If I Have Celiac Disease, Should I see a Dietitian?

Since this is an initial study no conclusion can be drawn. However it is important to recognize that dietitians until recently, were not very knowledgeable about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. As in medical education the dietitians education taught until a few years ago that celiac disease was an extremely rare occurrence and a couple of small paragraphs were the only information most dietitian students were taught. It is still a condition which occurs less than many other conditions with which dietitians must treat , therefore they do not always have adequate information to help patients effectively. The gluten free diet is very specific and detailed, brand names, special precautions to avoid contamination with gluten, and misinformation complicate the diet. Dietitians need a great deal of experience to really help patients follow a gluten-free diet.

My 9 year old son's pedi-gastro doctor sent a dietitian out to see us on a house call - pretty great service, or so I thought up front. When she arrived, however, within five minutes of the conversation beginning, see made a comment to me that it was very obvious to her that I knew a lot more about celiac disease and a gluten-free diet than she did! As the conversation went on, I could see she was totally correct. She was a nice person who did her best to be helpful, but she couldn't answer a single question I had. (I'll admit, my questions weren't easy, they were things I was still confused or unsure about after reading several books on celiac disease and doing a considerable amount of research online concerning the disease and a gluten-free diet.) All in all, I think the visit was a total waste of time & money if the patient (or patients parent, in our case) has educated themselves even a little bit.

I have gotten incorrect advice from some dietitians, who did not know that regular corn flakes and regular Rice Krispies, for example contained gluten, due to the malt flavoring.

Interesting. I have to wonder how well educated the dietitians were on celiac disease. I saw one right after diagnosis, and I already knew way more than she did. It was not even remotely helpful. Those with celiac disease really have to own this disease and take control of their health. Be wise or suffer. Those are your options.

My 9 year old son's pedi-gastro doctor sent a dietitian out to see us on a house call - pretty great service, or so I thought up front. When she arrived, however, within five minutes of the conversation beginning, see made a comment to me that it was very obvious to her that I knew a lot more about celiac disease and a gluten-free diet than she did! As the conversation went on, I could see she was totally correct. She was a nice person who did her best to be helpful, but she couldn't answer a single question I had. (I'll admit, my questions weren't easy, they were things I was still confused or unsure about after reading several books on celiac disease and doing a considerable amount of research online concerning the disease and a gluten-free diet.) All in all, I think the visit was a total waste of time & money if the patient (or patients parent, in our case) has educated themselves even a little bit.

In 2008, I was diagnosed with celiac disease... My G.I. doctor referred me to a dietitian. I too knew more about the disease and diet than the dietitian... She said to me, "if you had diabetes I would be able to answer your questions." Pretty sad... She apologized but I still was charged for her time.

Interesting. I have to wonder how well educated the dietitians were on celiac disease. I saw one right after diagnosis, and I already knew way more than she did. It was not even remotely helpful. Those with celiac disease really have to own this disease and take control of their health. Be wise or suffer. Those are your options.

I totally agree...

I have had diagnosed celiac disease for over four years now. in the initial months of diagnosis, I saw a dietitian twice, along with my wife. The single most important thing we got out of the visits was that our dietary research and cooking style were equal to or surpassed the advice from the dietitian. My GI has since supported my health exams by saying that I could probably write the book/conduct the workshop on celiac diet/cooking.

Sometimes these studies are a waste of time and money. If your dietitian is in expert in celiac, it's going to be helpful. If not, it will be detrimental. My dietitian is the leader of a celiac support group. I stayed sick until I found her and learned about cross contamination and hidden gluten.

I asked my doctor to see a dietitian to help me navigate the gluten-free diet. It was clear early on in the appointment that I knew significantly more than she did as she had only attended a poster session at a conference she had attended. I spent the entire session educating her and then paying a bill on my way out the door. I learned far more from reading on my own and a visit to my local health food store. As luck would have it, a worker had celiac disease and the store had a gluten-free room full of products. It was a very educational trip. I now share the information and tips to others I meet who have also had similar experiences. Perhaps a better study would be to look at ways to improve the medical professionals knowledge and how then it translates into the above study's markers.

I have not been to a dietitian. I just read labels and eat properly. I have done enough research on what I can and can not eat. I am getting better. After two years, I am no longer Lactose intolerant which tells me my villi are working. I no longer have diarrhea, so I must be doing everything right. I have only been glutened three times.

We do have to own this condition and do our own research There is a lot of information available out there. Restaurants are beginning to carry a few gluten-free items, which make life seem somewhat normal

When I was diagnosed just over a year ago, my doctor told me he wanted me to see a dietitian. I called all of the dietitians within my insurance network and even a few outside of it and ALL of them said that they ONLY bill insurance for diabetes patients. Patients with celiac/gluten intolerance have to pay anywhere from $30 - $80 out of pocket for each 15 minutes. Then I'd have to turn around and hope my insurance reimbursed me for the visit. I ended up learning on my own, with this site as a huge help.