Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Hope I Have Celiac...what Else Could It Be?

jennyo

Recommended Posts

jennyo Newbie
jennyo
Posted

My blood panel came back negative, but I do have one of the genes, so I went for a biopsy last week. I'm so hoping for celiac disease because if not, we're back at square one trying to get some kind of cause for what's wrong with me. I'm worried that I didn't eat enough gluten before the biopsy. I was planning on it, but I got the biopsy scheduled so quick I didn't get a chance to beef up my gluten intake. The night before I ate about 10 ginger cookies though so hopefully that did enough damage!

So here's my question. I obviously have some kind of malabsorption going on. I have lost about 30 lbs over the last few years and eating more than ever. No GI symptoms though. Infertility issues, and when I finally did get preg via IVF, my poor baby wasn't thriving in the womb. They had to induce early because he wasn't growing enough. It appeared that I was malnourished, but I am the healthiest eater of anyone I know! Any suggestions on what else it could be if not celiac??? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I"m dying here, and I'm so embarrassed to be around family. I have no friends left either because I avoid situations where people will comment about me looking sick, or being so skinny.

I also have low red blood cell count, low white count, and low platelet count. Literally, I am fading away! :huh:

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ShayFL Enthusiast
ShayFL
Posted

I would try gluten free diet no matter what the tests show. What do you have to lose? It sounds like nothing.

Also avoid dairy and soy for 3 - 4 months. Let your body heal. It can.

jennyo Newbie
jennyo
Posted
  • Author
I would try gluten free diet no matter what the tests show. What do you have to lose? It sounds like nothing.

Also avoid dairy and soy for 3 - 4 months. Let your body heal. It can.

How did you know how to do all that? Your own research or did you see a holistic nutritionist or someone? I think I do definitely have candida too -- I did a home test. I was going to wait and see if I got a celiac diagnosis and then do a candida cleanse too. But, there is definitely something else going on. I plan on going gluten-free regardless. But, I do so want some kind of diagnosis, even if it's an allergy or something. Thanks for the reply! (...hope I'm posting this in the right place--still new at this)

*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

were you gluten free before the blood work? that'll cause a negative result just like it would the biopsy.

jennyo Newbie
jennyo
Posted
  • Author
were you gluten free before the blood work? that'll cause a negative result just like it would the biopsy.

No, I have never gone completely gluten free for more than a day. I would say "gluten-light." Meaning, no cereal in the AM, but still a sandwich for lunch. Maybe 2-3 glutens a day for the month before the tests and biopsy. Is that enough to still show damage? I've been "sick" for at least 10 years so there has been plenty of damage over the years. Hopefully that'll still be there despite toning down the intake recently.

*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

i'm no expert...but i think you can have a false negative and still have Celiac. did the doctor say anything after the biopsy? mine wouldn't let me leave the hospital before he briefly reviewed his findings (which was no visable damage but the samples were being sent off to a pathologist for further inspection). he also gave me a print out which included pictures of my insides - kinda gross but cool if you like those types of things!

jennyo Newbie
jennyo
Posted
  • Author

False negatives--how annoying! She reviewed the findings with me after the endoscopy, which was the same --no visable damage but sending it off. Oh yeah, and acid damage from a hiatal hernia (great). Anyway, can they usually see damage at the surface? I'll be so bummed if the biopsy comes back negative.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

i'm not sure what they can and can't see when they're actually doing the procedure.

i cried when i got the negative result back. the last thing i did was test for the genes, which i have 1 of. Still not enough for an official diagnosis but i feel so much better not eating gluten so i've come to grips with it.

does your doctor have any other ideas if they rule out Celiac?

jennyo Newbie
jennyo
Posted
  • Author

I don't think she knows what to do if it's not Celiac. I don't know, she said something about referring to a nutritionist to see if I'm eating enough calories, which means I guess she thinks I'm lying about how much and how healthy I eat. Plus, what can explain the low blood cell counts and low platelet counts? It definitely looks like some kind of autoimmune thing to me. I'm hoping someone on here might have some ideas of where to go next. The Hematologist is pretty much done with me, she sent me on to the GI. If it's not a GI issue, I don't know...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms. I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should...
    2. chrisinpa
      - chrisinpa commented on Scott Adams's article in Skin Problems and Celiac Disease
      2

