<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Hi, I am a new member to the list. I believe my two sons, ages 22 and 19,
and I have Celiac Disease (CD). All three of us started a GF diet about 10
days ago, on December 21, after my older son's psychiatrist recommended we
put him one. He suspects gluten-intolerance, or CD, may be the underlying
cause of my son's newly diagnosed schizophrenia.
Researching CD has convinced me that my younger son and I have it, too. He
tested postive for HLA DQ2 when being screened for MS in 1995. At the time,
no one, not even the doctor who ordered the test, could tell us what the
finding meant. As with my older son, his onset occurred during infancy.
Symptoms included projectile vomiting, incessant and hysterical crying,
distended abdomen, constipation, rectal stensis, anal fissure and explosive
diarrhea. At 10 months, he was hospitalized for failure to thrive. Ever
since, he's been a medical enigma like the rest of us.
My younger son and I recently had the serology test done for CD and our
results were negative. Since we are both IgA deficient and because of our
medical history, our family physician referred us on to a GI specialist, who
can't see us any sooner than February 8th. What do we do in the meantime?
Should we resume eating gluten? The very thought makes me cringe.
Since going on a gluten-free diet, our health has improved and we are
feeling so much better. The herpetisform rash that's been on my back and
buttocks for the past 13 years has almost cleared up and my arthritis and
mobility have greatly improved. My older son still has undigested,
nasty-smelling diarrhea but, overall, is doing alot better. His psychiatrist
says that in itself is the true test, so why bother getting an official
diagnosis? The treatment, I'm told, would still be the same: gluten-free
diet and nutrition therapy.
Yet after reading the files here, I have concerns about not following
through and getting an official diagnosis for all three of us. I'm also
worried that being off gluten for so long might skew the results of any
additional testing the GI specialist might want to order. Because we
haven't seen the specialist yet, his office suggested I call the referring
physican for an opinion. Our family physician, in turn, didn't have a clue.
I don't know what to do in the interim, between now and February 8? Should
we resume eating gluten knowing that we'll regress, or should we remain on
our GF diets? Would it be better just to wait and see what the GI
specialist has to say when we see him 6 weeks from now?
Any comments, insight or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Debbie Mc
Arizona
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*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*
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