I think I have Celiac disease. Any suggestions on how to cope?!
Question: Hi, I'm 15 yrs. old and during the past couple of months, I've had some pretty severe allergic reactions. At first, I thought it was just wheat. But then as I looked at the signs and symptoms of Celiac disease, I realized that I might have that. I do have a fairly short stature compared to my brothers and parents and I in the past, I have had at least 3 other signs (which I won't mention). Are there any ways to cope with this or do I really have to avoid gluten products for the rest of my life? I've had Luna bars and know that they don't have any wheat, but are there any other types of gluten-free snacks and cereals? Also, is there any way to know how much damage I already have? Thanks much! :)
Answers: Hi, I'm 15 yrs. old and during the past couple of months, I've had some pretty severe allergic reactions. At first, I thought it was just wheat. But then as I looked at the signs and symptoms of Celiac disease, I realized that I might have that. I do have a fairly short stature compared to my brothers and parents and I in the past, I have had at least 3 other signs (which I won't mention). Are there any ways to cope with this or do I really have to avoid gluten products for the rest of my life? I've had Luna bars and know that they don't have any wheat, but are there any other types of gluten-free snacks and cereals? Also, is there any way to know how much damage I already have? Thanks much! :)
I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been well. You really do need to talk with your doctor about this. However, don't go gluten free until AFTER the doctor has run the needed tests or you may get a false negative.
The doctor will need to run a blood test. In order for a definitive diagnosis, though, the doctors will want to do a biopsy of the lining of the small intestine just below the stomach. They will have you swallow a tube to get the scope into your stomach. My husband had this done and he said it wasn't bad. The doctor gave my husband some medication to put him in a "twilight sleep" and when he woke up he couldn't remember anything about it within a few hours. It probably isn't great fun while it is going on but on the bright side, you won't remember anything about it. My husband said that if he was told he'd have to do that again, he wouldn't mind because he doesn't remember that it was bad at all. My husband also had a colonoscopy but also doesn't remember that. I don't know if the doctors would want to do something like that for you or not.
The only way to cope with Celiac Disease is to go completely, totally, 100% gluten free for the rest of your life. At this time, there are no drugs that are approved by the medical community to counter Celiac Disease.
As far as any damage to your body...there have been studies on the regenerative qualities of the human body. According to these studies, people who have been undiagnosed with Celiac Disease until later in life are still able to improve the health of their intestines and the rest of their bodies. People who go GF in their 70s have shown improvement. If the doctors diagnose you with Celiac Disease and you maintain a strick gluten free diet for the rest of your life, you should be as healthy as a horse. Your body will repair the damage that has been done.
A gluten free diet isn't just a matter of buying gluten free snacks and cereals. You have to make sure that none of the foods you eat have gluten in them. For instance, soy sauce often contains gluten. There are some that don't, but most do. Most anything that is already processed will usually contain gluten, such as canned soups. You cannot eat any pasta that is made from wheat.
There are loads of things a person with Celiac Disease can eat. Meat, veggies, fruit, dairy. You just have to learn how to use the non-glutinous flours like rice, tapioca, soy, potato, etc.
You might want to go to the library and check out some cookbooks written by Bette Hagman. She writes the Gluten Free Gourmet books. There are other gluten free cookbooks out there but I'm still working my way through Ms Hagman's books.
When I first started trying to cook gluten free for my husband, the hardest thing was finding where to buy all the ingredients. One of the most helpful places on the internet I found was Silly Yaks, based in the US. Still, I was wanting to find something that contained helpful information for Canadian Celiacs so I was allowed to start a Silly Yaks Canada Yahoo! group. You're welcome to pop in and take a boo to see what is on there.
Good luck! I hope you feel better soon.
First, get a real diagnosis. My mother decided she had IBS, and then she thought it was Crohn's, and when she finally went to her doctor, it was diabetes. You can't diagnose yourself.
The most direct way to be sure that you have celiac disease is to check with your doctor or health care provider.
Usually you are advised to continue eating a normal level of foods containing gluten (if you decrease the amount of gluten you eat before the tests are done, they may be inconclusive and might have to be repeated).
The blood is usually tested to measure levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA) and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (AEA). If the tests and symptoms suggest celiac disease, the doctor will perform a small bowel biopsy.
There is also dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), which is an itchy, blistering skin condition that is a form of celiac disease. I think this can be diagnosed or at least suggested by a skin biopsy
The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet. For most people, following this diet will stop symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage, and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within days of starting the diet. The small intestine is usually completely healed in 3 to 6 months in children and younger adults and within 2 years for older adults.
The small intestine is lined with villi. When biopsies are taken from people with celiac disease, the villi are abnormal. When the person goes on a gluten-free diet, the villi heal, and can absorb nutrients from food into the bloodstream.
Hope this helps. Wlitan
Tell your parents that you are having problems and go to a doctor to have yourself tested. Don't try and diagnose this disease yourself.
Talk to your parents and get to a doctor that can run some blood tests and probably an endoscopy too. It would be better to know for sure before you go on a life long gluten free diet which is the only way to take care of yourself if you have celiac disease. Do not go on the gluten free diet until you get tested or it will mess up the tests. You will also need your parent's support if you go gluten free since they will have to adapt what they serve for meals.
There are a lot of gluten free products available with the best being fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. Anything processed has to have the label checked.