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Hi,

My name is Tom Madonna (yes that really is my last name - Madonna). I am 30
years old. I have been dealing with horrible symptoms for many years now and
looking for solutions. Horrible fatigue, headaaches, malaise, "fluish"
feelings, sore throats, irritable bowel with lots of gas, flatulence, and
bloating, constipation with irregulariy, uncomfortable BM's, dizziness,
"brain-fog" (that spacey feeling feels like you are in another world). This
all becomes very disabling and I am on the verge of losing my ability to work.

The doctors cannot find anything wrong with me, despite more tests over the
last few years than you could imagine. The diagnoses that have been suggested
are Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I was tested for Celiac Disease. I had multiple biopsies. I had been
ingesting gluten for years prior to the test. The pathologist said they were
normal. I even had my biopsy slides sent to Dr. Joseph Murray at the Mayo
Clinic, probably the best authority on Celiac in the United States. He
examined the slides himself, along with his pathologist. According to Dr.
Murray, the biopsies show no evidence of Celiac disease (or any other G.I.
problem). (By the way my blood test was negative but I am IgA deficient which
makes the blood test unreliable).

So, ok I do not have Celiac Disease as confirmed by a biopsy. But I am
considering trying the gluten free diet to see if it helps my symptoms. I
have heard that eliminating gluten from the diet has helped people suffering
from illnesses other than Celiac.

What I am wondering form the people on this list is, and please read
carefully so you know what I am asking....

Has ANYONE had a negative biopsy result, but then decided to try going
gluten-free and wound up discovering that, despite the negative biopsy
result, gluten really was causing them problems and their symptoms improved?
I'm talking about the biopsy, not the blood test.

Do you think it would be worth my while to give gluten-free a try, even
though my biopsy was negative?

Please, I would welcome very much any insight into this matter. Living with
IBS and CFS for the rest of my life is a horrible concept. I am nearing
disability.

Thanks, Tom