How AI Health Diagnosis Helped Me Pin Down an Elusive Illness

Are you struggling with unexplained symptoms even though you are strictly gluten free?  Have you considered AI health diagnosis tools? An AI, specifically Chat GPT helped me diagnose a condition that eluded my doctors for years.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you know the frustration.  For many, it can take more than 10 years to get a celiac diagnosis.  But what if your symptoms don’t go away or new symptoms pop up even after you have gone gluten free?

This is common.  People with celiac disease often have related conditions, food intolerances or autoimmune diseases.  A celiac diagnosis is not the end of the road. For many of us it is the beginning. 

In this article, I'll share my experience using artificial intelligence to pin down the cause of my unexplained symptoms. Then I'll give you a step-by-step guide so you can try it yourself.

What Is Chat GPT?

Chat GPT is an AI chatbot developed by a company called OpenAI.  When it was first released in November 2022 it took the tech world by storm.  We had chatbots from banks and telecoms that gave generic, unhelpful answers and sent us scrambling for the phone hoping to speak to a human.  But Chat GPT was game changing.  You could actually have a conversation with it!

Is AI Reliable for Medial Diagnosis?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been transforming various fields, including healthcare. AI health diagnosis uses machine learning and natural language processing to analyze symptoms and medical data. It can then provide possible diagnoses, and suggest appropriate treatments. The accuracy and rapid evolution of AI have made it a valuable player in modern medicine.

If you are considering personal use of Chat GPT in healthcare, it's important to understand three things.

1. The quality of ChatGPT's answers depends on how you ask your questions. Be detailed and specific.
2. Iteration may be necessary. Fine-tune your questions and dig into responses for the most accurate and useful information.
3. AI chatbots can make mistakes. They gather information from the internet, which isn't always reliable. This is why it’s important to continue to work with your doctor.

AI's real value lies in its ability to organize and present information coherently. Compared to random Google searches, Chat GPT offers a more structured analysis of symptoms. Think of it as a research assistant, saving you hours of searching and sifting through websites. While it cannot replace your doctor, it can certainly complement professional medical advice.

The other key advantage is that you can take all the time you need and ask as many follow up questions as you like. Have you ever felt exasperated by hasty conclusions from overburdened doctors? AI health diagnosis tools like ChatGPT allow you to set the pace.

This Doesn’t Mean You Can Fire Your Doctor

ChatGPT can still give incorrect answers, though it's continually improving. Consider its advice as directional, not final. It can offer valuable insights into your symptoms and suggest relevant medical tests. It may confirm your suspicions or present new angles for you and your doctor to explore.

Making informed health decisions is crucial. AI tools like ChatGPT can help by providing information before your doctor's visit. This way, you'll arrive with well-researched questions and potential directions to explore.

How to Use Chat GPT for AI Health Diagnosis Support

Step 1: Sign On and Set Up an Account

Getting started is easy.  Enter “Chat GPT” into your web browser, go to the site and set up an account.  You can also download the mobile app and go from there. 

There is a free version, or you can upgrade to have access to the latest updates.  The free version works very well.

Step 2: Begin With a Detailed Prompt

Before you start firing your health questions at Chat GPT, it’s helpful to give it some context.  It works well with background information and a role to play.  Be detailed and precise in describing your symptoms.

Here’s how I started my healthcare conversation with Chat GPT.

Chat GPT provided 10 possible conditions, related symptoms and recommended next steps.  Here is a sample of one of the responses.

It gave me similar outlines for:

• Continued gluten exposure
• Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (unlikely as I’ve been diagnosed with celiac)
• Lactose intolerance or other food intolerances
• Autoimmune Conditions
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Nutritional Deficiencies
• Other considerations like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

None of this was a surprise.  I’d been researching my symptoms for a long time so I was familiar with these conditions.  What came next blew my mind!  I learned more in an hour with Chat GPT than I had in 10 years of doctor’s visits.

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Step 3: Iterate For More Detailed and Personalized Analysis

Your first response may be generic.  It will reference your symptoms but will look much like what you’d find on a medical website.  But this is the beginning of the conversation.

