Too Old To Have Problems With Gluten

[poopedout]

My doctor told me this problem does not show up for the first time at my age and it occurs in much younger people. I am not sure if he meant celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I am 69 years old. I am wondering if any of you developed this problem at my age or if you were all much younger than I am when you started having problems.

[jerseyangel]

My doctor told me this problem does not show up for the first time at my age and it occurs in much younger people. I am not sure if he meant celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I am 69 years old. I am wondering if any of you developed this problem at my age or if you were all much younger than I am when you started having problems.

With all due respect, your doctor is mistaken. I was 49 when diagnosed--after being misdiagnosed for many years. The disease can be triggered at any time in one's life.

[sa1937]

My doctor told me this problem does not show up for the first time at my age and it occurs in much younger people. I am not sure if he meant celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I am 69 years old. I am wondering if any of you developed this problem at my age or if you were all much younger than I am when you started having problems.

Your doctor is just plain WRONG! I am older than you, had a positive celiac blood panel in Dec., consult with GI doc in late Feb. and was diagnosed with a positive biopsy on April 9. On my initial appt., I asked my GI doc if he didn't think I was a little old to have celiac to which he told me, "No".

It's sad that doctors are so ill-informed about this disease and don't think of testing for it. I believe my daughter also has celiac and quite some time ago, she asked her endocrinologist about it and he told her celiac is very rare. Thankfully he's a top-notch endocrinologist who has her thyroid totally under control for the first time. He's an older doctor so that probably explains why he thinks celiac is "rare".

[skigirlchar]

with all due respect (thank you jerseyangel for the appropriate words i just used) your doctor is an idiot.

there many of us have family links to gluten allergies or insensitivity that have never been diagnosed, but when you lay out the symptoms they are EXACTLY the same.

my grandmother, nor great grandmother, ever had a gluten insensitivity diagnosis. instead one had her gall bladder removed, both were told to not eat eggs, were told to cut salt from their diets, and were told to take iron pills.

i was even diagnosed w/ menieres at 25 - something TYPICALLY diagnosed in people in their 40's (though it has been removed since my dr's realized i had the gluten issues.)

heck, my mom is in her 60's and was only recently diagnosed w/ both asthma and a few allergies.

if you take a look at my symptoms and those each had in my family on my mom's side alarm bells start going off.

and as i take a closer and closer look, i really think my dad my have it.

you obviously don't agree w/ your dr since you are asking us...... i would say you probably are also asking us in a round about way if you should get a 2nd opinion..... and i have to say YES, find another dr.

[nora-n]

The finnish celiac researchers have studied celiac in old or elderly people, and actually the incidence of cleiac INCREASES with age.

Over 3% of them are celiacs.

So your doctor was educated some decades ago and did not re-educate himself.

He should be finding 3% celiacs amongst his 70-yrs olds if he just would bother to test them, as many are unsymptomatic.

[poopedout]

The finnish celiac researchers have studied celiac in old or elderly people, and actually the incidence of cleiac INCREASES with age.

Over 3% of them are celiacs.

So your doctor was educated some decades ago and did not re-educate himself.

He should be finding 3% celiacs amongst his 70-yrs olds if he just would bother to test them, as many are unsymptomatic.

I thought he was probably wrong, but I wanted to see what people here had to say.

I cannot change doctors. This is Canada, after all.

[psawyer]

I cannot change doctors. This is Canada, after all.

You don't say where in Canada you are, but here in Ontario it is difficult but not impossible to change. I have done it three times in the last eight years.

[poopedout]

You don't say where in Canada you are, but here in Ontario it is difficult but not impossible to change. I have done it three times in the last eight years.

I am in Ontario in an area where no one is taking new patients. They especially will not accept anyone who already has a doctor.

[weluvgators]

You may want to start educating your doctor!

My latest reading is Fast Facts: Celiac Disease by Geoffrey Holmes, Carlo Catassi, Alesio Fasano, Second edition.

I bought the book specifically to give it to my doctors. In the Clinical manifestations section it has the following information on page 48,

Celiac disease is being increasingly diagnosed in later life and, today, about 25% of cases are diagnosed in patients over 60 years of age and 10% in those aged over 70 years. Contrary to common belief, 95% of the patients manage a GFD well and enjoy a much improved quality of life.

I think your doctor may need to update his understanding of celiac!

[Skylark]

Bring him this article. It is a particularly powerful study because they followed people for a few years and a few people who were not celiac developed the disease.

Open Original Shared Link

It will look nicer if you use the PDF link at the top right-hand side of the page and print from that.

[Generic]

My great-grandma was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 83. So no it is deffinetly wrong. Also

My mom was diagnosed via the gluten challenge at the age of 62.

[poopedout]

Bring him this article. It is a particularly powerful study because they followed people for a few years and a few people who were not celiac developed the disease.

Open Original Shared Link

It will look nicer if you use the PDF link at the top right-hand side of the page and print from that.

Thanks for the article. It was very informative. It looks like celiac disease will not kill me. It might even make me healthier since my diet is much healthier now that I cannot eat foods containing gluten.

[poopedout]

You may want to start educating your doctor!

My latest reading is Fast Facts: Celiac Disease by Geoffrey Holmes, Carlo Catassi, Alesio Fasano, Second edition.

I bought the book specifically to give it to my doctors. In the Clinical manifestations section it has the following information on page 48,

I think your doctor may need to update his understanding of celiac!

Thanks for the book recommendation. I will try to find it.