Just have anemia, do I need to be gluten-free?

[Blvr]

I had a positive biopsy for Celiac Sprue.  The blood test revealed it as well. My only symptom is anemia.  Not sure I want to go gluten free at 68 years old. Is cancer really a big risk?

 

[kareng]

2 hours ago, Blvr said:

I had a positive biopsy for Celiac Sprue.  The blood test revealed it as well. My only symptom is anemia.  Not sure I want to go gluten free at 68 years old. Is cancer really a big risk?

 

Yes, cancer is a risk.

but you will probably die from the anemia first.   And it's not a fun way to go.  You get sooooo tired you can hardly even enjoy a tv program.  It becomes so hard to catch your breath when you walk around the house.  Forget about walking from the parking lot to your grandkids soccer game.  Your heart will start beating faster to try to make up for the lack of oxygen.  Your body will start making larger red blood cells that can cause stroke  in the smaller blood vessels.  You get those annoying  and ugly broken blood vessel bruises.   I know  that was what it was like for me. 

Your bones will get more brittle, too.  The inflammation caused by untreated Celiac leads to things like gum disease.  

[kareng]

Also, your intestines will continue to be destroyed so eventually you will have some interesting bathroom issues.  

[Ennis-TX]

To add on to the above, the more your intestines get damaged the more prone you are to other issues, diverticulitis, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, random foods start giving your new allergic reactions and you start vomiting to random foods that used to be OK as your body gets more compromised and your immune system more confused as undigested proteins get into your blood stream from leaky gut....your will start finding less and less foods you can eat...not just gluten both common things like dairy, corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes......normally around that order. You also run the risk of other things like magnesium deficiency, and B-vitamins deficiency as you absorb less...then your start getting nerve issues, nerve damage, early onset Alzheimer, and you also risk constipation from the magnesium issues and intestinal ruptures....yeah we had that happen to a few members.

[apprehensiveengineer]

Of the five celiacs I know who are not super careful/compliant with their diet, all have suffered major life-altering consequences:

- 1 had to have part of their intestine removed, spent 6 months in hospital on a liquid-only diet

- 1 had to take a year off work due to neurological issues

- 1 had to take a year off school due to various symptoms

- 2 had to quit elite/olympic level sport due to recurrent bone fractures

Symptoms mean nothing. Celiac disease will find you out eventualy if you don't treat it properly. All of the people on my list are under 30.

[GFinDC]

On 8/5/2018 at 1:54 PM, Blvr said:

I had a positive biopsy for Celiac Sprue.  The blood test revealed it as well. My only symptom is anemia.  Not sure I want to go gluten free at 68 years old. Is cancer really a big risk?

 

Right, it's not just cancer.  Your symptom free days won't last forever.  The damage from celiac will add up and cause more and more symptoms.

You are at an age where it is important to have good nutrition.  Our bodies ability to absorb nutrients decline as we age.  So you already have that plus celiac makes it much harder to absorb vitamins and minerals and fats also.  That can cause numerous problems throughout the body, not just the gut.  Our brains are made up mostly of fat cells and nerves cells.  So when you can't absorb fats and B-vitamins your brain is in trouble.

It can be hard to adjust to the gluten-free diet at first.  We are used to eating certain foods and those habits need to be broken.  It's kind of like learning to eat all over again.  Except we already have the chewing part down. :)

After a while though you don't miss the old foods anymore.  And will probably find you like eating more wholesome, nutritious foods that make your body happy.  Things like steak, potatoes, broccoli, eggs, soups etc.  Lots of choices really in whole foods that we can make ourselves.

[ch88]

Yes, you do have to go gluten free. Celiac disease is progressive and it will get worse with time if you continue to eat gluten. The brain and other parts of the body need the correct vitamins and nutrients in order to function properly. Continuing to eat gluten after a Celiac diagnosis is extremely risky. 

[selectivefocus]

Anemia was my first symptom. If you don't want to live very long, by all means, continue eating gluten. Are you so set in your ways that you cannot change your diet at 68? Do you have children or grandchildren? People who care about you? If you continue eating gluten you are willingly and knowingly killing yourself. Your quality of life would be greatly improved and you could feel so much better. Obviously you have more than just anemia going on or you would not have gone to the doctors and gotten a biopsy.