Wouldn't wish this on anyone... (My Experience of Coeliac Disease)

Member Name: katiesimmester

Product:	My Experience of Coeliac Disease
Date:	13/08/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: once diagnosed the changes are easily seen

Disadvantages: complete lifestyle change; very hard to go for meals and even bad on nights out

As a sufferer of coeliac disease it is a major downfall on my everyday life. I am 20; and was diagnosed when i was 16; though alot of these 4 years i will admit i have not stuck to a gluten free diet as it affects most things. I find it hard to go out for a meal as i have to spend half an hour talking to the staff and finding something i can eat. It affects my nights out as certain alcoholic drinks contain gluten. It affects going shopping even as i hvae to spend time reading the back of packets and boxes to see if i am allowed it!

In a way i am happy i was diagnosed at a young age because it gives me the opportunity to change my lifestyle and prevent major damage later in life; my mum was diagnosed in her 40's and as she has not known this all her life has never changed her diet and therefore not stuck to a gluten free one.

Gluten is found in mainly wheat, barley and rye and can be found in all sorts of different things but the main ones are things like pasta; bread; biscuits; most cereals; alot of crisps and even some chocolate. Gluten can also be found in lager and vodka so when on a night out there is a need to be extra careful on what you are drinking. Although it does tend to make nights out more expensive as i end up drinking spirits instead of lager. Coeliacs are free to eat things like rice and buckwheat etc however having a diet of rice can be quite dull. A good thing is normal Walker's crisps and Walkers baked crisps are Gluten free!
Gluten free foods are available on prescription; however coeliac disease is not part of the free NHS prescriptions service so when getting things on prescription it can get quite expensive. Another bad thing about gluten free foods is the fact that because they do not contain gluten they have no elasticity; and are therefore either dry and crumbly or stodgy. The bread in particular has a very bad taste unless toasted.

A bad side effect of coeliac is all the other problems it can cause; anaemia; b12 deficiency; constant tummy pains and bloatedness if not on the correct diet. Coeliac disease can also cause other major diseases; such as Addison's disease and possibility of diabetes.

Getting diagnosed for coeliac disease is not majorly bad; they do a routine blood test and if it comes back with a positive an endoscopy is done and a sample of your small intestine is tested. After diagnosis there are regular checkups with a specialist to monitor your progress and make sure no other problems have arisen.

All in all there are good and bad things to being diagnosed with this disease. when diagnosed and on a gluten free diet you notice a change in your body practically straight away however it does mean a complete lifestyle change.

Summary: good to be diagnosed early but very unlucky