Gluten Awareness NZ

Gluten Syndromes

Symptoms

Tests 

Cost

How are the Gluten Syndromes treated?

The main treatment for all Gluten Syndromes conditions is a gluten free diet. For those with Coeliac Disease this is especially important as there are known possible consequences of continuing to have small amounts of gluten in the diet. Please see the Coeliac Society website for more details on what is normally allowed. It may also be necessary to supplement some nutrients such as iron initially. Your doctor or dietician will be able to tell you more about this.

When should treatment commence?

The gluten free diet should not be commenced until all testing has been completed so that a correct diagnosis can be given. If there is a delay in getting a diagnosis and health is deteriorating further, please make sure that the service you are waiting on is aware of the change in condition. If being referred through the public system for further tests, it is a good idea to phone the waiting list office a week or two after referral if you haven’t received a letter. Generally, you will need to get your General Practitioner to notify them if the process needs to be sped up and in these circumstances a phone call to the department by the GP is usually more effective than another letter.

Is there a reason someone should not be on a gluten free diet?

The gluten free diet is not an easy one and is not for those who do not need to be on it for medical reasons. I do not believe that anyone would choose to be on a “fad” gluten free diet although there is nothing wrong with trying gluten free options, just the same as others might like the occasional vegetarian option. In our family, there are three of us who have very unpleasant reactions to trace amounts of gluten, one who is wheat-free and one on a normal diet. Our family meals are therefore gluten free. This website has been created for those who have a significant health benefit from being on a gluten free diet or for those who are supporting a family member or friend who needs to be on a gluten free diet. For those without a diagnosis of Coeliac Disease it is important that the symptoms caused by gluten be recognised by the health care profession and taken seriously.

What if there isn’t an improvement?

It is important to note down symptoms, when they occurred etc to pass on to your doctor. They might be unrelated to the problems with gluten, a result of a deficiency or another allergy.

Is the gluten free diet a healthy way to live?

If necessary the gluten free diet can completely provide all the necessary nutrients. We have found many foods that we weren’t aware existed and ways to prepare these that have increased the health of our diet. Ready made foods are not so easily come by gluten free, so the diet becomes more healthy because of this.

Gluten free food isn’t the same

It is very difficult to find some foods gluten free that are the same as wheat containing foods such as bread. With time your taste buds will adjust. There are just as many yummy options available that you might have already been enjoying and were not aware were “safe”. Check out the labels and the manufactured food database.

Written by Roslyn (Roz) Ballantyne (RN) for © Gluten Awareness NZ March 2008.www.glutenwareness.org.nz This page may be printed for the personal use, as long as the copyright and source (i.e. Gluten Awareness’s URL) is also printed. It may not be copied to other websites or publications without permission.