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Verify that your fluids/electros have been checked recently, magnesium included. Ongoing dizziness is most often associated to this fact if vertigo has been ruled out.

I'm not a medical doctor, Lynne, but to my understanding an allergy would be represented by tightness of the chest, watery/glazed eyes, sudden confusion, and closing of the throat. "Sensitivities" are defined by more of a lower GI reaction. Hope this helps. Good luck to you and your family.

If you put the test on your credit card, I would call up and dispute the charge with your credit card company, informing them that you are unable to secure a reliable response from the company. You'll have your test sooner rather than later this way, I assure you.

Good comments, Brenda.It's amazing when you take a look at the body's organs and glands. In the head, we have the Hypothalmus surrounding and essentially in control of the Pituatory, the chief player in endocrine function/balance. Than, on the sides of the body we find the kidneys, with an adrenal gland sitting atop each of the kidneys. The stresses we think about (Pituatory) are essentially "Played out" on the body by the adrenal glands. What I have always found quite interesting is the fact that the basic structure of the Hypothalmus/Pituatory pair physically appear quite similar to the stucture of the adrenals and kidneys. In both cases, we essentially find two "Things" attached to one another. In the case of the adrenals and kidneys, we have a gland sitting on top of an organ. Even though the Hypothalmus is believed to be a gland, moreless, you might as well call it an organ, being it is essentially part of the brain tissue.

But than when you move to the middle of the chest, we find the heart, and we know what that does, along with a tiny, tiny little gland that medicine largely ignores, though may just be the most important part of the body in its entirity, that being the Thymus. It, afterall, IS the glandular portion of your immune system, though 70% of one's immune system essentiallly is your villi/mucous layer in the small intestine.

Now I see that a few of our docs have finally made the association between Celiac & the basic principles involved with a condition know as Myasthis Gravis, an autoimmune condition that I addressed at length a few months ago, one that moreless involves the thymus. It may take them another year, but the day will come when they recognize some of the fundamentals of Mastocystosis with this, too, another condition that indirectly correlates back to the Thymus, in a way that many docs probably cannot see, unfortunately. Let's just say all of those people that have been experiencing Shingles, that's not Shingles, that's a skin condition largely correlating with the release of Histadine into the esophagus and stomach, something that may only occur due to an infection.

Along with the bone marrow, the thymus gland produces all of those neat little immune markers that all of you may be tested for from time to time, so like you say, Brenda, why on earth any doctor would ever dream of removing this gland is beyond comprehension, 100%. The true mark of an undereducated madman, as far as I'm concerned.

The fact that this gland and the heart lie right next to one another is pretty powerful, when you come to think about it. Heart=circulatory system, the thymus gland=immunity. The major action seems to be right in that area, doesn't it.

But readers beware-don't get yourself caught up in the medical terminology. I fell for that for some three months or more, memorized them all. Back in October or November, I spent a solid week examining Myasthis Gravis. But once I reached the end, I realized that the condition wasn't telling me anything. I came to realize that there is no way that a condition like Myasthis Gravis could ever exist without there being an infection or overwhelmning stress present in the body. Those with Celiac must always remember that there is no such thing as Myasthis Gravis, or Lupus, or Sjogren's, etc. These are merely assigned titles to generic conditions that do not exist.

Medical doctors go through 12 years or more of school, and they are trained in a certain way-One that is quite comprehensive, but one that is highly based on generic application, generic terminology.

Yet, if the person w/ Celiac is to ignore these assigned titles, and come to the understanding that they do not exist in the absence of infection, they will not become sidetracked like I was for a couple of months.

The best "Book" that anybody could ever, ever read when it comes educating you about what is wrong with your body and what you must do to heal it, I would suggest that you purchase a 45 page paperbook entitled "Leaky Gut Syndrome." Throw away the Merck's, in other words, and go buy a used copy of this one on Amazon for $1. You will learn more about what is wrong with you than what a 1000 page medical text could ever tell you, trust me.

Interesting comment, Wendy. I wouldn't know if fat would ever store gluten, but fat cells do produce two hormones called Resistin and Leptin. There seems to be a lot of weight fluctuations among Celiacs centering around the implementation of the gluten-free diet, and/or the onset of the original symptom base. Whle the absorption factors are the likely culprit, I'm not all too certain that the role's of Resistein and Leptin should be overlooked, based on what you have to say. That's an interesting theory that you share, at least.

Thanks for the link, buddy. Great work, and that's exciting news, isn't it.

The interesting part of this is that if I've learned anything at all, it has been to recognize that the concepts promoted here are probably the best type of suggestions that you could ever act on for the benefits of your own health. And for whatever reason, I believe this only the marks the beginning.

Mr. Adams and all of excellent specialists that have contributed to this website are only beginning to unlock the door to something I believe may just be the main mystery behind just about everything having to do with our health.

So whether or not a cure is ever found, or that magic pill is invented, etc, it would certainly come as wonderful news for everyone here. To take away those major concerns is something that everybody would like to see happen, afterall.

However, I also tend to believe this diet is something everybody should consider if they want to remain healthy in the long run, I really do. Infection or not, DQ2 gene or not, it would definitely seem to me that consuming these types of foods would be better for you than loading up on those crispey cremes like everybody else does, you know?

We're always going to consume sugar, you can't get away from that. But the key is to approach that with some moderation, and I think that your odds are better to keep yourself in check on that end if you stick to many of the concepts involved with this diet. In the long run, I believe that all of you will come out of this with better health than the rest of society, I really do.

I also think we're only getting into the heart of it with this. That said, this place is only going to get more popular, and it'll be that way for a very long time to come. If there is any medical condition that explains for more of the unsolved mysteries that we find today, it would appear that it all starts right here, and that is why all of you that stop by celiac.com should write down the website and pass it onto as many people as you can.

Whether or not I'm right about any of my personal beliefs, I don't know that answer. But what I do know is that one way or the other, it all seems to start right here. Let me just say that if Adams was offering IPO's into his website, I'd buy them all up overnight~. The effort he has made to bring attention to this disease has really come as a Blessing to so many. He, along with the wonderful specialists that have contributed to this site, have done a lot more for people than a hospital full of other doctors could ever do, that much is for sure.

Happy to see that you're coming along well after surgery, buddy. I bet mom's breathing some sighs of relief that her little pal is gonna be a lot better very soon, isn't she. Take care.

Hello, Veasue. I am sorry to hear about your recent struggles. It's bad enough to be hit with one condition, isn't it, let alone two of them like that.

I am not a doctor, Veasue, so you must never begin or end any treatments without first discussing them with your own, personal physician.

I would suggest that you first rule out the presence of Ketones in the urine. 99% chance that this is not a concern for you, but just to be safe it may not hurt to take a look at that. You can purchase Keto urine test strips at any pharmacy otc.

If you're taking Metformin, I would do everything in my power if I were you to get off of that one. It is a terrible medication, one that has no place in today's medicine with the other options available.

My mom has gone through basically the exact same thing that you have. She, like you, had been struggling with her glucose control until we went about some aggressive otc therapies, which did the trick. She now no longer requires any oral meds, and her last A1C has dropped to under 6%, so we're doing pretty good w/ her.

If you are on Metformin, I would try to get onto another one, if your condition is the least bit like her own. The initial success was found by switching from Metformin to a drug called Amayrl, a much safer medication.

Read up on the benefits of herbal Cinnamin, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Chromium (30 days max) too, but discuss those options with your doctor before you would ever begin taking any otc product. I am a type 1 Diabetic myself and I have long made the association between Alpha Lipoic Acid and that of a 15 unit per day reduction in my insulin requirements. Cinamin reduces the requirement by an additional 5 units per day. Chromium has never done much of anything for me.

Good luck now. Keep us updated on how you're doing.

Thanks, Plan. That was very nice of you. Thanks a bunch. I'll try to take a look back at these this week. Thanks for the nice email, too. I'll get back to you w/ that by email sometime over the weekend. God Bless.

I probably knew it would come to this, one way or the other. Professor, you stay put, and I'll leave five days earlier than promised. We'll just do it that way, and be done with it. I wouldn't dare say a single word anymore in regards to my conclusions, regardless, so I'm done.

All of my research is in, and it has already been passed along to the two sources that were kind enough to work with me on this throughout the process. It was 19 pages long, so I doubt anyone would've gone through it, regardless~. I know that many of you don't get into the longer research, so I won't bother w/ it here. I have highlighted the main concepts of my beliefs along the way, so anyone that's interested has the beginning part of it, at least. I may never have gotten down to the precise details of it here, but I did just that in the paper, and it does add up, to me at least, so we'll just wait and see what they can do with it, if anything at all.

I know they are very good people who will look into the issue with attention to detail, so that's all I could ask for at this point. They will do what they will do; whether or not that opens up another angle to this, I couldn't possibly know that answer. For those that took part in this particular poll, do understand that none of this was relevant, unfortunately, so it was not passed on. I do again thank you very much for all of your kindness, for the willingness to help out.

Before I leave, I would like to once again thank Mr. Adams for putting up with what did become that of my relentless challenge to the current theory as it relates to this disease. Quite honestly, sir, I don't know how you managed to do it for this long without reprimend. I will forever be gracious for the oppurtunity that you gave me here, thankful in more ways than one. You are an extremely nice man, one who is clearly dedicated to helping others. For being the type of person you are, understand that you will always be rewarded in life for having that trait. Good things are always returned to good people that do well for others.

If you are of Faith, to live life by fearing death isn't a real life at all. But that doesn't mean that you do not have a duty to do all you can for your health and for that of your family's goodwill. We have mothers here who need to be there for their little ones, treasured grandma's, daughters and sons. If not that, extended families and/or loving neighbors, and you are an important part of life to all of those around each and everyone of you.

That said, it is your duty to do all that you can to get yourself better. If you've avoided gluten 100% and you now believe that you are getting your life back, be thankful and get out there and go do something big with it now. For those that aren't getting better, there comes a point when common sense must enter somewhere along the lines, I would think. At some point you are going to have to venture out of the cult following, and do a bit more for yourself-still avoiding gluten in full, you may just have to implement a few of the other possibilities, too.

If you've done what's been asked and have been told that you are fine but truly believe within that you are not, keep looking. You may just have to do part of this one for yourself if you are ever going to get better. Don't get sidetracked with your research like I did a few times. Keep going after all of those associations that make sense to you as it relates to your condition.

As a person with Celiac Sprue, you know what to watch out for-diabetes, neuropathy, neurological disturbance, metabolic complications/endocrine imbalance (Thyroid, Kidneys, Adrenals, Thymus, etc), and connective tissue disease (Lupus, Sjogren's, etc).

