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Hi,

I'm new to the list and am therefore unsure as to what is usually
discussed.

My wife was diagnosed as celiac in January this year through a
colonoscopy and biopsy (I think those are the terms). She had all the
usual symptoms (from what I have read) - stomach rumblings, diarrea,
abdominal pains. These symptoms she has had for 30 years, but has only
this year been diagnosed as celiac.

It was only the fact that she suffered weight loss that the doctors
agreed to do the GI testing which diagnosed the condition.

Over the last six months, she has followed a gluten-free diet and
consquently put all the previous lost weight  back on and is now at
her normal weight. Some of the other symptoms did improve slightly eg
stomach rumblings, but the diarrea still persists.

Her consultant has been baffled at the persistence of the symptoms (he
had never had a patient not respond to a gf diet) and has carried out
a second biopsy...This has confrimed that there is some inflamation,
which he says is not normal (whatever that may mean), and that a
second colonoscopy should take place (next week).

I guess my questions are:

1. Could CD have been misdiagnosed in the first instance? (The biopsy
showed the absence of the villi)...are there any other conditions that
show similar damage to the intestinal wall?

2. Could it be that she just may not respond to a gf diet...and if so
is there a solution...I have read about the use of steroids...is there
anybody else on the list who has failed to respond to gf diet, and has
to use drugs, and if so how does it affect their quality of life.

As you can appreciate, we are very worried about a misdiagnosis or
something worse and any information and help you could provide wold be
of great help.

For information, my wife's age is 35.

Thanks all in advance,

Mike
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