Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Borderline Celiac?

livinthelife

Recommended Posts

livinthelife Apprentice
livinthelife
Posted

I have been struggling with ongoing gastro troubles off and on for a long time. I thought they were "just a part of life" until last summer a year ago when I got a parasite on vacation. I took several rounds of antibiotics but never fully recovered. The other three who got sick took meds and were well quickly. Doc did a celiac panel which was negative and a barium CT scan which showed nothing in January. I took even more antibiotics, which seemed to help a little Fast forward to August. 

 

Again, like last fall, I had accidents in the car, in the middle of the night, and uncontrollable problems, as I'm sure most of you are familiar with. I had a slight reprieve in symptoms for a few months and then they came back with a vengeance. All of the sudden I was having accidents again and losing weight without trying. I also have no energy. Hair loss, dry skin...so many things I've since read on this forum.

 

GP referred me to new gastro doc who did a colonoscopy. Found a polyp (had other polyps  eight years ago, none three years ago - have colonoscopy every five years due to personal and family history) and a tremendous amount of ileal villous blunting. He told me the biopsy presented celiac but that he needed to do an endoscopy to be 100% sure. Those results didn't show blunting but did show inflammation. He said I have "borderline celiac" and is redoing blood work just to make sure. Also, he wants me to go gluten-free for a month or two and says he's pretty sure I'll feel so much better.

 

Does this sound familiar to anyone? 

 

By the way, thanks to everyone who posts here. I am learning so very much!

 

 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Welcome to the board.  :)

 

There really is no borderline celiac - you either have it or you don't. That "borderline" talk probably refers to the degree of damage found. Some celiacs have a great deal of damage and others just have patchy. It is thought by some that early celiac (in the first few years) often results in patchier and less severe damage and the complete villus atrophy occurs in cases that have gone undiagnosed longer.  

 

I mostly agree with that but want to stress that not all celiacs experience the disease in the same way. Some celiacs only have one type of positive autoantibodies, some have all positive, some have all negative yet have a positive endoscopic biopsy, and yet others have a negative biopsy with positive blood tests.... There's a lot of variation.

 

If you are having the endoscopic biopsy, make sure you continue to eat gluten until the test is done or it will most likely give a negative result.  You might want to consider trying the blood tests again as autoantibody levels can fluctuate and might register on the blood test now. The tests to request are:

tTG IgA and tTG IgG

DGP IgA and DGP IgG

EMA IgA

total serum IgA (control test)

AGA IgA and AGA IgG (and older and less reliable tets)

 

Good luck with the tests and with going gluten-free afterwards.  I hope you feel much better soon.

JustCricket Newbie
JustCricket
Posted

I couldn't agree more with nvsmom. I think she's completely right about what the doc meant by "borderline." Hopefully, you've caught the illness early and have avoided a lot of issues. I hope you feel better soon! :)

livinthelife Apprentice
livinthelife
Posted
  • Author

I couldn't agree more with nvsmom. I think she's completely right about what the doc meant by "borderline." Hopefully, you've caught the illness early and have avoided a lot of issues. I hope you feel better soon! :)

Thank you both for your replies. I just got through with more blood work and am officially going gluten free! Wish me luck!! 

 

Has anyone ever heard of blunted villi "classic celiac" in the ileum from a colonoscopy biopsy and only inflammation in the duodenum with the endoscopy? The more I read, the more I realize how atypical so many people's are. I just hope I feel better QUICKLY!!

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

Celiac is mostly diagnosed from the blood panel and endoscopy with biopsy (of the small intestine not not the colon).

 

Keep a food journal.  It can help find "hidden" gluten.  (yes, that small splash of soy sauce is gluten.)  It can help find areas of cross contamination.  (Switching to gluten free I kept a bottle of vanilla from the "gluten days" that must have been contaminated. ~ the note taking helped me track it down.

 

It is possible that you will have other food sensitivities.  (if the villi in your small intestine are damaged, you may have problems with dairy as the tip of the villi is involved with digesting dairy.)