BTW, if I ever was a physician, and I was only allowed to test a patient with Celiac Sprue for one blood test, I would choose the Protein Electrophoresis. I would consider the test to be vital here for some, but that's an amateur opinion now, remember. For those of you who may go with the assumption that I'm looking at MM, that's not necessarily the case, especially in the presence of a normal CBC and RBC value. Several infections and issues pertaining to the parathyroid could all affect this test. I say this only because of my suspicions there may be a state of Polyclonal Gammopathy here with some, a condition that is highly unspecific to anyone condition. But it does narrow them down signifigantly. For those of you who have gone on and had only limited relief, I cannot emphasis this one enough-coming from a person without a medical degree now, remember.

If you're stuck, use this wonderful resource at celiac.com. Set out a schedule this month and tell yourself that you are going to read X number of articles under this section this week. Browse through the forums, go back if you must to see if anything may describe your symptoms. There is probably a 99% chance that whatever it is that you have another (Others) are experiencing, too. If need be, private message them to see if they respond. Join a partnership with them so that you can determine what's going on between the two of you. Maybe, just maybe, one of you will stumble onto something.

In fairness to our doctors, they can't possibly be expected to determine each and everything that is wrong with you during your office visits. They are not, and should not be expected to be miracle workers, afterall. Most work for hospitals and clinics where they see dozens of different patients. They can only do so much. So rather than going in there each time and demanding to know what's wrong with you, you may just have to do a little of your own research on this one to help out. See if you come up with anything, than ask him/her about the possibility during your next visit. He'd appreciate that so long as you don't walk in with two dozen things to rule out. Narrow them down into those that are realistic possibilities.

If you've gone on for a year or two and you believe that you are not getting better, there's a strong possibility that nothing is going to change unless you do something about it yourself, you must understand that. And it wouldn't hurt your chances to be a little prepared next time. Believe me, if you are smart enough to have memorized all of the various foods to avoid, all of the "Hidden names" they are represented by, you can do this. Once again, I have not read one "Bad post" here by any of you. You are an intelligent group, most of you understand the core basics of this disease. So go do something about it.

Regardless of wealth/power/position, etc, history brings with it one very valuable lesson-those who have established the greatest achievements have done so on their own, as a result of their own actions. Nobody is going to give you a bump with this, not with the type of confusion involved with this disease. There is a strong chance that you are going to have to try to help yourself at some point. And some here have done just that, and they've achieved. Others have a different system, it would appear. That doesn't mean "Life's not fair," it only means that your road has a bigger fork in it, but once you get around that you'll be stronger than anybody else here. You're not too old to overcome anything, your schedule isn't too demanding if you're sitting in here on a daily basis, and I know that you know how to use a computer and the internet.

I have witnessed a hundred different people here that have indeed managed to make a few connections with this. Much of the investigation seems to be repeating itself and tends to lack detail, but the attempts are at least being made, and that can only mean that some of the connections are getting established, so that can only be a good thing. You have made the associations between a thyroid problem and Celiac Sprue, or you have observed what may be a pretty big correlation between diabetes and Celiac Sprue. From there, you have read about genetics, or autoimmunity. At every corner, there may just be another key to unlock yet another door. You all have the power here to do and become what was meant for you. Some have done just that, others may still be looking for those types of answers. But to get any type of order established back to your life, you have to get better. And if it's been a year or more since you can say that, than there are fairly good odds that you're going to have to help yourself here a little bit.

Rule out the other GI disorders. Rule out infections. Rule out the autoimmunes. That Merck's manual that looks so terribly complicated is truly nothing more than 7 key pathways with certain "Spin offs." Once you look through it and take in what is written, you'll start to see that. Soon you see that some of the PH issues and a condition like Lupus may have some associations. Once you absorb the concepts of the diseases and the requirements of nutrition by the body, you will just naturally be led to the aminos, the fluids, etc. Than you will understand those connections, and be able to relate them back to what you started to study in the first place.

Personally, in my amateur, non-medically educated opinion, of course, there isn't a doubt in my mind that the adrenals and certain hormones called Cortisol, Cortizone, Androsterone, and Aldosterone may be at work for a few of them here-1 or all. I believe that others may have a liver issue, one that could theoritically explain for much of this when you take into account that of the non essential aminos. I have a great deal of suspicion about vitamin B6 and Niacin's role with this, and I will always be convinced that a few here may have a Mycological infection, of some form. Whether or not it is Candidiasis, however, that is difficult to determine. I believe there is an association to all of this with the Mitochondria c's, one that could be associated back to one of the Myeloproliferative Disorders.

But what I just said right there, is that really a disease, or is it merely the result of an infection, or an amino/vitamin deficiency/toxicity? If it can be blamed on a vitamin deficiency, that goes back to confirming Celiac Sprue as being the dominant variable. If it's one of the aminos, that's an entirely different issue altogether, one that could "Cause Celiac" I believe-the exact opposite.

These are the issues that you must determine. And believe me, if you're good at puzzles, or reading maps, some of this may just make some sense to you eventually~. It's not your job to diagnose anyone of anything, yourself included. Contrary to what some may feel, a rational person should be able to understand that you are only trying to help. Personally, I would recommend that you be a bit careful with what you have to say publically, and that is because some of those here do not understand that they want to have the disease they do in the sub conscious mind. Being sick means being important to some, and with those one will never, ever win.

Thank you to all of the wonderfully kind, respectful people that I ran into along the way here. As for the "Enemies," I too wish you nothing but the best. I expect many big things to come for many of you, those that are bound to be quite positive. They'll get this nailed down for you folks at some point. In the meantime, never forget that to live a life without hope is one that is never going to get you anywhere. Those of true Faith will always live on, while those that do not will forever bar themselves from capturing that better day. The choice of who you are going to be, what you are going to do, can only be established by the path you so choose to follow.

God Bless to all, and I truly do thank you all once again. Never give up the fight. So long as you accept that principal, you will not lose with this. He's up there, and He's sitting right there beside ya'. Sometimes you just have to make sure that you're doing your part to get that help~. Thanks again to all.

Excellent question, professor. I'll take another look into this. I know that there has been some confusion along the way in her case. Her medical reports detail testing for the DQ2 and DQ8, both of which were negative. I can say for certain that these tests also are defined in my medical history. I did research this at one time and the lab titles seemed to go along with what I was reading, but I will try to go back and take another look here at some point.

I must compliment you for the type of investigation you are attempting here. Great work.

Ok, I understand Plan. I'm sure that I was a little bit out of line there, too. I certainly do understand the frustrations you have about everything, too, Plan. I guess the only issue that I had was your declaration that I am here telling people what to do. Time after time, I have stated that I am not a physician, and that what I have said here should not substitute for the advise of one's physician. I have never offered medical advise- this has only been research driven. As for what has worked for mom, I acknowledge, more than any other, that it will not work for everyone. If I have highlighted certain tests that I feel would be relevant, I have done so with the acknowledgement that our doctors are not going to be prescribing medical tests because some kid on a web forum believes they may be relevant. I guess my point, Plan, is that I think the reader has to have some common sense having to do with the prospects of what I have said here. I guess that was my biggest issue, Plan.

But let me also say this-As a long standing Type 1 diabetic, I have observed numerous accounts described by many that offer valuable clues having to do with what I myself have "Felt" from time to time as a diabetic. The most glaring similairites seem to involve those symptoms I experienced back as a child when I would occasionally fall into a state of Ketoacidosis for a short duration. Yes, that may have been a long time ago, but just like that time you had Mono or Chickenpox as a child, you don't forget the experience. It becomes embedded, to a degree.

Certain angles of my approach may be unconventional, and if unconventional is required to mean "Uneducated" in the eyes of the beholder, than you have every right to make that determination. I'm not a car salesman, afterall.

In the meantime, I will not deviate from my belief that Celiac Sprue is a dynamic "complication" that is merely a process brought on by other variables, which may be one of, or a combination of any of the following-stress, hormones, metabolic function, liver impairment, amino imbalance, toxicity, and/or a presence of Mycological infection. Possible, though nearly impossible to be able to prove-microscopic parasite of unknown origin.

95% of my opinions are based on the collective pool of articles/interviews written/spoken by the finest physicians in this country, and about two dozen of their books. I did not skim through these, I read each from beginning to end, stopping along the way to clarify any concept that I could not understand.

At that point, there are two remaining issues-pattern recognition, and degree of comprehension. If I have the confidence that I have been able to comprehend the available literature, I hold the confidence within that I will manage to "Beat" any other at pattern recognition, for such has always been the core variable of dominance in my pattern of learning.

Futhermore, any patterns that would show up here would be forwarded on to a university source, as I have specified. I do not have a right to diagnose or recommend, Plantime, but we should all have a right to continue on w/ investigation. And most certainly, to keep the faith alive. That is the way I would respond, Plan, but I do appreciate your response, and its honestly. Thanks.

PS-Thank you to all of those that did take the time to complete the survey. We'll get to it next week. Thanks again so much.

If you're referring to the DQ2 and DQ8, mine were negative, though I am a Type 1 Diabetic. That was also the case for my family member, whose blood and biopsies at one time read positive for Celiac. And that is exactly why I've never bought into this, at least in her case.

Jk, that EXACT description is what I had been experiencing periodically over the past couple of years on rare occasions (About once a month for a couple of days). That's why I eventually decided to get tested for Celiac. All of the tests, including endoscopy, were normal, however.

I'm a Type 1 diabetic that has an insulin pump. The symptoms had gone away for a long time, but a couple of months ago they came back over a 24 hour period-pain in certain "Spots" in the abdomen, nausea, general fatigue, confusion/inability to concentrate, irregular heartbeats, and a rash on the stomach were all observed, all due to an infection that had developed at the site of my pump infusion that I had left in for a day too long (The pump system leaves a tiny catheter under the skin that you inject into the stomach region that delivers the insulin from the pump).

Just to be sure, I had a Protein Electrophoresis test done, as well as the CBC, but everything was normal. Later on, I convinced my physician to put me on an anti fungal, knowing that Candida or any of the other fungal strains can thrive in the presence of any type of catheter left under the skin. Within ten days, I didn't have any "Spinning" or "Dizzy spells," and the nausea was gone a day or two later. The concentration was the last thing to come back, but all of the improvements occured over a ten day period, so the medication was pretty effective. I'm not a fan of any type of prescription medication so I wasn't too happy about taking the drug, but I knew I had to with the type of rash that had broken out.

I started to think about it and realized that all of these "Spells" in the past had been occuring in the presence of one of these minor skin infections that would occassionally form after leaving an infusion set under the skin for too long. I have a blood/fungal culture scheduled in about two weeks with my doctor, so it'll be interesting to see what comes of that. This is exactly why I've been fairly aggressive about highlighting the possibilities of Mycology here. I've been through it.

Hepatoxicity, by definition, means nothing more than liver damage/distress. Depending upon the severity of damage, Hepatoxicity can be a serious condition, or merely one that lingers around for an extended period in the abscence of any severe damage.

