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

Gender Percentages?

jststric

By jststric
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

jststric Contributor
jststric
Posted

After listening to the new mammogram recommedations that I feel takes women's healthcare back several steps, I got to thinking about all the times doctors have seemingly not had a clue (or care much) about my issues in the past. I got to wondering if anyone knows if Celiacs or gluten-intolerance has a gender majority? I know there are both men and women on here and suffer from it, but wondered if it seems to be more one than the other. Anyone know?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


amberlynn Contributor
amberlynn
Posted

That's a very interesting question, and I'm going to be interested inthe results!

I know in the past, I've had a VERY hard time getting my doctor's to listen to my issues. Most of the time it was written off as 'hormonal', or they ignored me entirely (like when I was 14 and complained about my back hurting awfully and all the doc did was run a thumb down my spine and said I was fine - then sent me out of the room, and told my Dad I was just seeking attention :( , when in truth I had scoliosis causing severe pain). Migraines were due to my cycle or stress. Same with stomach issues. Very frustrating, and got to the point where I just gave up asking for help, and went withouth a doctor for years becasue of it. I'm still not sure that my current doctor takes me seriously, or just thinks that I'm a hypochrondiac.

Lisa16 Collaborator
Lisa16
Posted

This is tricky because so many people are undiagnosed.

I read that more women than men develop celiac disease, but that men tend to get sicker from it. But perhaps what this really means is that a man has to get pretty ill before they even consider testing for it? Maybe it is part of that whole macho-thing of men not complaining/ telling doctors they are sick until it gets them somewhere visible?

And definitely more women than men have been diagnosed with IBS.

However, I think I also read recently on a DH website that more men than women get DH. Go figure. But maybe it is not that surprising. I have the theory that having DH might mean the disease has reached the stage where your body is totally overwhelmed and it is expressing it through the skin. I feel strongly this is what happened to me after going undiagnosed over 20 years (it was a "late symptom" in my case). So maybe this happens to men too as part of our societal bias (ie women are more likely to complain about being chronically sick than men)?

jststric Contributor
jststric
Posted
  • Author

This is exactly my point and cause for wondering. When I started having issues, my doctor, a female doctor at that, was clueless and even was convinced and had me tested for STD's! My major symptoms tend to be in very private places. She didn't believe that I and my husband had been completely monogomous with one another and no one else prior in more than 22 yrs! Of course, they came back negative. I have also had a history of pains and such not being taken seriously and explained away as hormonal. And the comment about symptoms being much worse for men......is that because they are taken more seriously? Or that women tend to take more pain before going to the doctor because of our experiences of being dismissed so easily?? See what I mean? And upon reflection, it seems that more of the posts in this site come from females. I don't mean to dismiss the males at all......it all just got me to wondering what the truth would really be.

summerteeth Enthusiast
summerteeth
Posted
That's a very interesting question, and I'm going to be interested inthe results!

I know in the past, I've had a VERY hard time getting my doctor's to listen to my issues. Most of the time it was written off as 'hormonal', or they ignored me entirely (like when I was 14 and complained about my back hurting awfully and all the doc did was run a thumb down my spine and said I was fine - then sent me out of the room, and told my Dad I was just seeking attention :( , when in truth I had scoliosis causing severe pain). Migraines were due to my cycle or stress. Same with stomach issues. Very frustrating, and got to the point where I just gave up asking for help, and went withouth a doctor for years becasue of it. I'm still not sure that my current doctor takes me seriously, or just thinks that I'm a hypochrondiac.

Ugh I know. I have had SO many doctors blame my maladies on "my cycle". Um... no. I used to have migraines for weeks at a time - with no pattern whatsoever. If it was related to my cycle, don't you think it would have a pattern?? Like maybe a 28 day pattern?!

And my stomach problems were always negated to my "fiber intake". Yeah, right. So that started a cycle of it's own - more bran, more wheat, more oats! Did not help AT ALL.

I get frustrated just thinking about it!

Lisa16 Collaborator
Lisa16
Posted

I know what you mean.

There is also the theory that women are actually "tougher" than men in the sense that we are built to be the last standing (for reproductive purposes, one assumes) and can take more pain and survive illness better (they say our hormones protect us from heart disease, say). We also have a higher percentage of body fat, which is a huge advantage when you have something like celiac disease.

These two theories (the women=survivors and the men=more undiagnosed) seem to contradict each other someplaces. Who really knows?

But I do think that in general women are more verbal and would tend ot talk about it more.

lizard00 Enthusiast
lizard00
Posted

Women are at a higher risk for autoimmune diseases in general. I'm not sure if I read this or not, but my belief is that it's because women tend to have more of the stressors to trigger AI diseases than men. For me personally, childbirth did it.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


carsondcat Newbie
carsondcat
Posted
Ugh I know. I have had SO many doctors blame my maladies on "my cycle". Um... no. I used to have migraines for weeks at a time - with no pattern whatsoever. If it was related to my cycle, don't you think it would have a pattern?? Like maybe a 28 day pattern?!

