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

Ever had a doctor tell you that the biopsy observations
may be associated with celiac disease ...but you don't
actually have celiac disease currently because your villi
look normal???

And you don't know whether to eat gluten or not? You think
it is making you sick, but you don't have celiac disease
(according to our lame diagnostic measures).

I agree with some recent posters who say that the magical
"celiac" diagnosis is not all it's cracked up to be! You
could be doing irreparable damage while maintaining a diet
full of gluten, in hopes of obtaining that diagnosis
...someday.

If you have symptoms, why trade your health and well-being
for a diagnosis that you might never get? **Or** by the
time you *do* get it you have a laundry list of other
complications that could include osteoporosis & intestinal
lymphoma, or a slew of other auto-immune diseases? (and
the medical bills to boot.)

**however** If you do "self-diagnose", and go on the GF
diet, please know the dangers of intermittent exposure to
gluten. Don't think "well, I'm not a *true* celiac, so I
can eat gluten once in awhile." That is nonsense.

You have a gluten sensitivity if you feel better when you
do not eat gluten. Therefore, you should not eat gluten.

The absolute need for 100% compliance among celiacs is the
only reason that I'd suggest attempting a biopsy for
celiac disease in the first place. If you do have
confirmed celiac sprue - it becomes easier for you to
"just say no" ...to gluten. Because your GI doc said you
must be on a GF diet.

A self-diagnosed celiac needs to learn ways to comply 100%
with a GF diet and gain support from others without
actually having a diagnosis to back-up their claims...but
it can be done. Several people I know are doing it.
Support groups are *so* helpful with this!

Some others I know are sufferring thru the symptoms and
getting annual biopsies -- waiting for that magical
diagnosis to come along and confirm their strong
suspicions. Most of the ones I know even have relatives
with celiac disease! Hello!?!

I pray that one of two things happen for those individuals
very soon (before it is too late): they "bite the bullet"
and go GF on their own, knowing they don't need a
diagnosis to "just say no", **or** they get that magical
diagnosis and go GF immediately with the confidence they
need to stay 100% GF for life.

For those of you who have not read it yet, Dr. Fine's
transcript on early detection of celiac disease "before
the villi are gone" -- is a must-read for every confirmed
celiac, self-diagnosed celiac, and "celiac-to-be" out
there.

View a copy of it at:
http://www.celiacawareness.org/Research/Research/60/?vobId=266&pm=83


Megan Tichy, Ph.D
Texas A&M University

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