Natalia Revelo

TLDR: Despite following a very strict gluten-free diet for 15 years, I have dealt with multiple physical and mental health issues for years, which improved with supplements. My gastro doesn't provide any solution on how to improve nutrient absorption because my MARSH is normal.

Dear all,

Sorry for the long post but I really need help.

I was diagnosed 15 years ago with very severe symptoms (weight loss, tiredness, diarrhea, fainting, hair loss, numbness in hands and feet, anxiety). Since then I have followed a very strict gluten free diet. With time I became extremely sensitive and just a few normal bread crumbs laying on the table while I eat can make me sick if I visit someone. At home my husband and child eat gluten free because I can definitely not have gluten at home. Despite physical improvements after going gluten free, my life as training as a scientist was marked by panic attacks, severe anxiety and depression while trying to obtain my PhD and working as a postdoc. 7 years ago I started to have mini burnouts, fibromyalgia-like symptoms (e.g. unbearable pain in joints and muscles) and not being able to perform at my job. 5 years ago while being pregnant my ferritin levels were practically zero and after delivering my child, my body completely collapsed. I could not walk for the first 2 years postpartum due to severe pelvic floor issues, diastasis, bladder pain and fatigue, which led to me not able to work and getting a massive burnout. Unfortunately my GP was very dismissive of all my symptoms. Eventually I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and this led me to conclude that I have been going through nutrient deficiencies for years, if not decades. With the help of an orthomolecular dietitian I started taking supplements and my pelvic floor and diastasis improved a lot (I think my body was unable to produce collagen for tissue strength) and my burnout started to improve (it seems my brain could not work due to lack of nutrients). My gastroenterologist is too busy to take me seriously, and he doesn't believe my deficiencies are real because he doesn't see it on paper (despite me having low erythrocyte counts and low ferritin). I ended up visiting a functional doctors and she could see deficiencies in magnesium, copper, omega-3, iodine, sodium and markers of inflammation and my microbiota is very imbalanced. She also found that I am allergic to milk protein and eggs and those were giving me IBS symptoms, plus there is a FODMAP group making me sick but haven't found out which. The costs of the supplements I get from the functional doctor and the tests she does are very expensive and I have to pay out of my own pocket. It's very expensive but I'm finally getting stronger and I feel like I have a completely different brain, no anxiety or depression, which is amazing after decades of feeling miserable. I convinced the gastro to check my MARSH score and while in the gastroscopy they did see scar tissue in my duodenum, the histological exam shows no damage in the MARSH score. Therefore, my gastro says I'm fine, but I'm obviously not fine. My question is if anyone has been in this situation, and how can I move forward. I suspect that the inflammation caused by milk and egg could have contributed to poor absortion. The functional doctor gave me iron infusions and my ferritine levels went up and I felt amazing, but after a few months the levels go down again. Somehow I cannot keep the iron in my body. I want to know if there is any possibility of healing my gut. The functional doctor is giving me herb supplements that heal the gut, and I tried taking glutamine but it burns my bladder (I have intersticial cystitis). I really need to go back to work, but first I need my body to have steady health and anergy. 

Thanks for any help!