CurrantCottage

A very belated "thank you" to all your replies and advice! I've felt so upset by the consultant that I feel I've been hiding away!!! She really wasnt interested in my issues as a whole the asthma, eczema etc along with the digestive issues, fatigue and low ferritin etc, she kept saying that they were all separate issues and not linked, I think what hurt...

Well, I saw the Consultant today who went through my medical history and asked questions about my longstanding digestive problems. I went through everything and mentioned my asthma/eczema/hives but she wasnt interested in that. She asked lots of questions but said that she felt my fatigue and digestive problems were separate. That my fatigue is linked...

Thank you for the links !!!! They both look really yummy!!! I so cant wait for this gluten challenge to be over, I feel so rubbish and went to bed early with a migraine,then couldn't sleep for feeling nauseous anyway! Still I'm nearer to finishing it than when I first started! Ali

Oh my goodness - what a terrifying experience you had !! Your inlaws sound so lovely and supportive which must be a huge help and I thinking taking food along for me to eat at family events will be the sensible way forward. I find it difficult because I've been vegetarian for years, but also a vegan for about 10yrs (although I've now gone back to veggie...

Hi Nonnarae - thank you for sharing, it helps so much to read about other people's experiences, and you've been through a lot. Its so easy for me to think I'm a hypochondriac, that the symptoms I've had over the years are just in my head and I'm a great one for cutting things out, adding them in and getting ill again, then cutting them out etc - I guess...

Thank you so much for your advice!!! Especially when you mention starting off serious with the diet - I'm dairy free but friends/family/those I work for are always forgetting and say, splashing dairy into my tea instead of almond or soya milk - just recently I've found myself saying "its ok...I'll drink it". I'm thankful I dont have extreme reactions with...

Thank you both for your advice - its silly but I always worry so much about "what people will think", at the end of the day I guess it doesnt matter because I know what makes me feel ill and like you say ravenwoodglass, my notes are private ! You've both really encouraged me ! Thank you ! Ali

.... and I'm excited that my GP has finally agreed to refer me to a GI, she rang yesterday evening to say she'd send a letter and I need to ring next week to make an appointment. This gluten challenge has been odd though - in the early days/weeks my symptoms were extreme: migraine, crabby mood, dashing to the loo, stomach cramps, heart racing anxiety...

Thanks Nicole - I will try and be brave with her next week !!! It is scary - my friend Issy had so many health issues ignored by the doctor for years, in the end she changed doctors and within weeks she'd been diagnosed with thyroid issues, put on medication and could work, enjoy life etc again with feeling drained and exhausted! How awful to not have hypothyroidism...

Thank you so much for the explanation !!! To be honest, I'm not sure what my GP tested for, she's always very "business like" and just says results are postive or negative or whatever they might be, and doesnt like to be questioned and doesnt give printouts of results!!!! I've got an appointment on Monday to ask for a referral to a Consultant as my husband...

Sorry - I am confusing myself let alone you !!!! when I originally had my coeliac blood test the doctor said it was "normal", today I rang the secretaries and asked for a breakdown of it as I was thinking of going to see a GI consultant to ask for endoscopy/biopsy but having spoken to the secretaries today and them saying the IgA was 2.43 which was within...

Hmmm I think I'm thick, I am just getting confused !! I braved the medical secretaries and asked for a breakdown of my coeliac blood test - she said the TTG just said negative and the IgA was 2.43 and normal, just wondering if its even worth me going private and having more tests done as my IgA is ok. Thank you for posting and helping me ! Ali

What are the "normal" ranges??? What constitutes low/deficient? Thank you !!!! Ali

No, I've not been tested for Hashimotos (will have to google it as I dont know what it is!!!) - the doctor has only done the regular blood tests for iron count (my red blood count is usually ok, but my Ferritin is always low - around 3 - 6), she did test for Coeliac a couple of years ago but I never got to see the results she just said that it was negative...

Its so reassuring to know that I'm not the only one !!!! Ali