DESPARATE, FRUSTRATED Mom. VA DOCS don't help!!!!!!!

The dx rollercoaster can be frustrating. Did Aaron have any celiac testing before he went gluten-free? Is he on any meds? I know I get horribly cranky when I don't feel well and I (unfortunately) take it out on the ones closest to me. BTW, I have both CDs--Crohn's and Celiac.

Thoughts and prayers are with you and Aaron,

He says he has really big mood swings and gets VERY depressed. He gets stomach pain (horrible pain) and then lower back pain too...In the past, he'll go for months being absolutely fine and then get really sick consistantly for a while then back to fine.

Just for clarification what do you mean the VA doc's do not help? Is it because he has not got to see a GI yet? Or they are not doing tests, or medication, etc.
The reason why I am asking is that would clarify what I would suggest to do.

Just fyi I am thinking pill camera, long EGD, c-scope.
How about med wise?
I know the VA does not really test for allergies, but it is something he could do on his own.

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My email is open I have to do my doctoring thru the VA system, so I understand the frustration, he can contact me thru email if you think it might help.

With the VA expect at least a 2 month delay.

oops...I don't know if the "quick reply" reply triggers the "notify me of return postings..." So I'm adding another reply. I also needed to add a very grateful THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP.

Thank you, Diane

He may have other food allergies or intolerances. Many with Crohn's & other inflammatiory bowel conditions are lactose intolerant or have symptoms similar to IBS, but doctors are of little help with the IBS stuff....some research suggests IBS may improve with a low-fructose diet, and other research suggests IBS symptoms may improve with avoidance of food intolerances (blood test for IgG antibodies to foods ~ many more labs are now able to do this, and it is becoming more accepted in main-stream medicine very slowly; he may need to see a Naturopathic physician for this testing).

Another thing to consider is parasites (especially given his military & over-seas history)...most labs in the US are lousy at detecting parasites, so best to go through Genova labs...may require a Naturopath for this test, also...

Suggestions include:

Testing for food IgG antibodies (blood test)
Testing for parasites (stool test)
Probiotics (shown to help with Crohn's, too)
Elimination diet may also reveal additional food intolerances - example is lactose intolerance (lactose is found in all uncultured dairy) and fructose intolerance (fructose is found in most all fruits).

The University of Utah (Salt Lake City, I think) supposedly has some savvy medical doctors...there's a Dr. Gleich (I think I spelled that right) who deals with allergies there who is supposed to be pretty sharp...

I hope this helps...take care,

Do you think he still might have the parasites after 6 years? That's how long it's been since he's been in Kuwait.

Are HUGE mood swings associated with C too? Does stress affect C? He says he'd like to get mood stabilizer pills and currently he is on NO PILLS/MEDS at all!!?

It's hard to tell him what he should do because he's so darn moody and irratable. (see first post) He's going to ask about the things mentioned in the posts that I read to him. (Probiotics, scope, etc...)

(I'm on the phone with Aaron as he's driving to his appointment and I'm typing what he's saying.)

Yes, it is possible to have parasites for many years - the parasites sometimes are able to disable the immune response so that they can survive in the body long-term. Sometimes the parasites are able to hide in cysts or biofilms, and the body's immune system may be too weak or unable to penetrate these structures to kill the parasites hiding within. And sometimes, the immune system is able to keep the parasites under control (but not totally conquer the infection) except during times of stress or other acute illness (such as a cold or flu) ~ then the parasites re-assert themselves and cause symptoms.

Celiac can cause many things - including psychiatric disorders (Depression, Schizophrenia, etc.), neurological disorders (Epilepsy, etc.), other food intolerances and/or allergies, skin rashes, "IBS-like" symptoms, nausea/vomiting, indigestion, dyspepsia, GERD, etc. There also is a genetic link between Celiac and some autoimmune disorders, including Type 1 Diabetes, Crohn's, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, etc.

Many of these diseases that are linked with or caused by Celiac can become less of a problem, or disappear completely, with the avoidance of gluten (including hidden gluten...it hides everywhere!). But it may take a long time for complete healing to occur, due to how saturated the body becomes with gluten and the antibodies of which gluten consumption triggers the creation.

Stress affects everything...but also, Celiac, parasites, allergies, Crohn's, etc., can make it harder for the body to tolerate stress. Adrenal fatigue (subclinical adrenal insufficiency) is common in those who have a chronic illness that is not properly diagnosed and/or treated.

I hope this helps...feel free to ask more questions.

Take care,

Hello Diane D. I am new here. I am always looking for places of info for my daughter who is 25 and at 19 lost half her thyroid due to a nodule (docs warn: Might be Cancer...cut it out). She had no cancer. Is on meds. Comes to find she has Hashimoto's - Hypothyroid. She moves back home after divorce and she is in bad shape.
I find a "natural" doctor that finds out she is gluten intolerant. WOW. No biopsy done. No need. her blood came back high for allergies to wheat, gluten, corn, soy and casein. We are gluten free. We check foods, sauces, drinks, meds, and even personal products. It is hidden everywhere! * Hydrolyzed vegetable protein unless made from corn or soy - Hey I didn't know that! I never even checked before! No rye. No barley. No wheat. No oats unless they say they are from a dedicated milling factory, or they could be full of gluten. Gluten powders can be floating in the air, too. Like in bakeries. Pizza places. Why take a chance?

She has also been treated for parasites. We also must boost her immunity as she tested positive for epstein barr virus from mono. She also has PCOS. I am helping to get her in a healthy way and me, too. Mood swings are very much part of it - but is it thyroid? Celiac? Her adrenals? Can't be sure.

