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

Celiac And The Military

minton

By minton
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

minton Contributor
minton
Posted

I am 19 years old and was considering enlisting in a branch of the military upon high school graduation. Problem is, I have celiac disease, a thyroid goiter, and asthma. I have been gluten free for 2 years, since diagnosis, and am being treated for the goiter and asthma. Does anyone know if the military would take me?

pleas email replies to anamia4life89@yahoo.com

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Tim-n-VA Contributor
Tim-n-VA
Posted

Do a search for: DODI 6130.4

That gives the medical standards for initial appointment, enlistement and induction. Each service has its own procedures to deal with medical conditions that arise or are discovered after someone is on active duty.

Celiac is not specifically mentioned but malabsorbtion and inflamation in the intestines are both disqualifying.

Like most things government there are waiver procedures.

On the other hand, I don't think there is a specific test for any of this during the processing but there is a questionaire. If you give false information there (conceal celiac) it could be consider a fraudulent enlistement. How that will be handled is subject to lots of factors.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

There is an old discussion on this topic that began over three years ago, but has had spurts of activity over time, and may be informative.

Click here for the thread.

*Daniella* Apprentice
*Daniella*
Posted

I'm currently in the Air Force and I can tell you to talk with a recruiter before you get your hopes dashed. Also, going into the military you will probably need to be deployable initially. Deploying with celiac will certainly be difficult and a huge issue. It's not like you can eat MRE's while out in the field. Good Luck! It's a great profession and I hope it works out for you.

minton Contributor
minton
Posted
  • Author

thank you for your replies and for forwarding me that thread. i will talk to a recruiter before just giving up but it does seem like the answer is no. Oddly enough though, many people on the other thread thought asthma disqualifies you but my brother is a smoker and has asthma and he was accepted to the Air Force just fine. They even give him discount inhalers.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

I know a guy on another list who had two years left to retirement when he was diagnosed. He got to retirement but said there was no way he could have made it earlier in his career.

richard

DMarie Apprentice
DMarie
Posted

Hmmm...I never thought about the military and celiac or gluten intolerance. My daughter is in college and is planning on going to medical school. She has seriously looked into trying to get an Air Force Scholarship for medical school (as in the Air Force would pay for medical school and she would serve x amount of years in the military).

She has not been diagnosed with celiac, but has clearly identified that gluten is bothersome.

I wonder how that would play out? She never had any bloodwork drawn to test - nothing - as she removed gluten from her diet before that could be done (wouldn't have mattered anyway - as bloodwork is negative for both my other daughter - who has the most severe symptoms - and myself - so I am sure hers would have likely shown negative as well).

She was just discussing this with me last night, ironically. She had looked up more specific information on what was involved - and thinks this is the way to go. I hate to suggest to her that it might not happen because of gluten - she is the one who is least accepting of being gluten intolerant. She eats well while in school, because she ends up having problems focusing/concentrating/thinking - but all bets are off when she is at home and not at school. :(

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 3 weeks later...
skydivejon Newbie
skydivejon
Posted

First post since joining but wanted to chime in on Celiac and the Military.

While you may be able to get in (under a waiver) the chances are not that great, if able once you are in the ability to accommodate your dietary needs may be difficult to impossible in some situations. Being deployed and eating MRE

DMarie Apprentice
DMarie
Posted
First post since joining but wanted to chime in on Celiac and the Military.

While you may be able to get in (under a waiver) the chances are not that great, if able once you are in the ability to accommodate your dietary needs may be difficult to impossible in some situations. Being deployed and eating MRE

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 Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      14

      Ibuprofen

      Hi Colleen Are you supplementing B12/having injections? I have learned recently that sometimes when you start addressing a B12 deficiency, it can temporarily make your symptoms worse. But it is important not to stop the treatment. Regarding your problems with anxiety, again that is another symptom of a B12 deficiency. I didn't know...
    2. Jmartes71
      - Jmartes71 posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      0

      My only proof

      Hello still dancing around my celiac disease and not getting medically backed up considering Ive been glutenfree since 1994.All my ailments are the core issue of my ghost disease aka celiac disease. Im angery because the "celiac specialist " basically lightly dismissed me.Im extremely angery and fighting for a new primary care physician which is hard to do...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      1

      still struggling with cravings

      I totally get this. It's absolutely a grieving process, and it's okay to feel gutted about the loss of those simple joys, especially at 18. Your feelings are completely valid—it's not about being ungrateful for your amazing boyfriend, it's about mourning the life you thought you'd have. That "tortured by the smell" feeling is so real. It does get easier, ...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Oh my goodness medication causing pain !!!!

