Today I went to see a gastroenterologist. As one piece of the puzzle of what is happening with my Group B Strep overgrowth, I wanted to find out once and for all if I have true Celiac disease (vs. plain gluten intolerance). I recently read a study out of Spain showing that people on a gluten free diet have a significant decrease in healthy gut flora and increase in negative gut flora like E.coli, even over the course of only one month.
I have been gluten free for almost two and a half years now and somehow my flora has gotten way out of whack. So, I went to see the GI to learn whether or not my lack of gluten could have created this situation, and how to find out definitively whether or not I need to remain gluten free.
My GI emphasised the difference between Celiac and Gluten Intolerant, explaining that if I turn out to be truly a Celiac, I must stay off of gluten for life. However, gluten intolerance in his view is not a disease but rather a question of comfort -- related more to irritable bowel syndrome -- in which case I could choose to eat gluten and see how it affected my health.
The first step will be to do a blood test to see if I have inherited genes that predispose a person to Celiac disease. The blood test is called HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8. I am still in the process of trying to figure out if my insurance company will cover those tests.
Apparently if I do not have those genes, it is highly unlikely that I am a Celiac and then we could go on a gluten challenge diet. If I do have those genes, it is an "open and shut" case and then there is no point to putting me back on gluten.
The other news from today is that my hormone panel is back from the lab and my OB is going to go over it with me tomorrow morning. I am praying so hard that they have discovered a hormonal imbalance to help make sense of this burning and pain I have had for the last two months.
This is what I know as of today.
I'll let you know what I learn tomorrow.
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