<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

(2nd attempt to post)
<<< I encourage
those who are still wondering if they have sprue, DH, or a
gluten-related allergy, to find a reliable doctor and get tested so they
know that a gluten-free diet is really the proper course of treatment
for their condition.

Kim Guy, Michigan>>

Dear Kim and List,
    My husband is a physician who works with autistic children, Celiac
disease is common among autistic children as are other food sensitivities. My
husband says that they all benefit from diet change. They test the children
with the sensitive blood tests for gluten sensitivity, only half time do the
children who test positive respond to gluten free diet and just as many that
test negative do respond well to gluten free diet.  They have found that the
"tests" are not helpful in deciding treatment, all the autistic children are
put on gluten free diets. It is also not uncommon for the biopsy not to
correlate with the blood tests or the diet changes. They do not request that
the parents subject these autistic children go through the trauma of biopsy.

   I am struggling right now with the decision after 7 years of illness
whether I should go ahead with the biopsy.  I have contacted Dr Murray and
await a recommendation.  I would go just about anywhere to get an answer. But
the question to me is if there really is an answer. How often is it possible
that the "tests" can be wrong?  My blood tests for gluten sensitivity were
negative, yet I tested positive for wheat, corn, and dairy allergy. The
biopsy results depend on the skill and objective decision of the pathologist,
so there is another risk to getting a proper diagnosis. And if they are
looking for damage to the intestines (the villi?) (what are they looking
for?) is the damage to the villi what causes the "leaky gut" syndrome that
the allopathic doctors do not recognize as of yet?

  And what of the people who have gone gluten free and feel great/much
improved/symptom free but their tests are negative? Are they not gluten
sensitive? are they not "really" Celiacs? what does define "real" Celiac
disease?

   My husband said to me this morning while I am in tears from being "sick"
again. "There is a saying "TREAT THE SYMPTOMS NOT THE DIAGNOSIS" He thinks
that I should not do the biopsy, but should stay off of wheat dairy and corn.
I have also had the ELISA test drawn and await the results that show 400
different allergensges and their degree of sensitivity.

    What allopathic physicians know is only a tiny tip of the iceberg when it
comes to chronic illness or the human body in general, and the good ones are
humble enough to acknowledge that. I will continue to struggle for a
diagnosis. But if I get better and feel well and can go on with my life on a
wheat, corn, dairy free diet....to heck with being a true "Celiac".
sincerely,
morgaine mehl madrona
vermont>>