Help! What Should I Do Next?

[rcritch22]

My 3 year old daughter has been losing her hair for about 3 weeks now. Her hair has thinned to almost nothing and is not the same texture or color anymore. The doctor (not her normal pediatrician) said it was normal and that some kids lose their hair when they go through growth spurts. She was also checked for a rash she has on her bottom. The doctor said it was impetigo and perscribed an antibiotic. I mentioned that my mom has celiac disease, but she immediately said that she is not worried about that because my her weight gain is fine.

To make a long story short, she is continues to lose her hair at a rapid rate. She continued to have outbreaks of the rash even while on the antibiotic. We took her to the doctor again (this time she saw her regular ped.) and they finally ordered blood work. The results indicated: slightly anemic, thyroid normal, blood count normal, and no Lupus. We are waiting to get the "heavy metals" (whatever that is)results back next week. They did an IgA blood test but I think that is all - and that to was negative.

She is seeing a dermotologist next week as well. Should I request further testing for celiac disease?

Thank you for your input.

[Guest Viola]

Perhaps you should ask for more Celiac testing and DH testing. They could biopsy that rash. It may well just be an allergy, but if it is in the family it should be caught as early as possible.

[lovegrov]

Doing just an Iga is insufficient. A certain percetage of people are Iga deficient and will NEVER test positive because of that. The full panel is Iga, total Iga (this shows if you are Iga defincient or not), Igg and Tta. The rash, as long as it's active, can also be biopsed for DH.

richard

[KaitiUSA]

Richard is correct. The full panel needs to be done. She could be IgA deficient so otherwise positive tests would show negative. Also getting the rash biopsied is definitely not a bad idea.

*Anemia is linked with celiac too

[plantime]

Get the full panel run. If your mom has celiac disease, then there is a good chance that you are at the least a carrier (have >you< been tested?) and that your daughter might have it.

[rcritch22]

Thank you for your input. I am not convinced it in NOT celiac disease. I will request a full panel at the Dr. tomorrow. I mentioned the tTG test at her last appt., but the pediatrician said it would take 2 weeks and that the IgA would only take a couple of days - UGH!

I have not been tested (yet).

Is it possible to have normal weight gain and still have celiac disease? The pediatricians seem to be so headstrong about this - her weight gain is fine = it is not celiac disease.

Thanks.

[KaitiUSA]

That is common for people to think if you do not lose weight that you can't have celiac. That is so false. Some people have weight loss but just as many people can have weight gain. You can also be a normal weight. There are over 200 symptoms associated with celiac and symptoms among people vary. In fact, some people get no symptoms at all.

[ianm]

I gained a LOT of weight so don't listen to the doctors when they say that only weight loss occurs with Celiac.

[egardner]

My GI doc says weight gain is actually as much of a symptom of Celiac as weight loss, either represents a malabsorbtion, which is what Celiac is. He said so many people are misdiagnosed because they have not lost, but instead gained weight. It is proven that celiac disease can seriously screw up your thyroid, and that can mean it makes it EITHER hyperactive or hypoactive. Hypoactive thyroid would cause a weight gain. Kaiti is right, there are a ton of symptoms!