Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

I Am Completely Discouraged!

Sbwife14

Recommended Posts

Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted

I've posted on other forums but I need to start here. I have all of the classics symptoms of gluten intolerance. I had celiac panel drawn and it was negative. My PCP is convinced I have a food intolerance. She referred me to a different GI doctor out of town wanting a colonoscopy and another EGD. My visit was today. She wouldn't run another celiac panel and said repeat EGD is not necessary and also said she sees no reason to have a colonoscopy. I could have a gluten intolerance but there is no test for that. She does not believe I have celiac. Instead thinks I might have intestinal spasms?? That does not explain my clear negative reactions when I consume gluten. This is the second GI doctor and neither seem interested in granting my requests! I just crIed after she left....I have no idea what to do next?? Except go back to a strict gluten free diet. I had been gluten light and avoiding foods that triggered huge responses of migraines!! Any advice? This is so frustrating!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

If they aren't going to test you further, you may just need to go back on the gluten-free diet (not gluten-light) without a GI doctor's blessing.  Treatment is the same for celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) - the gluten-free diet.  Be strict with it.  If you are a celiac you can't have any gluten or you'll hurt yourself, and if you have NCGS you will negatively affect your health with small amounts of gluten.  Consider jumping in 100%.  You already know you feel better that way... No matter what the doctors think.

 

Best wishes.

Tricia7 Newbie
Tricia7
Posted

While getting a diagnosis is ideal, even if they won't test you further just stay gluten free. My test was negative, but my reaction to eating gluten is too severe to even consider going back to it. Those tests have a high rate of false negatives. Do you have some reason you have to PROVE you can't have gluten?  I've heard people talk about how they need medical proof for work or school, or even to keep them strictly on a gluten free diet.

 

My complete migraine relief is enough to keep me 100% gluten-free. Not to mention all the other numerous other symptom relief I have had.  And while my primary care doc doesn't seem to understand celiac disease, and just marked that off the list when my test was negative, I've told him I am still strict gluten-free and all the benefits I have seen from it and he's supportive in that if it's working for me to keep doing it. (even thoughI can seem to convince him I could possibly have celiac disease) 

 

Bottom line is you're not alone. The average person with celiac disease takes years to get a diagnosis. Don't wait for it, if you're feeling better off gluten and worse on it, stay the course and do what makes you feel better.

Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted
  • Author

I guess what I was hoping from this visit to a second GI was more of a clinical confirmation that I do have a gluten intolerance and prove whether it is def not celiac or if it's NCGS. I don't need proof for work or school...just my own peace of mind. I went 100% gluten-free for 7 days when I connected my symptoms to possible Celiac and all of my symptoms disappeared. And I felt good! I guess I was hoping for something concrete from a doc standpoint. Migraines, foggy headed, inflammation and constipation are my biggest complaint...oh and sneezing after eating certain things. It's just very frustrating for me to actually do the research and trial and feel the difference and a specialist who is supposed to know about celiac is unwilling to even try to get answers. My negative labs were one year ago and why not biopsy?? Regarding food, one question I have is why things like pizza and noodles and white bread give me migraines but breaded things like chicken or eating a hamburger with the bun does not...eating baked goods like cookies, biscuits, cinnamon rolls makes me sneeze at least 10 times....it's all wheat flour and gluten...why are certain foods have worse reactions than others? She does have me staying off of gluten stating that I could be gluten intolerant but I do understand the only test for that is being gluten-free and see what happens. I did that and saw very positive results so I know I should stay on it. Just hoping for clinical diagnosis...*sigh*

Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted
  • Author

One of the main reasons I went is intermittently I also have attacks where I have bloating, excess GERD, gas and waves of epigastric pain. This all lasts for several days at a time when it happens. And I have an area in the upper abdomen around the pancreas that does not look right. It "pooches out and just looks odd". She never addressed this. We have a patient who is celiac and I asked her questions about her diagnosis and she mentioned her doc to her that her to school would never be the same again...that her "pooch " was a result of damage. So many unknowns. I was hoping for more answers.

Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted
  • Author

Oh geez auto correct is crazy! Her doctor mentioned to her that her stomach would never be the same, that her pooch was the result of damage to her intestines.......

