My symptoms at onset of the disease were loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass, 0% body fat, dermatitis herpetiformis, depression, muscle weakness, weight loss, diarrhea, daily vomiting, iron-deficient anemia, low calcium and vitamin D counts, B-12 and Vitamin K anemia, headaches, urticaria and fatigue. I was 21 when diagnosed, and had these symptoms for 6 years, escalating in severity. I was diagnosed by a collective team in the hospital after having full body muscle spasms that were mistaken for epileptic seizures. The gluten-free diet has cleared all of the symptoms and improved my overall mental and physical health!
Comment from: Arzola t, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: September 09
With my celiac disease, I had heartburn, gas, and bloating, especially after eating pizza. I thought the pepperoni was the cause, so I would pick it off. However, I continued to experience the same symptoms. I took a lot of antacid tablets. After a couple of months, I began to experience abdominal pain and diarrhea. I mentioned it to my doctor, and she had my blood tested. When the results came back, she said I had a high celiac panel reading. She then referred me to a gastroenterologist. He mentioned a probability of having celiac sprue. He said a definitive answer would be reached by performing a biopsy of my small intestine. It came back positive for celiac sprue. I was diagnosed at the age of 58. I am now 61. It has been a challenge finding affordable restaurants that carry a gluten-free menu.
Comment from: Tulipan, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: September 05
I had intestinal symptoms for years and years (gas, diarrhea, abdominal cramping), but wasn't diagnosed with celiac disease until I broke out with dermatitis herpetiformis all over my body at about age 50.
Comment from: 25-34 Female (Patient)Published: August 21
Personally, I had no diarrhea, gastrointestinal symptoms or weight loss (I have a BMI of 30) and was not short in stature: all classic symptoms. Due to these factors, celiac disease was dismissed as a possibility for seven years while my symptoms worsened. My main symptoms at diagnosis were: extreme fatigue, dementia (brain fog), anemia, migraine, vertigo, peripheral neuropathies, nausea, anxiety, ataxia and bone pain. I would sleep 22 hours a day, I was too tired to chew food, I didn't have the strength to break the seal on a refrigerator, and I regularly soaked my sheets with night sweats.
My celiac disease was confirmed with a small bowel biopsy. I've been on a strict gluten-free diet for five years, which has resolved my anemia, anxiety, peripheral neuropathies, severe dementia and migraine. An accidental ingestion of gluten results in explosive diarrhea, cramping, nausea, brain fog, anxiety, ataxia, vertigo, night sweats and bone pain. I still require an average of 12 hours of sleep, and fatigue is still a daily battle.
I have Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in my salivary gland, and as a routine staging procedure because of occasional acid reflux, I had an endoscopy to check for signs of lymphoma in my stomach. The doctor found signs of celiac disease in my small intestine and did a biopsy. My only symptoms are fatigue and weight loss. I am 41 years old and have been on a gluten-free diet for five days.
I was diagnosed with IBS 22 yrs ago and I have been hospitalized three times with bad bouts of diarrhea and only told I had to learn to live with it. March this year I got an appointment to go for a scan and I casually asked the nurse attending why I was having this scan and she said to me that I was newly diagnosed with celiac disease which was news to me. Since I have been on a gluten free diet I have been feeling much better I have had a few setbacks, but nothing near like what I was like when I was undiagnosed. I just wished that I could have been told earlier and I could have had a better quality of life as I was often very ill.
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My symptoms at onset of the disease were loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass, 0% body fat, dermatitis herpetiformis, depression, muscle weakness, weight loss, diarrhea, daily vomiting, iron-deficient anemia, low calcium and vitamin D counts, B-12 and Vitamin K anemia, headaches, urticaria and fatigue. I was 21 when diagnosed, and had these symptoms for 6 years, escalating in severity. I was diagnosed by a collective team in the hospital after having full body muscle spasms that were mistaken for epileptic seizures. The gluten-free diet has cleared all of the symptoms and improved my overall mental and physical health!
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