(Age: 40’s, female)
My story really began at age 15. I was a high school student, living on a farm in Ontario. The memory I have is of abdominal cramps and bowel inconsistencies. The family doctor had me admitted to hospital. I had a number of x-rays and was diagnosed as having Crohn’s disease. The treatment was a pureed diet with rest for six weeks. The discharge menu was a Crohn’s regime.
There was improvement on this diet. I was always somewhat anemic and had times of diarrhea or constipation. My nervous system did then and still does play a role.
When I was 44 I had a very severe upset. My stomach was constantly sick, as well as bowel problems and I lost much weight. At this time I was again x-rayed and also had an ultrasound. I was told that I was “on the verge of a duodenal ulcer” and was treated with Sulcrate. The medication was continued for a year.
For the next few years I remained reasonably well.
At Christmas time in 1999, I had a terrible flu involving both chest and stomach. The nausea was constant and I was losing weight. My family doctor told me my whole red cell blood profile was very low. This, along with weight loss and lethargy, got me referred to a gastroenterologist.
This doctor was fairly sure after meeting me that I would be diagnosed celiac. I had a blood test, which was strongly suggestive. The next step was a biopsy, and I was started on a gluten-free diet.
The results of the first biopsy also showed a duodenal ulcer, which was bleeding a bit. I was treated with Pantaloc for two months.
The second biopsy proved that the ulcer had healed and there was some regeneration of the intestine.
I am taking Sulcrate now, but less of it and seem quite well.
The results of the latest blood work are due this week and I am hoping for improvement.
I have gained six pounds and will continue on the gluten free diet. The change of food was harsh at first, but one gets used to it.
I hope my story will be of some help to you and to others.
Clinical Pearls
• Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, weight loss, anemia are all typical symptoms of celiac disease.
• With lack of awareness, even typical symptoms may appear atypical.
• Celiac disease is more common than Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and cystic fibrosis combined.
