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
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,017
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Sjcucinotta
    Newest Member
    Sjcucinotta
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • sleuth
      Nicotine Gum For Gluten Symptoms.. Am I Crazy?

      By sleuth · Posted

      He is not just a psychiatrist.  He is also a neuroscientist.  And yes, I have already read those studies.   I agree with benfotiamine.  This is short term while glutened/inflammation occurs.  As I had already mentioned, these symptoms no longer exist when this phase passes.  And yes, I know that celiac is a disease of malnutrition.  We are working with a naturopath.
    • knitty kitty
      Nicotine Gum For Gluten Symptoms.. Am I Crazy?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Please do more research before you settle on nicotine. Dr. Paul New house is a psychiatrist.  His latest study involves the effect of nicotine patches on Late Life Depression which has reached no long term conclusions about the benefits.   Effects of open-label transdermal nicotine antidepressant augmentation on affective symptoms and executive function in late-life depression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39009312/   I'm approaching the subject from the Microbiologist's point of view which shows nicotine blocks Thiamine B1 uptake and usage:   Chronic Nicotine Exposure In Vivo and In Vitro Inhibits Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Uptake by Pancreatic Acinar Cells https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26633299/   While supplementation with thiamine in the form Benfotiamine can protect from damage done by  nicotine: Benfotiamine attenuates nicotine and uric acid-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction in the rat https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18951979/   I suggest you study the beneficial effects of Thiamine (Benfotiamine and TTFD) on the body and mental health done by Dr. Derrick Lonsdale and Dr. Chandler Marrs.  Dr. Lonsdale had studied thiamine over fifty years.   Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8533683/ I suggest you read their book Thiamine Deficiency Disease, Dysautonomia, and High Calorie Malnutrition.     Celiac Disease is a disease of malabsorption causing malnutrition.  Thiamine and benfotiamine: Focus on their therapeutic potential https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10682628/
    • sleuth
      Nicotine Gum For Gluten Symptoms.. Am I Crazy?

      By sleuth · Posted

      Thanks for your response.  Everything you mentioned he is and has been doing.  Tobacco is not the same as nicotine.  Nicotine, in the form of a patch, does not cause gastrointestinal irritation.  Smoking does. He is not smoking.  Please do your research before stating false information. Dr. Paul Newhouse has been doing research on nicotine the last 40 years at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  
    • Jmartes71
      Fighting for a name

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      Im so frustrated and still getting the run around trying to reprove my celiac disease which my past primary ignored for 25 years.I understand that theres a ray of medical that doctors are limited too but not listening and telling the patient ( me) that im not as sensitive as I think and NOT celiac!Correction Mr white coat its not what I think but for cause and affect and past test that are not sticking in my medical records.I get sick violently with foods consumed, not eating the foods will show Im fabulous. After many blood draws and going through doctors I have the HLA- DQ2 positive which I read in a study that Iran conducted that the severity in celiac is in that gene.Im glutenfree and dealing with related issues which core issue of celiac isn't addressed. My skin, right eye, left leg diagestive issues affected. I have high blood pressure because im in pain.Im waisting my time on trying to reprove that Im celiac which is not a disease I want, but unfortunately have.It  has taken over my life personally and professionally. How do I stop getting medically gaslight and get the help needed to bounce back if I ever do bounce back to normal? I thought I was in good care with " celiac specialist " but in her eyes Im good.Im NOT.Sibo positive, IBS, Chronic Fatigue just to name a few and its all related to what I like to call a ghost disease ( celiac) since doctors don't seem to take it seriously. 
    • trents
      Celiac getting dentures

      By trents · Posted

      @Martha Mitchell, your reaction to the lens implant with gluten sounds like it could be an allergic reaction rather than a celiac reaction. It is possible for a celiac to be also allergic to gluten as it is a protein component in wheat, barley and rye.
×
×
  • 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.