Here's a link covering a limited part of what is known about this condition, in basic terminology-

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The article defines for the presence of Hepatoxicity by the following criteria, referenced directly from the article-

"Following criteria were used to define anti-TB drugs-induced hepatotoxicity:

Normalization of liver enzymes level and resolution of signs and symptoms of hepatotoxicity after withdrawal of all anti-TB drugs, and presence of at least one of the following criteria:

o A rise to five or greater than five times the normal level of ALT and/or AST.

o A rise in the level of serum total bilirubin over 1.5 mg/dl.

o Any increase in AST and/or ALT above pretreatment levels together with anorexia, nausea, vomiting and jaundice.

Normal maximum value in the laboratory is 35 IU/L for ALT and 40 IU/L for AST. For ALP normal upper limit is 115 IU/L."

The particular article above may only highlight TB prescription drug- induced Hepatoxicity, but the fact of the matter is that Hepatoxicity can be caused by many, many different prescription drugs. "Google it", and you will be able to see this for yourself.

Now I doubt very much that anybody here is in a state of full fledged Hepatoxicity. But are there signs of the basic pathway present here among some of you? Sure. Why else would some of you be experiencing fluctuations with those liver enzyme counts w/o any rational explanation, afterall.

Beyond prescription drug medications, Hepatoxicity can be caused by alcoholism, OTC drugs (Rare, but it can happen), and/or other forms of toxicity. Skin creams, household cleaners? You bet. Take a look at the following link, and you will see that a skin cream prescribed by Dermatologists has the ability to induce Hepatoxicity-

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Once again, directly quoting from the article here, "The temporal association of Skin Cap use and development of pustular psoriasis along with symptoms and laboratory evidence of hepatotoxicity suggest a probable linkage in these events. Against the background of pre-existing alcohol intake in this patient, it is possible that the additional alcohol content of Skin Cap may have directly precipated pustular psoriasis and hepatotoxicity in this patient."

Further proof of the possible correlation between drug use and Hepatoxicity. I also share this article with you because it is possibly the most legitimite explanation that I have yet to find offering a rational explanation for what may be occuring here for many of you here. As you can see, rather than saying that somebody has Celiac Disease w/ Diabetes, Hypothyroidism, and Lupus/Rheumatoid Arthritis/Lupus, I believe that simply calling this "Amavata" would be a more logical approach. Whether or not all of the symptoms may be present is fairly irrelevant with what I am trying to do here, afterall.Open Original Shared Link

Again, quoting directly from the article-"Unfortunately, each class of drug listed contains a number of unpleasant and potentially dangerous effects, from hepatotoxicity (e.g. NSAIDs, methotrexate, penacillamine), kidney damage (e.g. cyclosporine, penacillamine) to immunodeficiency (e.g. corticosteroids, cyclosporine, methotrexate, penacillamine)."

Two thirds of the population pop that Tylenol, a solid one fifth/sixth have been prescribed corticosteroids at some point in their lifetime, and we've all been given Penicillin here or there, correct?

Before we move on, here is an outstanding resource matching up certain prescription drugs and their potential affects on liver function, basic health,etc. Because 2 out of 3 people who have Celiac Sprue are women, those of you that are female, please make note of the Estradiols and the ability they have to affect the liver bile ducts.

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Of interest here is the growing, documented proof that there may well be a connection between Primary Biliary Sclerosis and Celiac Sprue, as this brief article eludes to. Take note to the fact that this article covers Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a condition that I personally believe may offer a better connection than PBS does, but the two conditions both highlight the same type of condition that would be active. They are quite similar, in other words-

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What I find to be fascinating about this article is that when you compare the symptoms and diseases that are associated to PSC and/or PBS, you find so much of what is taking place here for so many of you. At what point does Celiac Disease essentially "Take its bow" to PBS? The intellectual can see the process for what it is-that of one big "Event," not a pool of collective, individual diseases that may or may not have associations to one another. And I would strongly make the argument that Celiac is the result, not the cause, of the much larger issue at hand, and for good reason. Realistically, what possible good does it do to address this or that part (Lupus, Thyroid, Etc) of the larger mechanism when no real attempt is ever made at getting to the bottom of what is really going on for those of you diagnosed with multiple conditions.

Back to my favorite topic, that being the amino acids. Again, basic concepts, basic terminology, so take a look-

Open Original Shared Link

Quoting once again directly from the article, "Amino acids are also necessary for the manufacture of protein structures required for genes, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters and body fluids. In the central nervous system, amino acids act as neurotransmitters and as precursors to neurotransmitters used in the brain to receive and send messages. Amino acids are also required to allow vitamins and minerals to be utilized properly."

Another important quote from the article-"These proteins are used by the body to construct muscles, bones, organs, glands, connective tissues, nails and hair."-Pretty much everything, I would say.

And, for those that are being lazy by not reading through the links, another direct quote from the article- "Many of the amino acids required to maintain human health can be produced in the liver from proteins found in our diet. These non-essential aminos are: alanine, aspartic acid , asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, and serine."

Contrary to what our doctors are led to believe in medical school, deficiencies of certain aminos can and very much do exist. That is a fact, one that has been proven time and time again in study after study. I once read that your IM physician has one hour of classroom education on the aminos. I was told that they are basically advised to administer glutamine in emergency situations, and to look out for PKU in newborns-that's about it.

We know that Celiac Sprue essentially is represented by an inability for some to properly digest the proteins in gluten, in particular, although there is plenty of evidence here to suggest that many of you are having problems with other protein sources, as well.

Let's look at four of these, in particular. Tyrosine excluded, 2 of these 3 (Tryptophan excluded) are DIRECT members of the non essential class (Produced by the liver-directly). Tryptophan (At one angle, but the following statement is correct, essentially) is than produced by the non-essentials. They give it its power to do its own job, in other words.

If one is to insist on proof in terms of the amount of confusion there is w/ the aminos among various sources, look at Tryptophan. About 1/3rd of the available literature tells us that Tryptophan is a direct "Bi product of the non essentials," another 1/3 (The source below included) believes it to be an "Essential" amino, while another 1/3 believes that Tyrosine is a non essential itself (Contradicting this link), and that it comes to be from a loosely defined metabolic reaction. This group, in particular, seems to believe that it is relatively helpless by itself, meaning that it in no way can be defined as an essential amino, though this statement falls dangerously close to one that can be debated, too.

#1)-Tryptophan (Product of the non essentials)

Open Original Shared Link

#2)-Glutamine (A "non essential," produced by the liver directly)

Open Original Shared LinkGlutamine "Produces" Alanine, and Alanine helps to "Produce" its counterpart, Beta Alanine.

#3)Alanine A "non essential," is produced by the liver, but requires proper Glutamine levels to function properly.

Open Original Shared Link

What this information does not highlight is that two of Alanine's main roles are to assist the body in protein (Gluten), carb (What gluten usually goes along with), and fat metabolism. A deficiency or toxicity of Alanine WILL CAUSE metabolic impairment, that's just a fact. Furthermore, it, along with its "counterpart", Beta Alanine, just so happen to be the body's main defenses against systematic acidity and high cholosterol, which may or may not be able to be traced back to an issue such as PBS.

Kaufmann-cholosterol may be nothing more than an anti-fungal mechanism, but that is where he leaves it, essentially. Kaufmann wonderfully explains for what may be behind several of today's mystery illnesses, that being various fungal agents, but he doesn't make the connection to the PH issues. I would argue that it would be very hard for one to have a systematic fungal infection if the body is not out of balance in some way. Only a long term illness/infection, toxicity, or long term vitamin/mineral/amino deficiency could cause this env't to take hold in the body, therefore allowing for the fungal growth to take place. I take a great deal of interest in the fact Alanine just so happens to have a role in fighting both acidity and cholosterol levels. Its dependance on proper Glutamine levels/function makes this connection all the more intriguing, as does its direct link back over to Tryptophan on the other side.

#4)Tyrosine-You may go look this one up for youself on the web, but just understand that it is believed to be the key player behind Endocrine function. Like I have said before, there will be Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism, possibly even Adrenal or Thymus complication if there is a problem with Tyrosine. Of key interest here is the "War" that is always taking place once again between Tyrosine and Tryptophan for "Passage" into the bloodstream.

What has been discussed here is at the heart of your disease. And remember not to confuse yourself-Aminos represent the "Process," where as conditions like Celiac Sprue, Diabetes, and PBS are the result of an amino imbalance, in the abscense of a confirmed infectious agent.

So it goes without saying that in my last report coming next weekend, the heavy emphasis will be on the overall pathway involved within a connection I have found between the liver, the kidneys and/or the adrenals (Hormones), a possible toxicity or infection, along with the disruption that is bound to occur within the amino profile in the presence of such widespread disruption.

It is my opinion there does exist powerful evidence to support the theory that one's main problem here is either due to a deficiency or toxicity of any of the following-Glutamine, Alanine, Glutathione, B-Alanine, Tryptophan, Glutamic Acid, Tyrosine, and/or Arginine-all of or one of, or a little of both.

But what leads to all of this, you may ask. Is it an active infection, or is it more probable to believe that a toxicity of the liver, however slight that may be, may be at the roots of this disease. Finally, we'll backdoor the connection back over to the adrenals and kidneys. Than, rest assured, I'll be done.

But the process is quite simple (In my own non-medically educated opinion, of course)-I believe there may be somewhat of a direct connection between Celiac Sprue and the liver. It is my belief the problem starts with the liver. In other words, Celiac Sprue is caused by abnormal liver function, for some of you, at least.

What may have the potential to cause one to have abnormal liver function? Prescription medications, alcohol, smoking, vaccine content, illegal drugs, Aspartame/Methanol, the heavy metals. Indirectly, the overuse of corticosteroids could be another potential trigger, as would kidney disease and the indirect effect such complications may bring to the liver.

In the presence of abnormal liver function, there is an increased liklihood that one's non-essential amino profile will become affected, understanding that it has been confirmed that the liver is responsible for the creation of these specific amino acids (The non essentials).

Two of these aminos, in particular, that of Glutamine and Alanine (And Beta Alanine), seem to be at the heart of all of what is going on here, so long that one is to take into consideration that of the relationships of these two aminos with the metabolism of others within the profile.

I find there to be overwhelmning evidence to conclude that there may be a problem here for the majority of people when it comes to Glutamine and Alanine. The problem is that there does exist some confusion as to whether or not such individuals would be deficient or toxic. While the answer may appear obvious, the fact of the matter is that nobody could possibly determine where they are sitting w/ these two until they are tested. There are certain sequences, even medications, that have been known to lead to "Toxic" levels of these two aminos, so the assumption should not be made that one is deficient without having such confirmation in hand by way of medical lab testing.

