Thats It I Fired My Dr!

[loco-ladi]

So I finally get in to see the dr and inform him I did not take his little purple miricle pills and instead went 100% on a gluten free diet and amazingly all my prior symptoms are gone, so I now want a blood test or list of vitamins/herbs/minerals I should be taking to avert any malnutrition issues from not eating gluten/wheat

his response.... I have a screw loose its not gluten its acid reflux take the pills and eat gluten again.....

I walked out of the office.... now, I have to find another dr and need research about vitamins/minerals/herbs I should be taking to prevent any possible malnutrition... any links, articles etc would be appreciated

[melmak5]

Congrats on feeling better!

My primary care insisted that I had acid reflux for two months and when the pills weren't working, she just switched me to a different acid blocker... which did nothing.

I ended up with a bacterial overgrowth problem. I firmly believe that it was in part due to taking acid blockers when I did not have an acid problem. This is MY opinion, not that of any of my doctors... but if you are still in pain/bloated/D/distention after going gluten-free, it might be something to have checked.

[sedunk]

So I finally get in to see the dr and inform him I did not take his little purple miricle pills and instead went 100% on a gluten free diet and amazingly all my prior symptoms are gone, so I now want a blood test or list of vitamins/herbs/minerals I should be taking to avert any malnutrition issues from not eating gluten/wheat

his response.... I have a screw loose its not gluten its acid reflux take the pills and eat gluten again.....

I walked out of the office.... now, I have to find another dr and need research about vitamins/minerals/herbs I should be taking to prevent any possible malnutrition... any links, articles etc would be appreciated

Greetings,

I am about to fire my PCP. I met with her last week. She told me that she thinks I am depressed and not sleeping enough. That is why I feel tired. I feel tired because I am anemic! She wanted to put me on depression medication and sleeping pills. I told her I don't like taking medication, especially ones I don't need. Then she told me I have an anxiety disorder about taking meds. Did I mention I have had really bad reactions to some meds!

Where do you live. I just did an internet search found a holistic doctor in Milford NH. She and her husband specialize in food allergies and celiac. Their practice is called Balance Point.

I went to see a nutritionist on Friday. She gave me Pioneer Vitamins, they are Gluten Free.

I am also going to be taking a new supplement called OPC3. My friend is a member of a company called market america, there supplements are supposed to be gluten-free as well.

Good luck. Let me know if you know any good PCP's in NH. I am in desperate need on a new one!

Sara

[ravenwoodglass]

I am glad you are getting relief from the diet. It amazes me daily how stupid some, not all but too many, doctors are.

As far as supplements go a sublingual gluten-free B12 is going to be one that you will need, also you may want to get a 'stress' blend, high B's and C's. If you are still menstruating a good vitamin with iron may be in order but iron can be toxic so don't take over the reccommended amount or take more than one supplement with iron in it. If you are not still getting your period, or if you are male hold off on the iron sups until you know for sure you need one. You may also benefit from some good gut bacteria, I use yogurt with live cultures (if you do this make real sure it is gluten-free many yogurts are not safe) and others use a good probiotic in pill form. I just prefer to go the tasty way.

I am sure others will be on with other suggestions.

Also a good idea is to track how many doctors appointments you go to now that you are gluten-free. In a year of so send your exdoctor a note telling him how well you are doing and ask him to compare the number of appointments you have needed to the number of appointments you needed with him. For some doctors this is the only way to get through to them that they were wrong. I recently got my complete record from my ex doctor, the one I changed to after my celiac diagnosis. I have seen him 5 times in 5 years. And 3 of those appointments were just 'fill my pockets, how you doing, keep up the diet' waste of money trips. A big change from the prediagnosis years when I would have at least 5 appointment in a months with various doctors who all said basically what yours did. I have a fishing tackle box full of toxic unneeded meds, at least they became unneeded after my celiac diagnosis. I pull it our once a year on my anniversary, after 5 years I am still amazed at the pharmacopia these doctors prescribed when all I needed was a change in diet to restore my health. Copays prediagnosis, 17 grand ($17,000.00) a year including tests and scripts, copays post diagnosis, barely 200 dollars ($200.00) for everything. Those numbers tell a lot about our medical system.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Copays prediagnosis, 17 grand ($17,000.00) a year including tests and scripts, copays post diagnosis, barely 200 dollars ($200.00) for everything. Those numbers tell a lot about our medical system.

17 grands!!! That is ridiculous!

The last doctor in the US, I went to, diagnosed me with acid reflux and IBS, as well. When I told him, that the pills for acid reflux don't work (found out later, they had wheat in them), he also wanted to prescribe something else. Then I hit the breaks in and told him that I think, it's celiac. He then told me to wait a second, he'll be right back. Turned out, he asked his dad, who is doctor in the same office and HE didn't know anything about it either. Then he came back and asked me, if I'm from the middle east (I have dark hair and I'm an imigrant), because his dad said, that celiac would be highly present in the middle east (which is absolutely not true, but whatever...). I'm like what? you know, I'm german! So now I want you to run the tests. So he did the blood test, which was, of course, positive. And then he rumaged around again with the biopsy. In the end I was like, you know, what, I don't want it anyways. I just go glutenfree. And I feel great until this day. I don't need stupid doctors. I had one gluten "mistake" that prove to me, that it's definitely celiac. This is all I need to know. No more questions.

