Good Gi In Seattle?

[Sarah Alli]

I talked to my PCP a few days ago and she gave me a referral to a GI. I'd like to go because I like concrete diagnoses and such, AND I want to get some testing done to make sure I'm on track with my nutrient levels.

Is there anyone here who can recommend a GI in the Sea/Tac area that knows her stuff about celiac disease/gluten intolerance? Preferably at one of the Swedish Hospitals, as I have financial assistance with them, but I'd rather get someone who is going to be really helpful and pay a little bit for it, if necessary. I do have insurance that allows me to do pretty much whatever I want, I don't need a referral to see a specialist, so I'm flexible.

Thoughts?

[burdee]

  On 7/11/2011 at 7:50 PM, Sarah Alli said:

I talked to my PCP a few days ago and she gave me a referral to a GI. I'd like to go because I like concrete diagnoses and such, AND I want to get some testing done to make sure I'm on track with my nutrient levels.

Is there anyone here who can recommend a GI in the Sea/Tac area that knows her stuff about celiac disease/gluten intolerance? Preferably at one of the Swedish Hospitals, as I have financial assistance with them, but I'd rather get someone who is going to be really helpful and pay a little bit for it, if necessary. I do have insurance that allows me to do pretty much whatever I want, I don't need a referral to see a specialist, so I'm flexible.

Thoughts?

After many years of misdiagnoses from Group Health doctors, I ordered Enterolab tests to diagnose gluten intolerance, casein and soy allergies. When I continued to have gut symptoms, despite abstaining from those 3 allergens, I went to Stephen Wangen, ND, who founded the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle. He accepted my Elab test results as proof of celiac disease. Then he tested me for more allergies and intestinal infections (bacteria, candida and/or parasites). So we found 4 more allergens, which caused my symptoms, and 8 different gut bugs over a period of 4 years. He treated the gut bugs, but never considered why I kept getting those infections.

So I finally went to the Tahoma Clinic (run by Jonathon Wright, MD) where I saw Wendy Ellis, ND. She tested me for stomach acid production with the Heidelberg capsule test and ordered blood tests incluiding CBCs, Vitamin D levels, and thyroid hormone levels. My results explained why I was so vulnerable to infections: I had low stomach acid (which should kill food borne bacteria and/or parasites), low vitamin D levels, low white blood cells, and low thyroid hormones, esp. T3 (caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis related to gluten intolerance). One year later I'm doing very well after taking LDN to increase my white blood cells, vitamin D supplements and thyroid supplements (both T4 and T3).

If you just need diagnoses of gluten intolerance or other delayed reaction food allergies, I'd recommend Dr. Wangen. His IBS Treatment Center is located in North Seattle. However, if you have gastrointestinal (or other) problems caused by many years of misdiagnosed or undiagnosed gluten intolerance, I'd suggest you see doctors at the Tahoma Clinic. They're very good at finding causes of symptoms, rather than just treating symptoms with drugs. There's a Tahoma Clinic South in Renton and a Tahoma Clinic North in North Seattle.

[Juliebove]

I go to a Dr. a little further North. Dr. Robert Chaffee. My dad also sees him as does my friend and as did her mom when she was alive. He has offices in Edmonds and Mill Creek. But I see that his practise also has an office in Seattle.

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I have had my Endoscopies done at Swedish Edmonds by him but I don't know his exact connection to them.

[cyberprof]

I like Virginia Mason as they did biopsies for celiac when the doc thought I had an ulcer. Who knows how much longer I would have been diagnosed (30 years is enough!).

My doc isn't very good but the doc who did my colonscopy was great. Susan McCormick at Virginia Mason. I am going to switch to her because my doc didn't think I needed to be tested for colitis in my colonscopy and the first thing Dr. McCOrmick said to me was "We're going to do some biopsies because celiacs have a higher incidence of complications including colitis." Good call (thankfully I didn't have colitis).

Good luck to you.