Review the response.  Provide more details and explain what to rule out and why. For example, I ruled out lactose intolerance, dermatitis herpetiformis, and continued gluten exposure based on my experience.

I remembered additional symptoms and asked Chat GPT to consider these as well:

• Esophageal spasms when I eat that started after I’d had my gallbladder removed
• Very high serum B12.  Doctors have said there is no concern, but I’m not convinced.

Step 4: Narrow it Down and Get Specific

After more back and forth my AI health diagnosis assistant narrowed the list down to three conditions: histamine intolerance, MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) and SIBO.

It was nice to have a smaller list of conditions to research, but I needed more. I wanted to know which was more likely in my case, given my symptoms and history.  So I asked:

With this prompt, I received a detailed breakdown of both conditions including diagnostic tests, treatment options and how each connects to celiac disease.  Then Chat GPT answered my direct question.

DAO is the enzyme that helps the body process histamine.  It is produced in the small intestine, and since celiac disease damages the small intestine, DAO may be lacking.  This made perfect sense.

Step 5: A Complete Plan for Diagnosis and Treatment

This wasn’t enough.  I asked for a clear, concise plan for next steps, and ChatGPT provided a detailed strategy:

1. Visit your healthcare provider to discuss symptoms and request lab tests. I was given a list of lab tests.

2. Complete a histamine elimination diet, consult a dietician, and consider DAO supplementation.

3. Work with a GI specialist to investigate SIBO and request a breath test.

4. Address skin sensitivity by identifying irritants and using hypoallergenic products.

Be Prepared for a Ton of Information

At the end of it all, my AI health diagnosis provided pages and pages full of answers to questions I’d been dying to ask for years.  But no doctor has that kind of time. My output covers:

• Histamine Intolerance symptoms and diagnostic tests
• How to do an elimination diet – step by step
• A list of high histamine and low histamine foods
• Alcohol and histamine intolerance
• Food additives and histamine intolerance
• A few low histamine recipes
• The effectiveness of DAO supplements
• Discussion on hormones and histamine
• MCAS symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatment options
• Possible causes of high B12
• Correlation with allergies
• The difference between H1 and H2 antihistamines
• Supplements and nutritional support
• Herbs and other natural remedies
• Sulphite sensitivity
• Esophageal spasms
• SIBO and motility issues
• SIBO and sensitive skin
• Gall bladder removal and ongoing symptoms
• Connections between all these things and celiac disease

I’ll likely be sorting through this for months.  My head is still spinning, but in a good way.  The best part is, I have something I can hold in my hand that shows the connections between all those unexplained symptoms.  Most of all, it gives me confidence that I’m not crazy.  The gaslighting is over.  

I’m reminded of a spy movie where the main character is insisting there are patterns that no one else sees.  She has photos and clippings pinned up all over her wall with a web of threads connecting them.  Everyone thinks she’s crazy and she starts to wonder if they might be right.  You know how the story goes.  When one person finally takes her seriously, they catch the bad guy.

Summary

The perpetual frustration of unresolved symptoms can make anyone feel helpless, but ChatGPT’s iterative approach can break down the overwhelming experience into manageable steps. Here’s a summary:

• Trust yourself.  Your symptoms are real and you’re not crazy
• Don’t be intimidated at the thought of using AI for medical diagnosis.  You don’t need to understand technology to use it.
• Set the context.  It needs to understand your goals.
• Iteration is key.  The first response will be generic but as you dig you’ll make connections and uncover gems that you never expected.
• Question the output.  If something doesn’t make sense or seems contradictory, ask for clarification.
• Ask for a summary and a plan for next steps.
• Involve your healthcare professionals. AI isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice, but it can be an excellent tool for generating informed questions to discuss with your doctor.

If you’re still wondering whether AI health diagnosis tools like Chat GPT can be worth trying, consider your past experiences. Reflect on the frustration and confusion you've endured without clear solutions. Sometimes, another perspective—especially one as advanced and analytical as AI—can unveil new possibilities or reinforce existing suspicions.

Now That’s Empowering!

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