Mums Problems-Related To Celiac?

[jhol]

so as you all know i think im gluten intolerant,

but i was thinking about my childhood and the health problems my mum and dad had.

my dads side of the family all have some kind of stomach problems and theres the hereditary bowel cancer. one brother had scoliosis of the spine ( hope thats right - with a slight hump on back?) another was really tall -which we now know was marfens syndrome( a cousin has just been diagnosed with it) one sister has had many health problems and everybody thinks shes a hypochondriac( shes the mother of the cousin with marfens)the other sisters have had anemia (b12) problems. my grandad had the genetic bowel cancer and my grandma died of leukemia .

my mum had an hysterectomy in her early thirties, then gall bladder removed, underactive thyroid, asthma, diabetes, chronic constipation for years ( has to have 2 special medications from docs for it) and really bad crumbling teeth ,. she has just been diagnosed with raynauds ( circulation in hands and feet). her sister has had both hips replaced and has heart problems and her brother has heart problems and a weight problem all his life. dont know anything about my grandad but grandma had asthma and a weight problem.

gosh id always thought we were a pretty healthy famliy - puts things into perspective when you see it in black and white!!!

my sister had underactive thyroid after having a baby - which she almost lost in childbirth. and has since developed a few food intolerances.

so my question is - ive read of autoimmune diseases being connected to celiac/ gluten intolerance- are some of these problems above classed as autoimmune diseases or are people with celiac more likely to have these kind of health problems , or have i just got a really unhealthy family !!!!

[mushroom]

On your father's side, the only things that sound like they could be connected are the bowel cancers and anemia and stomach problems.

Your mother sounds like a fairly classic celiac. PCOS is common in celiacs although no way of knowing why she had a hysterectomy. Many of our posters have had gallbladder removal with no relief of symptoms, hypothyroidism is usually autoimmune and is a co-rider with celiac, as is type 2 diabetes, tooth enamel problems are common in celiacs, Raynauds often shows up with other autoimmune diseases, and asthma is often associated with celiac, along with the chronic constipation of course.

I do think you should convince your mother that she should be tested and perhaps improve the quality of her life. Your sister should also be tested. Childbirth is often the trigger for onset of celiac.

[jhol]

On your father's side, the only things that sound like they could be connected are the bowel cancers and anemia and stomach problems.

Your mother sounds like a fairly classic celiac. PCOS is common in celiacs although no way of knowing why she had a hysterectomy. Many of our posters have had gallbladder removal with no relief of symptoms, hypothyroidism is usually autoimmune and is a co-rider with celiac, as is type 2 diabetes, tooth enamel problems are common in celiacs, Raynauds often shows up with other autoimmune diseases, and asthma is often associated with celiac, along with the chronic constipation of course.

I do think you should convince your mother that she should be tested and perhaps improve the quality of her life. Your sister should also be tested. Childbirth is often the trigger for onset of celiac.

hi mushroom

ive no idea why she had a hysterectomy-too young! i,ll have to ask . after my mum saw my face the other day with no make-up on and she saw my rash that ive been moaning about for months, we actually had a conversation about me trying the gluten free/ dairy free diet. this without the eye rolling (god shes still going on about this - thing) i felt that she had "turned a corner" and was actually listening to me - not sure if this is making sense!

i have told her things ive found out and mentioned about the raynauds the other day when i saw her. thing is we have the same doctor- so not sure if she,ll get the help considering my tests have been negative - but i,ll try.

i tried to get my sis to get tested but she wanted to see my results first - mainly coz my niece is showing signs of extreme anxiety( shes seeing a child psychologist) which i think is the wrong path to be going down. i think she should be looking for food intolerances first . a sneaky food diary has got to be better than making her talk to a doc!! - although i may be wrong

[mushroom]

Oh yes, you are making sense! None so deaf as those who don't want to hear If she was actually listening that is promising.

Don't forget that the blood testing is not infallible. There are many false negatives in celiac testing. Hers could well be positive.

I'm sorry about your niece (and your sis ) and that sis is basing on your results. Ah, if only the world were perfect. You still have to wonder, with the emphasis placed on that darned food pyramid and how important it is (NOT), that the medical profession is not more receptive to the "you are what you eat" philosophy, and realize how much our food can affect us.