Doctors & Getting Diagnosed

[Kat70R]

Hi, I am new the board =)

I may have celiac, I am in the process of getting insurance and I will get testing done.

Dreading facing doctors, I have been through so many blood tests through the years, told nothing was wrong and I was depressed. Through a lot of searching I have found that I have many symptoms of Celiac. Brain fog, constipation, cramps, lactose intolerance, extreme fatigue, depression, dry skin and hair, eczema, may be anemic, cold intolerance, horrible canker and cold sores. Told I had chronic fatigue at 17, I am not 41 and still fighting the fatigue. Seems like I have been tired for most of my life, barely pushed through work and motherhood.

How do I get the docs to authorize the tests? I am going to be getting Kaiser HMO insurance, been with HMO's before where docs will not listen, just afraid that I will have the same experience. How will I get them to listen and help me?

Kat

[cassP]

hi Kat!

please also get your thyroid tested- you're tired, cold, and have thin/dry hair? plus you think you may have celiac- they're so commonly linked.

try not to work yourself up and breathe- be confident. YES- we all have similar frustrations with docs... i still sometimes struggle with mine- you just have to stand your ground.

i first asked my PCP for a Celiac panel in 2008. she didnt question me too much- because i had been complaining of abdominal crap for quite some time. when it came back "suspicious"- she was so curious as to why i asked for it... wierd.

she was a little suspicious of me when i asked for a thyroid panel (even though she wanted to test me years ago)... she was hesitant because i wasnt cold or overweight- and i composed myself and said- "But im always constipated- and my mom has Hashimoto's"... so she was like... "ok..."

i know seriously how it can be a struggle... just be calm and confident- you've got enough symptoms- and this is YOUR body and YOUR life!!!!! good luck!!!!!

[frieze]

if the doc refuses, tell him/her that you want signed documentation that the testing was refused and WHY.

[Kat70R]

hi Kat!

please also get your thyroid tested- you're tired, cold, and have thin/dry hair? plus you think you may have celiac- they're so commonly linked.

try not to work yourself up and breathe- be confident. YES- we all have similar frustrations with docs... i still sometimes struggle with mine- you just have to stand your ground.

i first asked my PCP for a Celiac panel in 2008. she didnt question me too much- because i had been complaining of abdominal crap for quite some time. when it came back "suspicious"- she was so curious as to why i asked for it... wierd.

she was a little suspicious of me when i asked for a thyroid panel (even though she wanted to test me years ago)... she was hesitant because i wasnt cold or overweight- and i composed myself and said- "But im always constipated- and my mom has Hashimoto's"... so she was like... "ok..."

i know seriously how it can be a struggle... just be calm and confident- you've got enough symptoms- and this is YOUR body and YOUR life!!!!! good luck!!!!!

Thank you CassP!

your reply is very helpful and encouraging! i have had thyroid tests in the past, always come back negative. my hair is actually very thick but dry, my skin is more on the dryer side. I am terribly cold all the time! Maybe I should have thyroid tested again, I have had so many tests in the past without finding anything wrong, Anemia did come up in my last pregnancy though. I know that gluten does not make me feel good so it will be good to get tested. I just hope that the test can be accurate, though. I really need to know what is going on.

[mushroom]

If your thyroid testing was done a while ago they may have been using the old ranges. The new range for TSH is much lower than the previous, which was ridiculous. I was cold all the time, would get into bed and shiver in the middle of summer , and they tested me on the old scale. Since I was at the top (but still normal by that standard) I persuaded my doc to give me the smallest dose of Levothyroxine, and I haven't been cold for a long while now.

As for approaching the appointment, I would print out a list of celiac symptoms, and highlight all those from which you suffer, and give that to the doctor when you are telling him your story. It would just reinforce in his mind how many of them you have. It would also help you organize your thoughts so you don't leave anything out.

[Kat70R]

Thank you Frieze and Mushrooms, i will keep these things in mind, will write out the symtems so I don't forget! My memory is very poor, another system I guess! =)