How do I know if I have coeliac?

[Frenchgirl]

Hi i'm new on this website and I'm interested in a few things concerning coeliac and gluten. I started a gluten free diet one week ago because for months after each meal I felt bloated but the kind of feeling that made me feel like I was dying. My gluten free diet seemed to work but now even raw vegetables and dairy give me horrible pains so i cut off dairy. Furthermore my skin used to be perfect and two years ago it became awfully looking so I hope gluten free diet will help... I'd like to know if anyone here have experienced this problems and what's the solution besides going to my gp and do some tests. Thanks.

[judithr]

The only way you can find out if you are a coeliac is by having an endoscopy so your first port of call is your GP. This is a genuine medical condition that needs a proper diet some of which should be provided by the NHS.

[ThatPandaGirl]

Ok, first of all, you need the tests. That is the only way to say whether or not you have the disease. Secondly, you must continue eating gluten until you have had the tests.

I understand your concern, but not your self medicating. If you thought you had diabetes, you wouldn't just start injecting insulin, and you shouldn't do it with coeliac.

The symptoms of undiagnosed or improperly treated coeliac range from stomach pain, diarrhoea and malnourishment to severe neurological impairments, osteoparosis and cancer and as such need proper medical diagnosis and follow up.

Please go to your GP and get diagnosed properly before treating yourself for any health problems.

[1stgls]

I agree with the folks here start eating gluten again and GET TESTED properly--a lot of silly people try exclusions diets, stick to them and because they are not getting the correct advice end up malnourished,

You have stated staying G/F has not solved your problems so get checked by a medical bod.

[Lynxcat]

Hello Frenchgirl - The very least you will need to have are blood tests. This is the first way to tell whether you are a coeliac or may have something else - such as a wheat allergy, a gluten allergy, a lactose intolerance and so on and so forth. If you do turn out as a coeliac then because of the initial damage that occurs in the small intestine you may well be deficient in a number of vitamins and/or minerals. Your doctor and the dietician at your General Practice facility should be able to advise on this.

If your skin is suffering then it probably means that you are short of one or more things within your current diet. If you are getting subsequent problems then your doctor needs to confirm with you what is causing your other symptoms.

Coeliac disease often causes conditions that may affect any organ in the body and that is why it is so important to firstly try and get a diagnoses - if you are either suffering from coeliac disease or you are allergic to gluten or something else you will need to make sure that these, once diagnosed, are removed from your diet. This is quite a steep learning curve as there are many forms of foods that contain wheat, barley, oats and rye and some are in the form of sugars which, when labelled rarely if ever use the word gluten or any other of the main grains.