Negative Fecal Fat But Underweight

[ADevoto]

My 12 year old son has the following results from Enterolab -

Antigliadin IgA of 128 units (normal is <10

Antitissue Transglutaminase of 70 (normal is <10

Fecal Fat score of <300 (normal is <300)

They recommend that he go on a gluten free diet which I agree. But I am confused. He is very underweight (5%) but it shows no malabsorb issues. Is that conflicting? I would think that he isn't absorbing nutrients if he is under weight and has those high value results. Any thoughts???

[natalie]

When did he start losing weight? Maybe he has some of his intestines working properly, therefore absorbing the fat. Maybe severe damage hasn't occured yet. I would start the gluten-free diet because his numbers are high.

Natalie

[debmidge]

For all the 27 years my husband went mis-diagnosed his fecal fat count was in normal range however, his weight plummeted from about 180 to 127 over the course of 2.5 years from first symptoms. Those specific blood tests were not invented or his doctors did not utilize them for the first 15 years or so of his illness. It got to the point where even new GI's viewed him as being "mentally ill" and "obsessed" over foods that gave him stomach trouble. Because using their testing methods THEY couldn't find anything wrong with him.

He lost all his body fat and became so malnourished that his body -- for lack of a better word -- ate his muscles - in the same way it would happen to an anexoric.

The doctors brushed this off and he is at point today where the muscles are not re-building; BUT as for a 12 year old he's still growing and as long as you get to the bottom of his problems (i.e., if he is celiac then go gluten-free) it shouldn't turn out this way.

My husband was 27 when he got first symptoms of celiac disease.

[confused]

My step-son was negative on fecal fat also, but his numbers were kinda high on everything else. He is also underweight, but now when he does stick to the plan he is starting to grow and gain weight. He is 13, going on 14.

paula

[dally099]

when you have D all the time you tend to not absorb nutrients and calories very well, im the same thing lost 10lbs in a month but my fecal fat score was normal. also if your sysem is working over time you can be burning more calories, i bet he gains weight when he goes on the diet. i did, good luck