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I have been reading alot obout doctors attitudes towards celiac on this list
lately.

This is my experience - I went to our family doc for 15 yrs. and he never
picked up on celiac(knowing I had had it as a baby).  When I finally
discovered it myself and made a miraculous recovery I went back to him with
the news.  It was like a bell went off in his head and he told me to stay on
the diet.  Then I went to a GI to get help with the diet itself(wrong place
to look for help with nutrition)he also told me no testing necessary, the
recovery was so remarkable.  So now I tried to educate my family doctor on
celiac bringing him info etc.  He was not interested so at that point I
changed docs.

My new doc told me during the very first visit that she would not treat me
for celiac but would send me to a very competent group of GI'S if need be.
I appreciated her honesty and straight forwardness and accepted that as they
are more specialized than she would be anyway.  Besides I liked her so I
stuck with her, also she was receptive to the bone density test I wanted and
understood how it was connected to celiac.

I think what most people are saying here is that when they go to a doc after
years or months of suffering they do not want to be told "its all in your
head".  I know the feeling as my doc  labeled me "anxious", "nervous",
etc. in a very kind way for so many years and  I believed it.   With any
intestestinal disturbance we all know the suffering is REAL.. It would be
preferable if the doc would say simply say "I dont know" or refer to a
specialist. When the patient is labeled a mental case it puts off diagnosis
to say nothing of the discomfort the person is going thru.

Also I am learning that we have to take responsibility for our own health, I
used to sit back and leave it up to the doctor.  No more, I read and educate
myself and that enables me to ask intelligent questions and if you have a
receptive doctor you can work together, dont settle for less.

Janet in Maine