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Sick And Suspicious


MartyrMom2

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MartyrMom2 Rookie

Hey everyone! I am glad to have stumbled onto this site! I really appreciate the wealth of information and the sense of community here. I am a newbie and have posted under a few different topics already. I hope to not repeat myself, but I wanted to share my personal history to see if any of you think my symptoms/diagnoses (please see my signature or other posts) warrant testing for Celiac Disease or not. I am a 34-year-old female, but my health started to deteriorate 7 years ago. In late Sept.'05, I developed what I thought at the time was a stomach virus. I had pretty intense abdominal pain that radiated to my back and diarrhea. I purchased some Imodium and went about my day. My symptoms lasted throughout the day, only to stop the next, and then return again. My symptoms continued so I consulted a gastroenterologist. In Jan. '06, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. I was diagnosed with IBS. I left the office with a pamphlet and a RX for Hyoscyamine. My abdominal pain and diarrhea continued for the next seven years (until present day). I finally discontinued the Hyoscyamine in Aug. '07 due to its ineffectiveness. I might as well have taken a placebo. I was diagnosed w/ hypothyroidism in Oct. '08 and put on Synthroid. While I am thankful to have had an astute physician recommend testing my thyroid (I know some women aren't as lucky), I am frustrated that I do not know the cause of my thyroid disease or my IBS. I am curious to know if it is Hashimoto's or not and furthermore whether gluten is the culprit. I have developed additional symptoms over the years, namely unidentified rashes, unexplained bruising, acid reflux, and lactose intolerance. I am slightly overweight and experience constipation as well, but my view is that w/ having an underactive thyroid, these symptoms don't negate Celiac Disease. My latest complaint is sciatica-type back pain. Let's just say my heating pad is my new best friend! What brought me to the suspicion of Celiac Disease or even gluten sensitivity again is that I picked up the latest issue of Woman's World magazine due to the headline grabber, "Sluggish Thyroid?" Inside it stated than an underactive thyroid might be due to an undiagnosed gluten or dairy sensitivity. I have two young daughters and I want to know if there's even the remote possibility that they have a chance to develop this disease. It wouldn't hurt to have some validation either. I know it seems like I've made up my mind, but after years of being treated like a neurotic nutcase, I suffer from self doubt. I would so appreciate any advice/suggestions any of you have to offer. Many thanks for taking the time to read my novel! :)


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shadowicewolf Proficient

It sounds like you might have it. Stay on gluten until all testing has been done, then go off it.

It is also genetic, there are two genes commonly found within 30% of the population that has been noted to be connected to celiac.

But, yes, with your issues, i would suggest going in and asking to have a full celiac panal done (which for the life of me i don't know off the top of my head) and then, should that turn out positive or inconclusive, go for the endoscopy. Regardless of its results, go try the diet.

I too had massive abdomen issues with my "D". It was random and got to the point where i'd have to take pepto bismol just to go out. Oh its just IBS the doctors said /sarcasm.

mushroom Proficient

Here's the full celiac panel of tests. Do be persistent in getting them all -- many doctors will only do the tTG IgA.

  • AGA (antigliadin antibodies)-IgA
  • AGA-IgG
  • tTG (anti-tissue transglutaminase)-IgA
  • EMA (anti-endomysial antibodies)-IgA
  • DGP (deamidated gliadin peptide)
  • Total serum IgA

Get the testing done sooner rather than later - your PCP can order it. The sooner you know the sooner you can start feeling better. Even if your results come back negative you should try going gluten free for at least 3-6 months. And do stay eating gluten until all testing is completed.

Let us know how it turns out. :)

MartyrMom2 Rookie

Thank you, ladies or gentleman?! :unsure: I think I will pursue getting the full panel of blood work this week! Be blessed! :D