 

Get a copy of ALL your testing reports.  It will be handy to see a report of all the damage.  (my daughter has had many endoscopies with biopy for Celiac and Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  Since these are the main reason for the scoping, invariably the doctor neglects to mention the signs of chronic gastritus at the top of the stomach.  That is important to me to stay consistant with the symptoms she tells me.  It has caused her pain and only the written report told me why.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Anne G
      - Anne G posted a topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      0

      celiac disease and braces

      Hello, My 17 yr old daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease 2 yrs ago. She does not have gum disease and no history of cavities. Her dentist is recommending braces for her lower teeth but I read it may worsen gum recession or possibly increase cavity risk which I know are already issues for patients with celiac. Has anyone here had braces and...
    2. trents
      - trents replied to HAUS's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      This is a common experience across the board with various brands of gluten-free bread products. Prices go up, size goes down. Removal of the egg component may be for the purpose of cost-cutting related to bird flu supply shortages or it may be catering to those with egg allergy/sensitivity, fairly common in the celiac community.
    3. HAUS
      - HAUS posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      Living with Coeliac Disease since birth, Bread has always been an issue, never too nice, small slices and always overpriced, But Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread seemed to me to be an exception with it's large uniform 12 x 12cm slices that had the bounce, texture and taste of white bread even after toasting with no issue that it was also Milk Free...
    4. Mari
      - Mari replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      15

      My only proof

      Years ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came...
    5. Rejoicephd
      - Rejoicephd commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Gluten-Free Cooking
      1

      Your Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Plan: Recipes, Tips & Holiday Favorites

      Wow what a helpful article!! I am just seeing this now but I hosted a small group of family for Thanksgiving at my house this year and I did some of these things- got a butterball gluten-free turkey, got gluten-free stuffing, had a few gluten-free sides, and a gluten-free nothing-Bundt-cake. I had other non gluten-free things there too for others, and I also...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,434
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Malia Ana
    Newest Member
    Malia Ana
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Anne G
      celiac disease and braces

      By Anne G · Posted

      Hello, My 17 yr old daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease 2 yrs ago. She does not have gum disease and no history of cavities. Her dentist is recommending braces for her lower teeth but I read it may worsen gum recession or possibly increase cavity risk which I know are already issues for patients with celiac. Has anyone here had braces and did it cause any problems or issues with gum recession?  Her dentist seemed oblivious that celiac patients are at higher risk of gum disease /cavities. Her bottom teeth are crooked but are pretty hidden even when she smiles. Thank you!!
    • trents
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By trents · Posted

      This is a common experience across the board with various brands of gluten-free bread products. Prices go up, size goes down. Removal of the egg component may be for the purpose of cost-cutting related to bird flu supply shortages or it may be catering to those with egg allergy/sensitivity, fairly common in the celiac community.
    • HAUS
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By HAUS · Posted

      Living with Coeliac Disease since birth, Bread has always been an issue, never too nice, small slices and always overpriced, But Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread seemed to me to be an exception with it's large uniform 12 x 12cm slices that had the bounce, texture and taste of white bread even after toasting with no issue that it was also Milk Free. Unfortunately Sainsbury's have changed the recipe and have made it 'Egg Free' too and it has lost everything that made the original loaf so unique. Now the loaf is unevenly risen with 8 x 8cm slices at best, having lost it's bounce with the texture dense and cake like after toasting resembling nothing like White Bread anymore. Unsure as to why they have had to make it 'Egg Free' as the price is the same at £1.90 a loaf. Anyone else experiencing the same issue with it? - also any recommendations for White Bread that isn't prescription? / Tesco's / Asda's are ok but Sainsbury's was superior.
    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Years  ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We  got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came down the road, laughed at our situation, then pulled the VW free of the mud. We followed him back to the ski area where where he started up the rope ski lift and we had an enjoyable hour of skiing and gave us a shot of aquavit  before we left.It was a great rescue.  In some ways this reminds me of your situation. You are waiting for a rescue and you have chosen medical practitioners to do it now or as soon as possible. As you have found out the med. experts have not learned how to help you. You face years of continuing to feel horrible, frustrated searching for your rescuer to save you. You can break away from from this pattern of thinking and you have begun breaking  away by using some herbs and supplements from doTerra. Now you can start trying some of the suggestions thatother Celiacs have written to your original posts.  You live with other people who eat gluten foods. Cross contamination is very possible. Are you sure that their food is completely separate from their food. It  is not only the gluten grains you need to avoid (wheat, barley, rye) but possibly oats, cows milk also. Whenever you fall back into that angry and frustrated way of thinking get up and walk around for a whild. You will learn ways to break that way of thinking about your problems.  Best wishes for your future. May you enjpy a better life.  
    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.