TITLE: Coeliac and MALToma
AUTHOR: Possum
DATE: 9/29/2004 08:17:37 AM
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Someone posted a question to me earlier to ask if I knew that there was a link between Coeliac disease and MALT lymphoma.

I do know that there is a link between the two and that most people who have auto immune diseases are also more prone to MALT. Well I have coeliac as you all know and I also have Sjogrens syndrome and sarcoidosis. All three diseases are more prone to develop MALT lymphoma than healthy people so I guess that it was bound to happen for me. I did not find out until ten months after my diagnosis of Coeliac that I also had MALToma and it was only through the testing for this that I found out about my other diseases.

My main incentive for trying to stick to a coeliac diet is so that I do not increase my chances of gastric MALT or of gastric lymphoma. I have already increased the chances a great deal because the coeliac disease was left untreated for so long.

I have done really well this week as far as sticking to my diet goes. I am back to reading the labels on absolutely everything and if I am not sure then I just don't eat it. I do think that I will have to give up my hot chocolate in the mornings because the place that I get it does not have a gluten free one!!!! ( better for the waist)

My biggest piece of advise to anyone who is newly diagnosed with coeliac disease is to read the labels on everything and never take someone else's word that products are gluten free because they may not be. If you don't do it right from the start it is hard to get on track and in the end the only person who really suffers is you!!!

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