Could I Have Celiac Disease?

[Staciemich]

I've always had stomach problems, but over the last two years they have escalated. After a horrible breakup with a boyfriend, I lost twenty pounds. I started getting horrible stomach problems, terrible gas, reflux, burning sensations. My diet had changed, but it was actually a more healthy diet full of fruits and veggies and grains. It's two years later, and while I'm emotionally healed, my body is still troubled. I have constant gas and bloating and burning. I haven't gained an ounce, have actually lost weight even though I've been eating a ton. I've noticed changes in my teeth and nails, and sometimes I have strange sensations in my legs and feet...like tingling. They often fall asleep when I sleep. I've also been lactose intolerant on and off since I was a baby. My regular doctor suspected gluten intolerance and sent me to a specialist who laughed at me and told me I wasn't sick unless I was vomitting. He did do an endoscopy which turned out fine. He basically told me it's just my body and to deal with it, suggesting it's just IBS. Could I have this disease? Should I pursue testing?

[gf4life]

You may very well be gluten intolerant, but without the intestinal damage severe enough to back up the diagnosis, they won't call it celiac disease.

Your best bet would be to check out the testing at Open Original Shared Link . The tests there are senstitive enough to pick up gluten intolerance (or gluten sensitivity) in it's early stages before the intestines are very damaged.

I've been where you are at, as have many other on this board. I've been laughed at by doctors and treated like a hypochondriac. But I am gluten intolerant and I am now on my way to better health. Thank God for Enterolab!

God bless,

Mariann

[Dwight Senne]

A visual inspection with an endoscope may not always reveal Celiac. While there is normally some inflamation present, it is not always the case. Furthermore, any inflamation that may have been present could easily have been attributed to some other cause.

You did not mention if biopsy samples were taken during the endoscopy. This is still the only sure fire method of verifying a Celiac diagnosis. The vilous atrophy associated with Celiac disease is not detectable via the endoscope. Several biopsies must be taken for external microscopic examination.

You also did not mention if you had the Celiac panel blood test. I would recommend you convince your G.I. doctor to at least have that done, and if it comes back positive, you may need to either get a second opinion of the biopsy slides, of if none were taken, to have the endoscopy procedure repeated. If your G.I. is unwilling to cooperate, I suggest finding a new one.

Best wishes,

Dewey

Marion, IA