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

Is It Too Late For Me?


miss vivian

Recommended Posts

miss vivian Newbie
Hi Viv,

I was 57 when I was diagnosed, I suppose I had symptoms all my life without realising it.

I have had 'Acid Reflux' for ever, always seemed tired, susceptible to flu and chest infections,

'mouth ulcers', dry skin, all the classic symptoms.

.

I'm 61 now and a lot happier if not a little too 'rotund' from eating all my gluten-free creations, but that's another story!

.

My Friend who is also a Coeliac had his mother checked and she was biopsy diagnosed at 83, she is so much better in herself now on the gluten-free diet.

.

So in answer to your question: Is it too late for me??

.

The answer is a resounding!! It's NEVER too late!

.

Best Regards,

David

Thanks - it's good to know that you're better and so is your mom! I am hoping to recover from the damages I may have inside. I will find out more after the biopsy tomorrow...

Take care and thanks again... Viv

oops. I meant your friends' mom! Sorry for the error... Great to hear the good news that someone a little older can mend.. it gives me hope that I might be ok.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



miss vivian Newbie
My mom was finally diagnosed at 45 or so. She nearly died, because this was the mid 1960's and hardly anyone knew a thing about celiac disease. She was truly almost dead of starvation, I think: 85 or so pounds, couldn't keep anything down, and doctors kept telling her it was "in her head." Finally, thankfully, she got a new doctor who asked her if she had ever lived in certain tropical places, thinking her symptoms sounded like tropical sprue. He tested her, did a biopsy which showed her villi to be GONE, her stomach lining was nearly destroyed, lots of other things, and he was smart enough to figure out she had celiac disease. She went gluten free, and was better within a few months, had regained all her lost weight, felt great. They did a re-test of her biopsy and found the villi had mostly regenerated.

She is now almost 88, in great health, no problems at all!

So once you know the facts, eat carefully and avoid all gluten.

Great to hear that the damage can be reversed! :) thank you... glad your mom is well.

Amber M Explorer
Amber you are most welcomed here. I try to catch "newbie" threads everyday so people dont get overlooked. :)

Thanks Shay, I have read a lot of your postings. I have learned so much. I am recovering from last weeks mistake gluten poisoning. I'm doing much better, but I have a question. When does the nasea go away? I get naseated off and on out of the clear blue, and dizzy. I feel like if I thought about it much, I would puke! Did you? Any suggestions? (I was still getting it when I was gluten free before the mistake) Thanks, Amber

Lori Park Newbie

All of this sounds so familiar. I have been gluten free for 7 months and was 36 when I was diagnosed. I had decided that I was a big baby and a hypo-condriac. I thought I must be crazy, because they could not find anything wrong with me. I feel alot better, but recently I have been feeling some of the old symptoms. Has anybody ever just suddenly slowed down in their healing?

mslee Apprentice

welcome welcome!

Just wanted to add since my dx my Mom is in the process of being dx'ed she is in her 50's and symptoms she has had her whole life are healing since going gluten free. It is a little scary at first but we will be so much healthier once we heal & that part is empowering & exciting!

Amber M Explorer
All of this sounds so familiar. I have been gluten free for 7 months and was 36 when I was diagnosed. I had decided that I was a big baby and a hypo-condriac. I thought I must be crazy, because they could not find anything wrong with me. I feel alot better, but recently I have been feeling some of the old symptoms. Has anybody ever just suddenly slowed down in their healing?

I think I am going on 4 months gluten free, with a couple of slips. I have good days and bad days. Just when I think I am free of the symptoms, they re-appear with a vengence. It sets me into a panic going back over ingredients again and again only to discover I have NOT eaten gluten. So I am in the same delima. My Allergist said that I sould see better results after 6 months, but some adults take a few years to get better. After your 7 months, I would make sure that you are not eating something with gluten. One thing I learned last night after watching the UCLA lecture on Celiacs is that when the label says "wheat free" instead of "gluten free", it could still have "barley, malt, or rye" in it and you need to check the full ingredient list. Holy Bananas! I did not realize that. I have mostly eaten fresh food or baking with gluten free ingredients, so I don't think I ate any gluten, but I did not know this. I am just learning. Double check your stuff! Good luck. Amber

miss vivian Newbie
welcome welcome!

