New To Celiac Disease

[Lauriesk8s]

Hi there,

I'm so confused, my sister in law said (after she had heard me complaining about the bloatedness and uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen), that I should try staying away from gluten. I felt sooooo much better at first, and now I'm finding it difficult to stay on a gluten free diet. I am finding a sugar sensitivity also... How do I find out if its celiacs disease or a gluten intolerance? I don't have health insurance (I unfortunately don't have the utmost faith in western Dr.s, I don't mean to offend, just a personal observation), and I am just squeaking by financially, how do I get more information? Is there any sort of at home test? Are there any Holistic approaches? Then I've read some people are dairy intolerant, and cassein intolerant...how can I determine what my intolerances are?

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Lauriesk8s

[RollingAlong]

>How do I find out if its celiacs disease or a gluten intolerance?

well, the main thing that distinguishes celiac from NCGS (non celiac gluten sensitivity) is that celiac is diagnosed with a biopsy that shows intestinal damage. It is becoming more common to diagnose from blood work and dietary response. Interesting article here

Open Original Shared Link

On the other hand, the treatment for the 2 conditions is the same - a strict, life long, gluten free diet.

>how do I get more information?

You could try contacting your local celiac or gluten intolerance support group.

Open Original Shared Link or www.csaceliacs.org/

also, just keep reading the posts here or if you prefer books - Healthier without Wheat by Wangen.

>Is there any sort of at home test? yes. I think there's a saliva test that you can do at home.

There's also a stool test from Enterolab. This is a controversial test, you can read about it in many posts on this forum.

>Are there any Holistic approaches?

Other than changing your diet? I am not aware of any. I am sure that taking a holistic approach to your general health will enhance your dietary efforts. (meditation, exercise, sleep)

It is possible that some of your intolerances (such as sugar) are temporary. After you've been gluten-free for awhile, you can try to reintroduce problem foods.

There are tests for food intolerances. They are expensive and tend to produce false positives. The results have to be confirmed with an elimination/challenge diet. This process would be an excellent choice for you, given your circumstances.

Good luck with your research!