The basic logic involved in this conclusion should be apparent to the reader. Glutamine, the body's most abundant amino outside of a state of illness, is known to heal (And regulate the overall health of) the GI tract, and to prevent further damage to this system from envt'l/metabolic forces.

Alanine is metabolized from Glutamine, and therefore it is believed by the common majority that Alanine needs Glutamine to do its job, in other words. Alanine's role in gluconeogenesis is extremely powerful, as one can determine from the literature I have presented to you here. It may be the largest player involved in the process of what truly may be at the heart of everything we find here.

The combinations of Alanine and Beta Alanine are known to combat cholosterol. It is an effective agent in glucose control. It is the body's chief weapon against blood acidity. Normal levels of the amino are required for the proper metabolism of proteins, carbs, and fats. Its role is very well established in muscle and connective tissue maintenance. Furthemore, Tryptophan is a very big player when it comes to the relationship it holds with Alanine. Remember, beyond its own extremely important capacities w/ one's health, Tryptophan, by itself, is always in that tug of war game it has with Tyrosine (Endocrine-Glands).

What causes Celiac Sprue? To answer that question, I believe one must first ask the question, "What is wrong with the liver?" Is there actual "damage" w/ the bile ducts? Is it being run down by a medication or alcohol? Is a virus or infection present in the tissue?

If these questions can all be outruled, than an exploration must be done into secondary stressors of the liver (Adrenals and kidneys are the top suspects). If that too can be outruled, than the determination must be made as to what may explain for a deficiency and/or toxicity of certain aminos in the diet. At the top of this particular "Suspect list" would be a blood infection (Fungal or Bacterial. Viral-doubtful) or a toxicity of the bloodstream that has not yet brought verified disruption to the liver's function.

If all of these questions can be answered in a method that would outrule all of these suspicions, I will officially give a select few what they apparently want to hear. For at that given point, I would have no choice but to conclude that Celiac Sprue "Is what it is." I would still make the argument that the sensitivity is triggered by lectin sources rather than gluten, but I would be in line with the overall thought process, at least.

Hi, KL. If you haven't had glucose testing done, I would think about that just so you may rule out diabetes. Anything having to do with blurry vision, you always want to rule out Diabetes in such a case, especially w/ the acknowledgement that Celiac Sprue and Diabetes share the same pathway (Blatently clear for me, at least). If these attacks are occuring within a two hour window of high carb snacks or meals, that would come as a key signal.

Thank you, Kati. And BTW, I do not hold any hate in my heart for Pres. Bush. Truth be told, I believe that he is probably one of the most kind hearted individuals that has ever been in the White House, and I look forward to what he plans to do over the coming four years. I'm not a "Moore liberal," in other words, not by any means. But I am a Democrat, and unfortunately a very small segment of today's Republicans seem to believe that one's Christianity is defined by their politial allegiances. Because I had addressed some of my personal concerns about a few of the healthcare policies in the past, and therefore gave away which side I stand on, I'm not sure if that may be part of the problem that Plan has with me, or not. In any event, that is why I mentioned what I did. But I suppose there may be a a few other reasons for her resentment, too. That's quite possible, given the circus like atmosphere I've gone with here~. Good luck to you now, Kati. You'll be just fine.

Point taken, Kati, and it's a fair one at that. You're a good person, I can see that, and so my comments are not directed at you, in any way. The problem I have with Plantime's approach, Kati, is that she has gone out of her way to discredit me at every oppurtunity that has come for her. In the remaining cases, she has invented them. Plantime is a good person, but she has a nasty side. While others may allow her to boss them around, I will not.

We are adults here, most of us, at least. For the hundreth time, I will point out that I have never once stated that it was appropiate for anyone here to consume gluten, and at what specific point Plantime has come to figure otherwise is beyond my comprehension.

Nor have I ever once given any type of medical advise along the way, and Plantime knows that. For her to say otherwise, that is very unfair. If I have done anything at all, it has been to point out that there may be other variables of consideration, but anyone of any limited intelligence to speak of should understand that no person talking over a computer screen is capable of diagnosing anyone of anything- let alone somebody who is not a doctor, an issue that I have highlighted time and time again.

Plantime's only purpose all along has been to routinely undermine my opinion at every oppurtunity she gets, to discredit. Whether she is doing this purposely or as part of some sub conscious action, I don't know.

But what she is going to understand here and now is that I will not tolerate it. Like everyone else here, Plantime is ill. She's not feeling well because she has a disease. I hold great compassion for her when it comes to that issue, as I do for everyone else. But unless she is on Morphine, or a drug similar to it, that gives her no right to treat me or any of the others here with such nasty resentment. Even in my tyrades that were designed only to attract attention, I never went after any one person's competancy or intelligence. And that was when I was purposely trying to be mean.

Now I will applaud her for being such a strong supporter of the gluten free lifestyle, but will offer her no respect for her refusal to believe that other issues may be at work her when we have certain people here going to the ER on a monthly basis because of their failing health.

I understand that I am bound to lose respect by many for taking my shots at the medical community, or to go so far as to say that their approach is wrong in certain areas. But to disagree with the medical community in these precise fields is not to say that my opinion is right, either, you must understand that.

Now, when it comes to amino acid metabolism, in particular, I have been told by three different physicians that they "Don't know a thing about them." That's a direct quote by two, I'm paraphrasing for the other. Well I do, and would feel comfortable about my chances in a quiz with any IM doc down at the stripmall, I will tell you that much.

There cannot be anything more important to one's health, to medicine itself, than that of the amino acid family. Once again, for the hundreth time, they are exactly what they are described to be-"The building blocks of life."

Eric Braverman, MD, and Carl Pfeiifer, MD, just so happen to be physicians as their titles should elude one to, and they have PROVEN time and time again that of the power behind the aminos. In these studies, they have also managed to have proven that particular health issues are bound to rise in a state of deficiency of this or that amino.

Now, if I am to find a great deal of fascination in two or three specific sequences these DOCTORS lay out in their research as they may POTENTIALLY relate to this disease (In my opinion, of course), I would ask anybody why it would NOT be my duty to share that with others so that they may discuss such issues WITH THEIR DOCTORS if it deemed relevant by their DOCTORS, especially when I hold in my hands TWO specific lab panels that verify such "Deficiencies."

From that point, in terms of actual, specific medical "Terminology," why wouldn't I point out a few of those possibilities that would relate to the adrenal/kidney/metabolic function. There is overwhelmning evidence here to SUSPECT there may be active autoimmunity here IN SOME. As a matter of fact, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Celiac Sprue just so happens to be considered that of an auto immune disease in and of itself, does it not?

I can confirm this much for Plan-if our country's doctors would begin to give adrenal function its fair due, than I couldn't begin to tell you what impact that would have on autoimmunity, as we know it. And as you yourself proclaim, Kati, we live in a free country, so I should be able to say what I have here. But not in the opinion of Plantime, evidently. That is my issue here, Kati.

"I checked out your link, and it told me nothing. Are you trying to second guess what's wrong with my body? Show me your medical degree first."

That's good, Plan, just wanted you to read that, that's all. I haven't asked you any other questions, Plan, and you know I was not "Attempting to diagnose you" of anything. I don't think that anyone has to be a physician to find some suspicion abou the health of somebody who cannot consume caffeine because they're too dehydrated in the first place. Who would not want to make such a person aware of such possibilities as diabetes or Sjogren's in that scenario.

Plantime, and I address the beginning part of this to you as well, Smith, I believe that I have displayed overwhelming caution not to give advise to anybody here along the way. I am well aware of the fact that it is not my right to do so, and have not done what you are apparently attempting to accuse me of, Plantime, nor will I at any point. In one of my first posts, I came fairly close to recommending a couple of vitamins, at which time Judy corrected me on the spot. I than removed it hastly. As for some of the tests that I have talked about, are we robots here? Do you honestly believe that a doctor is going to be approving MRIs and stool cultures because of the advise of someone on a web forum who repeatedly points to the fact he is not a doctor? Common, Plantime.

As for the reason I am doing this, in the event that something does show up in terms of the medications or any symptoms relating to adrenal burnout, I would than ask whether or not it was permittable to send that information to a university source. In other words, if 12 people were to take this survey, and nine of them happened to have been taking this or that medication prior to the onset of symptoms, I than would ask EVERYONE whether or not it was ok to simply state "9 out of 12 people with confirmed Celiac Disease were taking medication X prior to the onset of symptoms. Would this be relevant?"

That is all that I would send off-that's it. I would not include any other information to speak of, and I would never do so without receiving permission from all of those that actually took part in the survey.

What possible harm is there in this, Plantime, would you please tell me that much if you have such a problem with what I am doing here? For you to even hint at the possibility that I would have any other intention in a survey like this has to just about be the most ridiculous concept I can imagine. And even if you were right about me, what on earth do you imply a person could ever do with this type of information?! I don't know anybody's name, I don't know where they live. And even if I knew that much, what on earth kind of "Fraud" (That is your implication, is it not?) could a person do with this type of information?! Your entire logic of suspicion makes no sense. You know what you are doing here, Plantime, and that is you're just trying to be nasty, probably because of my refusal to stand beside that "Beloved Christian, Mr. Bush." I know your type.

There are Christians who stand beside our Father out of the love we hold within for

His heart, than there are those who stand beside Him only because of their fear of death. Usually one can determine who stands where pretty easily. For a person like yourself to attach one of the Bible's most treasured versus within each of your posts, but than behave in the way you so often do, I find that to be a bit hypocritcal. There comes the day when we must all take a look into the mirror and stand there a very long time. I've done that many times myself. You may be due.

As a diabetic who was diagnosed quite young, I have had to live with the prospects of death for a long time. Throughout, however, I have realized that I was also given a calling in life, as well. And just for your sake of mind personally, Plantime, no, this is not it~. We all are, as a matter of fact. And so, I have recognized from the very beginning that I will live a long life, and I will continue to achieve big things along the way. And it has been that precise mindset that is the reason behind the fact that I am sitting here today with absolutely no complications to speak of. I have never lived a day without having within the hope that tomorrow will be another wonderful day. Without that, there is not a doubt in my mind that I would have had complications from this disease.

Another embedded principal is that I simply cannot stand seeing other good people in poor health. One of the first times I came here, an individual wrote me that was in her 50's that had a wide array of autoimmune disease. She wasn't supposed to even be around any longer after all of the terrible things the poor little thing had been through in life with her health. But she was a fighter, I could see that. I remember that she was so thrilled because of the years she had ahead of her to spend with her little grandaughter. I made that person, and others, the promise that I would do everything in my power to see to it that I would take this to the end. Most will look at such a declaration and attach a "Childish, disillusioned" label beside my name, and it's their choice to do that. But that will not take away from my ambition. I have never once failed at anything I've tried to do, and I do not intend to with this, either.