      Many of us with celiac find that the fillers in medications can cause a reaction, and sometimes our bodies just process things weirdly. That "rebound muscle pain" and "burning feet" you described sounds awful and is a huge red flag. It's frustrating enough managing the diet without medication causing setbacks. So sorry you're dealing with this, but you're...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Me,Sue's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Knowing what to do when feeling unwell.

      It's so tough when you're doing everything right and still get hit with it. I'm glad you're figuring out a system that works for you—the peppermint tea and rehydration powders are smart moves. It sounds like you've really learned to listen to your body, and that's half the battle. Sticking to simple, safe food at home is the best way to build yourself back u...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,871
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    GR82BNTX
    Newest Member
    GR82BNTX
    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

    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi Colleen Are you supplementing B12/having injections? I have learned recently that sometimes when you start addressing a B12 deficiency, it can temporarily make your symptoms worse.  But it is important not to stop the treatment.  Regarding your problems with anxiety, again that is another symptom of a B12 deficiency.   I didn't know what anxiety was until it hit me like a train several months before gastrointestinal issues began, so I can certainly relate.   Two books which helped me hugely were At Last A Life by Paul David (there is a website you can look up) and The Depression Cure: The Six-Step Programme to Beat Depression Without Drugs by Dr Steve Llardi.  Although his book is aimed at people who have depression, following the principals he sets out was so helpful in lessening my anxiety.  Llardi suggests we need to focus on getting enough: - physical exercise - omega-3 fatty acids - natural sunlight exposure - restorative sleep - social connectedness - meaningful, engaging activity   ... and we should feel a lot better. That is not to stay you must stop taking medication for depression or anxiety if you have been prescribed it, but adopting the changes Dr Llardi sets out in the book should really help. Can I just ask two more questions:  1) you say that you are B12 deficient, did they test your iron levels too?  If not, you really ought to be checked for deficiency and, 2) did they check your thyroid function, as an overactive thyroid can be cause rapid heartbeat and a lot of coeliacs have thyroid issues? Cristiana        
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      Hello still dancing around my celiac disease and not getting medically backed up considering Ive been glutenfree since 1994.All my ailments are the core issue of my ghost disease aka celiac disease. Im angery because the "celiac specialist " basically lightly dismissed me.Im extremely angery and fighting for a new primary care physician which is hard to do in Northern Cali.So currently without and looking.Im angery that its lightly taken when its extremely serious to the one who has it.My only evidence is a brochure back in the days when I got news letters when I lived at my parents.It was published in 1998.I was diagnosed before any foods eliminated from my diet. Angery doctors don't take seriously when Im clearly speaking.I did write to the medicine of congress and have case number.
    • Scott Adams
      still struggling with cravings

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I totally get this. It's absolutely a grieving process, and it's okay to feel gutted about the loss of those simple joys, especially at 18. Your feelings are completely valid—it's not about being ungrateful for your amazing boyfriend, it's about mourning the life you thought you'd have. That "tortured by the smell" feeling is so real. It does get easier, I promise, but it's okay to sit in the sadness and just vent about how much it stings right now. Thanks for sharing that. Celiac.com has published a book on our site by Jean Duane PhD called Gluten-Centric Culture, which covers many of the social aspects of having celiac disease: This chapter in particular covers issues around eating with family and others - Gluten-Centric Culture: Chapter 5 - Grabbing A Bite Together:    
    • Scott Adams
      Oh my goodness medication causing pain !!!!

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Many of us with celiac find that the fillers in medications can cause a reaction, and sometimes our bodies just process things weirdly. That "rebound muscle pain" and "burning feet" you described sounds awful and is a huge red flag. It's frustrating enough managing the diet without medication causing setbacks. So sorry you're dealing with this, but you're definitely on the right track by connecting the dots. You can search this site for prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Knowing what to do when feeling unwell.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It's so tough when you're doing everything right and still get hit with it. I'm glad you're figuring out a system that works for you—the peppermint tea and rehydration powders are smart moves. It sounds like you've really learned to listen to your body, and that's half the battle. Sticking to simple, safe food at home is the best way to build yourself back up. It's great you can take the time to rest properly. Thanks for sharing what works; it's a big help to others figuring this out too. This article, and the comments below it, may be helpful:    
×
×
  • 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.