<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Thank you all for your very helpful responses which follow. My original email
included the following:
"I need help. My best friend lives in Atlanta and already has been diagnosed
over the years with these autoimmune diseases & conditions:
Graves (thyroid)
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Terrible Multiple Allergies/Asthma since childhood, now requiring inhaler 2x
day
Fibromyalgia
Exhaustion and frequent sickness
... I've urged her to be tested for CD and I think she may now be willing to
explore that possibility
because she is feeling so poorly while carrying on a full-time teaching
schedule.
I know gastro Cynthia Rudert is in Atlanta. Does she take new patients? Does
it take
years for an appointment? What is her contact info: phone, email? Do
listmembers
have experience with Dr. Rudert and/or with other gastroenterologists in
Atlanta?..."
SUMMARY:
From www:
CYNTHIA RUDERT
Cynthia S. Rudert, M.D., F.A.C.P. is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist in
Atlanta, Georgia, specialiing in Celiac Disease. She is the Medical Advisor
for the Celiac Disease Foundation and for the Gluten Intolerance Group. She is
the Medical Director of the Gluten Sensitive Support Group of Atlanta and a
member of the Celiac Standardization Group. "My practice is virtually exclusively
limited to the diagnosis and treatment of Celiac Sprue, and I have one of the
largest practices devoted to Celiac Disease in the United States."
From this Listserv:
Rudert, Cynthia S. M.D.
5555 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd, NE, Suite 312
Atlanta, GA 30342-1703
404-943-9820
-Yes, she takes new patients.
-No, it is not a long wait...
-Her office is in the Northside Hospital-St. Joseph's Hospital-Perimeter Mall
area of Atlanta. (Another said her office is located diagonally across from
Northside Hospital, right close to both 400 and 285 (Perimeter).)
-She accepts no insurance plans (but another person said "There seems to be
some question as to what insurance she accepts, but I know she takes Medicare
and the usual ones")
-She is fairly expensive (without insurance)
-She has the latest up-to-date info.
-It is fairly easy to get in to see her.
-She is widely regarded in Celiac circles.
-She is very consoling but also a bit flighty.
-She is exellent and patient and friendly.
-I have heard Dr. Rudert speak many times at Celiac conferences. She is very
nice and empathetic.
Other suggestions/names of Atlanta Gastroenterologists:
Dr. Hala Toubbeh
404-252-9307
She accepts insurance and is very familiar with Celiac and is very good.
Dr. Agnes Han
960 Johnson Ferry Rd, NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
404-252-7703
She is a block from Dr. Rudert.
I highly recommend her for beginning and the diagnosis process. I followed up
my diagnosis by seeing Dr. Rudert and having Dr. Han working with her for
followup testing.
Dr. Jeffrie L. Kamean
404-299-8320
In Decatur next to DeKalb Medical Center.
I like him very much. My first visit to him after referral, he set me up for
CD testing after just hearing my symptoms.
Dr. Hala Toubbeh
404-252-9307
She accepts insurance and is very familiar with Celiac and is very good.
Further suggestions/comments:
1)"Please remind your friend NOT to try out a GF (gluten free) diet before
the testing for Celiac Disease because that diet would promote healing in the
small intestine and lower the antibody levels (elevated antiboy levels is what
the blood tests test for!) as well as being a waste of time and money."
2)I would highly recommend that your friend be tested thru Enterolab (it has
a website)
Our daughter was biopsy-diagnosed with celiac disease 28 years ago. She had
the classic symptoms of celiac disease. Through trial and error, the rest of
our family (5) has found thru trial and error that they are definitely gluten
intolerant - and could care less if the problem is celiac disease.
My nephew had the blood serology testing done thru his family doctor and was
told that the results were negative - that he could eat gluten with no
problem. Subsequent testing thru Enterolab revealed that he did not have celiac
disease; but, that he had a genetic marker that put him at risk of developing
celiac disease. He did test positive for both gluten and dairy intolerance
however. Removal of these foods from his diet has been a godsend.
Gluten intolerance is not uncommon in our family. My cousin, after years of
suffering from fibromyalgia, was tested at Enterolab. She does not have
celiac disease - but was found to be both gluten and dairy intolerant at
Enterolab. Symptoms of her fibromyalgia have resolved by eliminating these foods. Her
daugher does have celiac disease.
FWIW, a good friend became an avid supporter of Enterolab when her 21 yr old
son was found to have rheumatoid arthritis. Blood screening tests for celiac
disease for the entire family were negative. Yet, when they were tested thru
Enterolab, both the father and daughter (who had been previously diagnosed
with irritable bowel syndrome) were told they had celiac disease. The son (with
rheumatoid arthritis) did not have celiac disease; but, was found to be gluten
intolerant. Institution of a gluten-free diet has been nothing short of a
miracle for both him and the rest of the family.
I hope that your friend will have the opportunity to check out the Enterolab
site and read the information there so that she can decide for herself if it
is something she wishes to pursue.
Hope this helps.
*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
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