While people like you evidently can ignore the fact that there are a couple of children here who are missing out on fun things during what should be their best years of life, or you can ignore the fact that several of those here are retiring individuals who deserve to spend their golden years in good health, I'm not going to do that.

While the vast majority of the verbal attacks that I have made here were nothing more than an attempt to keep the focus brewing, in two of those cases that was not the reason. The explanation for those two specific outbursts had to do with the concept that some of you were riding my butt when the only thing that I have been trying to do all along is help. We have become such a "Me first" society today, it's absolutely terrible. "As long as I'm doing fine, who cares." Sadly, that is what's become of us. Even those that had a good heart at one time have fallen into this trap, but I'm not going to do that.

So if there are sick people here who have done everything that's been asked of them but they are not improving, Plantime, you go right ahead and continue to attack them w/ your judgments. You keep telling them that they are not following the "Golden diet," even though that's exactly what they've been doing for a year or more, without success.

In the meantime, I have clearly acknowledged the strong possibility that nothing will come of this survey. But at least I will have made the effort to see if there was anything more that may come as relevance. If nothing comes of it, someone like you will be the first to say, "What a waste of time." Thankfully, I would hope that a couple of others will realize that it was an attempt at something more, at least.

When I say that I can prove there is no such thing as Celiac Sprue, that doesn't mean that I intend to "Cure it," for goodness sake. I am merely referring to the process involved. The only contention I have made is that I believe there is a "Switch" that can be flicked on that may vastly improve one's health. And that's exactly what happened in our own case. You, ma'am, are not going to tell me otherwise.

In this quest, I have not gone against anything advise given to her by her various physicians. Now I will admit that I have done that in my own medical case, truth be told, but not her own. I merely took a critical look into her medications, and performed a great deal of research on natural alternatives that I thought may be of help. And low and behold, it just so happened to have worked.

But that doesn't mean this would work for everybody- I would never, ever say that. Every system is different. But the fact remains that when a certain OTC therapy helped to lower her lipids, and the removal of another drug brought with it further success to her own, individual case, I'm just not going to ignore what happened. Now, as further diagnostic tests come in to support this conclusion in her individual case, don't you think for a moment that I'm going to sit back here and be undermined by you about what has taken place in her own case!

Nor will I allow you to undermine me when it comes to my educational achievements. I achieved my MBA in 5 years at the age of 22. No, I did not graduate from Harvard, but it was a big 10 school, so I'm pretty happy about that end of things, Plantime, regardless of what somebody you may think of me.

While this does not qualify me as an "Expert of medicine," not in the slightest, I maintain the belief that I, or anyone else here holds within the intellectual abilities to use a computer to research a couple of medicines and health conditions, for goodness sake. So when I say, "Look at this condition, or "See what this does," I certainly am not making the declaration that everybody has this or that given condition. We are not computers here, are we? Do we not have the God given ability to understand such an implication?

If a weblink to this or that disease is offered, and a reader believes that it may accurately describe what is going on with them, what possible harm is done if he/she than were to go to their physican and inquire about the possibility? From that point, if the doctor believes that you don't have the condition, than you don't! But if he/she believes it may be relevant to the situation, than he'd want to test for it. It seems quite silly to me that you would think otherwise.

As you may have read in the Sjogren's article, on average it takes physicians six years or more before they come to accurately diagnose the condition once the symptoms have started. The same timetable is involved with Celiac Sprue. There is even a year long period involved with diabetes. If it took any of my account reps to perform such tasks, I couldn't keep them around. So, while we must thank today's physicians for their many wonderful achievements, as a whole they could do a far better job, on the same hand, I would contend. At the very minimum, patients themselves can try to do what they can to determine what is happening along the way to see if it may ring a bell.

To the delight of many, I'm sure, yourself included, you have a week and a half left to put up with me. After I submit the paper I will have no choice but to leave for good, as I have made note of several times. Once that is in, people can do with it what they so choose to do w/ their physicians in the event it can be determined to be of any relevance. And yes, for your own good, be advised that I will not be telling anybody to do anything at all. From that point on, however, it will be up to each individual to carry on with their own research as it relates to that of their own individual case. My biggest wish all along has been to show a few of the others that there may just be a little more to all of this than meets the eye. And if I can manage to highlight the outlines, I hold every bit of confidence in many different people here that they will be able to draw in the rest.

"I don't care how important this is for your research! I give my doctor this info, not some stranger on a public message board!"

Yeah, that's just fine, Plan, I understand. You just do me the favor than of checking out this link, all I ask for from you, deal? As you say, I'm not the doctor so I'm certainly not qualified or attempting to diagnose you here with anything whatsoever. Most of the autoimmune conditions involve dehydration to some degree, but you just look at this for me, fair enough? Nothing to panic about, it's just always nice to know about as much as we can with all of this you are going through.

Open Original Shared Link

In response to your suggestion (And you are right to suggest such) turtle, I will do that here. In my own case, all three blood tests read negative for Celiac. Last June, I demanded an Endoscopy just to be sure, and there was nothing to be found. Therefore, it has been certified in my own case that I do not have Celiac Disease. According to the available literature, however, depending on source, there is almost no room to conclude that I should not have Celiac Sprue as a longstanding, juvenile Type 1 Diabetic.

So what gives? Well, it will take them upwards of 25 years to figure this out, but I know now the only reason I don't have "Celiac Disease" is because there may only be a total of a dozen other Type 1 diabetics of my variety in the world with an A1C under 5%, which is where I stand currently (The Diabetes Association recommends that any diabetic try to stay below 7%-I would guess the average Type 1 Diabetic comes in at around 8%, so I've been pretty lucky w/ things).

But what I will do, Turtle, is answer for my family member, w/ a brief explanation as to why the question is being asked. By establishing this pattern of rationale upfront, I must acknowledge that doing so will essentially "Ruin" this poll to a degree. To Deb, celiac3270, and Strack (Bless you for your willingness, Strack-that's just fine), I thank you very much for your participation. Let's see if anything comes of it now.

K Turtle, here we go-

#1)1999-Prescribed Maxzide for fluid retention/borderline blood pressure condition, 25mg. Was prescribed Atenolol, 50mg, at the same time.

#2)Late 2001-Prescribed Metformin, 50mg, following diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and Celiac Sprue. Begin's Nature's Way supplementation, including Multi for Women 50+, Folic Acid, Cal/Mag, Omega 3, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Q10, Potassium, 99mg

2003/2004, Winter/Spring-Placed On Crestor, 20mg. Two different 30 day periods, the first resulting in illness and inflated liver enzymes, improves after medication is stopped. Tries another round later in the summer, this time tests show kidney impairment diagnosed as "Complication of Diabetes." I advise her to stop the medication. Repeat Metabolic/Creatine panel done the following month reveals perfect metabolic function.

Direct Culprit of elevated liver enzymes/"Kidney Damage caused by Diabetes"-Crestor. Panels performed two weeks ago from this day reveal perfect metabolic and liver functions. Doctor's request was to continue Crestor and add ACE inhibitor at that time.

2004, Spring-Begins Garden of Life Enzyme Therapy. Stops taking medication in summer due to unexplained health concerns.

2004, Summer-Begins taking Culturelle Probiotic (Acidophillus) for a three month period. Begins GNC Milk Thistle, Natrol Green Tea/Grapeseed/Aloe Vera formulas. Stops taking after three months. Switches from Metformin to Glipizide due to health concerns. Later switched to Amayrl, 1mg, now off of medication.

Begins Natrol Beta Glucan, 20mg, supplementation- takes for three months, than stops.

2004, Fall-Begins Natrol Beta Glucan, 20mg Supplementation once again. GNC Glutamine, Carnitine, and Glutathione supplementation added. Takes for a three month period, than quits.

Garden of Life Fungal Defense formula, one bottle only. Begins taking Enzymatic Therapy IP-6, stops after two months.

Begins Nature's Way Olive Leaf Extract and Kyolic Garlic therapy, stops taking in December because of rapid improvements to health.

November-withdraws from Atenolol completely following month long withdrawal, Maxzide reduced to 1/2 25mg pill.

(Reason for questions-to access potential pre, post medication involvement with secondary complications.)

18-24 month window between the onset of symptoms and the addition of two medications, in her case.

Improvement begins toward the later part of 2004. Potential links w/ medication-Addition of Beta Glucan/Olive Leaf Therapy, Atenolol/Metformin/Crestor removal, in this individual case. )

#3)Gluten, Wheat, Barley, Milk, Soy, Almonds, Pepper.

#4)MN (To judge whether the individual is located in Mississippi or Ohio river valleys, where Giardia have been detected in water supplies).

#5)Anemia in 1994 due to cycle irregularity-immediately improves with Iron therapy, never has returned. The onset of symptoms appeared in 1999, one month prior to being officially diagnosed.

#6)Slight abd'l pain and mild systematic pain at time of diagnosis- involving lower back and front thigh regions (Fibromyalgia, supposedly). Systematic pain began 9-12 months prior to the onset of Celiac Related symptoms. Remained at that level until full removal of gluten in 2003. Upon removing all sources of gluten, her pain intensified to such a degree that it required surgery to treat Spinal Stenosis in 2004. Pain is basically gone today.

#7)1 or 2 at the time, now 5-7 per day over the last couple of months.

#8)Peptic Ulcers in Jan, 2004. Fully healed upon repeat endoscopy.

#9)Some sleep problems remain.

#10)Began receiving annual flu shots in 1998. Pneumonia vaccine in 2001.

#11)I think you've heard it all by now. Many various specialized panels. 24hr urine amino panel revealed high Tyrosine/low Tryptophan. Deficiencies in Alanine, Carnitine, Glutamic Acid, and Glutamine were observed, excess Histadine and Ammonia. Biopsy of Thyroid was benign. CT scan of abdomen was normal. ACTH/Adrenal scan w/ Catecholones reveal adrenal insufficiency caused by previous Prednizone therapy. Outstanding improvement has been noted with Bovine treatment. Echo shows minor valve damage from childhood Rheumatic Fever, no progression for some 25 years. Specialized Adrenal/Sex Hormones panel revealed low levels of Aldosterone, Pregnenolone, DHEA, high Androsterone, low Cortisol/Cortizone. All others were relatively normal, including catecholones. Blood culture testing, though not definitive in this case, lead to suspicions for the presence of a fungal strain of Blastomyces Dermatidis. Echos and Holter show some prebeats, believed to have been caffeine induced. PET scan was normal. Bone scan was normal. Blood, urine, and hair heavy metal tests have all revealed excess Mercury presence that is slightly high, treatment coming. PCR-Candidiasis normal. Blood lactate (Vein) was 17.4, which is high, regardless of what the established ref range has to say about it, in my opinion (19.8 is max for vein draw). A 5 day antibiotic course w/ sodium bicarbonate was prescribed due to the assumption of Lactobacilli Overgrowth, though it is not directly related to Lactate %. Metabolic ethanol detected in bloodstream (Very small, though slightly suspicious), though she doesn't drink. Blood PH-7.4 (Slightly Alkaline).

