I've read that it can take 10 years from the onset of symptoms to get a correct diagnosis for adults. My husband has celiac disease and we didn't figure it out until 2 years ago. At first we would notice he would have unexplained intestinal distress that we attributed to poor food handling or a virus. Then we had fertility problems which was blamed on his underwear and / or his job. Then we notice that there's a pattern to what we eat and how quickly he would get sick. At first we thought it was lactose intolerance because it would happen with pizza and macaroni. But then I started seeing it happen when he would have a beer and that didn't fit lactose intolerance. So then we thought it was irritable bowel syndrome. Then it suddenly got really bad really fast and I searched through the medical books to find all the possible reasons it could be happening. That's when I found celiac disease and linked everything up to wheat gluten. Now, the problems didn't stop there. My husband loved bread and didn't want to give it up. He tried just having it a few times a week. This worked for a little while but ultimately it made him much worse. It's to the point now that any trace of wheat gluten makes him very ill. And now he's developed intolerances to lactose, rice, corn and potatoes as well. We're not sure about chicken and eggs as yet. It's called Leaky Gut Syndrome. His intestine had become so damaged that large particles of the foods he was eating were crossing over into the blood stream and causing an allergic reaction, inflaming his small intestine more. The only way to get better from this point for him is to be on a dairy free, grain free, atkins type diet. Basically all he eats is fruits, vegetables (not potatoes or corn) and meat. He weighs 145 doesn't intend to lose any weight but he'll have to be on this diet for a good 3 to 6 months before he can add dairy and cheeses back in.

Anyway, I just wanted to say. I know there are a lot of undiagnosed people out there and if everyone ate Low carb as a general rule a lot of illnesses including gluten allergies would fade away. I'm currently concerned about my children. Celiac disease is hereditary and they do have a chance to get it. Neither of them have the normal symptoms although my son does get this reoccurring rash periodically which is a symptom of celiac disease. I suppose all I can do is watch and wait. Next time we go to the pediatrician I will ask if she thinks we should do blood tests. Although I have heard the blood tests aren't always accurate.

Julie Huck
310/278/160