Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

New Doctor - Austin Texas

TexasJen

By TexasJen
in Doctors

Recommended Posts

TexasJen Collaborator
TexasJen
Posted

I am grateful to my doc for diagnosing me with celiac last year. It was not on my radar at all since I have no GI symptoms (I was anemic). However, he pretty much just referred me celiac.com, told me to start a gluten free diet and he'd see me in a year. He gave me no other advice and recommended no other tests ( I have since had that all done).

Any advice on a good GI doc for celiac patients in ATX or San Antonio?

Thanks in advance!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Jmg Mentor
Jmg
Posted

Are you quite sure you need one Jen? Your doctor already sounds better than the majority I've encountered. He knew enough about you to detect celiac from anemia for one thing. I don't think there's a great deal of a role for a doctor as you start the gluten-free diet. Checking levels after a year to see how your going is pretty standard. Maybe a referral to a dietician for advice on how to adapt to the diet would've been of help though. 

Sorry by the way, I don't have any useful info, just love Austin and couldn't help clicking :)

 

TexasJen Collaborator
TexasJen
Posted
  • Author

Well, that thought did occur to me.....After me asking him, he did give me the name of a dietician but she knew nothing about celiac specifically and had no experience. She wanted me drinking kale and almond mild smoothies all the time but couldn't address some very practical issues. :)

Some of my more atypical symptoms (fatigue, joint aches) aren't going away.  Since I don't have GI symptoms I don't know when I'm making errors. I think I'm doing a pretty good job at following the gluten-free diet, but I have suspected in retrospect, that I might be making some errors - still not sure though. I need some practical advice on how to proceed from here (i.e. only eat certified gluten-free foods and all natural foods? - There are some things I like - like cheeses, dried beans, coffee that could be cross contaminated but I really have no idea if that is the issue OR take the plunge and go dairy free?). If I do that, how long do I need to be dairy free to decide if that's the issues - is 2 months enough?  Since it often times take weeks to recover from been glutened, it's hards to tell where the problem is....

tessa25 Rising Star
tessa25
Posted

In my opinion, because you have no outward symptoms the only way to see if you're doing it right is to get your celiac blood test results so you know your starting point. After a few months retest the number that failed and see if it's going down. If it is then your doing it right.

Jmg Mentor
Jmg
Posted
1 hour ago, TexasJen said:

I need some practical advice on how to proceed from here

You may already have seen this: 

 

but if not there's lots of good advice in there. :)

Best of luck with your recovery!

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I think you GI has done a pretty good job (better than most).  I got pretty much the same thing from my GI.  However, I give him credit for finding celiac disease, when I went in for a routine colonoscopy and he saw that I had been anemic forever.  I did not have intestinal issues.  

Coffee, dried beans (sorted and washed), and cheese are all safe food choices provided you do not have any intolerances.  The only way to find out is to keep a food journal and give up foods that can impact joints (e.g. Night shades are common).  Reintroduce them and gauge your reactions.  Everyone is different, so there is no easy way to figure it out.  

Have other AI issues been ruled out after a year of being gluten-free?  Are your antibodies still high (can take years to go down), but are trending downward?

TexasJen Collaborator
TexasJen
Posted
  • Author

My numbers at the time of diagnosis were >100 for both IgA and IgG. When I was retested at 6months, IgA was 0 and IgG was 6 so I definitely made improvement. But, weirdly, in retrospect, there were some times when I had made some errors in my diet - minor but possible cross contamination or like drinking a tequila that wasn't 100% pure agave...

Thanks for the help!

 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 3 months later...
Lexiola Newbie
Lexiola
Posted

Hi Jen,

 

 

I know this is late but my doctor just referred me to a GI for similar issues if you'd like the name. He's located in Austin, TX off James Casey Str I think?

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,836
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    RyanOB
    Newest Member
    RyanOB
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Hidden Gluten in distilled vinegar

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Manaan2,  I'm so happy to hear you're going to try thiamine and magnesium!  Do let us know the results!   You may want to add a B 50 Complex with two meals of the day to help boost absorption.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins which are all water soluble.   When supplementing magnesium, make sure to get sufficient calcium.  Calcium and magnesium need to be kept in balance.  If you choose a calcium supplement, take two hours apart from magnesium as they compete for absorption.  Take Calcium with Vitamin D.  Vitamin D helps calm the immune system.   For pain, I use a combination of thiamine, B12 Cobalamine, and Pyridoxine B6.  These three vitamins together have analgesic effects.  My preferred brand is "GSG 12X Takeda ALINAMIN EX Plus Vitamin B1 B6 B12 Health Supplementary from Japan 120 Tablets".  Alinamin is another form of thiamine.  It really is excellent at relieving my back pain from crushed vertebrae without side effects and no grogginess.   Look into the low histamine version of the Autoimmune Protocol Duet (Dr. Sarah Ballentyne, a Celiac herself, developed it.)  It really helps heal the intestines, too.  It's like a vacation for the digestive system.  Add foods back gradually over several weeks after feeling better.   I'm so happy to have pointed the way on your journey!  Let us know how the journey progresses! P. S. Add a Potassium supplement, too.  Potassium is another electrolyte, like magnessium, that we need.
    • Manaan2
      Hidden Gluten in distilled vinegar

      By Manaan2 · Posted

      @knitty kitty I can't thank you enough!  My husband and I already started looking into those supplements.  We definitely plan to give it a try.  We've been against the Miralax since it was originally advised by PCP, but because of the level of pain she experienced on a daily basis, we decided to try it.  We've made many attempts to gradually decrease but due to her pain and related symptoms, we've kept her on it while trying all sorts of other dietary adjustments pre and post diagnosis specific to food; so far none of those efforts have made a significant difference.  I will definitely share how she's doing along the way!
    • BIg Nodge
      Opinions on my test results/symptoms

