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Larry Price wrote:

"For starters, I'd like to comment to the persons who are suspicious about
possible celiac disease in themselves or their loved ones:  There is NO
harm in responsibly going on a gluten-free diet until you have a firm
diagnosis or compelling evidence that gluten is contributing to health
problems."

This was answered, in part, by Mitchell Bellman:

"I beg to differ.  There is harm in self diagnosis.  If you do not have
CD or DH there is no need to be on a gluten free diet.  Every book I
have read about CD says that there is no benefit for a normal person
to be on the diet.  The danger of self diagnosis is that there may be
something else wrong with you that you will not find out about."

I agree most strongly with Mitchell.  There is also one more down side to
self diagnosis:  The additional cost of the GF diet is deductable as a
medical expense for tax purposes.  Uncle Sam wants proof that you MUST be GF
and a doctor's letter works well.  We were audited three times and won all
three.

Joe S. Warren
Titusville, FL 32796-3902