darkangel

You could, but I doubt it would do much good. I've been through six different GIs and none of them are open minded. Most doctors think they know it all and their egos won't allow them to learn anything from a patient, no matter what sources are there to back them up.

There could be other things besides gluten that are causing problems for you. People who have problems with gluten often have problems with dairy, too. Other common offenders are sugar, corn, eggs, soy, nuts and peanuts. A strict elimination diet where you eat only a handful of foods you feel are safe for you can help you figure out what foods are your triggers...

You might also have a candida overgrowth - by itself or in addition to gluten intolerance or celiac disease. There's an online quiz to help determine if candida might be your problem, or part of your problem: Open Original Shared Link

Wow. Sorry. I stand corrected. I have a coworker with celiac disease who's sung their praises to me and tried her best to get me to go through their testing. I thought that's what they were all about. My apologies to the OP for my uninformed post.

Then you should have better luck with the GI. Enterolab can indeed give you a diagnosis... that's their specialty. Check out their Web site for more info, if you haven't already. Open Original Shared Link

If you have friends with celiac disease, why not get a referral from one of them for a doctor who can help you? You have no reason to feel stupid. Your doctor, on the other hand, has made several statements that are the height of ignorance. Find another doctor who's trained in diagnosing and treating celiac disease and other gastrointestinal conditions.

A gluten free diet is a very healthy diet. There's no reason not to try it, even if you are pregnant, and it certainly sounds like it would help you feel better. There are alot of folks here, myself included, who either don't have a diagnosis or have received false negatives, yet we follow the diet because we know we feel better and are healthier doing so...

Yeah, I feel that way, too. Not to mention the destructive rounds of prednisone and immunosuppresants. I'd think you'd have a better selection to choose from in California, though. I wish I lived in CA or NY where the more progressive docs seem to be clustered.

Candida overgrowth - which often goes hand in hand with celiac - can also cause those symptoms.

I guess he thought since I haven't been 100% gluten free and he was running the entire celiac panel as well as taking biopsies, something would show up if gluten was a problem. When I was originally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in '99, a colonoscopy revealed bleeding and inflammation in the descending colon that was in line with UC. Since that time...

I've thought about it, but have been reluctant to spend the money as I'm sure insurance won't cover it. There's no history of celiac in my family, so I tend to think I don't have the genes, but I do obviously respond well to a gluten-free diet. I think my situation is complicated by other things. It's not just a gluten issue for me... it's a host of other...

Yes, I have been completely gluten free. Actually, I was on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for over a year, which is not only gluten free but grain free. I did well, but I was REALLY sick when I started the diet, so although it helped me recover, there was no sense of suddenly feeling healthy and normal. I'm trying to get up the gumption to get back on it...

Well, this figures. Just got back from my gastro doc's office. All celiac panel results were normal. Some other test they ran came up positive for inflammatory bowel disease, indicative of ulcerative colitis. (Which was the diagnosis I was given in '99 when I first got extremely ill.) Everything else is normal... iron and hemoglobin levels, proteins, thyroid...

The stool description does sound suspicious for celiac. Is there any history of it in your family? Candida overgrowth in the intestines is very common. Risk factors include having several courses of broad spectrum antibiotics and/or being on antibiotics long term for acne, and a poor diet high in starches and sugars. Try taking this online quiz to see...

Sugar's very addictive. Artificial sweeteners can be, too. In addition, your body craves the very foods that cause reactions and problems. Ever heard of anyone bingeing on broccoli?