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

African American

Healed

Recommended Posts

Healed Newbie
Healed
Posted

My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. I decided to go on a celiac diet(100 %). I feel somewhat better although not completely. Question: Do African-Americans have celiac disease and if so what did you have to do to get a true diagnosis. Please help!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


FMcGee Explorer
FMcGee
Posted

African Americans definitely get celiac disease. It is pretty evenly distributed across every ethnic and racial group (with the possible exception of the non-diasporic Japanese, who seem to get it less). Your doctor doesn't sound like s/he's that up to date on things. If I were you, I'd consider going back on gluten and getting an endoscopy, but that's entirely a personal call. At least, I think you should take your blood work to a different GI doc.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. I decided to go on a celiac diet(100 %). I feel somewhat better although not completely. Question: Do African-Americans have celiac disease and if so what did you have to do to get a true diagnosis. Please help!

Open Original Shared Link

"My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. "

There is no dispute for a positive celiac panel other than your doctor's ignorance. Consider yourself diagnosed.

Reading here and posting can help you navigate the gluten free world. We are here to help.

Welcome to the Club!

nasalady Contributor
nasalady
Posted
My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. I decided to go on a celiac diet(100 %). I feel somewhat better although not completely. Question: Do African-Americans have celiac disease and if so what did you have to do to get a true diagnosis. Please help!

My grandkids' biological father is African American, and he says his brother (who is now deceased) had both MS and celiac disease. Which would mean that the kids have celiac on both sides of the family because I have it too.

African Americans can have celiac disease.

You might want to see a different doctor....one who's a little better informed!

sarahk47 Newbie
sarahk47
Posted
My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. I decided to go on a celiac diet(100 %). I feel somewhat better although not completely. Question: Do African-Americans have celiac disease and if so what did you have to do to get a true diagnosis. Please help!

African Americans are not exempt from celiac. Since you're not feeling completely better on the gluen-free diet, you might consider cutting out dairy for a while as well to see if that helps. According to the NIH, up to 80% of African Americans are lactose intolerant. So you could be both celiac and LI.

If your blood results are significantly positive, you have celiac. False positives are rare. You can start eating gluten again and get the biopsy to get an official diagnosis, but I did the gluten challenge and regret it wholeheartedly (before I went back on gluten for the biopsy, I could eat anything except gluten, and I came out of the gluten challenge with intolerances to lactose, eggs, and corn in addition to the gluten). I don't recommend it to anyone. I do recommend going to a doctor who is up-to-date on celiac.

Best of luck finding your answers!

Healed Newbie
Healed
Posted
  • Author
African Americans definitely get celiac disease. It is pretty evenly distributed across every ethnic and racial group (with the possible exception of the non-diasporic Japanese, who seem to get it less). Your doctor doesn't sound like s/he's that up to date on things. If I were you, I'd consider going back on gluten and getting an endoscopy, but that's entirely a personal call. At least, I think you should take your blood work to a different GI doc.

Thanks! I will definitely stay on a gluten free diet and I will find a new MD

Healed Newbie
Healed
Posted
  • Author
Open Original Shared Link

"My prometheus celiac panel results revealed very high indicating positive for celiac disease. My MD disputes the results because I am African American. "

There is no dispute for a positive celiac panel other than your doctor's ignorance. Consider yourself diagnosed.

Reading here and posting can help you navigate the gluten free world. We are here to help.

Welcome to the Club!

Thank You!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Healed Newbie
Healed
Posted
  • Author
My grandkids' biological father is African American, and he says his brother (who is now deceased) had both MS and celiac disease. Which would mean that the kids have celiac on both sides of the family because I have it too.

African Americans can have celiac disease.

You might want to see a different doctor....one who's a little better informed!

Thank You!

Healed Newbie
Healed
Posted
  • Author
African Americans are not exempt from celiac. Since you're not feeling completely better on the gluen-free diet, you might consider cutting out dairy for a while as well to see if that helps. According to the NIH, up to 80% of African Americans are lactose intolerant. So you could be both celiac and LI.

