Do I fit the criteria for CD

[tropheyboys]

Hi, I am new to the sight. I was wondering if I gave a small background on me and my medical issues you all might see similarities with my symptoms and CD.
When I was younger around the age of 9 I started getting a rash that itced and burned on my ankles and the top of my feet. Around 11yrs old I started gaining weight and having slight knee irritations. I was in the hospital several times for constipation and lived on metamucil. I have never been regular except right before my period and then I am done for weeks. The only way I lost weight was from exercise and starving myself in my teen years. I also had mono and sever migrains when I was 16. I have a hospitalized Migraine about every 5 years. I then went to college and started getting the rash on my forarms, I thought it was a bad case of ring worm or some fungal problem but it wasn't. Also I have gotten boils often throughout my life. When I was pregnant with my first child I was very sick and lost 50 pounds by the time the entier thing was over. I flet like I was a little underweight but after batteling my weight for years I was excited. After I stopped breast feeding after three months I gained 35 pounds in just a few months without changing my regular eating routine. I also sarted having terrible knee pain where it was impossible to squat down and then stand back up. My knees started making gritty noises and have stayed this way ever since. I feel like I am old in my knees. I have to hold onto something to sit down and get of the toilet, stairs are painful, bikeriding and really anything that involves using my legs. I have tried for 9 years to get help and surgery is always that answer but they are never sure that it will fix it. However when I am eating less sugar that feel much better. After my first pregnancy everything changed, I was unable to use my knees, I had a hard time getting pregnant(OB suggested that I might have pcos), and the weight just kept packing on even with exercise and counting calories, have hit or miss periods and the rash has now moved to my hands which is really hard to hide now. I have so many new problems like fatty stool, restless legs and anemia(which was very low when pregnant all 3 times). I This year I started going to a Dr. that looks more in depth through spit and blood tests. She tested me and found that I was deficient and pretty much everything. She started me on many vitamins and told me to stop sugar. I started feeling a little better but not much. I found I was allergic to grass so I thought that that must have been what gave me the rash until I made a phone call to the Dr. to get my food allergy results. I found that I am severly allergic to eggs at a level 6 wheat, rye, soy and milk and tea at 5. So I decided to look on the internet ans find out about wheat and rye allergies. I am doing the South Beach diet and phase two you start to reintroduce whole grains. I was wondering how I would do that if I was allergic. Then I saw gluten when I was researching and then stumbled on to CD. I started reading all about and noticed that you could have a rash. I clikced on a sight for the rash and what do you know after 12 years of wondering what was causing this rash I was looking right at a person with my rash. It was a huge ahh ha moment as Oprah says. I really believe that I fit in the category. I was excited but upset as well. Excited that maybe I finally found the problem and very sad because I would have a lot of work ahead of me. So my question is do I fit in this group and does anyone else have symptoms like me, and does the knee pain go away?

Thanks for your help!

[adminhelper]

Deleted the duplicate thread.

[ostrich]

Hey there Trophey! Welcome to the board! Man, all sorts of problems. I'm sorry.

I'm not sure about the knee thing, but you have lots of other symptoms that could be linked to CD. I say "could" because none of us are doctors, so none of us can actually diagnose you. However, we'll still try to help out. Have you talked to your doctor about your research into CD? What does s/he say? Celiac disease is not the same as being allergic to wheat.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[aklap]

Hi Trophey,

Welcome!

Could you have CD - sure it's possible. Do you have CD - sure it's possible but the best route to go thru testing - generally blood work. The saliva tests generally thought as less reliable than the blood work.

Take a look at Our Thread on Celiac Blood Tests & More Diagnostic Info. This lays out the entire Celiac Panel. Often times the entire panel is not run, thus not giving you the entire picture.

