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Symptoms such as severe fatigue or irritable bowel syndrome are sometimes diagnosed as psychosomatic disorders. But intolerance to gluten, called celiac disease, can cause malabsorption that could trigger these symptoms along with others, such as anemia, migraines, osteoporosis, dermatitis, infertility or peripheral neuropathy.
Although celiac disease was once considered rare, studies now show it occurs in 1 of 100 Americans. People with certain other conditions such as type 1 diabetes have an even higher risk. The treatment is simple but far from easy: avoid gluten in the diet.
Guest: Peter H. R. Green, MD, is Professor of Clinical Medicine at the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University Medical Center. He is Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. His Web site is www.celiacdiseasecenter.org
Did you enjoy this radio show? Average rating: 3/5 (6 votes)
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I was dx'ed at age 30 but have lived with celiac dx all my life (now age, 67). I've experienced IBS, osteoporosis, dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy and depression (SAD's) and assumed all these were normal dimension of the human experience, along with bowel movements 3 - 6 times/day.
At this point, having my dx under optimal control, I'm much more focused on the psychological dimensions of the dx (denial & repression) than the physiological concomitants. This focus is an out-growth of more than 40 years in bio-behavioral research. Th.
what's the difference between wheat allergy and celiac disease?
It took me several years of trial and error, elimination of all foods then adding one at a time to trigger symptoms, to arrive at a self diagnosis. Many friends helped in solving the mystery.
European medical professionals have known about the disease for years. Why did it take the USA so long to catch up?
I disagree with Dr. Green belief that testing for celiac disease must be preformed even when the intervention to celiac disease has already been implemented. There is no benefit to the patient by having the blood tests and/or colon biospy if the patient has already excluded gluten from their diet. Preforming tests when there will be no change in intervention is one of the many reasons our health care cost are so extreme.
What big news this is to our family!!!
My (64 yr old) sister has most of the symptoms described by Dr. Green (who I just heard on your program today June 14) but no doctor has mentioned celiac disease to us by name. They have put Sis on a gluten-free regimen, but its effect has been only a slight improvement of symptoms. The poor thing now has vertical cracks in her lips and the whole area around the mouth down to the chin and up to the nose is a circle of red. And she is a CEO -- imagine her embarrassment going to meetings with clients!
The first sign of disease was 5 years ago when she experienced a major attack on her lungs and we almost lost her. Itchy skin to the point of red scabs was a secondary ailment. Somehow she pulled through but a few months ago, the skin flared up again to the point of being intolerable.
Yours and Dr Green's URLs are being forwarded to Sis tonight. FYI, she's gone the whole route from primary physician, to pulmonary doctor, to alternative therapist/nutritionist, to Mayo Clinic. Thank you SO MUCH for introducing us to this ailment for modern times. It's bad enough to have the constant suffering, it's doubly bad when there is no name to it!
Thank you, thank you!
Unfortunately only caught the tail end of the pgm. on Sun 9-10p on my local NPR station, when it wasn't live. My father was a patient of Dr. Green, as was one of his Celiac friends. My father suffered terribly from Celiac disease, especially from a certain nursing home which continued to serve him glutens though the records showed that they had been plenty notified not to do so.
I have noticed this marked, definite pattern - that medical institutions, no matter whether they give a menu choice "Gluten-Free" actually pay very little attention, have very little knowledge of gluten additives in foods. The statements about "1 in 100" are so incredible when compared to med. institutions utter lack of concern.
Diagnosed at 61 years old; G-F since then. High blood pressure, Psoriasis, depression, headaches, teeth problems, diverticulitis are all part of my problems. I have gained weight since being G-F.
I take only a blood pressure med and 81 mg of Aspirin.
I diagnosed myself three years ago at the age of 43. My internist was testing me for every possible autoimmune disease he could think of, and I suggested a celiac panel because I long suspected this to be the culprit of my chronic anemia, infertility, skin rashes and gaunt appearance. My bloodwork and endoscopy came back positive. Within a year of eating GF, I had gained 20 lbs., and my anemia was gone.
Since then, my brother and niece have been diagnosed, along with two of my good friends. YOU MAY HAVE TO INSIST YOUR DOCTOR TEST YOU FOR THIS. My brother - who is battling geno 1 hepatitis c - had to fight to be tested. His doctor didn't even know how to perform the tests. He has found a new specialist, and this doc thinks the celiac is responsible for most of his health problems.
this was very interesting and helpful. I have celiac disease and have experienced the "brain fog" for years and years. I just KNEW there had to be a connection between the cognitive difficulty and celiac, but no doctors definitively connected it at the time of my diagnosis so long ago.
It is so wonderful to finally hear that doctors are now making the connection. that's great!! Does anyone know if the brain fog is supposed to clear up 100% once on the diet, because mine has not. It is by far better than it was for a time before my diagnosis; however, since going on the diet, I have continued to have minor, yet steady problems with it.
I'm considering it on my next colonoscopy in a couple years even though I have enough experience (30years) that gluten makes me sick. But if Celiac is inherited and I can prove to them "scientifically" that I have it then it may convince my kids to cut gluten out of their diet before they start having painful symptoms which are so general it still may take years to convince them it's gluten.
I was diagnosed celiac at nine months of age when my mother began to wean me. I was really lucky, because she had a pediatric friend who recognized the symptoms. In Indiana in the 60's that was rare! What I found interesting was that I went back on gluten after childhood until I turned 30, when I KNEW that if I wanted to deal with my chronic health issues, I was going to have to go gluten-free, and ultimately dairy-free.
I have been SO healthy and happy since-pushing 41 this year and feeling great!
I tell anyone diagnosed young to stick with the diet, because it will kick your butt later, even if it seems okay to eat gluten for a while.
My son was diagnosed with celiac five years ago. He was three and was constantly tired, complained of leg pain all the time. It was just a hunch on the recommendation of a Doctor my cousin worked with. Within a week of going GF he was like a new kid.
The way I describe it to people is that your intestines should be like a shag carpet inside. Someone with celiac who is consuming gluten is more like a tile floor with no way to absorb the nutrients from food. Lactose is absorbed at the tip of the villi in the intestine so avoid dairy for several months until they can grow back. Otherwise you won't have the gluten symptoms, but will have the lactose intolerant symptoms.
The Celiac center at the university of MD accepts a diagnosis of celiac from improvement of symptoms from a gluten free diet. It's cheaper, faster and much less invasive than the endoscopy.
I have worked in healthcare for forty-two years and have listened to many patients complain of bloating, burping, and reflux over and over again for just as long. For many, all the usual battery of testing, some of which are, GI series, Endoscopies, Barium Enemas, and Colonoscopies, all come back negative. They are then confused and frustrated. I think it should be standard procedure for a physician to then suggest a gluten free diet for one month.
If symptoms improve, it would be such a simple, non invasive solution to a more-wide-spread-than-anyone-realizes epidemic. I don't know why more physicians don't ever suggest it. Again, it's mask the symptoms instead of investigate them.