had the same symptoms as my daughter, sister or niece...but I feel aweful!! I'm a stay-at-home mom and have been eating, well, I guess I'll call it gluten-light since we switched Ali's diet about two weeks ago. Since it's just easier to make one meal for both of us I've cut down a ton! For all of my life I've swung pretty wildly from the big C to the big D at the drop of a hat. I always thought it was just my system and was pretty normal. That seems to have eased up some recently...hmm... I've had more energy and just felt sharper mentally.

Well, I had gone about four days without ANY gluten and then decided to have a peanut butter sandwich yesterday with Jiff and put it on regular whole wheat bread. Almost instantly I felt nauseated and today I have a killer headache! I'm still feeling really sick to my stomach, too. I also am SOOOO tired! I feel like I've been run over.

No one else in the house is sick, so I'm doubting that I have a bug of any kind. But, I suppose that's always possible. And the fatigue could always be explained by my new baby and the fact that I was up four times last night with him.

Do you think I have a more mild form of the disease? Or that my symptoms are just different? Would it be a good idea for me to be tested just to know? I'm so confused.

[Ursa Major]

You sure sound like you have celiac disease as well. There is no such a thing as mild celiac disease. You either have it or you don't. For some people the only obvious symptom is anemia! You don't have to have the same symptoms as your daughter, or many at all.

I always thought it was normal to fluctuate from diarrhea to constipation all my life, too. Now I know that it is NOT normal to have more than two episodes of diarrhea a year!

I say that it is very telling that you felt better off gluten, and had a major reaction when you ate it again. Do you need the official diagnosis? If not, why not just go gluten-free along with Ali and just get well.

[chrissy]

just the fact that your sister has celiac disease is reason enough to get screened for it. when we suspected one of our kids had celiac, we tested the rest of the family----that is how we discovered that the other two girls had celiac, also. all three girls had different symptoms. my mother and two of my sisters have also been tested since my girls were diagnosed. my two step-children have not been tested, yet, but they are older and live away from home.