Am I Missing Anything

[twe0708]

As I read more and more on this website I discover other areas my doctor should have checked since I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. For example: I had to ask my doctor about a bone scan because I read that some people develop osteoporosis and in my case after my bone scan I have osteopenia. I have now read up on vitamin B deficiency and all of the symptoms (which a lot I have) that come with it including no half moons which I only have on my thumbs and had to call my doctor yesterday to see if this was checked when I had blood work done. The answer was "NO". Now I am going to have this checked. Why am I having to tell my doctors which tests need to be done and why don't they already know what they should be checking for if someone was recently diagnosed with celiac disease? Do I have everything covered? Is there anything I haven't covered or been tested for yet that the majority of Celiacs have and should be checked for?

I currently take my One A Day muli vitamin, addtl. iron and addtl. calcium.

Thanks.

[Imanistj]

My celiac doc and I irritate each other. I think he would be a much better informed doctor if he went totally gluten-free for at least six months!!! That means buying and preparing his own gluten-free food. He ordered numerous blood tests and told me to take an iron supplement. He never mentioned bone density. I asked my primary physician to order a DEXA scan when I went in for a mammogram. She thought it was a great idea. I got lucky on this one. I have the "bones of a young adult" and I am 65.5. Of course, my celiac doc won't even look at my DEXA results until I am sitting in front of him next May

[GFinDC]

Here is some info from Wiki on malabsorption issues. Maybe if you print out the Wiki article for your doc it would help. It is a fairly long article with lots of source reference.

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Malabsorption-related

The changes in the bowel make it less able to absorb nutrients, minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.[4]

* The inability to absorb carbohydrates and fats may cause weight loss (or failure to thrive/stunted growth in children) and fatigue or lack of energy.

* Anaemia may develop in several ways: iron malabsorption may cause iron deficiency anaemia, and folic acid and vitamin B12 malabsorption may give rise to megaloblastic anaemia.

* Calcium and vitamin D malabsorption (and compensatory secondary hyperparathyroidism) may cause osteopenia (decreased mineral content of the bone) or osteoporosis (bone weakening and risk of fragility fractures).

* A small proportion (10%) have abnormal coagulation due to deficiency of vitamin K and are slightly at risk for abnormal bleeding.

* Coeliac disease is also associated with bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, which can worsen malabsorption or cause malabsorption after treatment.[8]