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

Am I Gluten Intolerant?


AlyMay930

Recommended Posts

AlyMay930 Newbie

Good evening everyone.

This year so far has been extremely rough for me in terms of health. I've been getting sick more often annd just generally feel horrible.

Researching my frequent symptoms, the most common suggestion is diabetic or gluten allergy.

I wanted to post on here and see if my symptoms sound familiar to anyone.

-Frequent headachea. Wont go away even after taking meds and sleeping.

-Stomach upset. Often feels uncomfortable. I suffer from bloating and gas a lot.

-Extreme fatigue. I am tired all the time. But after I eat I feel even worse, almost like a fog has come over me.

-Memory problems

-Anxiety. Use to be a big issue but I've learned to control it and I believe caffine may have been the culprit.

-Constipation

-Mood swings

-Dizzyness sometimes or lightheadiness

-Can't sleep though I'm exhausted.

Is this all common for a gluten allergy or intolerance? I notice ny extreme fatigue usually hits me after I eat bread or my kashi wheat biscuit cereal. Worst and most common symptoms for me is the fatigue and headaches.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Dozey Apprentice

Hi, just saying hello. Sorry can't help much as I am new to all this too. Apart from headaches I have all those symptoms and am awaiting test results for Celiac and vit D deficiency. The symptoms are also the same as vit B12 def, which I also have. I am sure someone more knowledgable will be along to help soon.

Jo

nvsmom Community Regular

Welcome to the board. :)

 

Your symptoms are the same as mine except substitute anxiety for joint pain. They are pretty common symptoms of both celiac disease and NCGI (non-celiac gluten intolerance), enough so that I think you should probably get tested for celiac disease and possibly for Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. (I had both, undiagnosed, at the same time and as I said, your symptoms are very similar to mine.)

 

The most common celiac tests are:

  • tTG IgA and tTG IgG
  • DGP IgA and DGP IgG
  • EMA IgA
  • total serum IgA
  • AGA IgA and AGA IgG (older tests which are being replace by the DGP tests)

You must be eating gluten in the weeks prior to testing in order to have an accurate test.  You could also have an endoscopic biopsy of the small intestine done.  Unfortunately, there is no test for NCGI (which appears in 6-30% of the population) except your response to the gluten-free diet.

 

Celiacs are often low in nutrients. You might want to request calcium, ferritin,potassium,  iron, B's, and D levels tested. if you want to check for hypothyroidism (which occurs in higher rates in celiacs than the regular population) request;

TSH - close to a 1 is good

Free T4 and FT3 - most feel best if it is in the 50-75% range of your labs normal reference range

TPO Ab - should be pretty low

 

Best wishe. Hope you feel well soon.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,901
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    tessycork47
    Newest Member
    tessycork47
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Judy M! Yes, he definitely needs to continue eating gluten until the day of the endoscopy. Not sure why the GI doc advised otherwise but it was a bum steer.  Celiac disease has a genetic component but also an "epigenetic" component. Let me explain. There are two main genes that have been identified as providing the "potential" to develop "active" celiac disease. We know them as HLA-DQ 2.5 (aka, HLA-DQ 2) and HLA-DQ8. Without one or both of these genes it is highly unlikely that a person will develop celiac disease at some point in their life. About 40% of the general population carry one or both of these two genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. Thus, possessing the genetic potential for celiac disease is far less than deterministic. Most who have the potential never develop the disease. In order for the potential to develop celiac disease to turn into active celiac disease, some triggering stress event or events must "turn on" the latent genes. This triggering stress event can be a viral infection, some other medical event, or even prolonged psychological/emotional trauma. This part of the equation is difficult to quantify but this is the epigenetic dimension of the disease. Epigenetics has to do with the influence that environmental factors and things not coded into the DNA itself have to do in "turning on" susceptible genes. And this is why celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition (not a food allergy) that causes inflammation in the lining of the small bowel. The ingestion of gluten causes the body to attack the cells of this lining which, over time, damages and destroys them, impairing the body's ability to absorb nutrients since this is the part of the intestinal track responsible for nutrient absorption and also causing numerous other food sensitivities such as dairy/lactose intolerance. There is another gluten-related disorder known as NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just, "gluten sensitivity") that is not autoimmune in nature and which does not damage the small bowel lining. However, NCGS shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It is also much more common than celiac disease. There is no test for NCGS so, because they share common symptoms, celiac disease must first be ruled out through formal testing for celiac disease. This is where your husband is right now. It should also be said that some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease. I hope this helps.
    • Judy M
      My husband has had lactose intolerance for his entire life (he's 68 yo).  So, he's used to gastro issues. But for the past year he's been experiencing bouts of diarrhea that last for hours.  He finally went to his gastroenterologist ... several blood tests ruled out other maladies, but his celiac results are suspect.  He is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks.  He was told to eat "gluten free" until the tests!!!  I, and he know nothing about this "diet" much less how to navigate his in daily life!! The more I read, the more my head is spinning.  So I guess I have 2 questions.  First, I read on this website that prior to testing, eat gluten so as not to compromise the testing!  Is that true? His primary care doctor told him to eat gluten free prior to testing!  I'm so confused.  Second, I read that celiac disease is genetic or caused by other ways such as surgery.  No family history but Gall bladder removal 7 years ago, maybe?  But how in God's name does something like this crop up and now is so awful he can't go a day without worrying.  He still works in Manhattan and considers himself lucky if he gets there without incident!  Advice from those who know would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Scott Adams
      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
×
×
  • 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.