      Celiac Disease and Skin Disorders: Exploring a Genetic Connection

      Maybe they can attribute certain skin conditions to either being susceptible to getting Celiac......or the other way around....but I have to ask if certain people are prone to Celiac because of genetics and some people aren't. It's kind of the same thing as what came first.....the chicken or the egg.?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities. If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac...
    5. trents
      - trents commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Other Diseases and Disorders Associated with Celiac Disease
      6

      Celiac Disease Patients Face Higher Risk of Systemic Lupus

      What kind of practitioner did the blood test? Was this a medical doctor, a naturopathic doctor, a GI doc? I would certainly follow up with them and ask why they advised you not to eat red meat. I mean, it could be something like they, themselves, are a vegetarian and give that advice to everyone. Have you had an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,692
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Ali Zaib
    Newest Member
    Ali Zaib
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Issues before diagnosis

      By cristiana · Posted

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms.  I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should be checked.  My parents' GP to this day has not put forward my father for testing, and my mother was never tested in her lifetime, despite the fact that they both have some interesting symptoms/family history that reflect they might have coeliac disease (Dad - extreme bloating, and his Mum clearly had autoimmune issues, albeit undiagnosed as such; Mum - osteoporosis, anxiety).  I am now my father' legal guardian and suspecting my parents may have forgotten to ask their GP for a test (which is entirely possible!) I put it to his last GP that he ought to be tested.  He looked at Dad's blood results and purely because he was not anemic said he wasn't a coeliac.  Hopefully as the awareness of Coeliac Disease spreads among the general public, people will be able to advocate for themselves.  It is hard because in the UK the NHS is very stretched, but the fallout from not being diagnosed in a timely fashion will only cost the NHS more money. Interestingly, a complete aside, I met someone recently whose son was diagnosed (I think she said he was 8).  At a recent birthday party with 8 guests, 4 boys out of the 8 had received diagnosis of Coeliac Disease, which is an astounding statistic  As far as I know, though, they had all had obvious gastric symptoms leading to their NHS diagnosis.  In my own case I had  acute onset anxiety, hypnopompic hallucinations (vivid hallucinations upon waking),  odd liver function, anxiety, headaches, ulcers and low iron but it wasn't until the gastric symptoms hit me that a GP thought to do coeliac testing, and my numbers were through the roof.  As @trents says, by the grace of God I was diagnosed, and the diet has pretty much dealt with most of those symptoms.  I have much to be grateful for. Cristiana
    • knitty kitty
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities.   If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering eating more leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.  Not only are these high in fiber, they also are good sources of magnesium.  Many newly diagnosed are low in magnesium and B vitamins and suffer with constipation.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 and magnesium work together.  Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine has been shown to improve intestinal health.  Thiamine and magnesium are important to gastrointestinal health and function.  
    • trents
      Issues before diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac disease can produce. Clinicians often are only looking for classic GI symptoms and are unaware of the many other subsystems in the body that can be damaged before classic GI symptoms manifest, if ever they do. Many celiacs are of the "silent" variety and have few if any GI symptoms while all along, damage is being done to their bodies. In my case, the original symptoms were elevated liver enzymes which I endured for 13 years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. By the grace of God my liver was not destroyed. It is common for the onset of the disease to happen 10 years before you ever get a diagnosis. Thankfully, that is slowly changing as there has developed more awareness on the part of both the medical community and the public in the past 20 years or so. Blessings!
    • knitty kitty
      Dizziness after eating green beans?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @EndlessSummer, You said you had an allergy to trees.  People with Birch Allergy can react to green beans (in the legume family) and other vegetables, as well as some fruits.  Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome which can occur at a higher rate in Celiac Disease.   Switching to a low histamine diet for a while can give your body time to rid itself of the extra histamine the body makes with Celiac disease and histamine consumed in the diet.   Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are needed to help the body clear histamine.   Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?
    • sha1091a
      Issues before diagnosis

      By sha1091a · Posted

      I found out the age of 68 that I am a celiac. When I was 16, I had my gallbladder removed when I was 24 I was put on a medication because I was told I had fibromyalgia.   going to Doctor’s over many years, not one of them thought to check me out for celiac disease. I am aware that it only started being tested by bloodwork I believe in the late 90s, but still I’m kind of confused why my gallbladder my joint pain flatulent that I complained of constantly was totally ignored. Is it not something that is taught to our medical system? It wasn’t a Doctor Who asked for the test to be done. I asked for it because of something I had read and my test came back positive. My number was quite high.Are there other people out here that had this kind of problems and they were ignored? 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.