I’ve always considered myself a healthy person. Oh yes, over the years of my life, I had “this and that” and that is how I thought of it, dismissing my numerous maladies until my daughter, Alison, was diagnosed with celiac disease. The day she went gluten-free, I also went gluten-free. I had two reasons; first, to help and support my daughter, and second, to see if the diet would help my polymyalgia rheumatica, an autoimmune disease which we saw listed as a possible link to celiac disease.
After many hours of research and a gene test which showed that I have the celiac gene DQ2, we are convinced that I, too, have celiac disease (blood tests were negative but I was on high doses of prednisone which could affect the tests). We are also convinced that had I been diagnosed with celiac disease at age 52 (rather than self-diagnosed at age 60), when I saw doctors for gastrointestinal symptoms and microvascular angina of unknown origin, I would not have had polymyalgia rheumatica for years. I would not have been living with extreme pain in my muscles that could only be controlled with prednisone.
Since going gluten-free, I have experienced many changes. Just to name a few: my esophageal spasms are gone, my impulsive food cravings are gone, I no longer have cold sores, I never feel bloated and in general, I feel much healthier. And after suffering for about 4 years from polymyalgia rheumatica – it is now completely gone!
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