Read negative for gliadin/Celiac Sprue on all three tests last month. Awaiting biopsy results of Endoscopy performed last week, though if I'm not mistaken I believe I heard the good doctor say "Everything looks pretty good" along the way. Remember now, he has not been told that she has "Celiac Sprue." My specially designed plot, of sorts~.

#12)Awaiting follow up to ask for consecutive cultures.

#13)--

#14)Would not be in my best interests to answer this one either way.

#15)Typical "Dose per year" antibiotic therapy throughout life. Established pattern of 5-7 day Hydrocortizone "Showers" at different periods throughout 1999-2002 being recommended in this country by a retired doc who should have his *&% sued into the ground.

#16)She's had the equivalent to a 12 pack of beer in her lifetime. There is a connection with beer to all of this, however, all of you better not forget this warning. One fourth of all daily beer consumers in this country will develop Celiac Sprue during, or after they stop drinking. Mark my words.

#17)Yes, most do. Fairly irrelevant question, but is one used to confirm for the presence of basic metabolic imbalance.

#18)Maxzide causes dry mouth/dehydration. The duiratics have been known to cause Type 2 Diabetes. Question also is used to detect for possibility of hormone involvement-anti duiratic hormone and aldosterone, mainly.

#19)Since going on Maxzide, yes. We all only seem to hit the panic buttons when the bowels are affected, but there is a valuable clue to be offered here if one is experiencing both frequent urination and diarrhea together. If one has Diabetes, frequent urination, and loose/watery stools, that by itself essentially invalidates the thought that person would have Celiac Sprue, as it is defined.

#20)They moved into a new home the very year she was diagnosed. They built a lake home within a nine month window of that. Homes that are less than three years old or are older than 50 years are the perfect env't for mold growth. No direct correlation to Celiac, per say, but this would possibly explain for a few of those coughs and stuffy noses. The concept is the same for a few here, but one is merely an inconvience, while the other is a very real condition.

#21)They have a 12 foot tree sitting in their living room, and everytime I go over there my eyes become glazed, and my father's been coughing for two years now. Again, no correlation to Celiac Sprue, just gauging for additional allergies.

#22)Stress causes Celiac Sprue, and there is absolutely nothing harder on the body than sleep deprivation. Believe it or not, I was a pretty normal guy 6 months ago. I've never been tolerant of lazy people or those that lack effort, but that's about it. I'm even laid back by nature, truth be told.

Over the past few months, however, not only have I been bordering on a Schizophrenic-like state~, but nearly a half dozen other major personality shifts have taken place as well. Obsessive compulsive characteristics, poor grammar, lack of focus, an odd rash or two on my arms and pain in some of my glands I have noticed at different times-all due to physical stress on the body because of lack of sleep. Specifically, something called sleep deprivation. Normally I function well anywhere between 4.5-7 hours of sleep per night, but my average over the past four months, in particular, has been 2-3 hours. I've seen first hand what stress, specifically, that of sleep deprivation, can do to a person.

There's a gas station a couple of blocks down the road from me where I've been going to get something to eat on occasion late at night. Working there is a lady that is probably in her late 30's that literally looks like a linebacker. I've never quite seen anything like it before. She's not necessarily overweight, not at all, but she literally looks like a man, neck down. Big muscular shape, what looks to be like a slight beer gut, but a skinny waste-sounds like your typical 35yr old male, doesn't it?

She's worked overnights since she was 17 years old, she tells me. Now if you don't believe me that there's something behind sleep and it's relation to all of the hormones, than you've never been awake past midnight to see some of these people. If sleep is a problem for anyone here, read Baker's "Circadian Prescription." One of the better summaries to be found on that internal timeclock.

#23)No. But if this would accurately describe any of you here, I would suggest you read up a little more about those adrenal glands. I have always found suspicion in the association between some of these prebeats/panic issues and a condition called Pheochromocytoma.

For those of you that do not fit the classic Celiac profile, this is what it will boil down to for you in the end, that of an adrenal burnout issue. Those with an active inflammatory response, those that signal for the presence of hormonal imbalance, I'm not so sure that it should come as a coincidence the entire scope falls between that Pituatory/Thymus/Adrenal connection.

And it shouldn't, because that's what it is. Go back and read about the JFK story, than ignore the debate of "Was it Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac, or Crohn's?" Forget that, look at the bigger picture, and you will see the question really should be, "Why are the adrenals involved in all of these conditions among different people?"

#24)In her case, the argument that lower Estrogens may have played a part has to maintain relevance, I suppose. 2 out of 3 of those with IBS and/or Celiac are women, afterall. That should tell us something, I would think. Again, there are so many different things going on among the members in this forum that you cannot begin to approach it without going on a case by case basis. Do Type 1 Diabetics have such a broad range of symptoms like you people do, as a whole? Sure, depending on the level of control, the complication risks are different. Some may have active autoimmunity present while others do not, but in the larger picture Diabetes is what it is, as is the case with most diseases.

In this forum, however, we have some of you experienced a wide array of relating complications, while others sit back with 100% improvement, even though you have both removed gluten from the diet. Some can't sleep, others sleep too much. Some have abdominal pain, others do not. Some of you act normal, others do not. Some represent symptoms that are highly more characteristic of Sjogren's, where others seem to have no inflammatory responses to speak of. Most of you show some evidence of limited Autonomic Neuropathy, but for the most part we seem to have about 7 specific subclasses all going in different directions. Doesn't add up, that much is clear based on what we have been told about Celiac Sprue.

#25)Retirement.

(Stress ='s adrenal's ='s, under the right env't, inflammation)

#26)She was aggressive for a month before and after being diagnosed. Other than that things have been normal, outside of those periods when she started other new medications.-If there is a concern about Gastroparesis and/or Autonomic Neuropathy here, those that are aggressive would tend to match that type of profile to a better degree. Yet, because we know that many Celiacs have gone decades w/o such complication, it's not a major concern, either, but one that should be of relevance, at least the basic ideology.

#27)I don't know in her case. For those that wake up in the morning and have had problems right off the bat prior to eating, that would almost seem to point to something in addition to, or beyond Celiac.

#28)Toast and coffee person. She's felt much better since changing over to an early morning protein emphasis. She sat for years eating that terrible rice bread that made her every bit as sick as gluten bread ever did. Change to early day protein has been fantastic for her health.

#29)Red flushing periodically, more pale complexion somewhat over the past few years. Flushing was enough of a concern that I ordered a 5-HIAA 24 urine-that and the Catecholones were perfect. Those with a red face, that's almost a given there is something hormonal at work. One guy contends that everyone who cannot get a tan has gluten sensitivity, basically what he tries to say.

#30)No. 8 brothers and sisters-4 of which have had just about every autoimmune condition you could think of. All 8 tested negative, 2 had endoscopies-negative.

#31)Yes. Pretty big clue here.

#32)Pretty bizarre concept behind Kinerase cream, which she used for about two years. I forget the ingrediant, but I ran across a couple of articles having to do with Celiac propaganda that went after three different ingrediants that's in four different brand named skin creams and a lipstick the companies are saying is gluten free,. but that's not the case according to the author, evidently. I have it saved on the computer somewhere so I can put it up later on if need be. She's always been heavy into the makeup/beauty creams, so if some of them here believe this stuff is actually relevant, just felt we better throw it out here.

#33)A "Congestion," "Bulge-like" feeling above the heart may signal Thymus involvement. That CBC blood test you always have is a test of "All the stuff" produced by either the bone marrow or thymus gland, essentially. Your immune system IS your Thymus gland, where the inflammatory response is controlled by the hormones/adrenals, essentially. Lots of evidence to show that vaccinations may "Clog up" this particular gland.

#34)Pets = germs/parasites, in particular. 25% of all human Giardia infections are believed to come from pets. One year prior to her symptoms a family pet passed away. He was an older cocker spaniel that had been experiencing diarrhea terribly at the end. it was probably his time to go, but I always found that a little suspicious, too. The vet said it was related to older age, but he never confirmed that, either. Always the thought process that he may have contracted a parasite and passed it on somehow, etc. doubtful possibility.

#35)Yes she does, and it's vitally important, though you should not over do it, either.

#36)She is more quiet, but confident. Question drives at the basic concepts of IBS more than it does Celiac. Same for #37 and 38.

#37)False, on her part. This has all been my work~.

#38)Yes and no, on her part.

#39)it is my belief this is probably the most distinctive question that one could ever ask a patient with Celiac. In her case, I have not noticed any changes along the way, outside of when she was in her most severe pain, obviously. Pretty important concept here-"Those with Celiac may develop personality changes." That part is acknowledged, but it is never asked why that is the case. Back to the Tryptophan/Tyrosine connection-right here.

#40)10 or more cups per day, than. Now, 7-8.

Caffeine causes dehydration. There is some relevance here, believe it or not. If Maxzide, a duiratic, can cause Type 2 Diabetes, and most Celiacs go onto develop Diabetes....No this is not it, but any and all issues of dehydration need to be looked at, too.

#41)Newer house, so yes. The question is irrelevant to Celiac, or any issue at all to do with any of this. I have taken this overboard, but I'm not going this far, rest assured. Question was asked to gauge the type of response one would give to the question. Because I have given that away now, no need for anyone to answer this .

#42)Same premise as #41, irrelevant to Celiac Sprue.-void, now

#43)Same premise as others, irrelevant to Celiac Sprue-void, now

#44)Irrelevant to Celiac but believe it or not, "Tide" has always provoked a skin rash in me and my siblings. They have no immune issues to speak of, but we all used to get the rash on the legs and back of the arms from anything washed with this specific detergent.

#45)Further investigation into adrenal burnout. In her case, no.

#46)TF. Short term use ok, but otherwise you're playing with fire (Just my opinion).

#47)Believe it or not I came across a paper on this by a guy that says you can judge whether or not one will have autoimmunity by this (Another theory relating to "Psycho Autoimmunity"). If you write with your right hand, but kick with your left leg, you are a prime candidate for autoimmunity, according to this gentleman's opinion. He went so far to do a fairly big study on it I do believe~. Coincidentally, I myself do just that. There was only one other diabetic in my grade school classes during childhood, and he too worked the same way, I remember that. "Bats left, throws right." Sports fans know what that means in baseball. The basis of his formula is that "Internal subconscious conflict/trauma ='s stress ='s adrenal burnout ='s inflammation/potential autoimmunity, etc. Quite Irrelevant I'm sure, but I found it interesting.

#48)A yes here is supportive of Myasthis Gravis, in my view, one of the many autoimmunes w/ incomplete theory, but probably describes what is going on here for some better than just about all the rest.