If your blood results are significantly positive, you have celiac. False positives are rare. You can start eating gluten again and get the biopsy to get an official diagnosis, but I did the gluten challenge and regret it wholeheartedly (before I went back on gluten for the biopsy, I could eat anything except gluten, and I came out of the gluten challenge with intolerances to lactose, eggs, and corn in addition to the gluten). I don't recommend it to anyone. I do recommend going to a doctor who is up-to-date on celiac.

Best of luck finding your answers!

Thank You!

Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

Hello, Healed !

Open Original Shared LinkOpen Original Shared Link

While somebody has been playing mightily with this article since the last time I looked at it, it still has charts showing how one of the genes associated with celiac disease and gluten intolerance is found in various ethnic groups worldwide, including Africa. About 30% of the world's population carries the genes, but having it doesn't mean you automatically get it, it is thought it needs to be triggered by infection or other stress. About 1 in 130 people have celiac/gluten intolerance, and most are misdiagnosed, or have it in a form that is silently doing damage until something else goes wrong.

I would have looked at the guy and asked him, poker faced, just which planet did the aliens drop us off from, since according to him, humans didn't originate in Africa. I am of mixed ancestry and as the joke goes, it's the "golden cross" for auto immune disease disorders- I haven't done the genetic testing yet but there is almost no way I have missed out with this particular blend. :ph34r:

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,035
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    bostonbell
    Newest Member
    bostonbell
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

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



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jmartes71
      Fighting for a name

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      Thankyou so much for your words.Its a hard battle when a supposed well known hospital whose celiac " specialist " has down played me because my colon looks fine and put it in my medical and so pcp doesn't take seriously. In their eyes we all carry that gene.Im having alot of bad days trying to be positive because of it.
    • Scott Adams
      Celiac getting dentures

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your experience is both shocking and critically important for the community to hear, underscoring the terrifying reality that cross-contamination can extend into the most unexpected and invasive medical devices. It is absolutely devastating that you had to endure six months of sickness and ultimately sustain permanent vision loss because a doctor dismissed your legitimate, life-altering condition. Your relentless research and advocacy, from discovering the gluten in MMA acrylic to finding a compassionate prosthodontist, is a testament to your strength in a system that often fails celiac patients. While the scientific and medical consensus is that gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin or eyes (as the molecules are too large to pass through these barriers), your story highlights a terrifying gray area: what about a substance *permanently implanted inside the body*, where it could potentially shed microparticles or cause a localized immune reaction? Your powerful warning about acrylic lenses and the drastic difference with the silicone alternative is invaluable information. Thank you for sharing your harrowing journey and the specific, severe neurological symptoms you endure; it is a stark reminder that celiac is a systemic disease, and your advocacy is undoubtedly saving others from similar trauma.
    • Scott Adams
      Dedicated gluten-free Restaurants in East Bay (near San Francisco):

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Those are driving distance from me--I will try to check them out, thanks for sharing!
    • Scott Adams
      Fighting for a name

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I am so sorry you're going through this bad experience--it's difficult when your own lived reality of cause and effect is dismissed by the very professionals meant to help you. You are absolutely right—your violent physical reactions are not "what you think," but undeniable data points, and it's a form of medical gaslighting to be told otherwise, especially when you have a positive HLA-DQ2 gene and a clear clinical picture. Since your current "celiac specialist" is not addressing the core issue or your related conditions like SIBO and chronic fatigue, it may be time for a strategic pivot. Instead of trying to "reprove" your celiac disease to unwilling ears, consider seeking out a new gastroenterologist or functional medicine doctor, and frame the conversation around managing the complications of a confirmed gluten-free diet for celiac disease. Go in and say, "I have celiac disease, am strictly gluten-free, but I am still suffering from these specific complications: SIBO, chronic fatigue, dermatological issues, and high blood pressure linked to pain. I need a partner to help me address these related conditions." This shifts the focus from a debate about your diagnosis to a collaborative plan for your current suffering, which is the help you truly need and deserve to work toward bouncing back.
    • NanCel
      Celiac getting dentures

      By NanCel · Posted

      Hello, no I had to have them re done and then used a liner over the top.  Many dentists are not aware of the celiac effects.  Best of luck.   There is other material, yet, very expensive.
×
×
  • 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.