This is the sorry truth. GI's rarely have appreciation for gluten sensitivity that doesn't present with villous atrophy. In their defense, I guess, gluten related neurological disease in the absence of celiac disease is NEWLY recognized within just the past ten years or so. But, in my experience, the GI chose to ignore any of the new research I called to her attention. No defense for that.

I've decided our doctors are very well trained for critical/emergency care, surgery, and simple conditions like strep throat, ear infections, etc. Both of my parent's were saved countless times in emergency care settings. (Although, we have more than our fair share of health care horror stories, too!) Our doctors aren't quite so good when it comes to treating chronic health conditions. When my daughter presented with seizures at age 12... they never looked for any underlying cause. It is easier for them to just prescribe anti-epileptic drugs, which may or may not work. Unfortunately, sometimes a vitamin or diet change is all that is really needed.... but they don't bother to look for vitamin deficiencies or food sensitivities.

I also keep preaching, to myself, I guess, that neurologists need to take ownership of gluten related neurological disease. They keep passing us off to the GI's because they think that GI's "own" celiac disease, but the GI's don't know diddly about gluten related neurological disease, especially when it doesn't meet the diagnostic criteria for celiac disease.

My young adult daughter is still eating gluten because her GI insisted her positive antigliadin antibodies meant nothing. The GI also ignored her lymphocytic gastritis found during biopsy, which is indeed suggestive of gluten sensitivity, but not diagnostic of celiac disease. And at age 16, when the diagnostic testing was done on her... my daughter opted to believe that a doctor "with all those years of medical school" knew better than her mother... . And of course, at 16 she wanted to eat pizza. At 23, she still wants to eat gluten, and just suffer with the chronic health conditions that are now "normal" to her.

In any case, I also feel my family has mostly been self diagnosed thanks to the Internet and forums like these. On occasion, a few doctors did something right, but mostly they fell short. Here is our story: http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/thestory

BTW... you may find relief in your other allergies once gluten has been out of your system for a while. I have! I used to have very significant seasonal allergies and frequent sinus infections. That all improved significantly once I removed gluten. It goes to an allergy load theory... that everything is sort of cumulative... and if you remove the BIG allergen... the others won't be so overwhelming. My son did the allergy shots when he was a child, and they did work for him. He was miserably allergic to trees, weeds, grasses, molds.

Glad to hear you seem to be improving. Keep an eye out for dairy, too. Cow's milk sensitivity is associated with autoimmune disease and neurological symptoms as well, although far less studied. But...studies do show that up to 40-50% of those with gluten sensitivity, also have casein sensitivity.

Thankfully, you don't need a doctor's prescription or permission to make dietary changes. Whew!