Describe your life prior to diagnosis:
I was diagnosed in 2011 at the age of 49. I had seen doctors complaining about gastro problems and chest pains but was diagnosed with IBT and instructed to drink less coffee.
How did you come to know (or suspect) that you have celiac disease?
In 2011 I had a rash on my knees and elbows and my doctor prescribed a steroid cream. It didn’t help, so I saw a dermatologist, who immediately thought it was dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). She said she would do all the diagnostic work as well but felt it was DH. I also saw a gastroenterologist about celiac disease, and he did the antibody test and endoscopy, which showed scalloping in the intestine.
Do you believe anything could have sped up your diagnosis? If so, please explain:
Not really, other than when it was misdiagnosed earlier.
Describe your experience with living with celiac disease:
My sensitivity is not bad. I do maintain a gluten-free diet but if I ingest a little gluten I don’t have an immediate reaction. I have noticed when I travel and don’t have dapsone for the DH I will break out more.
