What Is Refractory Celiac Disease?

Refractory Celiac Disease is defined as one whose symptoms do not improve, even while on a Gluten Free diet. In order to be properly diagnosed as someone who has Refractory Celiac Disease, many questions must be answered:

We must make sure that there is no other cause for this problem. There are many conditions that may mimic Refractory Celiac Disease.
We must make sure that one is truly Gluten Free. Gluten is hidden in the most unlikely of places, including medication, envelopes, body wash, and make up, to name a few. If you eat out a lot, you run a risk of cross-contamination.

If all of these theories have been debunked, then the only was to measure whether or not you have Refractory Celiac Disease, is with a biopsy. When compared to the original biopsy, doctors can determine whether or not there has been any improvement.
If doctors conclude that you do have Refractory Celiac Disease, it is important for doctors to check for complications, such as lymphocyctic Colitis, lymphoma, and pancreatic insufficiency.
If you have Celiac Disease, and your symptoms have not improved, make an appointment with your Primary Care Physician, or your GI doctor immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially with the risk of the above complications.

(photo courtesy of: http://www.dietforceliacdisease.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/For-Refractory-Celiac-Disease-249x300.jpg)

Sources:
http://www.celiac.com/articles/104/1/Refractory-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one). What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone. Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease: Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure) Emmy Rossum (actress) Wil Wheaton's mom and sister Meg Cabot (author) Sarah Joy Brown (actress) Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with

South Park's Gluten-Free Ebola Episode

photo credit: southparkdigital Greetings Celiac Warriors! Recently, South Park did a gluten free episode that got a lot of attention in the gluten free and Celiac communities. For the most part, the reaction has been positive. Many folks, including myself, found it hilarious. You may be wondering what the episode was about. I'm going to give you the cliff notes version: The episode starts off with the kids returning to school after their start up company fails. Then the show cuts to the teachers lounge where the teachers are discussing Mr. Mackey who has gone gluten free. Mr. Mackey comes back and starts blaming all the world's problems on gluten. A co-worker becomes annoyed by all the gluten free talk and starts screaming at Mr. Mackey to shut up. Mackey states that behavior problems are due to gluten consumption. A female teacher expresses interest in going gluten free. Later on, the boys are on the radio promoting an "epic" party. Callers ask the boys i

To Eat Gluten Free Oats, or Not To Eat Gluten Free Oats?

When you're diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you are given a list of what food you cannot eat. Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Oats. However, you find that there is such a thing as gluten free oats. You wonder if it is safe for you to chance eating it. You think to yourself: "It's gluten free, so it cannot be too bad, right?" Depending on how sensitive your Celiac is, it may be bad. While a majority of Celiacs may be able to stomach gluten free oats, and granola, there are a small percentage of us that cannot handle GF oats and granola. I fall into the sensitive category. I loved eating oatmeal, before I was diagnosed with Celiac. After I was diagnosed, I was lost. It was not until a month or two after my diagnosis, where I discovered gluten free oats. I picked some up, and started eating it every morning for breakfast. It was not until day 3 of eating GF oats, where I began to feel sick. My stomach was cramping, I was fatigued, I was nauseated. I thought I had been "

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