Questions to those who have been gf many years

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

I was browsing a message board at celiac.com the other evening and read so many

things posted by people who have been gf for many years but seem to still have

many health issues which had me a bit puzzled.

Let me explain a bit. I became seriously ill in my mid to late twenties and

was diagnosed with Lupus and having been extremely healthy prior to this I

didn't know what to make of it and thought for sure it had to be from the

Premarin I was prescribed for early menopause due to total hyster. I doctored

many years and was told absolutely not was it from the premarin despite the fact

that I had a rash covering my legs and underarms. To make a long story short I

started a totally healthy organic chem free life and was able to improve my

health over the course of the next ten years but not enough to ever get

completely well. By the time I figured out the premarin had induced the lupus I

felt my system was in a pretty rough state and it took about 5 years off the

premarin to be lupus free completely but I still remained sick and was then

diagnosed with extremely low antibody count, IgA and IgG. I was introduced then

to Immunoglobulin IV therapy and had this every three weeks for 4 months. I got

desperately ill from this and discontinued the treatments. It is not very

common to get more ill, it is suppose to greatly improve the strength of the

immune system but I did not experience that but worsening and my antibodies

plummeted even further. I have a history of chronic bronchitis, sinus

congestion and lymph congestion along with frequent bouts of bacterial

infections in my respiratory tract. Antibiotics also make me sicker so I try to

avoid them and self treat with hydrogen peroxide in my ears and sinuses and

eating many cloves of raw garlic daily. A few months ago I stumbled upon some

information in regards to celiac that made sense to me especially the info I

found on IgA that said when low it is normally due to either 1) born with,

which was not the case 2) luekemia which is not the case either as I have too

much bloodwork to rule all this out, or 3) celiac. It was the first time I had

found a thing regarding IgA even though I had found plenty on IgG.

I felt I had finally found what the root could be. All these years of all the

foods I had cut out of my diet I never once considered gluten a possibility nor

did I know the extent of the damage one's could get from many years of this. My

stomach was a constant mess and when I would get my worst I would eat like a

horse but lose massive weight but when I felt well my weight would start to

regulate back to normal and reviewing my history it was when I would go to a

strictly fresh produce and rice diet that I would feel well but I never made the

connection as I figured it was just a good fast for the body. So that got me to

thinking and I called my immnologist even though I had started the GF diet I

thought to ask him about this as being possible. He wants me to go in for more

testing but now I see that one has to be on gluten for a few months before those

tests show up. I am wondering if it is at all possible that the current

bloodwork I have if it shows improvement say in four months which will put me at

6 months for GF, if that would be enough to diagnose it. I am not so concerned

with a typical diagnosis because with my history I have so many things go wrong

from osteoporsis at a young age to severe fatigue etc., however, what I am

concerned with is that the doc's and hospitals are aware of this in the event I

have to go in for any reason. I am without a doubt convinced it is the gluten

destroying my body because since going GF my weight has gone back to normal and

I am not malnourished and starving constantly.

For those of you who have been GF many years do you still have health issues or

do you feel fairly healthy? Is it normal for celiacs to not feel completely

well? If one eats well and balanced should the health be much improved once the

body is able to heal from the damage? Is it possible for the body to heal from

extensive damage especially from being chronically congested (like infected glue

in my body, gluten? LOL) ?

Sorry for this being so long. I hope there is someone who can give me some

insight to some of the questions I have.

Thanks so much!

Luv

LuLu