Hello, Dr. Vikki Petersen here. I wanted to share the story of a family who came to see us. I’m using their names with permission, and the mom, Heidi Kelly, is a bit of a gluten celebrity. She has a wonderful blog called Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom, so definitely check it out for good food ideas and inspiration.
Here’s the story of her family, starting with Heidi. You’ll see my eyes divert a bit because there are four people to talk about, and I’ll refer to some symptoms I have written down.
Heidi was diagnosed with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, a skin condition associated with celiac disease that causes itchy sores. She also had thyroid disease, psoriasis (an autoimmune disease), and dermatitis herpetiformis (another autoimmune disease). Additionally, she suffered from ADD and depression. Despite going gluten-free, she didn’t feel any better, making it difficult to maintain the diet. For the first three years after her diagnosis, she didn’t strictly follow a gluten-free diet because she didn’t notice any improvement. However, as soon as her eldest son was diagnosed, she committed to the diet for his sake.
Her son was considered a latent celiac because his blood panel was positive for celiac disease, but his intestinal biopsy was negative. Despite this, Heidi took him off gluten about two and a half years ago. He had problems with constipation and focus issues.
Her younger son, who tested negative for celiac disease, had diarrhea, eczema, and behavioral issues. Her husband, also not celiac, had gastrointestinal problems and ataxia (an imbalance affecting gait).
These young parents in their 30s, with two sons around four and seven, had various symptoms. Despite only Heidi and one son being diagnosed with celiac, the entire family had issues with gluten. Lab tests showed the other son and the father were gluten sensitive. However, a gluten-free diet alone didn’t resolve their problems.
We focus on dealing with the secondary effects of gluten. Eliminating gluten is just step one. With specialized stool testing, we found the boys had secondary infections and imbalanced gut bacteria. After addressing these issues, the kids are doing great, and the father is also improving.
Heidi, despite maintaining a gluten-free diet, saw her celiac panel worsen yearly. One key issue for her was cross-reactivity, where the body mistakes certain foods for gluten due to similar protein structures. This was especially expected with her autoimmune conditions. Now, she has more energy, sleeps well, and her symptoms are clearing up.
This family’s story highlights the range of symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity, from neurological and behavioral issues to digestive problems and autoimmune diseases. Addressing their specific needs led to their success.
I hope this information helps those still suffering despite going gluten-free. Feel free to contact me with questions—that’s what I’m here for. Until next time, I wish you very good health.
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