We cooked pizzas on an old cookie sheet I used for gluten cookies years ago. She had an attack at 430 am on new years day. It was awful to watch. So I have thrown out all old cooking things that may have gluten leached in to surface. I won't let that happen again.

I too am interested in my health. I have had my gallbladder removed. I have a history of peptic ulcer, GERD, IBS and a few others. I am on gluten free and organic too. And iodine. I am worried that my adrenals are ready to give up. So I am searching those sites for information about healing/supporting adrenals without medicine. But as for MY OWN thyroid issue I am on Iodine and supplements. I try to do it with food as natural as possible. And supplements if necessary.

I hope he gets better soon. We so understand the problems. I can recall my daughter calling me one evening in tears because of tummy probs. She had not had a bowel movement for over seven days. I told her to either go to the ER or tell her doctor. Her doctor gives her a list of bowel softeners for over the counter. Never thought it might be thyroid issues. Oh, the problems she had with her doctors. But she is doing so much better now.

Hope your son is on the mend too!

Ohhh Diane, mad? You betch ya. I am peeesed. There is NO reason for her (and him) to have these issues. I blame the medicals. I have been leaning toward those people who claim "conspiracy theories" more and more for there is NO explanation. Other than elimination of some large masses of people.
Think about it. Think about our food source. No nutrients left in the soil. GMO's. *These scare me more than super-bugs. Now, the feds want to take away our rights to supplements and vitamins? But they ok massive amounts of ex-rays and CT scans - hey those will cause a nice bout of leukemia in a few years...just watch!! What about the things they are putting in the air? And, WHY?
The pesticides that are now jumping off of the plants, into animals and humans. Bio-engineered bacterias. They are slowly crossing over to humans. They have seen it with a mosquito spray. Remember all the West Nile Virus hoopla? Yes it IS serious. But the sprays are even becoming MORE deadly. And the spraying of gypsy moths. When is that bt.k going to start reeking havoc in our systems? What about those people like our two, who are compromised? Can we just say NO to the spraying? Can we let Mother Nature take care of it? Spray farmers trees. Ok. But something about all of this intervening is causing larger problems that eventually hurt humans.

My daughter left our home a healthy vibrant young person with so many dreams and ambitions. Now? She is a wreck. I hardly recognize her. But I'll get her back. Slow and steady. I will. Most of the information that I find is just old fashioned nutrition and care. If I have to grow my own food, I will although I think there is laws against that now, too.

I am mad as #ell and I am NOT taking it anymore.

I have learned though that one must be prepared with as much info as possible before seeing a "doctor" today. They will look at results ONLY, and hand you a prescription that best handles symptoms - NO CURE!! They are doing what ever will keep them from being sued. And the meds? Really? I wonder who is behind all the meds that are being pushed today. Because I feel they are not taking any of them.

I see a new endo on the 7th. Poor guy - wait till he gets a load of me!! LOL! I will probably be asked to leave after my sixteenththousandth question. Can't wait.

Go back to basics - gosh, if we can find any of them. I see us hoarding old fashioned recipes from the police! Is this a nightmare or what? No more processed anything. I swear. If I have to join a bunch of older women to gather in the middle of the night to swap health "remedies" I will (I believe that is how "witches" began and were very frightening to people). I am getting ready to go against the DNR here in my town who wants to spray Btk on my neighborhood to kill moths. In this day and age? I cannot believe it. But most people I speak to don't really care and that's frightening to me more. They just don't care. It's as if all the fight is out of them. Why? It is allowed. We do have freedoms. We need to make them known.
The spray of Bt.k is harmful to those that have auto immune issues. Well, who doesn't? The bio-engineered spores lay dormant for YEARS until another unsuspecting animal eats and dies. What happens to the animal that eats that? And so it goes.

I can't take a chance with my health, my daughter's health and even my bishon has allergies to gluten/grains. There are alternatives to the spray. I truly believe there is so many people just literally breaking down due to what is in our food, our water and our air.

Go back to basics. CLEAN water with NO fluoride (or in toothpastes, tea, etc). Organic EVERYTHING. No GMO's please. That is what the Bt.k spray has in them!! The same genetically modified organisms. The GMO corn has a synthesized gene, the Bt gene, that contains a truncated form of an insect-control protein from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (B.t.k.). When the gene is inserted into field corn, the corn produces the insect-control protein in its leaves and pollen, which ECB larvae feed upon. The insect gut processes the protein similarly to the insecticidal protein produced by B.t.k. in nature and in pesticides based upon B.t.k, and the insect is killed. This development permits producers to reduce their use of pesticides, which can leave chemical residues in the environment and on the corn.

If you eat GMO corn you are eating the modified bacteria that is used to kill moths. I wonder why everyone is suffering intestinal/digestion problems and insurance is so bad who can get treatment?

No processed food. NO GMO, I cannot stress this enough. NO gluten - we can barely handle good proteins we can't digest most of these: No rye, No barley. Go back to UNREFINED Sea Salt water and drink!! Take IODINE. Selenium. Vitamin D3 and lots of C thru fresh juices. Free range chicken, beef, bison - free of hormones. Raw dishes.
Back away from all the electronics, too ! Infra red saunas! Epsom salt Baths. Farm!! lol. I truly believe we can do it. Get back to healthy. (Don't mean to keep repeating)
I am sorry about your son. It is NOT fair. We as a people have put too much blind faith in our leaders and it's time we take our power back-before they kill us all thru caring!!
How did my 19 year old get Hashimoto's?? It isnt in either families?