Just wanted to add since my dx my Mom is in the process of being dx'ed she is in her 50's and symptoms she has had her whole life are healing since going gluten free. It is a little scary at first but we will be so much healthier once we heal & that part is empowering & exciting!

Yes! You're so right about that! It is very empowering to know that we can do the right things and change the way we feel.. I had my biopsy yesterday, and it went easy - but I still have pains, in spite of being gluten free for almost one month. My gastro told me that she thinks it will take more time for me to feel better. She thinks I should not feel pains in a few months.

I don't know. I looked at the pics of my insides once I woke up - and I couldn't make any sense of it. Heck, I'm no doctor, but I am trying to learn all I can.

Thanks for you response... Everyone here and everyone that I've met since being diagnosed have been wonderul and helpful. It's such a comfort.

:) Peace!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,860
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Rena Celiac
    Newest Member
    Rena Celiac
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rogol72
      Some interesting articles regarding the use of Zinc Carnosine to help heal gastric ulcers, gastritis and intestinal permeability. I would consult a medical professional about it's use. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpgasthep0778 https://www.rupahealth.com/post/clinical-applications-of-zinc-carnosine---evidence-review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146259/ https://www.fallbrookmedicalcenter.com/zinc-l-carnosine-benefits-dosage-and-safety/
    • Jillian83
      He is. Which makes everything even more difficult. I’m not a believer in “staying for the kids” but I have nowhere to go and it’s not just me, it’s me plus my babies. We live in a beautiful place, lots of land in the country and me and the kids love the place we’ve called home for their entire lives. But Im seeing that he’ll never change, that my kids deserve a happy healthy Momma, and that staying in this as is will be the early death of me. Then I look at the scars covering my entire body…this disease and the chronic stress I’ve been enduring for years that tell me I’m no longer beautiful and no one will ever look at me with interest again. I try self care, try to give myself grace so I can just start loving myself enough to gain strength but the slightest sparkle in my eye and skip in my step attracts his wrath and it all comes crashing ten fold. Life is just absolutely railing me from every single direction leaving me wanting to wave that white flag bc I don’t feel like there’s much hope no matter what happens. 
    • trents
    • Jillian83
      Hi, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis after years of suffering without answers. I lost my mind. I lost my job. I lost so much time. I lost Me. Conventional doctors are opulent come near me and the one who did sat across the room, misdiagnosed me, pumped me full of steroids which collapsed my entire hip for 6 months. So without answers I began my holistic journey. Fast forward a couple of years and still struggling with a mysterious whole body itchy, crawling “skin hell”, perfect teeth now deteriorating, thick hair now thinning rapidly and no more than a day or 2 at most relief….An acquaintance opened up a functional medicine practice. Cash only, I found a way. Within a month tests clearly showing my off the charts gluten allergy/sensitivity as well as the depletion of vital nutrients due to leaky gut and intestinal damage. dermatitis herpetiformis was more than likely what I was experiencing with my skin. I was happy. I thought this is easy, eat healthy Whole Foods, follow the diet restrictions and I finally get to heal and feel confident and like myself again very soon! 😔 Supplements are very pricey but I got them and began my healing. Which leads to the other major issue: not working, stay at home Mom of young kids, entirely financially dependent on my man of 7 plus years. He’s never been supportive of anything I’ve ever done or been thru. He controls everything. I’m not given much money ever at a time and when he does leave money it’s only enough to possibly get gas. His excuse is that I’ll spend it on other things. So my “allowance” is inconsistent and has conditions. He withholds money from me as punishment for anything he wants. Since being diagnosed, he’s gained a new control tactic to use as punishment. He now is in control of when I get to eat. He asked for proof of my diagnosis and diet bc he said I made it up just to be able to eat expensive organic foods. Then after I sent him my file from my doctor he then said she wasn’t a real doctor. 