Could I Have It?

[Medsport]

Hi guys, just found this forum. Someone mentioned I should look into Celiac disease as they were misdiagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I was also diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis around 1996. At the time I had very bad bloody diarrhea several times a day with gas and bloating. I lost about 10 pounds too. I ended up getting a couple of those scope tests and they said I had UC. I was on high doses of Prednisone which took awhile but finally slowed down the bleeding. I think I was on it for too long as I've had joint problems on and off ever since. I was then on Sulfasalazine for awhile and eventually the bleeding seemed to stop. Not too long after that I lost my job at the time and have'nt gotten a job that has decent/affordable insurance since. I have'nt had any bad flare-ups either, but I always struggle to gain weight. You see I'm a bodybuilder/weightlifter and have been trying to put on mass/weight since I was in my teens. I managed to hit about 188 in my mid-20's before getting sick. I then went down to 155 after injuring my shoulder and taking a year off from training. I have since got back up to about 180 but its hard to gain anymore as I'm lactose intolerant. I can't even drink most of those weight gaining products anymore as they all seem to upset my stomach. The bleeding comes and goes, but is usually only very small amounts. I've kind of done my own treatment as I'm a nurse and know a little about health matters. I've found that glucosamine/chron., flax oil and digestive advantage seem to help my conditions. I also recently started smoking (only 1 or 2 a day) as there seems to be evidence nicotine somehow helps fight off UC and Crhons symptoms. I have noticed that certain foods, like pancakes, ice cream with choc., ect. seem to give me diarrhea and sometimes other foods, but I can't seem to pinpoint what it is. For the most point I feel healthy, but I do notice small amounts of blood in my stool occasionally and I'm getting to the age that I don't want to worry about cancer and such. Just wondering if you guys think I could have Celiac disease and is there a way to find out without going to a doctor?

[Skylark]

There are diagnostic tests although they have at least a 20% false negative rate and don't rule out gluten intolerance. If you don't want to go to a doctor, you try the diet strictly for 3-4 months and see what happens. You could certainly be celiac and the diet is worth a shot.