      By BIg Nodge · Posted

      Hi, I have recently embarked on the gluten-free journey. I have what to me seems like a somewhat confusing set of test results and symptoms. I have been impressed by the accumulated knowledge and thoughtfulness as I browse this forum, so I figured I'd make a post to see if anyone can offer any insight. I know there are many posts like this from new users, so I have tried to do my baseline research first and not ask super obvious questions.  I'm 43, overall very healthy. No history of gluten sensitivity or really any of the classic GI symptoms. About three years ago I started to experience intermittent bouts of fatigue, chills/cold intolerance, and shortness of breath/air hunger (sometimes feels like a hollowness in my chest, hard to describe). The symptoms over time have become fairly significant, though not debilitating, I am able to exercise regularly and am fairly physically active, continue to perform well at work. But for example I have gone from someone who consistently ran hot, was always cranking the a/c, to someone who wears a down vest inside at work in winter and get chills if the a/c even blows on me in summer. I get tired and lose energy even when getting decent amounts of sleep, and have to have my wife take over on long drives that I could previously handle with no problems. More generally when I am experiencing these symptoms they seem to crowd out space in my mind for focusing on my family, my hobbies/activities etc, I sort of withdraw into myself.   I happened to be experiencing these symptoms during an annual physical with my PCP a few years ago, he observed post nasal drip and suggested it was allergies and that I treat it with claritin. At first it seemed to respond to claritin (though not zyrtex), but over time I became unsatisfied with that answer. There didn't seem to be any seasonal rhyme or reason to my symptoms, and I felt like I was on an endless loop of taking claritin, then stopping, not being sure if it was even making a difference. I did eventually get allergy tests and found modest allergies to dust and pollen, which didn't feel like a smoking gun.  I then started seeing a natural medicine doctor who was much more willing to explore my symptoms via testing. The first thing that came back abnormal was elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies/TPOs, 137 IU/mL vs a reference range of <9. At the same time my thyroid panel showed normal thyroid hormone levels. So it appears my immune system is attacking my thyroid even though it is working fine. I got a thyroid ultrasound at the time, it was clear, but with some abnormalities such that they suggested I get is scanned again in a year. These are certainly risk factors for a thyroid autoimmune disease, though my thyroid seems to be working fine for now.  From here my doctor considered celiac due to the murky thyroid/celiac links, so we did a panel. Results were as follows: TT IGA <1 U/ml, TT IGG <1 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGA 24.6 U/ml, deamidated gliadin IGG <1 U/ml, IGAs 170 mg/dL. Readings greater than 15 considered high by my lab for the first four, my IGAs are within reference range. So basically just the deamidated IGA popped, but my IGAs are normal. I also notice on the tests that my thyroglobulin was high, 86.7 ng/ml vs a range of 2.8 - 40.9.  My doctor suggested that it certainly wasn't conclusive for celiac, but it was possible, and likely that I have some sort of gluten sensitivity. She suggested going gluten free and seeing how I felt as opposed to doing a biopsy. The best theory I can come up with is perhaps I am a silent celiac or just have a gluten sensitivity that doesn't produce immediate GI symptoms, but is still doing damage and over time has caused leaky gut. So now gluten is getting into my blood, and my immune system is attacking it but also mistakingly attacking my thyroid.  So that's what I did, went gluten free in October. It's been about four months, and I am really not feeling any difference. I still get the same symptoms that come and go. My bowel movements may be a bit more regular, but it was never a major issue before so I would consider that a minor improvement. I know that it can take a while to see improvements, and I am going to remain gluten-free and see how I feel. But I am definitely questioning whether I really understand what is going on, and am open to any thoughts or suggestions from the forum. Sometimes I wish I just went ahead with the biopsy before going gluten-free. While I would certainly be down to start drinking IPAs again ahead of a biopsy, you know, for science, I feel like at this point I would be throwing away four months of work and am better off staying the course and seeing what happens. But I'm really not sure.  I know there is a lot of thyroid knowledge on these boards, along with the celiac expertise, so I'm curious if this resonates with anyone's experience. And I'm interested in what sort of timelines people have experienced in terms of feeling improvements for some of these non-GI symptoms like chills, SOB, brain fog etc. Thanks in advance. 
    • cameo674
      Testing positive for antibodies, are there visible changes to the colon that could be seen without a biopsy?

      By cameo674 · Posted

      Does it taste like black licorice?  It said it was chewable.  I do not like that flavor.     Since the burn at the back of my throat is there everyday, I usually only take something when it is unbearable and keeping me from ADL especially sleep.  
    • Scott Adams
      Nandos improper preparion celiac childrens food

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your concerns about Nando's cross-contamination practices are valid and important for the celiac community. It's disappointing that Nando's does not have stricter protocols for children's portions, especially given the risk of cross-contact with gluten-containing items like garlic bread. Cooking gluten-free items on shared surfaces, even if cleaned, is not safe for individuals with celiac disease, as even trace amounts of gluten can cause harm. While the adult butterfly chicken may be a safer option, the inconsistency in practices for children's meals is concerning. It's frustrating that Nando's headquarters did not take responsibility, but sharing your experience raises awareness and may encourage them to improve their protocols. Consider reaching out to celiac advocacy organizations to amplify your concerns and push for better standards. Always double-check with staff and emphasize the importance of avoiding cross-contamination when dining out.
×
×
  • Create New...