SMRI Collaborator
SMRI
Posted

Being gluten-free for only 7 days and having all of your symptoms disappear is pretty amazing.  Obviously your body doesn't like something and if eating gluten-free makes you feel better, by all means, eat gluten-free.  If you had complete panels done twice, it is highly unlikely you have Celiac.  The false negative rate is very, very small and having tests done by 2 different doctors with the same results pretty much eliminates that possibility.  Whether it is Celiac or a gluten sensitivity really is irrelevant since the treatment is the same.  Stop eating gluten, feel better and move on.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted
  • Author

To clarify, I had one full panel. The second GI doctor wouldn't run a second panel. Nonetheless, I was amazed as well and I wasn't expecting it! I ate pizza after 7 days and had the worst migraine ever!!! I plan on eating gluten free because doc or not, I know how I feel. It's just incredibly frustrating!!!!

BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted

If you had a negative test and had all your symptoms resolve gluten free, just have the doctor diagnose you with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. That's still a diagnosis. 

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

If you were gluten light or gluten free prior to your blood panel then that would have scotched the results. 

At any rate, you know how you felt gluten free so just go for it.

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

false negatives on blood test are *very* common.  if you feel better off the gluten, no reason you need to eat it.  just eat a clean, nutrition-filled diet and don't worry about it.  honestly, i wish they would come up with a better test!!  one you wouldn't need to be eating gluten to be tested accurately.  that being said:  i wouldn't go back to eating gluten even if somebody told me i didn't have celiac.  that's what a difference this diet has made on my whole body :)  and my "pooch" is finally going away.  (whew.  thought i was gonna hafta work out there for a second lolz like i don't get enough exercise running up and down the stairs because i forgot what i went up there for....   <_<  )

BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted

I don't have a definitive diagnosis and if someone offered me a million dollars to eat gluten for 3 months I would refuse. LOL!

 

Seriously, you know your own body best. As an adult, you can choose what goes in your own mouth. People who really love you and care about you will support you.

 

Lots of people don't even understand what celiac is or don't care about what I do or don't have anyway. They just know that gluten gives me serious complications and makes me miserable.

Sbwife14 Rookie
Sbwife14
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all so much! It helps to know I have a group of people that understands. I agree and I plan to be more strict with my diet. No lie...it's hard cause in the medical field I have to eat out a lot....and don't cook like I used to so I have a lot of changing to do to be successful!

SMRI Collaborator
SMRI
Posted

false negatives on blood test are *very* common.  if you feel better off the gluten, no reason you need to eat it.  just eat a clean, nutrition-filled diet and don't worry about it.  honestly, i wish they would come up with a better test!!  one you wouldn't need to be eating gluten to be tested accurately.  that being said:  i wouldn't go back to eating gluten even if somebody told me i didn't have celiac.  that's what a difference this diet has made on my whole body :)  and my "pooch" is finally going away.  (whew.  thought i was gonna hafta work out there for a second lolz like i don't get enough exercise running up and down the stairs because i forgot what i went up there for....   <_<  )

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Just for clarification, 1-2% test false negative and 1-3% test false positive.  It's not common.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a...
    2. BlessedinBoston
      - BlessedinBoston replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      14

      My only proof

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger. I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone. My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies. Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies...
    4. Jmartes71
      - Jmartes71 replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      14

      My only proof

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in...
    5. marion wheaton
      - marion wheaton posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      Wondering if anyone knows whether Lindt chocolate balls are gluten free. The Lindt Canadian website says yes but the Lindt USA website says no. The information is a bit confusing.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,410
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Marilyn Gingras
    Newest Member
    Marilyn Gingras
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By trents · Posted

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By BlessedinBoston · Posted

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume  my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in the back of our throat.Im in pain.Standford specialist really dismissed me and now im really in limbo and trying to get properly cared for.I found a new gi and new pcp but its still a mess and medical is making it look like im a disability chaser when Im actively not well I look and feel horrible and its adding anxiety and depression more so.Im angery my condition is affecting me and its being down played 
    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Wondering if anyone knows whether Lindt chocolate balls are gluten free. The Lindt Canadian website says yes but the Lindt USA website says no. The information is a bit confusing.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.