Should I Ask Dr. For Celiac Test?

[LynnP]

Hi,

I'm a 32YO mother of 2 and am seemingly healthy. Somehow I stumbled on symptoms of Celiac disease, and I seem to present with many of the symptoms: very frequent gas/bloating (I usually explain this by my diet because I eat a lot of beans or other foods that can cause gas), fatigue despite getting what I would consider enough hours of sleep - I never feel refreshed in the morning though(I work full time and am a mother of 2), lack of motivation/focus and irritability, constipation (or at least infrequent bowel movements unless I stick to eating what I would consider a lot of fiber compared to most everyone I know), very smelly and floating stools, occasional tingling in hands/feet, infrequent mouth sores (explained by eating acidic foods or possibly biting the inside of my mouth).

I also have a moderately low platelet count. I have always bruised easily and have probably had a low platelet count for all/most of my life. It is not so severe that I have any bleeding issues. But I have had all sorts of tests done and the only thing a hemotologist said was that I likely have a 'mild autoimmune disease and it is nothing to worry about'- whatever that means. I am not anemic, and my liver and thyroid are functioning properly (many tests were done to see why I have a low platelet count).

The most annoying 'symptoms' I have are the fatigue and lack of energy/motivation. Neither are so severe that I feel immobile, but I often feel like I have to put great effort into playing with my kids or focusing on finishing projects.

I eat healthy: lots of fresh fruits and veggies, limit meat intake, no soda, very little juice, caffeine only in the morning, only whole grains, and lots of water. Since I started eating this way I dropped 10 pounds with little effort. My bowels seem to be really sensitive to getting enough fiber. It is almost like everything stops moving through if I don't eat enough fiber. My primary care doctor just told me that some people need more fiber... However, I feel really uncomfortable if it has been 3+ days without a BM. I try to exercise at least 3 times a week (motivation thing makes it hard to do sometimes).

I feel like I have a lot of obscure 'half-symptoms' and that convincing a doctor to give me a blood test for celiac disease might be kind of hard. I guess I am wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with similar symptoms or if anyone feels like what I have explained might be enough for a doctor to warrant giving me the blood tests.

I should note that none of my immediate family members have been diagnosed, although I have a sister who was told she has IBS.

Thanks for any input!

[shopgirl]

Me. Same exact symptoms. The GI I saw ran the blood test pretty much on a whim and I was positive. Sluggishly constipated and needing a little help, gas, bloating, always feeling tired, totally lacking motivation to do anything.

I've had some other symptoms: bouts of unexplained itchiness, chronic sinus congestion, mild depression, and anxiety, but all of the symptoms you described match mine.

[Emilushka]

It's true that there's a lot of variation between people in terms of fiber required. Why don't you go in and ask the doc about getting the Celiac panel? Let the doc know you're still having trouble.

I've definitely had the bloating and stool problems. I was also a fiber fiend before going gluten-free. I had a lot of stomach symptoms and pain in my GI tract, along with tons and tons of reflux. A lot of my immediate Celiac symptoms are stomach-related (my poor tummy! I feel bad for it ... )

But remember: Celiac looks different for everybody, and while there are "typical" symptoms it's not like your body has read the list and knows what it's supposed to show you so that you are diagnosed properly. Go in to the doc, ask for the test. Consider a colonoscopy-endoscopy too (good for another effort at diagnosing Celiac or other malabsorption and also for making sure there's nothing else serious going on in your GI tract).

[LynnP]

Thanks for the responses! They were very helpful!

Most of what I have are just vague things. I also had a few boughts of gastroenteritis (stabbing stomach pains and reflux) that started this past spring. My PCP checked me out, told me I had gastroenteritis and prescribed prilosec. I've had issues twice, and each time the prilosec cleared up the stomach pains and reflux. Each episode wasn't severe, but it was annoying.

I think I will call the doc and see if they will just test my blood.

[cassP]

OY VEY i LOVE how these docs can just say something like: you probably just have a "little autoimmune" disease.. and then, just leave it at that- and NOT test for any ????

why are these docs so complacent with not providing answers??

ya- i would ask for a celiac panel... why not- dont we deserve to know what's going on in our bodies??? just make sure you're eating enough on a "gluten challenge" for at least 6 weeks or more before testing.