#49)Indirectly specific to Hydrocholoric Acid imbalance, an acid that works alongside those enzymes you are lacking. Is also a well established symptom of Candidiasis. In her case, this was active for about nine months, though it has improved signifigantly over the past year.

#50)In my opinion, the way the answers to these 2 questions fall tell one whether or not they have been accurately diagnosed. In her case, she has never lost any dramatic kind of weight. I don't think that it's ever really changed. She is probably what would be termed as being very mild obese, and that hasn't changed throughout.

"Ridiculously comprehensive?" Yes. But if everyone here was to share their personal histories with others, those that have been confirmed to have Celiac Sprue, you just never know if something may pop up along the way. 95% chance that nothing would come of it, "But what if?" Given the position so many here find themselves in, my view, as it has always been in life, is that any extra effort is worth the time, regardless of the end result. You always win at some point, and so long that the only standard of judgment is "Extra effort," there are no losses.

If it's ok with you folks, I am going to divide this series of questions into 2 batches. This first batch, listed below, will require precise answers from anyone choosing to participate. Though I do include a few T or F's on this one, the 2nd batch I intend to post later this week will be a round of simple "Yes" or "No" questions, so this is the one that may be a bit more difficult.

I am looking for many different patterns when it comes to some of the questions that I will be asking you. So, while some of these may appear highly irrelevant to you at the time, please do understand that I am a believer that a pre-existing endocrine imbalance may be in place for a large number of those experiencing complications, and that is why a few of these may appear irrelevant to the naked eye in regards to any association they may have to what is known about Celiac Disease.

A few others will appear to be highly irrelevant to the issue at hand. In those cases, I will admit up front that they probably are. Yet, if we've come this far with this, I just don't want to leave any possibility out of the loop whatsoever, as ridiculous as some of the questions may seem, and quite likely are. So if I happen to ask about a household plant along the way, please just be patient with me~.

If there are any questions that you would feel uncomfortable answering, just skip right past it. I fully understand those issues, and I'm certainly not demanding this must be done my way. Everything is up to you, personally.

My first question will be one that asks you about medication, one of the most critical relationships I believe there may be to Celiac. Now I fully understand that some of you may be hesitant to list an anti-depressant or a birth control drug here. If you are taking one of these medications (And I am in no way implying there is any direct link between Celiac and these drugs, I only highlight them because of the issue I am addressing here), please understand that I, nor anyone else here has any entitlement to judge anyone for taking such medication. We live in a day and age when anti-depressants are the most commonly prescribed medications on the market, afterall, so if you're not taking one, your neighbor certainly is, you know?

If anyone would have justification for being on one of them it would be you poor things, afterall, so please do not have any embarrassment about listing it if you are taking one. As for birth control pills, many, if not the majority of those women taking these medications do so for pain, etc. My point simply is there is not any medication that anyone needs to be embarrassed about listing, especially when we are dealing with a much larger issue here to begin with.

It is up to you whether or not you will find the time to go through this. Please understand that you have my assurances that each and every lead will be followed to the fullest extent. I doubt you will ever again come across a two part survey that will be this detailed, so this is everyone's chance to really try to go after some of the more precise detail. For any of those that may take the time to go through this, I can't ever thank you enough for your cooperation. We're going to get you better-that was my promise than, as it is now. You just hang in there now and be proud of what you have done for yourself thus far. Thanks again to everyone.

Do understand this information will never be published, even referenced without every participant's approval, in the event any sort of a major pattern would show up. I hope everyone understands by now that I am doing this out of my own townhome, and nobody is standing beside me, so it's just between us. And no, I am not going to take this and go write a book, either~. I was only trying to stir up the pot with all of that dialogue back than. K, here it is. Thanks again.

-------------------------------------------------------

#1) Please list any and all medications that you were taking at the time you can trace back to being the onset of your Celiac-related symptoms. Please include all vitamins and OTC (Tylenol, etc) drugs/supplements, too. If possible, please be specific about brand name and dose with each medication (Water pill='s Maxzide 25 mg, multi vitamin ='s Centrum one a day, etc), as well as how long you were taking the medication up to the exact point of when you began to experience your symptoms. If you cannot remember a drug's name, just simply try to list the type of drug you believe it was, if possible. Precise detail here is key, but don't worry about that if you cannot fully account for what you may have been taking, on the same hand.

#2)Have these medications/vitamins changed since that time you can trace back as being the onset of your Celiac symptoms? Meaning, if you were taking Tylenol at the time you were diagnosed, but you do not take Tylenol any longer, list that here. In other words, if you began taking Tylenol in 91, noticed your first symptoms that were consistent with Celiac in 95, than stopped taking the drug in 98, try to do all you can to point these issues out here, if possible. If you don't, I will assume that any med/supplement that isn't listed under #2 you are still taking to the day. Also, please indicate how long it has been that you've been taking any and all of your current medications/otc's.

(Here is what I would be looking for in #1 and #2-

The first possible signs of Celiac came on in 1997, though I was diagnosed in 2000.

In 1995 I began taking a Centrum every day.

In 1996 I started taking Tylenol for an aching back, 2 capsules daily.

In 1997 I was prescribed Atenolol, 50 mg, and Maxzide, 25mg.

In 1999 I stopped taking Atenolol, and was prescribed Cardiozam instead, 10mg, etc, at which time I stopped taking Maxzide, too.

In 1999 I switched from Centrum to One a Day.

In 2000 I started to take Natrol brand Omega 3, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green Tea, and Selenium-etc, etc

I'm being a major pain in the $%^ here, I know that. But again, if there is any correlation to speak of between the onset of Celiac symptoms and certain medications (And I'm not saying there is, even, but if..), this is going to be your one chance as a group to either prove or discount such theory. You don't have to include 1 or 2 month trials of every single thing that you've been on, but anything you have taken for over 6 months, I would that to be relevant within this particular scope of things, that's just the fact.

#3) Besides those foods containing gluten, what other food sources are you suspicious of? Try to list them all, and be specific. For those of you that have had RAST or ELISA panels run on multiple foods, share all of that, if willing. Try to be as specific as possible within each food class. If you can tolerate butter but not margerine, indicate that as a sidenote. If apples make you sick, but not oranges, highlight that. If you can tolerate cottage cheese, but not yogurt, please make note of that, too. You get the picture.

Example-nuts (Peanuts and Cashews), oranges, grapes, ketchup, dairy (margarine and cottage cheese, mainly).

#4) Region of the country or state where you live right now. Citizens of Canada list where you are, too, please. Is this where you living at the time of the onset of your symptoms? If not, please indicate where you were living than.

#5) Your age and the year (Roughly, if need be) you associate back to the onset of your symptoms.If you have ever read for low iron and/or any form of anemia, please specify that here, too.

#6)Have you experienced abnormal pain or fatigue that seems to correlate with the onset of your symptoms? If so, did this begin before or after you removed gluten from the diet? Location of pain, too (Abdominal, knees, joints-or-systematic in nature).

#7)How many glasses of water per day do you drink, roughly?

#8)List any and all related conditions that correlate with your Celiac. If you have Type 2 Diabetes, and/or Fibromyalgia, and/or Lupus, list them all here, if possible. Include any that you suspect you may have, but don't get carried away here, either, if you know what I mean.

Also, please include any past health matters that may of interest. You don't have to include a "Cold in 1987," in other words, but if you had Peptic Ulcers at some point, please list that, and at what point you had that. Same goes for Mono, Rheumatic Fever, Gallstones-I'm sure you get the picture.

Example-Had Mono as a teenager, Peptic Ulcers in 1988, etc.

#9)List any all of the current health symptoms you are currently experiencing. Pain? Tingling in the face? Cold Hands? Chills? Difficulty swallowing? Labored breathing? Exhaustion/fatigue? Sleeping problems? Female pains? Repeated infection? Dry mouth/dehydration?-Everything, if possible. How long have you been experiencing each individual symptom? Have they improved, or have they only come on since removing gluten sources from the diet?

#10)Vaccination history. Do you go in for flu shots? When did you start having them? Do you have them annually? Did you begin having them prior to or after the that period you trace back as being the onset of your Celiac symptoms? Try to think of all of them you had within a ten year window of being diagnosed. Do you have any other types of shots on an ongoing basis (Allergies, some diabetics-insulin, B12, etc). Are you between the ages of 25-35? If so, your childhood round of vaccine took place in the 70's, so try to indicate those specifics, too, if possible.

#11)List any medical tests, other than Endoscopy, that have returned abnormal findings that would be of relevance here. We have read that some Celiac patients show elevated Eosinophils, for instance. Do you know if this has shown up in your case? Any abnormalities in the other differentials? Have you had antibody testing (Immunoglobulins)? What was the result? What about a blood/fungal culture? Have you ever been given a tear test, or tested for the SSA antibody? Please include hormonal tests that you have had. Have your Estrogens/Testosterone/Progesterone been abnormally low? Are they high? Is one low, the others normal? If so, which one? As much as I can get out of you about everything here the better, in other words.

#12)Have you ever been given a stool culture by your doctor? If so, were you normal? Were parasites, bacteria, or blood detected?

#13) Have you had an Endoscopy? Is that how you were confirmed, or have you based your diagnosis on your own suspicions, a blood test, or the opinions of a company like Enterolabs, etc.?

#14) I always stay away from gluten, true or false. If not, are there weekly cheats, one a month, or can we say that we are 100% gluten-free.

#15)I have taken immunosupressive (Prednizone/Hydrocortizone, etc) drugs, or have used antibiotics heavily in the past. True or false.

#16)I probably drank a little more than I should have at one point in my life, but I have quit. True or false? Do you still drink? If so, how many drinks per day?

#17)I have always craved carbs/chocolate/sugar. True or false.

#18)I feel dehydrated often, and/or seem to be thirsty much of the time. True or false.

#19)I have the urge to urinate frequently. True or false.

#20)I moved into a home that was less than 5 years old right about the time I began to experience my Celiac symptoms. True or false.

Or do you live in an older home? Have you ever had your house checked for molds?

#21)I have a real plant or a real tree in my home, true or false. If so, what kind of plant/tree is it?

#22)I am lacking in good, restful sleep, true or false. If so, when do you normally go to bed? When do you wake up? Regardless of whether or not you feel you may have sleeping problems, please include your normal "Timeclock hours," if possible.

#23)If I get stressed too much, I tend to develop panic attacks. It's not really a panic attack, but if I get stressed enough it's as if I get confused, feel unfamiliar with my surroundings. I develop irregular heartbeats, but they go away after 15-20 minutes. My vision sometimes gets extra "Bright" when this happens. Sometimes I will get headaches when this happens, sometimes not. Sometimes this will happen during an orgasm, too. -Is anything true here? All of it? Part of it? Or nothing here.

#24)My Celiac seems to have developed during Menopause, true or false. -Any males diagnosed over the age of 60 would have to say yes here, btw.

