Test Results. Should I Keep Pushing?

[blckchr8]

I know there's always gluten sensitive. I guess maybe that's all I am but I just got the results of my blood test:

Component Results

Component Standard Range Your Value

Deamid. Gliadin AB, IgA <10.0

Deamid. Gliadin AB, IgG <10.0

They didn't put a standard range but my values are low I guess anyway. Does it seem weird that these were my only two tests that got ordered? Do I get a second opinion?

[nvsmom]

You could order more tests if you feel the other tests might reveal more. Really, you only have one test there (DGP IgG) that you can be sure of because a total serum IgA test (a control test) was not done so you can't be sure that you are not one of the 5% of celiacs who is deficient in IgA - and whose tests using IgA would all be (falsely) negative. The DGP IgG test is a very good test for celiac disease BUT it's sensitivity is only 70-95% meaning it misses 5-30% of all celiacs it tests.

 

The remaining celiac labs are:

• tTG IgA and tTG IgG
• EMA IgA
• total serum IgA (the control test)
• AGA IgA and AgA IgG (these are older tests and are thought by some to show gluten/gliadin sensitivity - NCGI)

Make sure you keep eating gluten prior to any testing you do.

 

This report discusses the various labs you can have done (p11-12) and their sensitivity and specificity:

Open Original Shared Link

 

If you end up with more negative tests, I hope you'll give the gluten-free diet a try for at least 3-6 months to see if it is helping. I would suggest 6 or more months as some symptoms take a looooong time to go away.

 

Good luck and welcome to the board. 

[blckchr8]

I called in and asked to switch to a gastro dr that I can communicate with a little better - though they almost didn't let me switch...which I found kind of disturbing in a way. I want to push for more tests but I'll probably get poo poo'd. It was the same thing with my thyroid...I urged my dr to test me and she said "normal" turns out I was borderline and when I'm borderline I'm very symptomatic. She also said there was no chance I had hormonal problems-went through two drs here before they figured it out. Just called my thyroid doctor today in fact and asked about t3 supplement because my tests pretty clearly show a problem – my doctor doesn't "believe" in t3. Going in tomorrow to speak with her. But it's basically the same scenario.

I have also been eating pretty high gluten (but I do have a lap band so heavy for me is maybe equivalent of a slice or two of bread, tops.) Is being tested while gluten-free the only real reason for the false negatives?

 

[nvsmom]

I feel for you on the thyroid thing. I was borderline high for 15 years but I wasn't educated enough to realize that I shouldn't trust my doc on that. My TSH finally went high enough that they treated me, but to be honest, my TSH of 14 felt no different than my TSH of 2 or 4 did (when they said I was normal). I finally switched to another doctor who "believed" in T3 and I'm starting to notice a difference.  Anyway, good luck with the doc.

 

The amount of bread you are eating is just fine. The usual recommendation is 2 slices of bread per day for a couple of months before testing. The recommendations vary from 1-4 slices per day and 4-12 weeks for duration.

 

Bring in a written list of symptoms and how it affects your everyday life (ie. sore shoulder joint so it's hard to brush hair). Sometimes that helps doctors take us seriously.  Good luck!