I have recently become a huge fan of Jennifer Esposito after watching Samantha Who on Netflix. It is a hilarious show also featuring Melissa McCarthy and Christina Applegate, who loses her memory after a car accident. I later found out that Jennifer Esposito has Celiac disease and was being hassled by CBS for not being able to carry a full load on her newest show Blue Bloods. Celiac disease is always misunderstood. Jennifer went through years of heartache and misery because she had many symptoms of Celiac Disease but no doctors properly diagnosed her.
Watch this clip where she explains her experience to Dr. Drew and he seems to give her the same deadpan look of misunderstanding we often get from our own doctors and family members. Dr. Drew seems to have no clue what Celiac disease is and how much it can disrupt someone life.
Dr. Drew Hassles Jennifer Esposito About Her Celiac Disease!
I can really relate to the way Jennifer Esposito feels because I had a terrible first experience with my doctor when I found out my thyroid was low. I started to feel ill in the fall of 2009, so I sought help from a conventional physician. I told her I felt lethargic and that my digestion was very slow. I had gained 10 pounds seemingly overnight despite watching what I ate and exercising. All I wanted to do was sleep all day which was not normal for me being an active and fit trainer.
She ordered some tests for me and sent me home with the paperwork. I talked to my mother’s integrative doctor and decided to fill in a few more tests after hearing his advice. I added the AB (Antithyroglobulin) Test, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO) test, which are both markers for Hashimoto’s.
The next thing I knew, my doctor actually fired me for adding tests on the lab sheet. So not only did I find out something was off with my thyroid, I was also told that my doctor would not help me. It was a humiliating experience for someone who is already feeling scared and miserable. Maybe I went about it the wrong way but I was afraid of being intimidated by the doctor and not getting what I needed.
In hindsight, I am so glad I ordered those tests because I would not have found out that I had antibodies against my own thyroid signaling my autoimmune disease. My Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) was normal on the test, meaning that the doctor would have just sent me on my way telling me I was just getting older and needed do more exercise to boost my energy. Maybe she would have tried to push anti-depressants on me that I didn’t need. I learned a lot by going through that experience and I try to help my clients navigate the confusing testing jargon when they are no longer feeling their best.
It is Celiac patients have Hashimoto’s and vice versa so it is important understand both conditions. All auto-immune diseases are very similar in that they have a gluten sensitivity component where the body mistakenly attacks it’s own tissue. The small intestine is so over burdened with hard to digest cereal, sandwiches and pasta that it starts to become inflamed and leaky. What happen next is that gluten particles get through the porous gut lining and are attacked by the immune system. Undigested particles of gluten resemble our own tissues causing our white blood cells to go into overdrive. The immune system starts attacking our own organs or glands as in the case with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Celiac disease.
The blood tests for Hashimoto’s are pretty good as long at they are actually ordered but it is important to pay attention to symptoms as well. Many lab tests for Celiac disease are not accurate because they are looking for severe damage to the villi of the small intestine. It is important not to wait too long because many people will be unable to absorb from their food. It is common for Celiacs to have anemia, osteoporosis, infertility and even cancer after years of malabsorption. With both conditions it is important to work on healing the gut by removing irritating foods like dairy, legumes, vegetable oils, grains, and sugar.
It is vital to do an elimination diet for a few weeks to see if there is a true gluten sensitivity/intolerance. Most people feel awesome and drop a lot of weight when they get rid of gluten and see even better results by dropping all grains. Many grains are cross reactive and still look like gluten to the immune system, especially in an already inflamed gut.
Do not solely rely on tests from your doctors office to tell you if you have a problem with gluten because you may suffer in vain. Take it out of your diet for two to three weeks to see if there is a difference in your health and digestion. The results you feel will take out a lot of the guess work.
Testing Info:
Several good gluten tests are currently available from Cyrex labs which seems to be the gold standard. These tests have to be ordered by a doctor or medical practitioner.
Get important thyroid, salivary adrenal and Vitamin D lab tests on the cheap without a doctor’s permission at Healthlabs.com. These tests can be performed at any local Labcorp and the results will be e-mailed to you.
For more info on which tests to thyroid choose click here:
Sources:
www.celiacdisease.about.com
www.sttm.com
What has been your experience with gluten sensitivity testing in dealing with Autoimmune disease?