I get frustrated just thinking about it!

Just remembering the "migraines" where no medication would make it better and they would be endless in their duration... Haven't had a "migraine" since being gluten-free. I'm very thankful for that :)

Swimmr Contributor
Swimmr
Posted

I think it's not one gender or another who has it more...

HOWEVER, I think more men would ignore or ride off the symptoms longer than a woman, so there might be discrepancies there.

I would like to know if it's more prevalent in one race than another...I've wanted to ask, but was kinda keeping that to myself.

jststric Contributor
jststric
Posted
  • Author
I think it's not one gender or another who has it more...

HOWEVER, I think more men would ignore or ride off the symptoms longer than a woman, so there might be discrepancies there.

I would like to know if it's more prevalent in one race than another...I've wanted to ask, but was kinda keeping that to myself.

I read somewhere that the beginnings, or gene origins, of gluten issues seemed to have come from the European Anglo-Saxon regions. I'm not much of a history person, but my background came from England, so I'm thinking that may be our ground zero. That COULD be why the European regions seem to know more and have better options in the eateries, and doctors know so much more than our US docs do. Just my suppositions and assumptions. I suspect like most everything else, it has morphed over the centuries to include more ethnicities these days.

Lisa16 Collaborator
Lisa16
Posted

I think that it is more a question of who is eating wheat. Celiac is not as prevalent in cultures that are not wheat-based. But when they start eating it, then it appears. It strikes people of every race and ethnicitiy. It is a "human thing"-- or maybe a "wheat thing" rather than a "race thing."

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

I've also seen statistics that women are more likely to get autoimmune diseases, but I think Celiac may be an equal opportunity disease.

For what I think...sometimes celiac is dormant until triggered by an event like illness, surgery or child birth...that last one may bring the numbers of disease triggered in women higher.

As for doctors...I often wondered if I would have been diagnosed sooner if I were male. I went to at least 8 doctors over 25 years with the same symptoms, only difference was the severity of the symptoms. Once severe enough I wouldn't stop until they found something. So if I were male with digestive issues along with boughts of fatigue, flu-like symptoms and constant anemia, would I have been dismissed as readily?????

amberlynn Contributor
amberlynn
Posted

"Equal Oppurtunity Disease" I like that, lol :lol:

Well, I did figure out that chocolate triggers migraines for me as well - I cannot handle even the tiniest amount of caffeine.

Glad I'm not the only one who got the 'get more fiber in your diet' junk. I was eating so much fiber, I was beyond bloated and in pain, and STILL having blood in my stool. I mean, really?!? This was shortly after my 2nd son was born, and they just kinda gave up on me. Whatever. I will never understand why he couldn't just run the necessary tests when I asked for them, and instead told me to just 'try the elimination diet, and log your food." Well, now I'm screwed out of a pure diagnosis. And I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm nuts.

ianm Apprentice
ianm
Posted

I am a male and my complaints about my health were completely ignored by doctors. All they would do is write me a dozen or so prescriptions each time and say, "One of these might work." The doctor issues are just as bad on this side of the gender fence.

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. YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      - YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 replied to Known1's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      7

      Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water

      I found out the hard way that water filters can have starch binders that bind the charcoal used in the filter. Grain starch or gluten can be present in the filter. I’ve been exposed and had reactions. Steam distilled water is safe. Not all places have the distilled gallon containers commonly sold, but smart water is steam distilled and has been safe s...
    2. YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      - YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 replied to dsfraley's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      13

      9 y/o Son Diagnosed with Celiac Disease; Persistent Symptoms: Does this Sound Familiar?

      I was diagnosed celiac 5 years ago. I know for certain that casein, grains, beans, seeds, and some other famous lectin issue foods are problems for me. When I was newborn, I had a huge issue with intolerance to milk. Five years ago before my celiac diagnosis, I had Irish cheddar cheese sold by Kerrie and it felt like an explosion in my intestines. I’m not s...
    3. YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      - YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      0

      Water filters are a potential problem for Celiac Disease

      We really need to become more aware of this. When I first had my celiac diagnosis 5 years ago, I searched out all possible sources of gluten. I only recently became aware of filtered water being a potential source of gluten and other grain starch contamination. Gluten exposure in the past, for me, has brought upon distinct repeatable points of bodily pain...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Mihai's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      16

      Pain in the right side of abdomen

      @Heatherisle, I'm so happy that your daughter had her B12 checked! B12 needs all the B vitamins to work properly. A B Complex should be taken to ensure there are plenty of B vitamins to allow B12 to function properly. It's very rare to have only one or two low vitamins in Celiac Disease. B vitamins are water soluble, so any excess is easily excreted...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Heatherisle's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      39

      Blood results

      I'm so glad your daughter got her B12 level checked at last!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,570
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Chanty
    Newest Member
    Chanty
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water

      By YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 · Posted

      I found out the hard way that water filters can have starch binders that bind the charcoal used in the filter.  Grain starch or gluten can be present in the filter. I’ve been exposed and had reactions.  Steam distilled water is safe.  Not all places have the distilled gallon containers commonly sold, but smart water is steam distilled and has been safe so far.
    • YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      9 y/o Son Diagnosed with Celiac Disease; Persistent Symptoms: Does this Sound Familiar?

