Is My Doctor Just Making This Up?

[cdog7]

I'm still trying to find out if I am Celiac or not, but so far signs point to yes. My mother was diagnosed, and I'm currently suffering from the same symptoms she had (diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, weight gain, frequent gas, malnutrition symptoms, depression, etc.). But when I see my doctor, he says the only Celiac-like symptom I have is the diarrhea, which he says isn't even quite 'it'. He insists that I should be losing weight rapidly and have a much lower iron count if I were Celiac. Just yesterday I was able to twist his arm into giving me the antibody blood test, so we'll see what that brings.

What do you all think, do I need a new doctor or does this guy sound on the level? If I need someone new, it would have to be in Maryland, hopefully near Baltimore.

[AllisonD128]

Well have you tried going gluten free just to see if you feel better? I never went to a doctor, I just changed my diet and felt better. I would listen to how I feel over what my doctor says any day. I've had more than one doctor give me a wrong diagnosis or ignore my symptoms and now it's almost like you have to do your own research and be your own doctor. But, also it won't hurt to get a second opinion, right? Maybe going a GI would be better for you.

[RiceGuy]

The previous poster took the words out of my mouth. Try the diet, and if you want tests, get a new doctor.

[Ursa Major]

diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, weight gain, frequent gas, malnutrition symptoms, depression

All of the above are common celiac disease symptoms, including the weight gain. Your doctor doesn't know what he is talking about.

Half of the people with celiac disease will gain weight, not lose it, as weight gain can also be a sign of malnutrition. And again, anemia is one POSSIBLE symptom of celiac disease, but not nearly all of us have that problem.

To claim you can't have it because you don't have the symptoms your doctor focuses on (out of over two hundred possible symptoms) is just plain ignorance.

[cruelshoes]

You may want to point your doctor toward this information:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/1077/1/39-o...bese/Page1.html

Celiac.com 11/29/2006

[cdog7]

Well have you tried going gluten free just to see if you feel better?........ But, also it won't hurt to get a second opinion, right? Maybe going a GI would be better for you.

I was nervous about going gluten-free just yet because I know it could skew test results. Since I've missed so much work from being sick so often, I'd love to get a doctor's diagnosis to show my boss. But good idea to go to a GI. Thanks!

[cdog7]

Your doctor is only working with what he learned in medical school, much of which has been shown to be untrue in recent years.

Thanks for the links!! It makes me pretty mad. I told my mother what he said and she suggested posting here

[nikky]

weight loss and weight gain can both be symptoms, so dont worry, a lot of family doctors arent very familiar with coeliac

its good that you finnally got your doctor to agree to give you the anti-body checks, many people do get low iron counts and low calcium and things like that, i had iron deficency anemia but my calcium is always high (i recently discovered i have hypercalcemia), which shows that just because you have coeliac doesnt mean that you have to have vitamin and/or mineral dificiencies

[buffettbride]

Your doctor, like many, isn't quite on. If diarrhea and rapid weight loss were the only symptoms, my daughter never would have been diagnosed--and if so, much later after malnutrition had stunted her growth severely.

I'm glad you were able to convince him to run the antibody test. The first indicator to a doctor, IMO, about running Celiac tests would be to know if there is a family history of the disease since it is so genetically linked.

Anyawy, don't hesitate to look for another doctor if you don't feel you are getting the care you want and deserve--whether Celiac is your diagnosis or not.

[jayhawkmom]

I'm one of those who were "nutritionally compensated."

I could NOT lose weight for the life of me, UNTIL I started a gluten free diet. I carried around extra and unnecessary weight for a very long time. Going gluten free finally ALLOWED my body to shed the extra is was hanging on to for dear life.

Your doctor is wrong. Period.

[JulesH]

My idiot GI actually told me that I "probably have a mild case" and therefore should eat some gluten, just not a lot. (I dropped him after he told me that.) But his reasoning was that I weighed more than 70 lbs. And I even had lost weight. Apparently dropping 15 lbs in 2 weeks isn't enough to be considered a real case.

[mamabear]

I was nervous about going gluten-free just yet because I know it could skew test results. Since I've missed so much work from being sick so often, I'd love to get a doctor's diagnosis to show my boss. But good idea to go to a GI. Thanks!

Hate to rain on your parade, but I have found WAY too many GI specialists who cannot think outside the box, and if the tTA is not positive, they abandon further thought. Alas, also too many FP's and IM's have not taken the time to read about THE MOST COMMON DISEASE OF MALABSORPTION in the Western Hemisphere!! There truly are more educated people on this Forum than in the AMA.

BUT! Not to be too negative.....go on and see a GI, but check with a local celiac group for specific doctor recommendations. They should know best in you area WHO will take thye time and listen.

[cyberprof]

I'm still trying to find out if I am Celiac or not, but so far signs point to yes. My mother was diagnosed, and I'm currently suffering from the same symptoms she had (diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, weight gain, frequent gas, malnutrition symptoms, depression, etc.). But when I see my doctor, he says the only Celiac-like symptom I have is the diarrhea, which he says isn't even quite 'it'. He insists that I should be losing weight rapidly and have a much lower iron count if I were Celiac. Just yesterday I was able to twist his arm into giving me the antibody blood test, so we'll see what that brings.

What do you all think, do I need a new doctor or does this guy sound on the level? If I need someone new, it would have to be in Maryland, hopefully near Baltimore.

I am on the other side of the country, but if you need Baltimore, you are very lucky Open Original Shared Link

Dr. Fasano is there and the center is supposed to be good.

~Laura

[Katrinm]

The same thing happened to me. I went to a food allergist and he said because I had weight on that I couldn't be celiac. Even though I told him that the weight gain had happened in the last four or so years with a lot of the other symptoms.

One thing I did after that allergist is keep a food log. Everything that went in my mouth and how much I exercised was put on an excel sheet. This way I could hand it to the doctors and show them my concern.

Its so frustrating but you have to be aggressive with the doctor and do a lot of self help.

[Guest Happynwgal2]

I was nervous about going gluten-free just yet because I know it could skew test results. Since I've missed so much work from being sick so often, I'd love to get a doctor's diagnosis to show my boss. But good idea to go to a GI. Thanks!

I was tested a full month AFTER I went gluten free, and my test results were so off the page that there was NO DOUBT that I was gluten intolerant, or rather, I was a Celiac. So if you are sick enough, like I was, a blood test could be positive even after a month off gluten.

Good luck!