😡. I go days upon days starving, sometimes breaking down and eating things I shouldn’t bc I’m so sick then I pay horribly while he gets annoyed and angry bc I’m not keeping up with all the duties I’m supposed to be doing. His abuse turns full on when I’m down and it’s in these desperate times when I need his support and care the most that I’m punished with silence, being starved, ignored, belittled. He will create more of a mess just bc I’m unable to get up and clean so that when I am better, I’m so overwhelmed with chores to catch up that the stress causes me to go right back into a flare from hell and the cycle repeats. I’m punished for being sick. I’m belittled for starving and asking for healthy clean water. I’m purposely left out of his life. He won’t even tell me he’s going to the grocery or to get dinner bc he doesn’t want me to ask him for anything. I have no one. I have nothing. Im not better. My supplements ran out and I desperately need Vitamin D3 and a methylated B complex at the very minimal just to function….he stares at me blankly…no, a slight smirk, no words. He’s happiest when im miserable and I am miserable.  this is so long and im condensing as much as I can but this situation is so complicated and disgusting. And it’s currently my life. The “IT” girl, the healthy, beautiful, perfect skin, perfect teeth, thick and curly locks for days, creative and talented IT girl….now I won’t even leave this house bc Im ashamed of what this has dont to my body, my skin. Im disgusted. The stress is keeping me from healing and I think he knows that and that’s why he continues to keep me in that state. He doesn’t want me confident or successful. He doesn’t want me healed and healthy bc then how would he put the blame of all his problems on me? This journey has been hell and I’ve been in Hell before. I’ve been killed by an ex, I’ve been raped, robbed, held hostage, abused beyond nightmares but the cruelty I’ve experienced from him bc of this disease is the coldest I’ve ever experienced. I’ve wanted to give up. Starving and in tears, desperate…I found a local food pantry in our small town so I reached out just saying I had Celiac and was on hard times. This woman is blessing me daily with prepared gluten free meals, donations, educational info, people who know this disease and how they manage life and the blessings just keep coming. But it’s overwhelming and I feel like I don’t deserve it at all. He just glared and I know he’s going to sabotage it somehow. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I’m so broken and just want peace and healing. 
    • cristiana
      @Colleen H   I am just curious,  when you were tested for coeliac disease, did the doctors find out if you had any deficiencies? Sometimes muscle pain can be caused by certain deficiencies, for example, magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.   Might be worth looking into having some more tests.  Pins and needles can be neuropathy, again caused by deficiencies, such as iron and B12,  which can be reversed if these deficiencies are addressed. In the UK where I live we are usually only tested for iron, B12 and vitamin D deficiencies at diagnosis.   I was very iron anemic and supplementation made a big difference.  B12 was low normal, but in other countries the UK's low normal would be considered a deficiency.  My vitamin D was low normal, and I've been supplementing ever since (when I remember to take it!) My pins and needles definitely started to improve when my known deficiencies were addressed.  My nutritionist also gave me a broad spectrum supplement which really helped, because I suspect I wasn't just deficient in what I mention above but in many other vitamins and minerals.  But a word of warning, don't take iron unless blood tests reveal you actually need it, and if you are taking it your levels must be regularly monitored because too much can make you ill.  (And if you are currently taking iron, that might actually be making your stomach sore - it did mine, so my GP changed my iron supplementation to a gentler form, ferrous gluconate). Lastly, have you been trying to take anything to lessen the pain in your gut?  I get a sore stomach periodically, usually when I've had too much rich food, or when I have had to take an aspirin or certain antibiotics, or after glutening.  When this happens, I take for just a few days a small daily dose of OTC omeprazole.  I also follow a reflux or gastritis diet. There are lots online but the common denominators to these diets is you need to cut out caffeine, alcohol, rich, spicy, acidic food etc and eat small regularly spaced meals.   When I get a sore stomach, I also find it helpful to drink lots of water.  I also find hot water with a few slices of ginger very soothing to sip, or camomile tea.  A wedge pillow at night is good for reflux. Also,  best not to eat a meal 2-3 hours before going to bed. If the stomach pain is getting worse, though, it would be wise to see the doctor again. I hope some of this helps. Cristiana    
×
×
  • 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.