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    • Jmartes71
      I had the test done by one of the specialist through second pcp I had only a few months because he was saying I wasn't.Even though Im positive HLA-DQ2 .My celiac is down played.I am with new pcp, seeing another girl doctor who wants to do another breathe test next month though Im positive sibo this year.I have high blood pressure not sure if its pain from sciatica or sibo, ibs or hidden gluten. Im in disability limbo and I should have never been a bus driver because im still suffering and trying to heal with zero income except for my husband. This isnt fare that my health is dictating my living and having ti beg for being revalidation of my disregarded celiac disease. Its an emotional roller coaster I don't want to be on and the medical made it worse.New pcp new gi, exhausted, tired and really fed up. GI doctor NOT girl..
    • Mari
      Hi Jmartes, It sure is difficult to get useful advice from medical providers. Almost 20 years  ago a Dr suggested that I might have Celiacs and I took a Celiac Panel blood test. No gluten challenge diet. On that test the tTG was in normal range but an alpha antibody was very high. I went online and read about celiac disease and saw how I could investigate this low tTG and still have celiac disease. Normal tTG can happen when a person had been reacting for many years. Another way is that the person has not been eating enough gluten to raise the antibody level. Another reason is that the tTG does not show up on a blood but may show up on a fecal test. Almost all Celiacs inherit at least one of the 2 main Celiac genes. I had genetic tests for the Celiac genes at Enterolab.com. I inherited one main Celiac gene from one parent and the report said that the DQ gene I inherited from my other parent, DQ6, could cause a person to have more problems or symptoms with that combination. One of my grandmother's had fairly typical symptoms of Celiacs but the other grandmother had severe food intolerances. I seem to show some problems inherited from both grandmothers. Human physiology is very complex and researchers are just beginning to understand how different body systems interact.  If you have taken an autosomal DNA test you can download your raw data file and upload it to Prometheuw.com for a small fee and search for Celiac Disease. If you don't find any Cekiac genes or information about Celiac disease  you may not have autoimmune gluten intolerance because more than 99% of Celiacs have one or both of these genes.  PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO KNOW EHAT i HAVE DONE TO HELP WITH SYMPTOMS.  
    • MogwaiStripe
      I can't prove it, but I truly believe I have been glutened by airborne particles. I used to take care of shelter cats once per week at a pet store, and no matter how careful I was, I would get glutened each time even if I wore a mask and gloves and washed up well after I was done. I believe the problem was that because I'm short, I couldn't do the the tasks without getting my head and shoulders inside their cages, and so the particles from their food would be all over my hair and top of my shirt. Then I had to drive home, so even if I didn't get glutened right then, the particles would be in my car just waiting for me to get in the car so they could get blown into my face again. I gave up that volunteer gig and stopped getting glutened so often and at such regular intervals.
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @MogwaiStripe, Vitamin D is turned into its activated forms by Thiamine.  Thiamine deficiency can affect Vitamin D activation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14913223/ Thiamine deficiency affects HLA genes.  HLA genes code for autoimmune diseases like Celiac, Thyroiditis, Diabetes, etc.  Thiamine deficiency inside a cell triggers a toggle switch on the gene which in turn activates autoimmune diseases carried on the gene.  The reference to the study is in my blog somewhere.  Click on my name to go to my page, scroll down to the drop down menu "Activities" and click on blogs.  
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @annamarie6655, Yes, there's many of us who react to airborne gluten!   Yes, animal feed, whether for chickens or cats or dogs, can release airborne gluten.  I can get glutened from the bakery section at the grocery store.   The nose and mouth drain into the digestive system and can trigger systemic reactions.   I find the histamine release in response to airborne gluten will stuff up my sinuses and bother my eyes.  High histamine levels do cause anxiety and migraines.  The muscle spasms can be caused by high histamine, too.  The digestive system may not manifest symptoms without a higher level of gluten exposure.   Our bodies make an enzyme, DAO (diamine oxidase), to break down histamine.   Pyridoxine B 6, Cobalamine B12, Vitamin C, copper, zinc, and iron are needed to make DAO.  DAO supplements are available over the counter.  Taking a B Complex supplement and additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine or TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) helps reduce the amount of histamine being released.  Mast cells without sufficient Thiamine have an itchy trigger finger and release histamine at the slightest provocation.  Thiamine helps mast cells refrain from releasing their histamine.    I find taking additional TTFD thiamine helps immensely with neurological symptoms as TTFD can easily cross the blood brain barrier without a carrier.  High histamine in the brain can cause the muscle spasms, anxiety and migraines.  Vitamin C really helps with clearing histamine, too.   The Digiorno pizza mystery reaction could have been caused by a reaction to the cheese.  Some people develop lactose intolerance.  Others react to Casein, the protein in dairy, the same as if to gluten because Casein resembles the molecular structure of gluten.  An enzyme used in some dairy products, microbial transglutaminase, causes a gluten reaction because it is the same as the tissue transglutaminase our bodies make except microbes make it.  Those tTg IgA blood tests to diagnose celiac disease measure tissue transglutaminase our bodies release as part of the autoimmune response to gluten.   You're doing great!  A Sherlock Holmes award to you for figuring out the connection between airborne gluten and animal feed!!!  
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