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Is There Such Thing As A False/weak Positive?

Abthiede

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Abthiede Newbie
Abthiede
Posted

A few months ago I tested a (weak) positive on the tTG IgA test (4 result) after having some bouts of stomach pain. Incidentally, I also tested a weak positive for a wheat allergy. I've since cut out gluten and reintroduced it to monitor my reaction. Upon reintroducing it, I felt really no different, maybe some additonal little aches in the abdominal area, but nothing really out of the ordinary. My question is, should I pursue this any further? My allergist recommended seeing a gastric specialist if I felt any worse after the challenge. I just don't know if it's worth it if I don't feel as bad as I did before upon the reintroduction. Thanks in advance for your advice!

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notme Experienced
notme
Posted

false positives are not common, even if they're weak.  there is something called 'silent celiac' which does damage to your intestines with little or no symptoms.  untreated celiac will cause a myriad of other problems over time.  good luck with whatever you decide to do :)

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Ditto Arlene. A positive is usually a positive for celiac disease. TTG IgA can occasionally (about 5% of the time) be caused by diabetes, chronic liver disease, crohn's or colitis, and thyroiditis. If none of those apply to you, it is most likely celiac disease.

 

With a positive IgA reaction to gluten as well as an allergic (IgE) reaction to wheat, your body is pretty anti-wheat... you should probably go gluten-free. Symptoms will wax and wane but generally grow over time. When I was younger my symptoms were mostly in my GI tract. As I grew up it started to affect my joints, I got migraines, fatigue hit, hair fell out, and I developed two other autoimmune diseases. When you put something into your body that your body doesn't want (gluten) it can cause a LOT of inflammation which can lead to chronic problems over time.

 

It's like a type 2 diabetic, they may not feel bad at the beginning of their disease, but as time goes on, and they leave it untreated, they are pretty much guaranteed that their symptoms and condition will worsen. Same with celiac disease.

 

Best wishes. 

Abthiede Newbie
Abthiede
Posted
  • Author

Thank you both for your input. I should have mentioned that to compound matters I also tested positive for dairy, peanut, beef, and mixed fish allergies, so it's difficult to nail down the original culprit of my previous stomach discomfort. I have no idea why all of a sudden my body seems to reject food! Guess I should follow through with the celiac component as that's more damaging than a simple allergy. Thanks again!

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Many around here saw food intolerances resolve after time (months to years) on the gluten-free diet. I can only guess that celiac disease did a number on their immune systems and GI tract and they were only able to reintroduce the foods once they were healed. You have a lot to work around, I hope it gets better for you.

 

Best wishes.

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