Can You Trace Celiac Through Your Family Tree?

[ItchyMeredith]

I find this so interesting. Can you trace celiac back through your family tree?

I know that it came through my father's side. My father's mother was full Swedish. She and all of her siblings died of some type of digestive cancer during the 70s and 80s. My grandmother had digestive issues all of her life and was told by a doctor in the 50s that she wasn't allowed to eat any dark breads or whole grains. She completely avoided fiber because of this. I remember her eating a lot of plain white bread and rice crispies for breakfast.

This is sad really. She never got a diagnosis and unintentionally sabotaged her health daily. Thank God for modern medicine and current knowledge of the disease. I know that many doctors still have A LOT to learn about celiac. I am just happy to have a diagnosis and a plan for health.

Do you know where your celiac came from?

Meredith

[Rick45]

It looks possable, My nephew was diagnosed, then me, and now it is most likely my mothers issues, very long list, are tied to gluten.

[gfpaperdoll]

Sweden has a high level of celiac spectrum issues as does Ireland & England. & yes, it does show up in family histories. Just thinking of all the babies that died in infancy not to mention miscarriages. For infants as a cause of death you will see things like wasting disease. Our family is full of those problems. My father had a twin sister that died at about 9 months... There were other babies that died in the family. Then there are all the cases of arthritis where the person was bedridden & had to be "carried to the porch". My own maternal grandmother spent a year in bed because she could not walk but it was not due to arthritis, it was earlier in her life. She watched what she ate all her life. When she was older she would only eat one piece of chocolate at a time & would stare daggers thru you if you offered her a box of chocolates, I now think she probably had my same problem, my system cannot take chocolate. My Mother died of colon cancer. My children who I know have at least one DQ1 gene each are Irish & English on my side & Swedish on their father's side. My son already has liver damage is overweight etc & his kids have it but they are not going gluten-free. His wife also has a least one DQ1 gene, she is overweight, spacy, has dyslexia, is on antidepressants etc. My daughter who has been dairy intolerant from birth also has it & has the neurological issues as well. I am sure her 3 kids also have it... My one sister was dxd by blood tests, & by Enterolab she is double DQ1 also, my other sister has it also seizures, arthritis, overweight, depression, bad teeth, she knows she has it but will not stay on the diet. I think she eats gluten light, some people do that. Once they know they have it they just eat enough to have mild symptoms so that they are not bedridden etc. I know a biobsy dxd medical person that knows all the info & she eats like that, she will scrape the inside of the pie filling out & eat it all the while telling me not to do it, that it is not worth it. I cannot cheat so I have no problems with my diet. I have a cousin that refuses to be tested although she has the pouchy stomach & bad gallbladder & unexplained blood in her urine & who knows what else... her father died of Hemochromatosis & her mother was an alcoholic. In our family I think it has caused problems for generations, I think that for our family with women dying in child birth & their kids dying as babies & the bad health of the parents that over generations it has financial and emotional impacts that last for generations to come.

[Meemsy]

My mother and I have come to the conclusion that it came from my maternal grandmother's side of the family. She was Irish and Scottish, she had horrible digestive problems her whole life, she had Grave's Disease, she was severely anemic (and iron supplements never worked), she was unable to put weight on until the day they removed her thyroid (and even then, it wasn't much), she had 3 miscarriages, and she died of lymphoma 10 years ago. We also know that her brother died of colon cancer in his fifties, and her mother died young (probably of cancer) as well.

I was diagnosed because of my DH, my mother has just gone in to be tested. My maternal aunts are also being tested. My brother refuses (he says he is healthy and has no symptoms so what's the point?). Mercifully, my children have been tested and came up negative...the doctor says it is more than likely because my husband is full blooded Chinese and this is a rare disease with Asians. Though they are both lactose intolerant (that Asian thing again!).

When I think of the pain and suffering my grandmother went through, when just cutting out the gluten could have made a difference, my heart breaks.

[Phyllis28]

I wish I knew which side of the family it came from. I am the only one who has Celiac. My mother's family originates from England so that is most likely where the Celiac came from.

[ravenwoodglass]

I believe celiac is much, much more prevelant than is thought. My families history speaks to that.

Both my mother and my twin were both clearly celiac. My Mom lived on toast and tea, the old school 'cures' for tummy ills, was always tired and in pain and died of cancer at 56. My brother had his immune system turn on his liver in childhood and the depression that many of us suffer from contributed to his starting to drink and becoming an alcoholic by the age of 12. That excaberated the autoimmune condition and his liver was totally destroyed by 16. There is a strong history of diabetes and other autoimmune problems on both my mothers and my fathers side.

