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Enlarged Spleen In Celiac Disease?

sharonLmiracle

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sharonLmiracle Newbie
sharonLmiracle
Posted

I feel like I'm fighting for my mother-in-law's life. She has so many health problems, it would take forever to list them all, but here's a partial list:

* digestive problems (constant gas, diarrhea)

* heart problems (3 stents)

* hemolytic anemia

* low platelets

* diabetes II

* enlarged spleen

* angular cheilitis

* SEVERE GERD--to the point where it's burned her esophagus and she's had to have the scar tissue stretched several times and she has to eat tiny bites of food or she chokes

* extremely bad teeth--lost her front teeth when she was a teenager, and has had dental work her whole life

* horrific swelling in her feet

She sees a hematologist and a GP, both of whom I have faxed and asked to run a celiac panel. Like most doctors, they are arrogance personified--no celiac panel. They'd rather see her die than admit that celiac disease might be a remote possibility.

Have any of you heard of celiac disease causing an enlarged spleen? I've read that it can cause the spleen to ATROPHY, but I haven't seen anything on it causing the spleen to enlarge.

They just did a liver biopsy on her this week, looking (again) for a symptom, but not the cause of all this. If the liver biopsy comes back with bad results, they may take out her spleen, which means she'll be on antibiotics for the rest of her life. But if celiac disease is causing all of this, why take out her spleen?

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

I don't know if celiac disease can cause an enlarged spleen. But a lot of her symptoms could be caused by celiac disease, especially the gastrointestinal problems, the GERD, anemia and the awful teeth. Others here have also inflammation of the corners of the mouth, so it could be a celiac disease symptom.

You are right in asking for celiac disease tests to be performed. If the GP you are dealing with is too arrogant (and ignorant) to order a celiac panel, maybe you will have to find a new doctor for your mother-in-law who is willing to look for causes, not just symptoms.

  • 4 months later...
rsm Newbie
rsm
Posted

I just found your post, bad timimg i know. These symptoms could be Myeloma. I'm being checked right now.

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