#25)Were there any major life stresses that took place shortly before the onset of your symptoms? (Kids moving away, retirement, graduating from hs or college, divorced/caught my husband with another woman, clinical depression/anxiety, job change, illness in family, etc). If so, no need to indicate what actually happened, just answer yes or no if you want to.

#26)What are your most prominent Celiac-related symptoms? No need to go into a lengthy description, just indicate whether or not your symptom base is "Agressive" or is more "Dorment/hidden."

#27)When I get sick and have to use the restroom, it usually occurs a couple of hours after I eat. Or, do such attacks come on for no apparent reason. Is there a distinguishable time table that seems to be involved with your attacks, in other words. For those of you that go through your most severe bouts in the morning, does the urge come on immediately after waking? Or does the attack occur usually after you have eaten breakfast, etc.

#28)Your diet at the time of the onset of your symptoms. Were you a dognut/coffee breakfast person, or more of a cereal/orange juice/toast/coffee/banana breakfast eater. Did you even it breakfast? Were you eating three meals per day? Were you a big junk food eater, a snacker? 6 fruits and veges or more per day, or more like one or two? Be as descriptive with your former routine as possible. How has that changed today? Is it any different? Besides refraining from gluten, is there anything else that you are you doing differently now in terms of that schedule and the foods you eat.

#29)My complexion has always been more on the pale/pasty side, t or f. Do you have naturally blonde or red hair? Do you have redness to the cheeks, a flushed look? Is this consistent, or does the flushing only occur at different points throughout the day?

#30)I have a family member(S) with Celiac Sprue, too, t or f. If so, list relation to you.

#31)I have lots of autoimmunity running in my family, true or false. If so, list the various conditions of each person afflicted and their relation to you.

#32)I used Alpha Hydroxy lotions or Kinerase skin creams prior to the onset of my symptoms, true or false. Were you wearing make up and/or using other cosmetics regularily? If so, list it all-everything, including brand names, if possible (Moisturizer='s Oil of Olay true affects, or Lancome Renergie. I know what they are, I can get jiggy wit' it~). Just do the best you can to come up with as much of your previous arsenol as possible (Only interested in what you were using for the year prior to the onset of symptoms, in other words).

#33)I usually have a "Tightness" in the chest-not at the heart, per say, but right above it. T or F

#34)I owned a pet at some point within the previous 10 years of the onset of my symptoms, T or F.

#35)I believe that I get enough fiber in my diet, t or f.

#36)I am a confident, talkative, very outgoing individual, t or f.

#37)I have always kind of been a worry wart, t or f.

#38)I tend to be shy around people, t or f.

#39)I have noticed major personality changes since the time I was first recognizing my symptoms, t or f.

#40)One more time, just to be sure~ I was consuming caffeine at the time my symptoms came on, t or f. Was it excessive?

#41)We had new carpeting installed, or our carpets were cleaned at about the time I began to experience my symptoms, t or f.

#42)What best describes your home heating method-electric furnace, fireplace/wood, electric heaters, or gas furnace.

#43)At the time your symptoms came on, in that home-We had wood flooring where there was not carpet in our home, t or f. If false, what type of flooring material covers the floor. Linoleum? Pressed wood?

#44)Typical detergants/laundry regime-Chlorox, All, and Bounty? Has that changed now from what you were using then?

#45)I get stressed quite easily these days, t or f.

#46)I have used probiotics, and they have been/were pretty effective for me, tt/ff/tf/

#47)I am

Righthanded (A)

Lefthanded (

#48)I have itchy skin which seems to have come about since all of this started, T or F

#49)I experience sounds of upper GI distress- indigestion/gurgling- quite often, t or f. If True, do you suspect GERD?

#50A)I have always been quite skinny, T or F.

#50B)I have gained weight since going gluten free, T or F.

It's interesting you say that, Plantime. Have you ever been given a reason for what may be behind your dehydration? Just curious. In any sense, I thank you so much for your willingness to have voted, as well as your honesty.

One suggestion would be to request a tear test and SSA antibody if you haven't already done so just to rule out the unlikely possibility that Sjogren's may be active in your case. Take a look at those meds, too. Good luck to you.

Open Original Shared Link

While I do believe that caffeine may be the trigger source for a limited few of you that are having an issue w/ Catecholamines, I think everyone here is smart enough to know that caffeine intake could never be implemented as the direct cause of Celiac Sprue.

As you can see, the average American would have chosen "3-5." But here, 69% of you said that you were consuming no caffeine to speak of at the time of the onset of your symptoms.

This discrepancy could mean one of many things. Perhaps those that voted were children at the time of being diagnosed. Or perhaps you have been a health conscious person along the way through life. Or maybe this poll is more accurate than one conducted by Johns Hopkins~.

Or perhaps it is that I've managed to irritate 69% of you along the way to such a degree that a limited few will do anything in their power to prove whatever it is that I intend to prove to be wrong~. Maybe one or two sub consciously want to have Celiac Sprue and/or feel the desire within to guard the current ideology to such a degree because it has worked for them, so they will deliberately do anything to throw off any hint at any other possibility.

I'm not accussing anyone of anything here. Not a bit. There's a 95% chance that this poll of 13 total votes is accurate to the surroundings. My only point is that 75% of adult Americans would have clicked 3-5 or 1-3.

If one is to judge words I have written on this forum to be representative of my true character, which would be a false belief, but if that's what you believe, I would again offer to you that of my apologies for some of those tactics along the way.

All I would ask at this point is if anyone may have deliberately voted the wrong way due to personal frustrations with me along the way, than please don't participate in the series of Yes/No questions that I will put up next week. Whether or not one person votes next week is irrelevant. As promised, I am done here in two weeks and that final report will be sent in, regardless. Than I'm done here for good, rest assured.

In the meantime, any information that I can obtain through those questions that I will be putting up next week would come as a benefit to everyone here. Whether you find my information to be credible or not, please do understand that I see something here, something big. If it all falls into place the right way, the way I suspect it to, it would help every single person here. And that's my goal, it is what I have been after all along.

To the staunch gluten free supporters, please do understand that I applaud you for your hard work, and I agree with everything you are doing. For those that have returned to full health by doing what you have, you have yourself to credit for that.

Yet, to you folks in particular, we have people that have done exactly what you have been doing for well over a year, but they are not getting better. Rather, a few are getting worse by following this diet, as it is written. What works for some does not always work for others-if we know anything at all about medicine, it should be that much, right?

You have my assurances that I will in no way ever support a conclusion that says, "Do this, do that and you can eat gluten again." I'm not the doctor, I wouldn't dare to ever recommend such a concept to anyone, you know that.

So all I ask is that for anyone that chooses to participate in the last survey I will put up next week is that you be honest w/ the answers you give. That's all I ask. And if you can't do that, than please don't take the poll. I'm going through with my paper in either case, I already have done what I've been after. But anything that can added to support any of it would be of great help, we all know that here. Thanks.

Great work here once again, Medaka. I'm going to get into part of this w/ my paper, but it is my thought your line of thinking here is closer than just about any of the other alternative theories available.

The concept behind the thought that a condition like or very similar to Pancreatitis cannot and should not be ignored. The correlations that are clearly at work between Celiac and Diabetes should make this very evident, in my opinion.

What causes Pancreatitis? Well, we know that alcoholism has been linked. We know that higher lipids can bring this on(Liver relation). We know that mumps (Other infections, too?) can trigger this. Reduced blood flow (Lupus, Raynaud's, etc) has been associated to the condition, so can gallstones. Of key interest to me is the acknowledgement that several of the diuretic and immunosupressive drugs can touch off Pancreatitis as well. I will touch on what I have found in this specific area in my summary, but do believe something of major relevance takes place when a beta blocker and a diuretic are given in combination.

This is just one of the many conditions that can be traced back to Celiac Sprue, unfortunately, but I do feel that if there are three conditions directly implementing Celiac in its very pathway, it is SLE, Pancreatitis, and PBC.

The frustrating variable always goes back to the type of incomplete theories we have available to study. Pancreatitis in and of itself is an incomplete theory. The liver obviously has its role with Pancreatitis in most cases, in other words. And than there is the possibility that Pancreatitis itself is nothing more than an end result of Celiac Sprue. Is it possible that Celiac Sprue causes Pancreatitis, rather than supporting the mindset that Pancreatitis may cause Celiac Sprue? Sure.

So, in the case of Pancreatitis, it seems to go back to the same theory that must be applied over and over again-Pancreatitis is merely the result of something else that has gone wrong with the system. Outside of the possibility for the presence of Gallstones, which could than cause Pancreatitis, leading to damage of the villi, it would appear that in all other cases Pancreatitis AND Celiac Sprue are one and of the same, and they are nothing more than the result of another imbalance of the system, that being stress caused by a toxin (Medication, systematic alcohols, heavy metals, food or airborne source) and the (potential) state of systematic PH imbalance these may bring. Damage to the liver or infection would appear to be the only other possibilities, w/ all of these conditions (Possibly) having their impact on the amino profile along the way.

I do believe that one "condition" that really needs to be looked at for a few of those that have had vaccines over the past few years is Gullain Barre's Syndrome, too. For anyone that refuses to believe that vaccination can have a great impact on the system if given to the "Wrong person," I would invite any of you to speak to anyone that has been afflicted with Gullian's Barre. You would find their personal stories comparable to many of the symptoms that a few of those here are going through.

Open Original Shared Link

The key issue to take away from this is the acknowledgement that guillain-barre's is an inflammatory condition (See Pancreatitis-all of these spin offs are inflammatory, essentially).

While this article does not address the concept, the Merck's manual and 90% of the other available literatures and doctors, for that matter, indicate the worst waive of Guillain's ever before seen was in 1976, an outbreak that was traced back to the flu vaccine given that year. Remember now, in the 70's that Mercury was pumped into those vaccines moreso than any other period we know of. Coincidentally, you will also find the symptoms of Guillain Barre's almost exclusively similar in nature to those documented, gov't sponsored sources having to do with Mercury toxicity in and of itself. Mercury is still being used in almost all of today's vaccines. This is just one of the many possibilities that may explain for the inflammatory process running rampent in today's culture, but it should come as relevance.

Finally, an "Endoscopy gone bad" is another known cause of Pancreatitis. If one fully believes they may have Pancreatitis, it may not hurt to get a 2nd opinion in the unlikely event that your current GI doc may have damaged your GI tract.

Great. Thanks for the info celiac3270. My apologies to everyone again for the double post.

Regarding the question, celiac3270, I'm trying to backdoor one specific angle on some of the variables I'll have to work with here when asking the final four questions. I was only looking into a specific pattern w/ this question, not much of which has anything at all to do with a direct relationship between Celiac and caffeine consumption. I'll pull all of it together for you in the end, promise you that, buddy. Thanks again for the info.