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Part 1: Common Symptoms
About Dr. Vikki Petersen
Meet Dr. Vikki Petersen. Dr. Petersen is a Chiropractor and Certified Clinical Nutritionist. As an expert in gluten-related issues, she can help you understand common gluten symptoms. She is co-founder and co-director (along with her husband, Dr. Richard Petersen) of the renowned Root Cause Medical Clinic and acclaimed author of the book The Gluten Effect.
Dr. Vikki (as she is known at her medical practice) is acknowledged as a pioneer in advances to identify and treat gluten sensitivity. Recently featured in an exclusive interview on CNN Headline News, she is also endorsed by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America praises her contributions to gluten awareness in our country.
Prior to becoming a doctor, Vikki was a world-class figure skater. She has a fabulous marriage which has produced three great kids, and she is gorgeous to boot (inside and out)! Dr. Vikki is my doctor and a very dear friend.
Despite her impossibly busy schedule, Dr. Vikki has graciously agreed to participate in a series of posts for this blog. She will be answering questions about gluten and gluten sensitivity. Vikki has a unique perspective when it comes to treating celiac and gluten sensitivity. This is because she and various family members are gluten intolerant. So she not only knows of what she preaches, she practices it as well.
In this series she answers real questions. Today we begin with the most common symptoms.
Why This Topic Matters
Many people suffer for years without knowing the cause. Moreover, symptoms of gluten issues often overlap with other conditions. Therefore clear insights help. Dr. Petersen’s answers guide those who struggle to find clues in their health.
What Are the Most Common Symptoms?
For celiac, the common symptoms are: weight loss, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, gas, abdominal pain, failure to thrive (in children) also short stature in children, itchy skin rash, joint pain, fatigue, canker sores, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, discolored teeth or loss of enamel.
Also see if any of the following have been diagnosed by you or your children: iron deficiency anemia, depression, type 1 diabetes, Sjogren’s disease, IBS, peripheral neuropathy, Turner syndrome, dermatitis herpetiformis, infertility, osteoporosis or osteopenia, thyroid disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, intestinal cancer, down syndrome, Williams syndrome.
For gluten sensitivity the symptoms include all those above plus more.
Those directly related to someone who has already been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity should always be tested. Additionally, those suffering from any of the following diseases should also get tested:
• Chronic intestinal problems
• Infertility or recurrent miscarriage
• Chronic anemia
• Osteoporosis
• Migraine Headaches
• Obesity
• Arthritis
• Memory loss
• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• IBS
• Bipolar or Schizophrenia
• Increased liver enzymes
• Low thyroid (Hypothyroid)
• ADD or ADHD
• Autism
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Sleep Apnea
• Type I or II diabetes
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Any Autoimmune Disease
Furthermore, children may show failure to thrive or limited growth.
Who Should Consider Testing?
A family history of celiac disease or another autoimmune condition significantly raises your personal risk. To elaborate, if you also experience chronic digestive issues, fatigue, or the other mentioned symptoms, testing could help identify a gluten-related problem. Ultimately, Dr. Petersen stresses the importance of awareness so that people who are undiagnosed can find answers and stop struggling.
What’s Next?
In future installments, Dr. Petersen will discuss diagnostic methods, differences between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.
More Questions Answered from a GLUTEN-FREE doctor
In case you missed any of this series:
Gluten Symptoms & Diet Cheating
Gluten-free Diets & Nutritional Deficiency
Would the test you get be a gluten sensitivity test?
Carol, thank you so much for doing this series! There can't be enough awareness. As a support group leader, I see so many members with so many sets of these symptoms. But, there are still so many undiagnosed whether they be celiac, gluten intolerant, or gluten sensitive. Many thanks to Dr. Petersen, too, for all her efforts! I'll be sharing this post everywhere I possibly can and look forward to the other parts of the interview.
Best,
Shirley
Carol – I am excited about this series. Anything to boost the awareness. It seems that so many in the medical community still believe that the only symptoms of celiac disease are those classic symptoms – that you have to be thin, frail, malnourished-looking with diarrhea. I am going to share this post with as many as I can! Thanks so much – I look forward to the rest of these posts!
Hello Doc! I own Grand Legacy Foods and we make Flourless and dairy free cookies and we sell thousands and people will Celiac Spue tell us that they love our cookies (oatmeal based) and they have no adverse health effects, is there any reason that we should pay 3 times more for a certified gluten free oat? Thank you!
Hi Carol,
I'm passing along an award to you because your posts always make me laugh. Stop by my blog to pick it up. :)