Iron Deficiency Anemia And Celiac Disease

[TamaraG]

- Hello all I'm newww. I have had many health problems like you all sense I was a child. I have been developing new symptoms and I'm tired of not knowing what is causing it all. I am afraid of going to the doctor and them dismissing me thinking I'm a hypochondriac! I don't want to waist their time.

- Here's my short list I was diagnosed with Iron deficiency anemia 2yrs ago. I have had this sense I was a kid cause I have always felt tired, dizzy, and week and my heart pounds anytime i stand up. As well as I always ate ice and had to go to the doctor a lot with pin worms from eating endless amounts of yummy dirt lol. Around this time I was also diagnosed with depression.

- Not sure if this is related, I have also had chronic UTI's and chronic dehydration and sciatica and have been to the ER with headaches due to the left side of my brain swelling a few times. Now I'm developing IBS. My older brother has also been diagnosed with IBS. (Heard celiac disease can be in the family). Now after I eat anything I get terrible bloating and gas and a lot of times when I do need to use the bathroom I'm doubled oven in pain and trying to move quickly to the bathroom. This has become a way of life for me.

- These new symptoms started after I got married 3yrs ago and boy was it a hard start to say the least! I now have to go to therapy to control my irritability, anger and ongoing depression. Here's the rest: Pins and needles in my fingers and toes, gas, bloating, if not loose greasy stool then foul smelling pellet stool, never broke 109lbs no matter how hard i try, fatigue, periods went from heavy to hardly spotting (cant take birth control), tried having kids (no luck), ulcers in my mouth,back pain,shortness of breath, chest pains sometimes,swelling hands,legs and feet, and my enamel is wearing away more and more.

Does this sound like just anemia with some unrelated problems?

Thnx Tamara

if needed" 5'4

104lbs

VERY PALE

[ShayFL]

It sounds multi-faceted to me. Have you been tested for Celiac? Thyroid? Parasites? Iron/Ferritin lately? Vitamin D? B vitamins? Calcium and Magnesium?

I understand not wanting to go to a Dr. all too well. But if you have insurance, you really should take the time to try to find a good one that will help you. Osteopathic MDs are often good, Naturopaths if you have them.

You can get all of these blood tests on your own through places like directlabs and healthusa. But be warned, they are expensive and add up quickly. If you have the money, you can do this to find out about your nutritional status. But why not let insurance pay for it?

[MaryJones2]

Anemia affects a lot of different functions in your body so it's possible that what you describle is realated to years of chronic anemia but it might be a good idea to have your other vitamin and mineral levels checked as well as your thyroid. I can't quite tell from your post if you are celiac and are on a gluten-free diet. If you aren't it might not be a bad idea to try it for a while and see how you feel. I think a lot of folks will also mention that you should cut out dairy initially too to relive some of the IBS symptoms.

There is a study out there worth reading on the topic of iron deficient anemia and celiac disease.

[TamaraG]

Anemia affects a lot of different functions in your body so it's possible that what you describle is realated to years of chronic anemia but it might be a good idea to have your other vitamin and mineral levels checked as well as your thyroid. I can't quite tell from your post if you are celiac and are on a gluten-free diet. If you aren't it might not be a bad idea to try it for a while and see how you feel. I think a lot of folks will also mention that you should cut out dairy initially too to relive some of the IBS symptoms.

There is a study out there worth reading on the topic of iron deficient anemia and celiac disease.

[/quote

To give some more info:

I'm a military spouce so i have the insurence its just that i can only see one doctor. And she looked at me for lupus once and literaly LOOKED AT ME and said hmm i dont think you have anything wrong with you. I was thinking about hitting the ER cause once again this one doctor is always booked and I cant seem to get in with her. I think the people in the ER would look at me like I was crazy haha. I have been checked for diabeties and my thyroird, it was all normal. They did say I was malnurished and under weight and to eat more. I eat a lot does not help. I think I will get my blood checked again maybe it is something like B12 deficiency. I just want an answer im sick of this the iron did not help me. And to top it off they didnt even care why I had this deficciency they just said I was severly anemic here take this and go home. haha lordy:P

[CarlaB]

Check out this symptom list and see if it rings any bells. Sorry you're so sick. I totally understand.

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[jerseyangel]

Hi Tamera and welcome

I had just about all of the same symptoms as you do. I was frequently dizzy, tired and pale as a child. As an adult, I was severly, and persistantly anemic, had the tingling & numbness, the diarrea, nausea, difficulty getting pregnant, tooth enamel problems, chest pain (due to reflux, in my case), and many other symptoms. I was debilitated enough by age 48, that I had to quit my job.

Anemia is a very common symptom of Celiac--I would strongly suggest you do go to your doctor and tell them you would like the Celiac Panel run. You need the full panel:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

Don't change your diet prior to testing, you need to be eating gluten for the test to be accurate. Celiac is genetic, and many of us were diagnosed with IBS--sometimes for years--before finally finding out it was Celiac. It's very telling that your brother has also been diagnosed with IBS.

I don't know if you have Celiac, gluten intolerance that may or may not be associated with another condition, or something else entirely. I would start with the bloodwork and go from there.

Best of luck!

[Ursa Major]

Despite what a lot of doctors think, there is no such a thing as 'just' anemia. There is always a cause for anemia, and it needs to be found. Otherwise you will be treating a symptom if you only treat anemia.

I agree, with your IBS (not a valid diagnosis either, since it is a collection of symptoms that have a cause that needs to be found) and anemia and everything else you describe, it could well be celiac disease.

And yes, another possibility (which doesn't rule out celiac disease even if you have it) is Lyme disease. A lot of the symptoms are the same.

[nora-n]

I agree with everyone that posted here, and want to add that I think that some doctors don't do anything unless you come back again. They maybe think your complaints are just a passing thing, and will only take you seriously if you keep coming back.

If the doctor is not gonna order any celiac tests, you can order your own gluten intolerance tests through Enterolab but you have to pay privately I think in your case.

Or, if you really cannot get the doctor to listen, and if you have no money to get testing done, you can go completely gluten-free and see if you get better. It took me 7 months and then the fatigue was gone one morning.

If you are celiac, you definitely will get osteopenia in the end and you might get some more related illnesses.

Look into lyme too. There is a young person here on the forum with anemia due to lyme too. Food intolerances too.

nora