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my daughter, 20, was found to be celiac in late july of this year...3 doctors, then a blood test. on gluten-free diet, but still has many days of very high fatigue, some stomach pain; and is losing weight. the naturopath, who has her on an array of supplements, never mentioned gluten free external care products (shampoos, etc.)...is that a biggie? the naturopath also has had her on a thyroid supplement but said her thyroid may need to be tested. anyone that has had related thyroid problems? an additional concern: she was having horrible periods (pain, etc.) so the naturopath put her on birth control pills 2 wks. ago to regulate that...she just isn't her positive self, and seems depressed... any "been there, done that" would be so appreciated. PS I am taking her to her general dr. this week to see about the possible thyroid problem. thanks again.

Hi!

Welcome to the board!!

There is definitely a link between celiac disease and thyroid disease. I myself have hypothyroidism and numerous people here also have the same. There are also several of us who have Grave's Disease, which is also a thyroid disease. Definitely get her thyroid checked.

Also, regarding her period, there is also a link between celiac disease and endometriosis. I think she should also discuss this with her doctor.

You also mentioned her mood. One of the major symptoms that we celiacs have to deal with is depression. Perhaps if she didn't want to go down the medication road regarding this, she might discuss with the naturopath that maybe she take St. John's Wort.

It certainly sounds like she is a classic case of celiac, based on what you have described. Tell her to give it time, some people take longer to heal than others.....

Karen

Hi,

I think Karen covered most of it But I want to add that she give herself a long time to let her body stablize after going gluten-free before deciding on things like birth control pills. The menstrual-related problems may well clear up all on their own in the next year, now that the underlying cause is being addressed.

I too had/have the fatigue etc for *years* and just had my thryroid checked and it was.....perfectly normal (sigh). Seems my fatigue stems strictly from long-term gluten consumption and malabsorbtion.

I also lost weight the whole first year I was gluten-free. The analogy I like to use is of a plane on steep descent....you can pull the throttle back but it will still descend for a while before the plane starts going back up. There are only so many calories you can use if your body doesn't absorb them all. Also, as a celiac, it's often hard to digest fats or large quantities of foods, so I'm often stuck eating small frequent low-fat meals which hardly makes it easy to gain weight.

The best thing you can do for your daughter is support her, help her find foods to eat, remind her to eat gently when she is discouraged, and just always keep gluten-free things in the house. YOu will find lots of great advice here, and in the archives. Give it time. She is 20 and will heal relatively fast, but it could still take a year or more.

And definitely - gluten-free hand lotions, hair products, etc. Anything that could *possibly* get in her mouth....

Best wishes,
Merika

[I][SIZE=1][COLOR=purple]Thank you both for your replies...gave me a lot of hope! Next question: anyone feel pains especially on their left side?--she is feeling that around her waist area, and some on her right. My dad brought her some Norwegian shark oil (Omega 3 fatty acids) liquid that has had wonderful results with others (including my dad, for other things).
Thanks again-
ERA's Mom

Hi, ERA Mom. I read your post this morning and thought of my 10-year-old niece with celiac, diagnosed last year. Her mom and dad are conventional and mainstream, so have not been open to changing her diet very much. However, I have found a lot of very interesting alternative information, supported by case histories, that helps. Perseverance and study is required. Please look for "dogtorj"(careful with the spelling), a veterinarian who cured himself of celiac disease in a few months by thoroughly researching the topic (and praying). I believe his site is just 'dogtorj-dot-com'. You may also wish to read the writing of the late great master herbalist, Dr. John Christopher, who helped thousands of people to recover their health. Look for 'herballegacy', or contact one of his best students, Dr, Richard Schulze. You can find all of these via almost any search engine, although Clusty and AskJeeves are best. I am not posting any links in this message, since that may be a taboo of this site (and the information I have found contradicts the majority of information on this site), butyou are welcome to email me at duncanmw@yahoo.com, and I will send you all that I have found.

Well, it's past five in the morning,my wife's up and I have to go. Best wishes.

Duncan