Docs Know Reactions...or Do They?

[jensey]

After dealing with a General practitioner who admittedly didn't know much about celiac disease I found my way to a pretty compassionate gastroenterologist who I thought had a pretty good grasp on celiac.

However on my last visit when I told him how I INTENTIONALLY glutened myself he asked what occurred after. When I told him I threw up he said (if I remember correctly and I am fairly certain I do) "interesting that is not a normal symptom with celiac."

To myself I said "really doc, because to my recollection that is how this whole business started with me!" but I didn't share that out loud. I did a little research on here and a couple other sites and YES vomiting is a COMMON SYMPTOM as well as bloating, gas, tiredness, etc., etc.. I almost felt discounted by his lack of acceptance of that as a reaction, but knowing what I know about the medical community and the many symptoms of celiac I didn't hold onto that comment as a truth.

So, just 5 days after Thanksgiving I INADVERTENTLY glutened myself with some of what I THOUGHT was gluten free stuffing but in fact was my Mother's stove top stuffing. Just less than about a tablespoons worth, but enough gluten to make me feel as though I wanted to PUKE for about 6 hours and make me feel run down ALL DAY. Lol I thought the stuffing must have been bad because I felt so sick to my stomach when I told my Mom this she asked "do you mean MY stuffing?"

"DOH!" UMMMMM yeah I forgot I allowed gluten into my house so my Mom could have stuffing. My Mom was so sweet and understanding and she felt bad, but that is neither here nor there.

For me it was a really important reality check with regards to the fact that maybe my Dr. doesn't know as much about celiac, and its many possible symptoms as I thought he did. This scares me a bit as his treatment of my microscopic colitis has not been very effective at least not as effective as I would like. AAARGH, what is a patient to do? Well, at least he had more understanding and compassion than my GP and said "YES, YOU NEED TO NOT WORK IN A BAKERY!"

I am thankful for that.

I guess what I am saying is learn as much as you can. Talk about what you learn with others who are in the same boat and do all you can yourself to get better. There is an easy solution to CELIAC, but to those diseases associated with it, we need to find out as much as we can and do our due diligence!

I wish us all well and good digestion!

Jen

[T.H.]

I guess what I am saying is learn as much as you can. Talk about what you learn with others who are in the same boat and do all you can yourself to get better. There is an easy solution to CELIAC, but to those diseases associated with it, we need to find out as much as we can and do our due diligence!

Oh, I so agree. If not for this forum and talking to other celiacs, I would have thought that my first GI knew what he was doing (which would have been oh-so-wrong). I hunted down a new one, and I honestly think it made a huge difference in my health finally improving!

[AzizaRivers]

My general opinion is that while they "know" the symptoms, they learned their lists of symptoms and conditions in medical school and sometimes, they get confused when they hear of a symptom that they didn't learn was common. Vomiting was my primary symptom and it caused all the subsequent problems. My GI also said it wasn't a common symptom (he said most celiacs don't vomit but they'll have bloating and D among other things) but he acknowledged that yes, vomiting is a symptom for some celiacs.

[tarnalberry]

It's not a symptom that comes up in more than half of the celiac population, from what I've read, so I would agree that it's not "common". But there are a lot of symptoms of a lot of things that are certainly associated but not common. (This board is NOT a representative sample of celiacs.) Hey, if he recognized the association, that's good!

[mushroom]

.

(This board is NOT a representative sample of celiacs.)

Good point, tarnalberry.. I sometimes wonder how many celiacs there are out there who sail right through the symptoms-doctor-diagnosis-proper treatment process.

[Wasabi]

I guess what I am saying is learn as much as you can. Talk about what you learn with others who are in the same boat and do all you can yourself to get better. There is an easy solution to CELIAC, but to those diseases associated with it, we need to find out as much as we can and do our due diligence!

I wish us all well and good digestion!

Jen

You are right..

Interesting re the vomiting. I had this symptom but didn't think it was related. MY SO thought it was the flu or something but it would happen intermittently not for a few days or a week as the flu or virus would cause.