Keep in mind, Celiac Disease is not an allergy. Food Allergy tests will not diagnose you with CD. A wheat allergy and Celiac Disease are two different conditions - however - the solution is the same - remove offending foods [wheat and/or gluten]. Edit to add - I see Os already made this statement

Good luck with your knowledge quest!! Please keep us updated.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[tropheyboys]

Well, thank you all for the replies. This is a very informative forum for me and I am sure for everyone else. I spoke with my Dr. and though she is not sure about CD she is adding to the list of vitamins I am taking. I am depleated in pretty much every nutrient in my body. I am up to taking 15 vitamins 2x a day. I am not seeing much change so she advised me to start a GF/CF diet since I am highly allergic to wheat, rye, eggs, milk, tea and many others. I hope this will work.
Everything that I have read on CD fits but she didn't act like it was something I may have because she said you could break out with many skin rashes from allergies. I just have a gut feeling that this is what I have since I have looked for years on the internet to find my rash and I know it is the same as the DH. She also put me on a medicine to rid the yeast out of my body, does anyone know if you can eat surgar again like in fruit once you have the yeast out of your body?
One note, she said that people with CD are usually very skinny but I have read that you are either or and you are either constipated or you are constantly going. What are your thoughts? Also I am anemic at 10.1 and that has gotten better siince my last baby almost two years ago but not by much (9.7). Does this seem like it would be too high to be considered in the CD category. I also barely register on cortisol, DHEA, vitamin D, testosterone, pergestoren and many others. She says my body is showing early ovarian failure and I just turned 30. Oh well, I just want answers and I am feeling so overwhelmed with getting started on a GFCF diet. Also would it be easier just to make my entier family be on it as well since my oldest is has dyslexia and ADD, my middle child has had acid reflux since birth and doesn't eat much but is huge into anything with sugar and tha baby is pretty "normal" for the family?
One last thing, my husband and I have been on the induction part on South Beach Diet does anyone know if it is possible to do this diet on a gfcf diet?
Sorry so many questions but all the help would be so nice.

[cardine45]

[aklap]

I moved this thread for great visibility.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[tropheyboys]

That is an interesting point. I am spending a lot of money on these vitamins, creams and everything else. I am sick of going to the Dr. just to hear that there is no real answer. I was up all night thinking about the vitamins just sailing through the old body, talk about peeing away your money...

Thanks for the advice.

[Fifi]

my pills don't even dissolve. they leave the same way they came in. What a waste of money!

[tropheyboys]

I am not sure about the vitamins because I don't see a big difference since starting them 3 months ago. I have been on the south beach diet for the past 11 days and have dropped 10lbs. I am feeling much better since I stopped eating eggs, dairy, tea and I am working on getting gluten out as well. I am pretty overwhelmed with the gluten thing. I have decided that with a GFCF diet and no eggs that I really don't have much to choose from other than meat and veggies. Oh well I am feeling better in my knees. I went for a bike ride for the first time in 9 years without know pain the other day. This is huge for me because normally I have swollen knees and pain constantly. I forgot what it was like not to have pain. I am still pretty tired but that probably is the anemia and that will probably take awhile. Thanks for all of the advice. How many different names for gluten are there?

[ostrich]

[celiacmaine-iac]

Hi! Glad to hear you are feeling a little better. There have been a couple of things I've wanted to add to the conversation here. Sorry I haven't had time before now.

[tropheyboys]

Yes I have found that sugar is a trigger for my knees as well. It is worth cutting everything out just to have the knee pain gone. I still think there is more to than just sugar so maybe other things I have cut out have helped the knees as well.

Thanks for all the feed back. I am still taking the vitamins. The Dr. has never given me a diagnoses, she just wants to naturally put back all the nutrients into my body. I am ok with not knowing a true diagnosis if I am able to get better with the diet. I figure if it is CD taking gluten out is the way to fix it. I will survive!

[nancw]

FWIW I get joint pain from potatoes and tomatos. Both are nightshade veggies and nightshades are known for causing joint pain. Peppers and zuchinni are also part of this family.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[tropheyboys]

I would love to come live with some of you "professionals" for a week. This is hard and a little depressing. Before I got my allergy test last week I had converted my kitchen over to whole grains/wheat spaghetti and bread. We switched to sugar free items and dropped pop. I thought I was doing everything right for my family but then found out that I was eating everything wrong for me and who knows maybe even my boys. I think I will have them checked for allergies.
I can give up potatoes and tomatoes as well, but I am getting really sick of giving up food. Not because I enjoy it all that much but because the more that gets taken away the less I have to choose from.

Thanks so much....