To make the long story short, if you want a diagnosis from the doctors, you must insist on the correct tests. If a glutenchallenge is enough for you, then just go for the glutenchallenge... but in any case listen to what your body and your instinct tells you.

[BettyL.]

So I finally get in to see the dr and inform him I did not take his little purple miricle pills and instead went 100% on a gluten free diet and amazingly all my prior symptoms are gone, so I now want a blood test or list of vitamins/herbs/minerals I should be taking to avert any malnutrition issues from not eating gluten/wheat

his response.... I have a screw loose its not gluten its acid reflux take the pills and eat gluten again.....

I walked out of the office.... now, I have to find another dr and need research about vitamins/minerals/herbs I should be taking to prevent any possible malnutrition... any links, articles etc would be appreciated

Your comments really amuse me as I just fired my doctor. I have been unhappy with her for awhile; but this summer when my blood pressure jumped 200/100 and adjusting the medicine did nothing to change it. I call her she couldn't see until my next appointment (7 days) and no one in her office could see me for 3 days. Her office suggest I go the emergency room. The got my blood pressure down and suggest I see a cardiologist. I saw her 7 days later and we had a problem with blood pressure reading. The next day her office called and want me to start either Nexium or over counter pilosac . I said no way. I thought about it overnight and call and cancel all my appointment and called the surgeon who did my surgeries. Call my HMO and report my problems. I started calling around for a new FCP and finally found one who was accepting new patients and ssurprise that his office girl had heard of gluten intorlance. So I guess I fired my doctor.

[hathor]

Here's a link to an article about nutrition that you may find helpful:

Open Original Shared Link

Be sure that any supplements you take are free of gluten & anything else you are sensitive to. Unlike food, allergens don't have to be listed.

[Guest thatchickali]

Nexium was the very first thing they gave me.

That was Oct 06. Enterolab results positive July 24, 07.

I am about to move back for college and inform my college doctor of what I really had so maybe people can get dx'ed faster.

[BettyL.]

Nexium was the very first thing they gave me.

That was Oct 06. Enterolab results positive July 24, 07.

I am about to move back for college and inform my college doctor of what I really had so maybe people can get dx'ed faster.

Any celiac disease taking Nexium is asking for problems. I wouldn't wish my problems on anyone. They have been terrible. I feel Nexium was the cause. The very thought of it upset me.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Is it possible to take Nexium and not have problems if you are celiac/gluten intolerant? I have been able to cut my Nexium dose in half since going off gluten, but can't seem to get off it entirely. I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia about 20 years ago, and Nexium does seem to work better for me than anything else. But I hate to think that I might be setting myself up for certain problems by taking it.

What do you think?

[BettyL.]

Is it possible to take Nexium and not have problems if you are celiac/gluten intolerant? I have been able to cut my Nexium dose in half since going off gluten, but can't seem to get off it entirely. I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia about 20 years ago, and Nexium does seem to work better for me than anything else. But I hate to think that I might be setting myself up for certain problems by taking it.

What do you think?

I don't really know. I know non-celiacs take it without problem. I suppose it would depend if you had too much acid. My problems were constant vomiting after taking it. I didn't have a haital hernia before. by the time, I realize it, the damage was done. The vomiting was not just once; but all day. I have body heaves where my whole body is effected. I am unable to keep anything down. This causes my body fluids to be off. In 2002 I spent a week in the hospital on being tube feed, no food. In 2005 3 trips to the emergency ward to correct this, sent home. Another day before surgery and a total of 3 weeks on IVs. Now it is starting again. I have no desire for food. I was doing okay today, until I ate. I shouldn't have because shortly, I am exhausted.

[Budew]

Ravenwood is right on target. I finally did a spectracell analysis to check for absorbtion. Not covered by insurance but only $75. Has really given me direction and peace of mind.

Good luck.

[DawnS]

Good for you...fire away! I had my gall bladder removed (there were some problems there, but after the surgery we figured out not THE problem) the a little while later I spent months on an acid reducer and had such bad chest pains that I ended up having tests leading right up to a heart catheterization!. Thousands of dollars later (which I'm STILL paying the deductible on) I fired my dr. too. (actually I fired two in a row) I did an internet search for a holistic dr and it's the smartest thing I ever did. Gluten isn't my only issue, but it is one of the major ones. She WANTS me to be off medication and to feel well as much as I do. I've been able to get off diabetes medication and cut my BP medicine from 150mg per day to 25mg per day. Another 30 lbs or so and she thinks I'll be off that altogether. While I admit dr's are a lot more educated than I and know a lot more about a lot of things, we know our bodies! I hope your search goes well. Ask lots of questions and make sure you find someone who LISTENS to you :-)

ps...Nexium made me really sick too