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Is It Possible Or Not?

UsmcGf

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UsmcGf Newbie
UsmcGf
Posted

****Please note i do not have medical insurance any longer, and this is why i'm coming here for advice. Forgive me for the long(ish) post****

I've been on a Gluten free diet for the past three years, and i've shown much improvement. I've been to the doctor, and both the internal medicine and gastroenterologist Drs seem to believe i do not have it; even after explaining at length the symptoms i was feeling.

Now i realize i used to smoke (Pack and half tops) and drink large quantities of coffee that could contribute to the symptoms of anxiety and weight loss. I have recently taken the blood test (which i could not affirm) saying my blood is negative for celiac spruce. Be that as it may, could these past three years of been pandering of a panic ridden fiend or could i truly be suffering from it?

This is only a concern since I'm planing to join the Marine Corp, and i do not want to have to lie about anything. PLus if i do not have to be on the diet then i certainly would not like to, and as such if it seems overwhelmingly obvious for me to end the gluten free diet; is there any precautions i should take to rejoining the wheat enhanced diet?

My past symptoms include:

Weight loss

Panic attacks

Diarrhea-(Pale, foul smelling)

Jitters

tingling in hands, but only after panic attacks

Naturally i thought this was a panic disorder, and i fought against the disorder and won even before going on gluten-free diet. Eventually i stopped drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes after starting the gluten-free and then i felt AMAZING, but if i relapsed a cigarette everything, minus weightloss, would reoccur.

Since then i've gone from 125 LBS (from ages 14-20 minus the dip of 10 lbs at the age of 19) to 150 lbs am extremely physically fit, and suffer from nothing. I have at time tried wheat products and have been fine (I.E. pizza), but at other times i've had diarrhea and bloating (from oatmeal, non gluten-free pasta sauces, etc). Reading this i know i've probably skipped much, so, if there is any detrimental information you need in formulating your opinion please by all means ask.

Forgive me for the long post but i wanted to be thorough, and thank you so much for any help you may be able to offer.

Matt

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FMcGee Explorer
FMcGee
Posted

If you took the blood test without eating gluten, you could have gotten a false negative, because you weren't having the immune reaction the test is looking for. People report various reactions to gluten, so your having trouble sometimes but not others doesn't seem out of place to me.

The bottom line is, you can't eat gluten-free in the military. Jax Peters Lowell talks about this in "The Gluten Free Bible," and says that if you need a special diet of any kind, the military isn't going to want to deal with that. I also suspect that if you lied about it, and then got sick from constantly eating gluten again, they wouldn't be pleased, but I've never been in the military and I don't know what would happen. I do know that a friend of mine was recently bumped from consideration by the special forces because he might have a peanut allergy. The doctors were having trouble confirming it for whatever reason (long, long story, very dull) and so the Army just passed on him. I'm not saying it's impossible for you to join the Marines, but you might want to do your homework on this scenario. If you can find a way to do the gluten challenge (3 months on gluten) and get the blood work re-drawn, or get the genetic test (which, and others will correct me if I'm wrong, you don't have to be eating gluten to have, but is not definitive), that would tell you for sure which way to go with this.

Congratulations on getting so much healthier, and for quitting smoking! Best of luck to you and keep us up to speed!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

The anxiety issues alone will most likely disqualify you for the military. Do not hide them. If you are in fact celiac you will suffer greatly during boot camp and training and once they decide that you are not a good fit for miliatary life it can take months to get you released. During that time you will not be allowed to take part in any activities and may find yourself getting a discharge for psychiatric reasons. My DS went through hell in the service as an undiagnosed celiac. It cost him greatly as far as self esteem and physical health goes. There are many ways to serve your country without enlisting. In addition if it is discovered that you hid info from your history to get enlisted you could suffer a court maritial and time in a military prison. Not worth the risk IMHO.

Pesdagal Newbie
Pesdagal
Posted
****Please note i do not have medical insurance any longer, and this is why i'm coming here for advice. Forgive me for the long(ish) post****

I've been on a Gluten free diet for the past three years, and i've shown much improvement. I've been to the doctor, and both the internal medicine and gastroenterologist Drs seem to believe i do not have it; even after explaining at length the symptoms i was feeling.

Now i realize i used to smoke (Pack and half tops) and drink large quantities of coffee that could contribute to the symptoms of anxiety and weight loss. I have recently taken the blood test (which i could not affirm) saying my blood is negative for celiac spruce. Be that as it may, could these past three years of been pandering of a panic ridden fiend or could i truly be suffering from it?

