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Check out this link   http://www.aafp.org/afp/980301ap/pruessn.html

I was overweight when diagnosed.  My doctor told me I did not have any of
the symptoms.  I gave him this article and he did some tests showing B-12
deficiency and three days later he changed his mind.  I had a positive
antibody test before but he said it must be wrong.
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I had heard of over weight celiacs. keep testing
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This is not advice, but only my experience.  After years of going
from doctor to doctor I finally read a book about gut problems and realized
that celiac disease description fit my case to a T, so I stopped eating
gluten and three months later went back to a doctor and told him I'd found
the answer.  He seemed annoyed and said I should immediately eat gluten so
he could do a biopsy in a couple of months.  I was teaching and told him I
just would not do it.  So I've been happy and healthy and gluten-free for
16 years.  It really does not matter to me that I was not tested.  What
matters is the way I feel and the energy I have.
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PS,  I had gained 20 pounds while eating gluten, and it came off, a pound a
week, after I went gluten-free.
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My cd symptom was allergic asthma.  I was gaining weight like crazy
because I ate bread and bagels all the time!
    Since the cd diet, no more allergic asthma AND I lost thirty pounds.
Gained eight back intentionally and look great!
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I am 50 pounds overweight, and had many of the "atypical" symptoms,
     but few of the typical ones.  For example, I was constipated, not
     diarrhea, am tall not short, etc.  Doctor thought it was funny that I
     thought I had CD.  She did the biopsy anyway (probably just to get rid
     of me) and Gee, lo and behold, I came back undeniably positive for CD.
     Whoever thinks of these "typical symptoms" should be force fed a loaf
     of wheat bread.
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I am in the same boat - but have no answers.  VERY frustrating.
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I'm not celiac, but I'm stongly intolerant to wheat, rye, oats, and
barley. When I went on the celiac diet I lost about thirty pounds and ate
all I wanted. Sometimes I have to eat a lot more than usual to keep up my
weight now. I also had the tingling and nausea. My suggestion is that if he
won't test get another gastroenterologist. Phone  your  local celiac
support group and get them to recommend a good gastroenterologist. Most
can't diagnose it effectively even if they try. They just don't know enough
about. This list is full of people who were tested for three and four years
by gastroenterologists or doctors without discovering the gluten
intolerance. My gastroenterologist, recommended by the Seattle chapter of
celiac, tested me for a half day without a biopsy (since I'd already been
on a semi-gluten free diet for a month and would have to go back on gluten
for three months to get a valid biopsy) and told me I had only a 2 percent
chance of being a celiac but that I had wheat and lactose etc. intolerances
and  perhaps what he called "wheat dumping." After three years of this diet
I'm convinced he's right.
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On Monday 12/ 21/ 98 / subject was: article.   It spoke of an article by Dr.
Joseph Murray.  You can reach this article by going to this web sight
www.iona.com  or contact Dr. Murray at [log in to unmask]   I found it
in the archives of this list.
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I'm celiac and very, very capable of being overweight - all you have to do
is have a thyroid that isn't working too well or not exercise or eat enough
of the wrong (gf, but high fat) foods or even be in peri-menopause. Celiacs
don't necessarily look malnutritioned before diagnosis. Hope your friend
can convince her doctor or maybe she needs to change doctors?
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