Gluten intolerant? Celiac? How to find the right Doctor [Video]

Video: Gluten intolerant? Celiac? How to find the right Doctor

Dr. Vicki Peterson advises on finding the right doctor for gluten intolerance or celiac disease. She highlights the importance of choosing a doctor who acknowledges gluten sensitivity, understands the limitations of intestinal biopsies, and knows how to diagnose and treat secondary effects like leaky gut and nutritional deficiencies. Dr. Peterson’s clinic in Silicon Valley offers specialized care and long-distance support for patients worldwide. She emphasizes asking specific questions to ensure your doctor is knowledgeable about gluten-related conditions and encourages reaching out for help and further information.

Transcript of the video

Hello, Dr. Vicki Peterson here. I wanted to speak with you today about finding the right doctor when you are gluten intolerant. You might suspect that you’re gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. I hear constantly from people all over the country and all over the world who have either been diagnosed with celiac disease or suspect gluten intolerance based on how they feel. They’ve done an experiment, removed gluten from their diet, improved dramatically, and know they need follow-up. They know they need more but don’t know what to ask for or how to find the right doctor.

It’s a very good question. I wish I could tell you that these kinds of clinicians are everywhere and easy to find. Unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite—they’re not easy to find. There aren’t many clinicians who really work with someone who has celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

The first question I would broach with a doctor is whether they are aware that gluten sensitivity exists. Even if you have celiac disease, if your doctor is unaware that gluten sensitivity is a legitimate condition, that’s a concern. If they don’t acknowledge gluten sensitivity as a serious condition, they might not be up-to-date in the area of gluten and related research.

Another good question is to ask them if they would diagnose celiac disease with or without a negative intestinal biopsy. If they insist they would never diagnose celiac disease without a positive biopsy, they might be behind the times. Classic celiac disease will more often than not have a positive biopsy, but there are many versions of celiac disease that are more neurologically based and won’t show in the biopsy, yet the disease is still present. Blood tests are a legitimate diagnostic tool even with a negative biopsy.

Find out if the clinician understands the secondary effects associated with gluten. Do they know it creates a leaky gut? Do they have a protocol for how to heal a leaky gut? How do they determine the severity of the leaky gut? What lab tests do they use and how do they address it? Do they look for hidden infections in the intestinal tract? Do they know how to measure probiotics to see if you have a good balance? Do they test for nutritional deficiencies? Do they know anything about cross-reactive foods? While the last question might be more advanced, it’s still good to ask.

Our clinic, located in Silicon Valley, became a destination clinic due to demand. People asked us for help, and that’s how we created that facet of our clinic. There are so few people doing this—certainly not no one, but not enough. My team and I are always here for you. It might require a trip to California for a few days, but after that, we work with you long-distance, which is very convenient. I get this question often, and I wanted to make sure I addressed it. I hope this helps.

Please send me your questions—I love to hear them and help. If you want to come visit, you’re always welcome. Now you have a set of questions to ask and see if your clinician passes the Dr. Vicki test. Until next time, I wish you very good health.

Additional resources