My children both IMHO inherited the genes from not only me but also their fathers. My son is Spanish on his natural fathers side, grandparents from northern Spain. He has been celiac with severe symptoms since he was an infant but was untested and undiagnosed until after I was finally diagnosed. He showed positive in blood work. My daughters father is of Swedish and Scottish descent and he has tested positive, his brother is also clearly celiac but refuses to test. His father was extrememly small and frail and died of a nerve disease and his Mom also showed signs. I should note I do not show up on blood work. Both of my young adults did.

[jerseyangel]

I 'm the only one in my family diagnosed. I suspect it came from my mom's side. My mom has an autoimmune condition, and 2 of her first cousins have been diagnosed with MS in the last couple of years.

She herself has many symptoms....her doctor only gave her one test from theCeliac Panel (I sent her the complete panel to take into him, which he evidently ignored), it was negative and she's going with it.

One of my neices is a lot like I was at her age--pale, stomach issues, anxiety.

I also have a sister who exhibits symptoms, but refused to be tested.

I'm Italian on both sides.

[Yellow Rose]

I find this so interesting. Can you trace celiac back through your family tree?

I know that it came through my father's side. My father's mother was full Swedish. She and all of her siblings died of some type of digestive cancer during the 70s and 80s. My grandmother had digestive issues all of her life and was told by a doctor in the 50s that she wasn't allowed to eat any dark breads or whole grains. She completely avoided fiber because of this. I remember her eating a lot of plain white bread and rice crispies for breakfast.

This is sad really. She never got a diagnosis and unintentionally sabotaged her health daily. Thank God for modern medicine and current knowledge of the disease. I know that many doctors still have A LOT to learn about celiac. I am just happy to have a diagnosis and a plan for health.

Do you know where your celiac came from?

Meredith

Mine came from my grandmother on my mother's side of the family. She died of colon cancer at 83. I have a first cousin and an aunt who have both been diognosed with celiac. My first cousin is from my grandmother's first marriage, and my aunt is from her second marriage and that is how we figured out where it came from. My grandmother's parents were from Spain and migrated to Mexico when she was very young. I remember my cousin being very ill when I was a child and no one being able to tell them what was wrong with her. She is around 8 years older than me. My aunt found out about 5 years ago she had lots of gut problems. I suspect all 3 of my children have this as my son has had unexplained joint pain, mouth ulcers, back pain, and migranes, one daughter has low blood sugar, animea, back pain, migranes, insomia the other daughter has had Juvinal Rhematoid Athritus, low blood sugar, animea, knee pain, insomia, migranes, depression, and mood swings. My son is willing to test but hasn't done it yet, the first daughter is in denial because she is part Asian and thinks that will protect her, the other daughter doesn't want to know. She had already been tested for allergies and beef, wheat, rice and milk tested positive when she was in the 8th grade five years ago. She went off these things for 2 months and was able to stop taking all her medications (11 different meds adult doses a day) all her symptoms disappeared for several years and now she is starting to get them back except for the athritus pain. I think when it gets bad enough and she is more mature she will test and accept what ever answer she gets.

Yellow Rose

[wowzer]

That is a good question. I have a little sister that was diagnosed with celiac at a year old. I know an uncle of my Mom's I think also had celiac. I think I may have DH, but don't have an official diagnosis. I went gluten free the beginning of the year and had great results. I wonder about my father, he was always in the bathroom after every meal. I also wonder about my mother, she has had many weird rashes like me. My mother's father was born in Sweden. I guess it could be from either side of my family.

[cmom]

I don't know of any diagnosed cases of celiac in my family but on my mom's side, my grandpa had an undiagnosed liver disease. When he died, the dr said something about him being an alcoholic. However, he never drank. My second cousin on this side of the family also has this liver disease. Don't know if celiac could be an offshoot of that or not. Just a thought.

[kbtoyssni]

My mum's got it, and I'm pretty sure her mother had it, too. They're both English (I'm only half English ) which is interesting since practically everyone who's replied to this thread can trace their celiac to the English side of the family.

[rsm]

None of us are diagnosed but the family "stomach" trouble runs through my mothers side of the family. A mixture of English, Irish and Scotch.

My grandfather had severe digestive problem with the big "D" his whole life, he joked about it but he did die of cancer. My mother and her siblings have it to varying degrees, some are lactose intolerant as well. I have it and now my two daughters have it. Only my oldest daughter and myself are gluten free, her six months, me four months, I feel so much better it's almost unbelievable. No one else wants to try the gluten free, one aunt is zero carbs but that can still mean gluten. I'm better anyway!