Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Feel Like I Need Confirmation...


eric4015

Recommended Posts

eric4015 Newbie

For years, every once in a while I would get the most horrific stomach pains that would last for 5 or 6 hours at night. I could never narrow it down to any specifc foods or drinks, and no doctors (the 2 I went to) were able to figure it out. I had an edoscopy, a stomach sonogram, all sorts of test with no diagnosis. 4 months ago I went to a new doctor and when I told her my symptoms, right away, she had an idea what it was. She took blood and the test came back that I had the "antibodies" for celiac. My numbers for this test should be around 45 and I was at 145. So doc told me to go wheat and gluten free for 3 months to see how I feel. Since then, I've felt great. No stomach pains, heart burn is gone. All seems to be OK. But doc hasn't had me go for any other tests to confirm. She says "we go by how yoou feel. If you feel good, stick with the diet." I do feel good, but should I have any other tests to confirm I have celiac? Should I be doing anything else? I welcome any thoughts or comments...


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



eatmeat4good Enthusiast

You had the test and it was very highly positive.

You were diagnosed with Celiac.

You have had a very positive reaction to the gluten free diet.

You have your answer...You are Celiac by blood test, Dr.'s opinion, and your body's reactions.

Now you just have to find a way to believe it.

It is hard to accept sometimes but there is no other confirmation to get, unless you want to eat gluten until you damage your intestines enough to have a biopsy that shows Marsh level damage..and that seems completely unreasonable and unnecessary.

Takala Enthusiast

This sure beats the possible alternative scenarios of being told it's-

AIYH (all in your head)

Asthma/allergies

arthritis

not arthritis, fibro

Heartburn

MS

brain lesions

Fibro again

Gallbladder

Kidney

cystitis

Bone loss

Fibroids/cysts/endometriosis

Idiopathic (medical term for "unknown cause" actually my favorite, as the doc was cool)

Peripheral neuropathy

nerve damage

tendonitis

AIYH again

people with your coloring are more sensitive (shouldn't people with your medical degrees from a cracker jack box, still be able to look up the incidence of celiac in the Celtic population since you noticed ??? )

lack of exercise/proper lifestyle from moron HMO with famous slogan "thrive"

Take the diagnosis!

Roda Rising Star

For years, every once in a while I would get the most horrific stomach pains that would last for 5 or 6 hours at night. I could never narrow it down to any specifc foods or drinks, and no doctors (the 2 I went to) were able to figure it out. I had an edoscopy, a stomach sonogram, all sorts of test with no diagnosis. 4 months ago I went to a new doctor and when I told her my symptoms, right away, she had an idea what it was. She took blood and the test came back that I had the "antibodies" for celiac. My numbers for this test should be around 45 and I was at 145. So doc told me to go wheat and gluten free for 3 months to see how I feel. Since then, I've felt great. No stomach pains, heart burn is gone. All seems to be OK. But doc hasn't had me go for any other tests to confirm. She says "we go by how yoou feel. If you feel good, stick with the diet." I do feel good, but should I have any other tests to confirm I have celiac? Should I be doing anything else? I welcome any thoughts or comments...

Sounds like you have a smart doctor!!

ravenwoodglass Mentor

You have a great doctor. You have positive blood work so stay strict with the diet and go back for repeat blood work in 6 months or so. Your relief of symptoms and the lowering of antibodies on your recheck will be your confirmation. While false negatives are really common on celiac blood testing false positives are not. Read as much as you can here and ask any questions you need to. You also should tell your immediate family, Mom, Dad, and siblings that they also should be tested.

angel9165 Newbie

I have a sister who after testing negative to the antibodies started a gluten-free diet and feels great. She won't got in for further testing as the way she feels is proof enough. I'm with all the other responses, you are a Celiac and more testing isn't needed. I'm glad you're feeling better. My symptoms were very similar to yours and I spent years w/o a correct diagnosis. It wasn't found until I became anemic so be thankful you found that smart doctor early in the process (2 misdiagnoses isn't bad...I went 25 years and saw countless docs). Seems like things are going very well for you now that you know what not to eat...same here. Good luck with your journey and enjoy all those naturally gluten free foods & drinks out there...time to really start living! B)

eric4015 Newbie

Thank you to all who shared your thoughts and advice. I appreciate it.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



micfunky Newbie

I was suprised to hear that 1 in every 133 people have celiac. Glad you found out what was wrong and feel better. Doctors are dumb, took eight years and half a dozan drs to figure out that I had it!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,547
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    gizmo1jazz2
    Newest Member
    gizmo1jazz2
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.