July 20, 2003
Celiac
Question from Northumberland, England:
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over two years ago which is under good control, but for about 18 months, I have had periods of having bad stomach pains which tend to come and go. I tend to have them for a few days, then they go away for a while and come back. I can’t work out a pattern, although I have realised that I get them towards the end of a day when I have been feeling particularly under stress.
My doctor tested me for celiac disease when I was diagnosed and nothing seems to have come up. However, I have just found out that my half brother has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. Might there be a genetic connection with my diabetes? Could my symptoms be a precursor of celiac disease in the future?
Answer:
It is a good question. However, the best test for risk of celiac disease are the antibody tests. which are probably the same tests your physician performed. Celiac disease is also associated with diarrhea and malabsorption. If you are not having this, and your antibody tests were negative, I would encourage you and your physician to keep looking for another cause.
JTL
