Ep 70 Beyond the Gut Symptoms – with Dr. Rashid
Let’s start the blog with the Show Notes for this episode:
May is Celiac Awareness Month and I am pleased to be collaborating with the Canadian Celiac Association to produce podcasts to support their theme of “Beyond the Gut”. This episode is a discussion with Dr. Moshin Rashid, MD, Med, FRCP (C), Professor of Paediatrics Gastroenterology & Nutrition at Dalhousie University and after many years on the Professional Advisory Committee of the CCA is now serving on the Education Committee of the CCA. Dr. Rashid gives us a comprehensive overview of many of the non-gut-related symptoms that patients present with prior to a diagnosis of celiac disease. We also have a discussion regarding other conditions associated with celiac disease. Both the symptom and associated conditions lists are long, giving way to the current length of time for diagnosis.
You can find out more on the CCA website at www.celiac.ca.
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
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Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
(search Sues Gluten Free Baking)
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
When I listen to Dr. Rashid list off the many non-gut symptoms, I have to stop and think. Did I experience that? When I really think about it, I can put tick marks after many of the symptoms he spoke about.
I remember being at a CCA conference years ago and the topic around the table was driving at night. It seemed common that many older celiacs had given up on driving in the dark. This interested me, as I was only about 40 but had lost my confidence in night driving. I didn’t feel I could see the lines on the road, I was struggling to see any lines as I was coming up to them, and was not able to see them at all at a distance in the dark.
I remember this happened before my diagnosis and in the first few years after starting the gluten free diet. Things are better now, my body is absorbing more nutrition, I am eating better and I drive confidently at night.
When I hear about the non-gut symptoms, I remember my eyes. Would I have ever complained to my family doctor that I was hesitant to drive at night – not me! I don’t think my doctor would have made the connection either, and as Dr. Rashid pointed out even an ophthalmologist wasn’t aware of the link between eyes and celiac – and he was celiac himself.
It’s easy to blame the medical professionals for our delays in diagnosis. They are somewhat to blame, but to be fair, the symptoms don’t lend themselves to an easy diagnosis. Hopefully, this is something that will change as research and technology progress. The more you know!