ldslara

Hi!  Hope someone can help me with my blood test results. I've been gluten free 4 months and I had my (tTG) IgA checked to see how it was going.  4 months ago it was 94 (above 10 was positive).  Now it is 3 (0-3 is negative).  Is it even possible that my score has gone down that much? I though it would have gone down by half at the most.

The reason that I'm skeptical is that my son had a low positive at this lab before he was diagnosed (a 4, a weak positive according to their scale).  Our pediatrician had it checked again at a different lab and the score came back 51 (which was a much higher positive.  The doctor was shocked that there was such a difference between the two scores, and thought it really shouldn't be possible, but we kinda shrugged it off, and the kids are going to the other lab.  My doctor wanted me to stick with lab for now so the results would be comparable, but I really am skeptical I could go down that much.

I have some questions on testing that I'm hoping someone can answer for me...Can a person have a positive TTG blood test for no reason?  If a person has a positive TTG, and 1st degree relatives that have celiac disease, but has a negative biopsy and no apparent physical symptoms, is it really safe for him to remain on a gluten diet? Are just the elevated TTG antibodies a concern, even if no damage can be found? If the person did a gluten free trial, and his TTG returned to normal levels, would this indicate that he did indeed have celiac disease and should continue to avoid gluten?  Thanks for any insight you can provide!

My 14 year old daughter tested negative on the celiac disease blood test panel, but has always had skin rashes including Keratosis pilaris on her upper arms for several years.  She also complains of aching joints. Since both her brothers and I tested positive on the celiac panel and have been dx with Celiac disease, and our home is now gluten-free, I convinced her to do a month long gluten free trial. After the month the Keratosis pilaris is almost completely gone, but her aching joints haven't changed much (sometimes she thinks its better, sometimes she's not sure). The plan was that she could go back on gluten this month, so that's what she did, mostly at school, to see if she had any reaction or if the rash returns. She hasn't really felt different so far, but is considering another trial, especially if her Keratosis pilaris returns. Any suggestions on how long the trial should be to see if it really helps with her joint pain?  Also, are there any  different testing she could do outside of the celiac panel that you'd recommend? She says if she had a positive test she'd be willing to go gluten free for good, but is reluctant just to do it just to get rid of the Keratosis pilaris, which looks bad, but isn't uncomfortable really.  I worry that this is just the tip of the iceburg, and even if she still tests negative, getting off gluten now would be the best for her long term health.  Thanks for your help!

In November both my 8 yr old son and I were diagnose by Gastroenterologists with Celiac disease based on TTG Iga blood tests of above 100, positive Endomysial AB IgA tests, family history (1st and 2nd degree relatives with dx Celiac), and moderate symptoms (no endoscopy). My 11 yr old son had a weak positive score on the (tTG) IgA of a 4 (the scale said Negative was 0-3, Weak Positive was 4-10, and Positive was above 10) and no symptoms besides mild environmental allergies. Our Ped GI ordered the full panel and some other blood work for him . Upon getting the full panel, through a different lab (the first lab lost some of his siblings tests for a time so we decided to go elsewhere) he received a stronger positive result of 51 on the Tissue Tras. AB, IgA (the scale was Less than 20 negative, 20-30 weakly positive, and above 30 Positive), negative Endomysial Ab Iga and negative Tissue Tran AB, IgG (score of 5 with above 20 being positive). My questions are as follows:

Is an Endoscopy the best thing to do next? I believe my son's Ped GI will let us decide if we go forward with one or not, and would be willing to diagnose him based on his TTG IgA score and family history alone. A part of me would like to to the Endoscopy, just to make a stronger case for him gluten free, since I realize it will be difficult for him and he might question the diagnosis as he ages, but if no damage was found, would it really be wise to keep gluten in his diet with his blood work and our family history? I would be concern that either the doctor or lab missed something or that it was only a matter of time before his situation got worse. Is there any indication that a moderate score like his, without intestinal damage, would remain that way indenfinetely? Or is it certain to do damage eventually, even if he has none now? If he was your son, what would you do next?


I guess I am having a hard time judging the pros/cons of going forward with the Endoscopy and if it is worth it. It is an expensive test to do and I'm not sure if it should change our course of action. For a little more background, my son seems to expect that he will have to adopt the gluten free diet soon, and is largely OK with that. Whatever happens, he will be eating largely gluten free since we are doing that at home and for family meals.

Thanks in advance for any advice or insight you can provide.

Hi! I started eating gluten free about a month ago and have some questions about avoiding gluten in processed foods. I know, avoiding processed food is a good idea in general, but when I do partake, is a food safe if it doesn't say "wheat" "barley" or "rye" in the ingredient list, or is it really more compicated than that? My understanding is that any product with wheat MUST include in on the ingredient list on the label or with a "contains wheat" or, if cross contamination is a concerned, a warning to the effecgt that it may contain traces of wheat. And though I understand that barley and rye don't have to be listed so clearly, they typically are. Does that all sound right?

With this in mind, two products have me wondering in the past few weeks "Where's the gluten":

I read that Resse's peanut butter cups are gluten free, but holiday items (like the trees) have gluten. I bought some of the trees for my kids stockings, and I don't see any wheat in the ingredients or warning that it is there. Is there really gluten there, and if so, where is it hiding on the label? It's bothering me that I can't identify it...

I liked to eat oatmeal for breakfast, but I heard cross-contamination is a problem with most brands, so I've been planning on getting some that was certified gluten free. But I have noticed that there is no warning on regular containers of oatmeal, not even a statement saying it may contain traces of wheat. If cross-contamination is so common, how can they not say that on the label? When I mentioned this to my Gastroentronologist a couple week ago, he said that oatmeal was fine and I shoudn't worry about it at all. Is that right? Is croos contamination of oatmeal just a concern for people super sensitve to gluten? Or is my gastroentronologist misinformed?