Approximately 50% of ER visits are associated with abdominal pain, and the vast majority of those patients are given a diagnosis of ‘abdominal pain of an unknown origin’ and directed to come back if the condition gets worse. This is little comfort to people suffering from severe discomfort who need answers around the cause of their belly pain, not just medication to mask it temporarily. Could undiagnosed celiac disease be the source of their suffering?
Today, the Gluten Free RN is diving into the issue of belly pain and undiagnosed celiac disease, discussing the expensive testing often conducted to determine the cause of abdominal discomfort—testing that rarely includes a celiac panel. She covers several of the common misdiagnoses of celiac patients as well as the incredibly high prevalence of abdominal pain in children.
Nadine shares the case study of a child-patient who was misdiagnosed with appendicitis and the research published in Digestive and Liver Disease outlining the unnecessary surgical interventions endured by undiagnosed celiac patients. Listen in for the Gluten Free RN’s advice to patients with idiopathic abdominal discomfort and learn why no one should suffer from belly pain!
The statistics around ER visits and abdominal pain
The most common abdominal pain diagnoses
How patients are treated for idiopathic abdominal pain
The testing to find the cause of chronic abdominal pain
How many children suffer from belly pain
Nadine’s patient who received a misdiagnosis of appendicitis
A research study around abdominal surgery and celiac disease
Nadine’s advice for patients diagnosed with idiopathic abdominal pain
‘Increased Rate of Abdominal Surgery Both Before and After Diagnosis of Celiac Disease’ in Digestive and Liver Disease
‘Screening for Celiac Disease in Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain’ in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
‘Effect of a Gluten-Free Diet on Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Celiac Disease’ in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
‘Clinical Features and Symptom Recovery on a Gluten-Free Diet in Canadian Adults with Celiac Disease’ in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
‘Association of Adult Celiac Disease with Surgical Abdominal Pain’ in Annals of Surgery
‘A New Insight into Non-Specific Abdominal Pain’ in The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England
‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube
Melodies of the Danube Gluten-Free Cruise with Nadine
Dough Nation: A Nurse's Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Heal
If you are being treated for a blood disorder, it is time to look deeper and explore the underlying cause. Rather than simply addressing iron- or B12-deficiency anemia in isolation, ask WHY you have a deficiency in the first place. It is possible that damage to your intestines caused by gluten is preventing your body from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow your red blood cells and keep your immune system healthy. And anemia is not the only blood disorder associated with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity!
The Gluten Free RN is taking a closer look at the hematologic manifestations of celiac disease from anemia to hyposplenism. She explains the connection between disorders of the blood and bones, offering insight around why men with both anemia and osteoporosis are also likely to have celiac disease.
Nadine discusses the danger in taking H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors for GERD long-term, describing how those medications decrease the gastric acid necessary for breaking down food. She also addresses what you can do to identify any nutritional deficiencies in your blood and reminds us why celiac patients have difficulty absorbing the nutrients necessary to form red blood cells. Listen in to understand how the skin reflects what’s happening internally and learn how to prevent a number of blood disorders with a gluten-free diet!
The hematologic manifestations of celiac disease
Why iron supplements didn’t solve Nadine’s anemia
The connection between anemia, osteoporosis and celiac disease
The danger of taking H2 blockers and PPIs long-term
How to uncover potential nutrient deficiencies in your blood
The conclusions of the 2007 study in Blood
The fat-soluble vitamins
The connection between DH and celiac disease
‘Hematologic Manifestations of Celiac Disease’ in Blood
Celiac Disease and Your Spleen
Dr. Ben Lynch: Folic Acid vs. Folate
‘The Thrombophilic Network of Autoantibodies in Celiac Disease’ in BMC Medicine
‘Hematologic Manifestations of Celiac Disease’ in Celiac Disease— From Pathophysiology to Advanced Therapies
‘Sarcoidosis, Celiac Disease and Deep Venous Thrombosis: A Rare Association’ in Balkan Medical Journal
‘Celiac Disease Manifesting with Deep Venous Thrombosis: A Case Report’ in Govaresh
‘How Often Do Hematologists Consider Celiac Disease in Iron-Deficiency Anemia?’ in Clinical Advances in Hematology & Oncology
‘Deep Vein Thrombosis Associated with Celiac Disease’ in Bratislavske Lekarske Listy
‘Celiac Disease Presenting with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura’ in Case Reports in Hematology
‘Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis Associated with Gluten-Sensitivity Celiac Disease’ in Terapevticheskii Arkhiv
‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube
Melodies of the Danube Gluten-Free Cruise with Nadine
Dough Nation: A Nurse's Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Heal