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I am a newly diagnosed, so I have many questions (this is my first post so
forgive any mistakes)

Q1:  I don't quite understand the delayed reaction to gluten that is
sometimes seen.  How are you supposed to determine the source of hidden
gluten if your reaction can be delayed by days or even months?  And what is
the mode of action in a delayed allergic response?  How can this happen?

Q2:  How long to feel 100% (even if my small intestine might not look 100%
under a microscope).  Some days I feel so lousy and I don't know if its
hidden gluten, some sensitivity to other foods in addition to guten, or if
its just going to take a long long time to heal.  Is it possible to tell
the difference between a sensitivity to corn, for example (which doesn't
damage the villi), and a gluten reaction?

Q3:  Has anyone gone on steroids (prednisone) temporarily to help the
intestines heal after diagnosis of celiac disease.  I was on steroids for
an unrelated problem about two months before my recent diagnosis of celiac
disease, and during this time my intestines were perfect (for the first
time in years!)  This was actually my first clue that I had something other
than irritable bowel syndrome or nerves (the great catch-all diagnoses).
Apparently steroids help the villi regrow even in the presence of gluten.
My question is, do steroids speed up the regrowth of the villi in the
absence of gluten, or does healing proceed at the same rate, steroids or no
steroids, once gluten has been removed from the diet?

Since I'm new to this list, I don't know if these questions are too
technical (are there any M.D.'s on this list?), or if I should be directing
these questions to another medical forum.

Susan King
California
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