Is This Celiac ?

[shauna242]

Hi

I'm a 19 year old female and I'm extremely tired of feeling sick.

Years ago I was diagnosed with Anemia and for a while it was under control but now I am in my first year of University and my levels have dropped quite a bit. I have been on every kind of oral iron treatment imaginable and yet nothing works. My anemia is unexplained. So I am going to go see a hematologist. However this is not my only symptom. I also have pretty bad abdominal pain that ranges from being piercing to just feeling like there is pressure in my abdomen. I also have some bad chest pains once in a while. Lately I have noticed that after eating i really don't feel well, I feel slightly nauseous. I also get a lot of headaches. Mostly I'm just exhausted all the time and I'm sure you can imagine how inconvenient that is when trying to get through your first year of University. The only thing is... I don't really fit the usual description of someone with celiac disease. I am pretty overweight 5'4" and 200lbs (probably from sleeping all the time cause I'm so tired) and I am not of European decent, because of these things I'm not sure if my doctor will even want to test me. However I am at the end of my rope. I am out of ideas and will try anything to start feeling better.

If anyone has some advice that would be great!

[ravenwoodglass]

It certainly could be celiac. You need to ask your doctor for a blood test to start. It is a misconception that celiacs are all skinny, many of us are overweight when diagnosed, some by a lot. Ask your GP or the hematologist, if neither one of them will test if your female ask your OB/GYN. If you can't get them to at least screen you there is the option of Enterolab or a very strict trial of the diet. Do NOT start the diet before testing as being gluten free will negate the tests.