This is only a concern since I'm planing to join the Marine Corp, and i do not want to have to lie about anything. PLus if i do not have to be on the diet then i certainly would not like to, and as such if it seems overwhelmingly obvious for me to end the gluten free diet; is there any precautions i should take to rejoining the wheat enhanced diet?

My past symptoms include:

Weight loss

Panic attacks

Diarrhea-(Pale, foul smelling)

Jitters

tingling in hands, but only after panic attacks

Naturally i thought this was a panic disorder, and i fought against the disorder and won even before going on gluten-free diet. Eventually i stopped drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes after starting the gluten-free and then i felt AMAZING, but if i relapsed a cigarette everything, minus weightloss, would reoccur.

Since then i've gone from 125 LBS (from ages 14-20 minus the dip of 10 lbs at the age of 19) to 150 lbs am extremely physically fit, and suffer from nothing. I have at time tried wheat products and have been fine (I.E. pizza), but at other times i've had diarrhea and bloating (from oatmeal, non gluten-free pasta sauces, etc). Reading this i know i've probably skipped much, so, if there is any detrimental information you need in formulating your opinion please by all means ask.

Forgive me for the long post but i wanted to be thorough, and thank you so much for any help you may be able to offer.

Matt

UsmcGf Newbie
UsmcGf
Posted
  • Author

I've been going over things, and lists of things that possibly do have gluten in them. I can drink beer with barley and wheat just fine. I've had time and time again my girlfriends cousins chicken dish with both chicken and cream of broccoli soup, etc. I just started eating pasta and some cheerios to test myself, and i'm feeling pretty good.

How long and how much should i introduce to really test myself? mind you i've been on the diet for three years; i don't know if there is a certain percentage?

I know my brothers girlfriend is a dietician and she said to re introduce a new thing once a week, does this seem reasonable?

thanks for any advice

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
I've been going over things, and lists of things that possibly do have gluten in them. I can drink beer with barley and wheat just fine. I've had time and time again my girlfriends cousins chicken dish with both chicken and cream of broccoli soup, etc. I just started eating pasta and some cheerios to test myself, and i'm feeling pretty good.

How long and how much should i introduce to really test myself? mind you i've been on the diet for three years; i don't know if there is a certain percentage?

I know my brothers girlfriend is a dietician and she said to re introduce a new thing once a week, does this seem reasonable?

thanks for any advice

Did you have any testing for celiac before you went gluten free? If you did and the results were postive then you are celiac. If you went on the diet on your own and then decided to be tested your being already gluten free would give you a negative result even if you are celiac.

Your brothers girlfreind is right. If you are going to challenge gluten then what you want to do is add it back at least 3 times a day for a week. However if you have been on the gluten-free diet for 3 years you have healed. It may take a while before symptoms return. The symptoms arise because of damage to the body and the formation of antibodies. It can take time for those antibodies to get to levels where the body reacts strongly. Doctors used to think that children diagnosed celiac would 'outgrow' the disease but they now know that is not the case. It can however be quite a while before they would become obviously symptomatic again.

Also on the panic attack issue. Did those resolve on the diet? Do bear in mind that for some of us gluten is a neurotoxin and if that is the case for you those issues may return before gut stuff shows up. Are those panic attacks in your medical record? Are you taking meds for them? Do you still get them? If you are still prone to panic attacks do NOT hide that fact when you are going through the enlistment process. As much as you may want to be in the military hiding a psychological problem would be a big mistake.

UsmcGf Newbie
UsmcGf
Posted
  • Author

i agree i shouldn't, but they actually went away before either changing the diet or quitting smoking. The anxiety didn't completely diminish until i stopped drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes (year an a half in on the diet). I did go to a psychologist, and he never really diagnosed me anything; to him, it would seem, it was a case of stress, and only natural anxiety.

I'm no longer anxious, and no, i do not get them anymore, thankfully. It is certainly plausible that i may be prone to panic attack, but i cannot be sure. This all could very well be a celiac response, and if so i pray i may have a final diagnosis, but everything is completely doubtful. Truly, i've had much come my way since the resolution that should of reproduced said anxiety/panic attacks, but it has not reoccurred.

To say that least this is all with or without the military and/or celiacs disease has been a great annoyance.

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