Where Do I Start?

[carrotraisincake]

My family has tried to tell me for a couple years that I might have celiac. I always disagreed, as did my doctor, but I'm reconsidering the situation now. I've had unbearable itchiness on my arms, thighs, legs, ankles, and feet for about two months, which, as I understand it, is lower on the list of celiac symptoms. I wouldn't match it to celiac if it weren't for the other symptoms that I've had for years:

-I've had stomach pain and diarrhoea for most of my life, but it's got much worse in the past couple years. I saw a GI doctor and had a fluoroscopy done this past fall, but nothing showed up.

-Lately, I've had more constipation.

-I'm anemic (iron + b12).

-I've been especially tired during the day for most of my life, even when I'm taking iron and getting b12 shots.

-I was diagnosed with depression 10 years ago.

-I've had anxiety for about 5 years (and I've been agoraphobic for 3).

Also, my mom has Type 1 Diabetes and my dad has Fibromyalgia and IBS.

Could all of these symptoms be coincidences or could it be celiac?

It will take about a month before I can see my doctor and at least another month before I can get tests done and see the results. Should I try doing a gluten-free diet before this to see if it helps? How many weeks of eating gluten-free does it take to see any results (or a lack of results)?

Thanks for any help!!!

[Wolicki]

My family has tried to tell me for a couple years that I might have celiac. I always disagreed, as did my doctor, but I'm reconsidering the situation now. I've had unbearable itchiness on my arms, thighs, legs, ankles, and feet for about two months, which, as I understand it, is lower on the list of celiac symptoms. I wouldn't match it to celiac if it weren't for the other symptoms that I've had for years:

-I've had stomach pain and diarrhoea for most of my life, but it's got much worse in the past couple years. I saw a GI doctor and had a fluoroscopy done this past fall, but nothing showed up.

-Lately, I've had more constipation.

-I'm anemic (iron + b12).

-I've been especially tired during the day for most of my life, even when I'm taking iron and getting b12 shots.

-I was diagnosed with depression 10 years ago.

-I've had anxiety for about 5 years (and I've been agoraphobic for 3).

Also, my mom has Type 1 Diabetes and my dad has Fibromyalgia and IBS.

Could all of these symptoms be coincidences or could it be celiac?

It will take about a month before I can see my doctor and at least another month before I can get tests done and see the results. Should I try doing a gluten-free diet before this to see if it helps? How many weeks of eating gluten-free does it take to see any results (or a lack of results)?

Thanks for any help!!!

It certainly sounds like you could have celiac or gluten intolerance. I had the unbearable itching too, which has since gone away! If you are going to be tested, you must stay on gluten for it to be accurate.

One thing to remember is that testing is not foolproof. False negatives are very common. You can have gluten intolerance and never test positive, either by blood or biopsy.

The time it takes to feel better varies by person. I felt immediately better within 3 days, but then developed some secondary food intolerances, which took a while to figure out. Now, 6 months later, I feel like a new person! I've heard that if you've been sick for a long time, it may take longer to heal.

Whatever you decide to do, there is some great collective wisdom on this site to help get you through. good luck!

[Kathleen Smith]

My family has tried to tell me for a couple years that I might have celiac. I always disagreed, as did my doctor, but I'm reconsidering the situation now. I've had unbearable itchiness on my arms, thighs, legs, ankles, and feet for about two months, which, as I understand it, is lower on the list of celiac symptoms. I wouldn't match it to celiac if it weren't for the other symptoms that I've had for years:

-I've had stomach pain and diarrhoea for most of my life, but it's got much worse in the past couple years. I saw a GI doctor and had a fluoroscopy done this past fall, but nothing showed up.

-Lately, I've had more constipation.

-I'm anemic (iron + b12).

-I've been especially tired during the day for most of my life, even when I'm taking iron and getting b12 shots.

-I was diagnosed with depression 10 years ago.

-I've had anxiety for about 5 years (and I've been agoraphobic for 3).

Also, my mom has Type 1 Diabetes and my dad has Fibromyalgia and IBS.

Could all of these symptoms be coincidences or could it be celiac?

It will take about a month before I can see my doctor and at least another month before I can get tests done and see the results. Should I try doing a gluten-free diet before this to see if it helps? How many weeks of eating gluten-free does it take to see any results (or a lack of results)?

Thanks for any help!!!

My main symptoms were headaches/anxiety/panic/bloating/constipation since I was around 13 years old, now I am 34. I went gluten free in April (with some mistakes) and my headaches are gone. Bloating gone. Constipation I still strugg with. Anxiety is fine, although I am still 10mg of meds for that. I wanted to give myself more time to heal before I tackle going off that.

Wait till you see the doctor and then if you do have Celiac or a gluten sensitivity this site will help. Everyone heals at different times. My headaches were almost immediate.