      By YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 · Posted

      I was diagnosed celiac 5 years ago. I know for certain that casein, grains, beans, seeds, and some other famous lectin issue foods are problems for me. When I was newborn, I had a huge issue with intolerance to milk. Five years ago before my celiac diagnosis, I had Irish cheddar cheese sold by Kerrie and it felt like an explosion in my intestines. I’m not sure if the casein was worse or the naturally occurring cheese mold in aged cheddar did it. I am IgG sensitive to yeast. Casein, yeast, or mold in the cheese might have been part or equally bad.
    • YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888
      Water filters are a potential problem for Celiac Disease

      By YoshiLuckyJackpotWinner888 · Posted

      We really need to become more aware of this. When I first had my celiac diagnosis 5 years ago, I searched out all possible sources of gluten.  I only recently became aware of filtered water being a potential source of gluten and other grain starch contamination. Gluten exposure in the past, for me, has brought upon distinct repeatable points of bodily pain which I am now aware of. If I purposely expose myself to gluten, I seem to have antibodies attack certain areas of my body which cause this reaction within 30 minutes of exposure. I can tell rather quickly if I was exposed and it never happens, unless gluten is present. In the past 5 years since my diagnosis , I may have noticed occasional pains or odd sensations after drinking bottled water that was filtered.  It never made sense to me why this was happening.  A few months ago I was at a gas station and purchased a Gatorade filtered water bottle product. Within 30 minutes, I had pains associated with gluten exposure that I had not felt for years. I knew it had to be the water bottle contents because nothing else was consumed all day. This was a wake up call for me. I searched and found out a thread about water filters containing starch binders to bind charcoal, which is used commonly, and I found out that grains are potentially used for the starch source.  Gluten is in certain grains, and according to a study in the past two years, many grain proteins and casein from dairy can cross react with celiac. This Gatorade water bottle had water that was likely filtered with a filter that may have had actual gluten. I am also sensitive to the other cross reactive proteins from grains and casein, but the pains that day were distinct. I can absolutely tell the difference if I come into contact with corn or other grains. The reaction is different. My point is bottled water that has been filtered can potentially be exposing us, if they use starch binders from grain products. We have no real practical way of knowing what water filters may have inside of them, unless a law requires disclosure on the label. This is not only going to affect bottled water, but also all products that were made with filtered water. Since cross reactions to other grain proteins is now a real issue, simply stating  gluten free is not enough. How can you know if your store bought lemonade does not have filtered water with gluten or other grain protein contamination?  Did that kombacha you just drank happen to have filter contamination of corn and you suddenly feel a headache and odd chest pains? Distilled water may be the only safe bottled water. We can’t trust water filters until the law changes and requires processing plants to disclose these contaminants.  I don’t ever have a problem with distilled water as long as it was steam distilled.  Regular bottled water has set off noticeable sensations and pains over 5 years of observing these. The Gatorade water was the worst and most alarming.  Stay safe. 
    • knitty kitty
      Pain in the right side of abdomen

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Heatherisle, I'm so happy that your daughter had her B12 checked! B12 needs all the B vitamins to work properly.  A B Complex should be taken to ensure there are plenty of B vitamins to allow B12 to function properly.  It's very rare to have only one or two low vitamins in Celiac Disease.  B vitamins are water soluble, so any excess is easily excreted in urine.  Tingling in feet and hands is symptomatic of deficiencies in B vitamins like thiamine, Pyridoxine, and niacin. September 19 2025, "Your daughter needs to be checked for Vitamin B12 deficiency as soon as possible!   The nitrogen compounds in anesthesia can precipitate a B12 deficiency resulting in severe depression.  Please have her checked immediately! The nitrogen compounds in anesthesia (both gas and injected anesthesia) bind irrevocably with the Cobalt in Cobalamine Vitamin B12.  This precipitates a B12 deficiency in people with a low B12 level.  This can happen immediately, within days or weeks or months depending on B12 stores.    I've had medical procedures that required anesthesia and been struck down by deep dark depression and uncontrollable crying immediately, and also within weeks of the exposure.  My doctor put me on antidepressants which only made things worse.  Antidepressants don't correct a vitamin deficiency.   Please have her checked for B12 deficiency as soon as possible!"  
    • knitty kitty
      Blood results

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I'm so glad your daughter got her B12 level checked at last!  
×
×
  • 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.