Gluten Intolerant ?

[PsyDbound]

Hello All!

This is so strange so I will start from the beginning. About three years ago I met a neighbor who had been going through doctor woes with her then one year old. Eventually she found out he had celiac disease. She then put herself on a gluten-free diet, felt better, and has been gluten-free ever since. I love to do research, so when she told me she and her son had celiac disease I instantly hit the medical college and began reading. I am in school so I took the chance to write a research paper on a topic relevant to my field. I mapped the physiological link between celiac disease and schizophrenia.

So at this point I knew the symptoms and had a relatively good idea as to how prevalent this disease is. I started diagnosing people everywhere, it

[KaitiUSA]

Ok that doctor you had should be out the door. These kinds of doctors are what contributes to the suffering that people go through that can easily be avoided. If you have the antibodies then you need to go gluten free now...not wait. The longer it goes on the more problems begin to arise and you damage your body. You also increase your chances up to 100 times of getting cancer and other life threatening or disabling diseases.

Your sister sounds like she has things that can come with celiac, it runs in the family, and she should definitely be tested. Give her the specific tests she needs to be tested for.

-Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

-Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

-Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

-Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

-Total Serum IgA

As for your kids...I would get them tested asap.

[frenchiemama]

NO! That does not sound right! I'm 28 years old and it sure as heck is affecting me now. I can think back to when I was about 17 that I started having the first symptoms. If you just put it off until you are in your 40's you will most likely be in a world of hurt by then. Going gluten-free now will mean better health for the rest of your life.

I don't know why he would tell you that, except that he doesn't know what he is talking about.

I was diagnosed through bloodtests only. I could have gone to a GI for further testing, but I didn't really see the point. It's not like the course of treatment will change if you know what your intestines look like. But that's just me, and I know that some people do feel like a biopsy is important.

I would certainly have your kids tested, just make sure that the doctor you take them to is more knowledgable that yours.

[tarnalberry]

Kaiti's got the list of tests there (IgA is so totally insufficient by itself!), and yeah, you're doc's a bit off by saying "oh, don't worry about it". I would suggest either educating him (if he's receptive) or getting a new doctor. That kind of "thinking" is very dangerous to your health. (*Won't affect you 'til you're 50* might mean you won't develop intestinal cancer until you're 50... not the way you want to be affected!)

[Guest nini]

I agree with everyone... get the kids tested, That Doc of yours needs an education and FAST before he misdiagnoses or neglects to diagnose anyone else with Celiac simply because of his ignorance. I'm 36, was diagnosed officially 2 years ago, my daughter is 5 she was also diagnosed 2 years ago... It most def. runs in the family, I'm pretty sure my dad has it. I'm also pretty sure my mom has it AND undiagnosed schizophrenia as well.

[cdford]

It is possible to not see the damage unti you are in your thirties or forties, but by then the damage has been done and can be massive. Why put your body through that if you know that you are intolerant? It is like someone who is at high risk of diabetes eating sugar out of the sugar jar at every meal just because it will be a few years before it happens. I sure wish I had know twenty years ago and had gone gluten-free before all this damage occurred.

If your doctor is not willing to be educated in the realities of this disease, find one who will. I must admit that my docs initially did not catch on. One of them finally did some research, quizzed the others who then felt silly, so now they are all learning at a rate that astounds me. Every time I go in to one of them, they have the results of some new study someone is doing and how it might effect me. It is a great "problem" to have!

[cdford]

Oh, I forgot to mention that in the process one of those doctors figured out that both he and his significant other both had celiac disease!