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In reference to the Crohn's and Celiac Disease link, I have both. I was
diagnosed with Celiac 15 years ago (with biopsy) and have been living
gluten free since them. Last year I was having "bowel problems" that
didn't clear up even after being extremely careful with my diet. I went
to my GI and had an endoscopy with the resultant diagnosis of Crohn's
colitis (disease limited to large intestine).
 
I was also at the Baltimore conference on Celiac where one of the
speakers was an expert on Crohn's. He said I was the first person he
had met that had both diseases but said chance would dictate there are
more like me out there. He didn't comment on any linkage between the two.
 
Like Celiac there is little known for the causes of Crohn's. Both seem
to auto-immune diseases however. I'm not a doctor so my knowledge of
any link between the diseases is limited. I do know that Crohn's is
psychologically more challenging than Celiac since you never know when
or why a flare-up occurs. I also have to take drugs for the rest of my
life and surgery is a very real possibility in the future.
 
Bob Gillen