Can we have Caroline Quentin, patron of Coeliac UK on for a web chat?

[Fixmylife]

I think it might be a good thing to educate people on symptoms of coeliac disease in particular and how potentially serious it can be. It would also be good to highlight the large numbers of people who are undiagnosed, often told they are depressed or have IBS and encourage them to be tested.

Hi there Fixmylife. Thanks for the suggestion. As ever, if there's enough call for something like this we'll happily look into it. What does everyone else think? Would it be useful?

Great idea. It was reading an interview with her that made me realise her symptoms sounded very much like what my mum was suffering from. So I encouraged my mum to have a blood test and sure enough my mum was then diagnosed with coeliac disease following a gut biopsy.

And yes, my mum was just tolld originally that her problems were IBS.

Thanks Margo - have you also been tested? 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease but for close relatives it is 1 in 10. There is also the risk of other auto immune illnesses e.g. Type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, pernicious anaemia and many more.

I was tested and was ok. My mum's condition has improved immensely since she went gluten free, but my understanding is that it can still take time for the gut to heal.

I'd be really interested in this. DS has just been diagnosed.

Great idea.
My DD1 is coeliac and it has been a learning curve.

Oh good some more interest! I think I minimise it to most people as it can be a bit dull to go on about it, the reality is it affects you every single day and every time you eat something.

I didn't know she was. I think increasing awareness of something that affects so many people can only be good.
Plus I think she's awesome!

Thanks for posting everyone, keep the support coming so we know what the level of interest is

Another thumbs up as a mother of a coeliac DD

Bump!

Bump as I know there's another thread at the moment about gluten intolerance. Perhaps a joint Q&ha with Caroline Quentin and someone from Ceoliac UK would be useful?

FlissMumsnet could we link this into the topic for coeliac disease too?