Has anybody been tested for gluten intolerance (celiac's disease) in switzerland? are the doctors familiar with it? my uncle has it, and i am sufficiently convinced I might have it that I would like to be tested. I haven't been to a swiss doctor before; how do I find an appropriate doctor? Any idea how much will I have to expect to pay out-of-pocket for a doctors visit and some basic lab test? I have basic swiss health insurance, but it is my understanding that here they reimburse you later (much, much later) for the expenses, so is it possible I will have to pay quite a lot up front?

According to the FAQ on their website, the Swiss patients organisation for celiac disease maintains a list of specialised doctors (at least of the German speaking region). I suggest that you ask them for this list by sending them their contact form.

At the end of the form, write "Ich möchte mich auf Zöliakie untersuchen lassen und bitte deshalb um Ihre Ärzteliste". (I wish to have a celiac disease check and because of this, ask for your doctors list).

The top half of the form is your address, I think I don't have to explain this further. You can also mark the box at "Senden Sie mir Informationen über Zöliakie, die Mitgliedschaft sowie zwei aktuelle Ausgaben vom Zöliakie-Info (gratis)" if you wish to recieve a package of the organisation. It contains information about celiac disease, club membership and two of their journals.

You could also visit an allergist. You might need a referral from your GP. Here is the name of an English speaking allergist in Zurich. Best to call and ask.

Some doctors will bill your health insurance company directly, others not, but as far as reimbursement of the costs by your health insurance company, I can tell you that with Swica is very efficient. Of course keep in mind that you will not be reimbursed at all if you have not met your annual deductible yet and there may be a portion you must pay yourself regardless.




Dr. med Katrin Mühlethaler
(FMH Fachärztin f. Innere Medizin, Allergologie u. klinische Immunologie)
Schifflände 24
8001 Zürich



Telefon 044 252 0462

Thanks, I requested the list of doctors and will wait to see if they send me a list of recommended doctors. I would much prefer this to choosing one randomly.

Hi Patrickd,
While you are pursuing the doctor route have you actually tried the gluten free diet. The reason I ask is that one of the "features" of Coeliac disease is how well we respond to the diet. If you go on the diet you should find that an immense improvement in a very short time. I am coeliac PM me if you wish. Im not encouraging you not to see the doctor! Good luck!

Coeliac is an autoimmune condition and not related to allergies so I doubt an allergist would be of any use.

More info here> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease

In Switzerland most allergists are also specialists in clinical immunology..

Hi,

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in Australia, it is an autoimmune condition. In Aus, the GP will do a blood test for transglutiminase levels which is an indicator, along with diet challenges (removing gluten from diet and monitoring respons) it is then diagnosed by a gastroenterologist via a biopsy of the intestine and then sent to dietitions for advice on food management.

sorry if some of that is spelt incorrectly.

Im new to Switzerland, living in Bern area, has anyone got any tips for finding gluten free bread/pasta and other products? Is there a coeliac society?

Thanks for link to request doctors, that was great

I live in Baden, and I've been able to find gluten-free products in all larger local shops (Coop, Migros, etc), from gluten-free frozen bread, frozen pizza and pasta, to gf flour, cookies and crackers (usually in purple and yellow packaging).
You may also want to look in your local Reform-Haus shops - mine is fairly small, but the products they sell are really nice!
Being in a larger city, you should be able to find a good range of products.
Another forum member (Dougal's breakfast) has also given me great tips on places in Zurich. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll pm you the information.

thanks, that would be great. i have only been here 2 days and dont speak much german so struggling a bit with shopping

im in small village near bern but if there is good gf stuff there i am close enough to go shopping each week there.

do you see a doctor here? i have emailed the link on that thread but it is all in german...

In Zurich, I have found a gluten free section in the 'reformhaus' which is the 'health-food store'.

Also, we were strongly recommended in Australia to not go gluten-free until after the small-bowel biopsy as you need to be eating gluten to ensure there is a definitive diagnosis.

Basically, it's all or nothing. If you have coeliac disease, not even a crumb of bread should be eaten...because that crumb of bread could do long-term damage. And gluten is in more than just bread - we have to read the labels every time we choose any packaged foods - it's hidden in things like soy sauce, as thickeners in some dairy products and sausages (more-so in Australia than Switzerland), etc.

That said, I thought perhaps with diagnosis, it might be 6-12 months to feel better, but within a week (including post-op medications and iron supplements) the change was significant (on the GF diet) and within a month, amazing...

As mentioned, an allergist would be a good start as they normally also deal with celiac. A word of caution regarding starting gluten free diet on your own; this is really not to be recommended as the test results can then be distorted. Always talk to the doctor first.

There are simple blood-tests to confirm gluten intolerance.

Go for the tests for the coeliac condition first - this is a serious condition, and needs proper assessment by a qualified doctor.

If they come back negative, but you still have problems with gluten, don't bother wasting your money on allergy tests and similar quackery - you should know already whether it's a problem to eat it or not.

In the words of my former doctor, upon getting the negative results of my tests for the coeliac condition: "If it makes you ill, don't eat it."

Wise advice, and, best of all, cheap.

You can now get a blood test kit at Boots in the U.K. - over the counter. It's 15.99. GBP

Obviously you need to have been eating food containing gluten for some time before the test.

It's supposed to be very reliable.
Once you've done the test, you should see your doctor to arrange an endoscophy to confirm the condition.
If you don't get a positive result you should still see your doctor to rule out other serious conditions.


http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stor...Test&x=27&y=12

Many of the DS products sold at Co-op that you mentioned (Purple and yellow) packaging do not include cooking instructions on the packet.

However, the DS-website does give this information.

For example:

http://www.ds4you.com/en/ds-products...i-gluten-free/

just wanted to add that there is a heap of information about coeliac disease on the Shaer website - www.shaer.ch - the brand is shär - they are the biggest manufacturer of gluten-free products in Switzerland. - info in english is very extensive.

it also has the links to the various coeliac societies - but here's the German one -

http://www.zoeliakie.ch/gastronomie/...eder/index.php
This link that I have posted has a list of 'gluten free' restaurants - which some might find handy...

My son is really enjoying the Schar products as we don't have anything quite as extensive as this in Australia, and the prices are significantly better to what we were paying in Aust, which makes it even easier.

The cook at my son's school (they get cooked lunch every day) went to the shop and bought a packet of every single product they had - and has spent the whole term 'testing them out' on my son - which is great, because he's tried heaps of things that he wouldn't eat for me! - and now he knows what he likes - and best of all, I didn't have to stock my cupboard with expensive stuff that he might not eat!... win/win for everyone...

I'm not coeliac, but I find that my stomach feels 'lighter' after a wheat-free meal...we don't eat quite so much bread these days - more potatoes, corn and rice, and I think we are all healthier for it...

Coeliac is genetic - runs in families but is mostly not diagnosed - we definitely have family members (including my brother) who have had it for 20-30 years and never diagnosed - and finally as they get older and their system starts to break down on them they have switched to gluten-free and had big improvements...

I keep meaning to add to this thread so anyway: Gluten-free soy-sauce is available at the Mueller reform-house chain - The brand is Lima strong Tamari soy sauce.