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

Will I Ever Have A Normal Immune System?


lizajane

Recommended Posts

lizajane Rookie

I was diagnosed in mid March after a few weeks of vomiting and a biopsy that revealed excessive lymphocytes. In the first week I went gluten free, I was exposed twice and threw up twice. I may have thrown up maybe once since then when I ate something questionable (gluten free, but in shared facility). I *think* I am truly gluten free because I no longer throw up. But once or twice I have felt a little off and thought maybe I wasn't as sensitive as I was when the throwing up started.

So it has been over a month... but I am still getting sick ALL THE TIME. My winter, much like last year's, looked something like this-

Nov: bad cold

Dec: bad cold

Jan: sinus infections

Feb: laryngitis and bronchitis

Feb: vomiting started

March: flu/pneumonia

Apri: bad cold, UTI

REALLY??? this is just NOT NORMAL. I have two little kids, but they AREN'T sick. I am! They haven't been sick nearly as much as me. I do not work outside the home, I wash my hands like crazy AND I have started taking vitamins, as recommended by my doc to increase my immunity.

How long will it take??? Is this sick-all-the-time cycle familiar to anyone else?


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



mushroom Proficient
I was diagnosed in mid March after a few weeks of vomiting and a biopsy that revealed excessive lymphocytes. In the first week I went gluten free, I was exposed twice and threw up twice. I may have thrown up maybe once since then when I ate something questionable (gluten free, but in shared facility). I *think* I am truly gluten free because I no longer throw up. But once or twice I have felt a little off and thought maybe I wasn't as sensitive as I was when the throwing up started.

So it has been over a month... but I am still getting sick ALL THE TIME. My winter, much like last year's, looked something like this-

Nov: bad cold

Dec: bad cold

Jan: sinus infections

Feb: laryngitis and bronchitis

Feb: vomiting started

March: flu/pneumonia

Apri: bad cold, UTI

REALLY??? this is just NOT NORMAL. I have two little kids, but they AREN'T sick. I am! They haven't been sick nearly as much as me. I do not work outside the home, I wash my hands like crazy AND I have started taking vitamins, as recommended by my doc to increase my immunity.

How long will it take??? Is this sick-all-the-time cycle familiar to anyone else?

It will probably sound familiar to quite a few, maybe not quite that bad, but...

I had to quit my bridge club because people would come in all the time with the sniffles, I would end up with a major cold followed by chest infection and antibiotics. It got to be real old. Dh was the same, only his specialty was sinus infections. In middle of summer we both did the ferry crossing between the two islands here (3 hours). Both ended up with a three-week flu starting at exactly the same time. Probably a tourist from Asia brought in the latest Asian variety. And so '07 went...

Went gluten-free mid-Nov. '07. Played bridge at the club in Dec. (for the last time!). Two days later, flu which lasted until after Christmas and through New Year's Day. Had one good week then started coughing again and coughed for three more weeks with acute bronchitis (refused prednisone and antibiotics which they tried to foist on me--I thought I had pneumonia), and said I was used to coughing now so I would just keep doing it. All this time, constant UTI. Many courses of antibiotics, never clear. Finally read a column by a naturopath in the Sunday paper about cranberry tablets. They kept it at bay unless I forgot to take them (which I did last July). However, that is the last time. No more UTI's, don't even take the cranberry tablets any more, no infections, flu(s) or bronchitis. So it took 8 months for my immune system to kick in. There is hope for you yet, LizaJane. Hang in there.

ang1e0251 Contributor

My immune system is much stronger since going gluten-free. Although I have to vote you the Sickest of Them All!! I have increased my vitamin regimin as needed. I added the sublingual B12 and that gives me a boost and sense of well-being, I have to think my immune system loves it. Beefed up the magnesium and reduced calcium.

By the way for UTI's, my sister swears by Vit. C. She keeps hers away with it. My Mom was getting severe ones and hers stay away now as long as she takes her C. They are not a problem for me. I suffer more with yeast infections. I seldom have one now where before I had them at least monthly.

Archived

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

  • 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. - CatS commented on Scott Adams's article in Winter 2026 Issue
      5

      Are Gluten-Free Processed Foods Making You Sick? (+Video)

    2. - Samanthaeileen1 replied to Samanthaeileen1's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      5

      Thoughts? Non-endoscopic Celiac diagnosis in two year old

    3. - Wheatwacked replied to Samanthaeileen1's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      5

      Thoughts? Non-endoscopic Celiac diagnosis in two year old

    4. - RMJ replied to Samanthaeileen1's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      5

      Thoughts? Non-endoscopic Celiac diagnosis in two year old

    5. - Samanthaeileen1 replied to Samanthaeileen1's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      5

      Thoughts? Non-endoscopic Celiac diagnosis in two year old

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,802
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    BoroMike
    Newest Member
    BoroMike
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

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

  • Posts

    • Samanthaeileen1
      thank you RMJ! That is very helpful advice. Good to know we aren’t crazy if we don’t do the endoscopy. We are going to try the gluten free and see how symptoms and levels improve.    thank you Wheatwacked (love the username lol) that is also reassuring. Thankfully she has an amazing and experienced pediatrician. And yesss I forgot to mention the poop! She has the weirdest poop issues.    How long did it take y'all to start seeing improvement in symptoms? 
    • Wheatwacked
      My son was diagnosed when he was weaned in 1976 after several endoscopies.  Given your two year old's symptoms and your family history and your pediatrition advocating for the dx, I would agree.  Whether an endoscopy is positive or negative is irrelevant.   That may happen even with endoscopy.  Pick your doctors with that in mind. In the end you save the potential trauma of the endoscopy for your baby.   Mine also had really nasty poop.  His doctor started him on Nutramigen Infant because at the time it was the only product that was hypo allergenic and had complete nutrition. The improvement was immediate.
    • RMJ
      So her tissue transglutaminase antibody is almost 4x the upper end of the normal range - likely a real result. The other things you can do besides an endoscopy would be: 1.  Genetic testing.  Unfortunately a large proportion of the population has genes permissive for celiac disease, but only a small proportion of those with the genes have it. With family history it is likely she has the genes. 2.  Try a gluten free diet and see if the symptoms go away AND the antibody levels return to normal. (This is what I would do). Endoscopies aren’t always accurate in patients as young as your daughter. Unfortunately, without an endoscopy, some doctor later in her life may question whether she really has celiac disease or not, and you’ll need to be a fierce mama bear to defend the diagnosis! Be sure you have a good written record of her current pediatrician’s diagnosis. Doing a gluten challenge for an endoscopy later in life could cause a very uncomfortable level of symptoms.   Having yourself, your husband and your son tested would be a great idea.  
    • Samanthaeileen1
      here are the lab ranges.  Normal ranges for tissue transglutaminase are: <15.0 Antibody not detected > or = 15.0 Antibody detected normal for endomysial antibody is < 1.5. So she is barely positive but still positive. 
    • JoJo0611
      I have been diagnosed with coeliacs disease today after endoscopy, bloods and CT scan. I have also been diagnosed with Mesenteric Panniculitis today. Both of which I believe are autoimmune diseases. I have been told I will need a dexa scan and a repeat CT scan in 6 months. I had not even heard of Mesenteric Panniculitis till today. I don’t know much about it? Has anyone else got both of these. 
×
×
  • 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.