Gluten-free diet reversed celiac damage
DEAR DR. GOTT: First, let me thank you for saving my life. I am a 66-year-old female. After reading your column about celiac disease a year ago, I went to my current doctor with the article in hand. She advised me that I had nothing to lose, as I had been sick for a long time.
I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance in 1990, but still had severe stomach pain. After reading your column, I went on a gluten-free diet and have been on it for a year. I am a new person.
I think I have probably had this all my life, and many times I have been very sick. I have had tests on every internal digestive organ and was always told there was nothing wrong with me. I have spent 10 years paying off all those tests that past doctors ordered with negative results.
Before starting the diet, I weighed 110 pounds, and my skin was hanging from my bones. I had lumps on my forearms and looked older than my nana did at age 100. I now weigh 115 pounds but have gained mass between my skin and bones. I have lost a lot of my wrinkles and look 20 years younger. I even found out that my eyeglass prescription was now too strong when I went for an exam because I could no longer read road signs.
I have spent hours researching celiac disease on the Internet but cannot find information on how far I might expect my body to heal. I have osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and was in need a hip replacement. I can now walk farther and faster before the pain starts than I could before starting the gluten-free diet. I just wanted to thank you for helping me so much.
DEAR READER: I am glad to have helped and am pleased to learn of your increasingly better health.
Celiac disease is a common genetic disorder caused by malabsorption of nutrients (owing to damage to the small intestine) and intolerance to gluten (owing to an allergy). It affects about one in every 133 people in the United States. Those with a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed are more likely to develop the condition. Of this group, about one in every 22 people has the disorder. It affects children and adults and occurs in every nationality.
Gluten is a type of protein commonly found in wheat, barley and rye. Any products that contain these grains will also contain gluten. Some unexpected products that may contain gluten include medications, lip balms or vitamins.
Not all sufferers experience symptoms, which can occur within the digestive tract or other parts of the body, or they may be so mild that they are not troublesome. For others, they may be severe and debilitating. Children may have different symptoms than adults, experiencing weight loss, constipation, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, vomiting, irritability, growth and development delays, delayed puberty, dental enamel defects of the adult teeth, and pale, foul-smelling or fatty stools.
Adults often experience nondigestive symptoms, which may include seizures, arthritis, bone or joint pain, unexplained iron deficiency, canker sores, missed menstrual periods, fatigue, depression or anxiety, tingling/numbness of the hands and feet, infertility and an itchy rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis.
People who have no symptoms may still develop complications over time, such as malnutrition leading to anemia, osteoporosis, liver diseases and intestinal cancers.
As I am sure you know, following a gluten-free diet can be difficult and must include diligent label-reading and the purchase of special gluten-free products. Unfortunately, diet is the only way to control celiac disease. For most sufferers, this will stop symptoms, heal damage already done to the intestines, and even prevent further damage from occurring. It may take several years for the damage to be reversed in adults. In children, it may take three to six months. In some instances, the damage is so severe it will not heal. When this occurs, it is known as refractory celiac disease and can usually only be helped by receiving intravenous nutrients that are strictly gluten-free.
The best way to avoid gluten is to avoid all processed foods. Stick with lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, and grains and starches, such as arrowroot, wild rice, soy, corn, rice and others that do not contain gluten.
Anyone who wants to learn more about this condition should visit the National Institutes of Health’s Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign website at www.celiac.nih.gov.