Sally-Anne states: “I have a 2 year old who is gluten free due to his psoriasis, eczema, bloated tummy and general grumpiness. After attending your seminar in Auckland in the weekend I have decided I should get Adam diagnosed correctly. I have downloaded your information on blood tests but my GP refuses to order the tests as "there is a lot of controversy surrounding this". I was wondering whether there is another way around this, does the test need to be ordered by a doctor? Your help would be appreciated. My doctors think I am mad and that I should just wait until my son grows out of this phase. Thank you for any help you can provide”.
My response: Hi Sally–Anne Yes, you have met the "brick wall of coeliac disease". Most medical practitioners do not believe that gluten is ever a significant problem, except in coeliac disease. They are wrong, but it will take a generation of education to help them understand the more subtle aspects of gluten-sensitivity. In the mean time, just go gluten free for Adam and see how he gets on (or find a sympathetic person to help you – I will get a list of Auckland GPs who are willing to get the gliadin antibodies tested). Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
Kristine writes: “I would like to find a doctor who won't treat me like I'm crazy for following this gluten-free diet. Also, want to find a doctor who knows something about this gluten disease - to encourage me that I am on the right path.
For over two years now, I have been suffering from an array of symptoms. I started a gluten free diet on my own initiative - I am now feeling so much better!”
I reply: “Sorry that you have been so unwell and that you have not had support with the going gluten-free. Well done on taking the initiative of going gluten-free. The first thing that you need is to be confident in your diagnosis: you have The Gluten Syndrome. You will probably need to stay gluten-free life-long. You are likely to continue to feel better. You do not need more tests as you have been off gluten too long to make the tests useful. Now you can be happy with your increasingly good health”.
I hear this story heaps – please add your comments to the forum. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
Catherine in Australia says: “Thank you sincerely for all the information”.
She is now interested in getting the blood tests done for her son – but she is not sure how to go about this.She asks: “Will any Doctor run these blood tests? If not, who can I see in Brisbane?
She also wonders if she has to be eating gluten to be tested, she says: “My son has been gluten-free for one week, -how long should my son wait now on a normal diet before having the blood tests?Thank you again, Catherine”
These are the most common question that I am asked.
What Doctor?
Well any doctor can write out the blood request forms, but many refuse to do this.Also you have to insist that the IgG-gliadin antibody test is done, but unfortunately, many labs refuse to do this test (they say that the gliadin test is not useful for making a diagnosis of coeliac disease – this is correct.But I am looking for gluten-sensitivity).So ask your doctor for ALL the tests, then ring the labs and find out which lab will test for gliadin antibodies (Not of caution, you do NOT want the DEAMIDADTED gliadin antibody test instead).
What if on gluten?
The tests are for ANTIBODIES – so it is fine to have been off gluten for a few weeks – he does not have to be eating gluten for the blood tests, but he does need to be eating gluten if he is going to have an endoscopy.
I hope that this helps. I do into all of these details in my book “The Gluten Syndrome” – I suggest that you buy it. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
Amy asked me “We were wondering how many other people in NZ also suffer from gluten > intolerances? Do you know?
Yes I do! One in every ten people are affected. So that means of the 4,000,000 people (4 million), there will be 400,000 people with The Gluten Syndrome or coeliac disease. Sadly, most are unaware that they are suffering from eating bread. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
People now recognize me as one of the word experts on gluten, and the instigator of “The Gluten Syndrome”. I have spoken on “The Gluten Syndrome” extensively in New Zealand, Australia and the USA, on radio, TV and newspapers.
Everywhere I speak, people come up to me and say “You’ve got to get on Oprah and tell the world about the gluten problem.” Since then, lots of people have emailed to Oprah and sent her copies of my books.
So I am now saying “Yes!” “Please help get me on Oprah so I can help even more people”. I passionately believe that everyone needs to hear about The Gluten Syndrome. Soon Dr Rodney Ford will be on Oprah. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
This book tells you my discoveries and secrets of treating eczema that I have found over the last 30 years in researching food allergy. And guess what! Gluten has a large part to play in causing your eczema. You can buy my latest book for less than a dollar per years of my research! Good value I think! Our first print run is limited, and already selling quickly.
Lots of people are writing kind comments and words of support. They are also asking if they can help in any way. Well, yes you can!
As you know, my goal is to tell the world about the potential harm of gluten. We are looking for “ambassadors” throughout the world. If you are interested let me know.
The sorts of thing that I envisage are:
* Encouraging your local library to hold our books. * Offering local community newspapers some local gluten stories backed up by my newspaper columns. * Inviting me to speak in your city (when I next do a USA/Canada/Australia tour). * On-selling our books (with commission) to your local networks. * Joining out "Doctor Gluten Forum", and exchanging information and encouragement.
What do you think? Do you have other ideas? Thanks and best wishes. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
The sad thing is that most of my medical colleagues are using a dinosaur test to look for gluten harm. They insist that the ONLY evidence of gluten damage is an abnormal small bowel biopsy. This is thinking (or should I say non-thinking!) of the 1970-80 era. A “demarcation dispute” has arisen from a flawed premise. Because coeliac disease had been defined as “tissue damage from gluten”, the flawed logic arose that:
No gut tissue damage = No gluten problem!
This is not based fact or data. It is just based on prejudice. It is nonsense.
I challenge the gastroenterologists and paediatricians to a debate on this. In my clinical experience, for every one coeliac diagnosed, there are another 10 children suffering from the affects of gluten but who do not have coeliac disease. They have The Gluten Syndrome. What do you think? Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
In New Zealand it is Coeliac Awareness Week (24 – 30 May 2008). The theme this year is “Are you 1 in 100?” The purpose is to increase awareness of this coeliac disease. But I ask “Are you the 1 in 10?” – my research shows that at least 10% of the population are suffering from the Gluten Syndrome. Get a gluten check-up. Get your blood tests. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.
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