Blood Test Question - Low Iga, High Igg

[seabass]

Curious about my blood tests, but I think I need a bit of background.  I currently have been gluten free for 3 years after my doctor suggested I go on the diet.  After going gluten free overall my symptoms got better, but in a lot of ways they got worse.  I believe this was me not following the diet strict enough. I never cheated, but I didn't understand ingredients, cross contamination, and restaurants lack of knowledge the way I do now.  So I went from occasionally being sick, to when I got sick I would be violently sick for a week. My symptoms are mainly severe abdominal pain from gas and diarrhea (when I feel I'm sick from being glutened or say double glutened within a few days it becomes pure water, 10+ times a day).  I have also noticed brain fog, spaced out feelings, etc.

 

My current status is I follow a pretty strict diet, meaning everything I eat I check out, however I do still eat at restaurants more then I should.  I have limited the resturaunts and have eliminated ones that I know get me sick.  For a long time I wasn't having the violent sickness but still would get sick more then I thought i should.  I noticed other foods that also get me sick that are even labeled gluten-free such as certain meats or processed foods.  I've eliminated a lot of those things and use considerably less dairy in my diet.  I've started to believe that I have an issue with casein, nitrates, and MSG.  Since removing as much of those as possible I seem to be better, less frequent diarrhea, starting to feel somewhat normal.  I'm still not to the point where I can safely eat in public without having to be aware of all bathrooms and my distance from them for the proceeding 2 hours though.

 

So this brings me to my question.  Could my issue be just my bowels are jacked up from too many years of gluten abuse, or could I have more going on then just gluten, and is it worth it to even find out?

 

 My doctor did the celiac panel in 2011, saw high DGP-IgG and told me go gluten-free come back in a few weeks.  I did and felt better, but i think everyone feels better when they stop eating pasta 3 times a week.  He tells me okay stay gluten-free enjoy your life, I ask about biopsy and the like, he says times are changing they're not doing that so much anymore.  You had high test, you feel better, what's there to talk about.  Fast forward a year and still having more issues then I feel I should.  Sends me for a colonoscopy, they find distressed bowels, and a few pre cancerous polyps (which is great to hear @ 32).  Nothing really came from all that, Dr was going to consult, do this do that, went back a few times and never got any answers as to what I should do.

 

At this point I'm wondering if the original diagnosis is even valid because of the non existent IgA, however the DGP-IgG did go down and my severe symptoms appeared to go down.  I have found mixed info on only showing positive DGP-IgG.  So I know i need to go see a new Dr and haven't, mainly because I have had a number of other health issues (numbness in hands, pains everywhere, kidney stones, etc).  But is it even worth it to do a gluten challenge in my case.  I just don't know that I even want to deal with it anymore, I've gotten into a routine, 

 

 

2011 blood test

Gliadin A, deamidate - 5

Gliadin G, deamidate - 71

Tiss Transglutam IgA - 7

Tiss Trasnglutam IgG - 5

 

2012 test - after gluten-free for 9 months

Gliadin A, deamidate - 3

Gliadin G, deamidate - 3

Tiss Transglutam IgA - 4

Tiss Trasnglutam IgG - 5

 

 

 

Sorry about the long rambling post.  When I decided to post something I said I'm not going to make one of those long impossible to follow posts but it's pretty easy to do....

 

 

 

[GottaSki]

Curious about my blood tests, but I think I need a bit of background.  I currently have been gluten free for 3 years after my doctor suggested I go on the diet.  After going gluten free overall my symptoms got better, but in a lot of ways they got worse.  I believe this was me not following the diet strict enough. I never cheated, but I didn't understand ingredients, cross contamination, and restaurants lack of knowledge the way I do now.  So I went from occasionally being sick, to when I got sick I would be violently sick for a week. My symptoms are mainly severe abdominal pain from gas and diarrhea (when I feel I'm sick from being glutened or say double glutened within a few days it becomes pure water, 10+ times a day).  I have also noticed brain fog, spaced out feelings, etc.

 

My current status is I follow a pretty strict diet, meaning everything I eat I check out, however I do still eat at restaurants more then I should.  I have limited the resturaunts and have eliminated ones that I know get me sick.  For a long time I wasn't having the violent sickness but still would get sick more then I thought i should.  I noticed other foods that also get me sick that are even labeled gluten-free such as certain meats or processed foods.  I've eliminated a lot of those things and use considerably less dairy in my diet.  I've started to believe that I have an issue with casein, nitrates, and MSG.  Since removing as much of those as possible I seem to be better, less frequent diarrhea, starting to feel somewhat normal.  I'm still not to the point where I can safely eat in public without having to be aware of all bathrooms and my distance from them for the proceeding 2 hours though.

 

So this brings me to my question.  Could my issue be just my bowels are jacked up from too many years of gluten abuse, or could I have more going on then just gluten, and is it worth it to even find out?

 

 My doctor did the celiac panel in 2011, saw high DGP-IgG and told me go gluten-free come back in a few weeks.  I did and felt better, but i think everyone feels better when they stop eating pasta 3 times a week.  He tells me okay stay gluten-free enjoy your life, I ask about biopsy and the like, he says times are changing they're not doing that so much anymore.  You had high test, you feel better, what's there to talk about.  Fast forward a year and still having more issues then I feel I should.  Sends me for a colonoscopy, they find distressed bowels, and a few pre cancerous polyps (which is great to hear @ 32).  Nothing really came from all that, Dr was going to consult, do this do that, went back a few times and never got any answers as to what I should do.

 

At this point I'm wondering if the original diagnosis is even valid because of the non existent IgA, however the DGP-IgG did go down and my severe symptoms appeared to go down.  I have found mixed info on only showing positive DGP-IgG.  So I know i need to go see a new Dr and haven't, mainly because I have had a number of other health issues (numbness in hands, pains everywhere, kidney stones, etc).  But is it even worth it to do a gluten challenge in my case.  I just don't know that I even want to deal with it anymore, I've gotten into a routine, 

 

 

2011 blood test

Gliadin A, deamidate - 5

Gliadin G, deamidate - 71

Tiss Transglutam IgA - 7

Tiss Trasnglutam IgG - 5

 

2012 test - after gluten-free for 9 months

Gliadin A, deamidate - 3

Gliadin G, deamidate - 3

Tiss Transglutam IgA - 4

Tiss Trasnglutam IgG - 5

 

 

 

Sorry about the long rambling post.  When I decided to post something I said I'm not going to make one of those long impossible to follow posts but it's pretty easy to do....

 

 

The drop in DGP-IgG while gluten-free is proof there is an issue with gluten.  The Demiadated Gliadin Peptide test measures antibodies produced in response to the ingestion of gluten.

 

Do you have the reference ranges for these tests?

Was a Total Serum IgA run either time?

 

Often when gluten is removed in someone with gluten sensitivity their body reacts more strongly to minute amounts of gluten, which is why cross-contamination becomes an issue for us.

 

My opinion would be to tighten up your diet...make sure you eliminate all sources of gluten...Perhaps review the "Newbie 101" thread in the coping section.

 

Now, gluten may not be the entire problem.  Many of us develop other autoimmune issues.  I understand it can be frustrating going to the doctor with non-specific symptoms, but it is important to keep looking for other causes of the issues going on in your body.  Tightening your diet will not impede investigation of issues other than Celiac.  

 

All that said....if you think you can tolerate a two week challenge, perhaps opt for endoscopic biopsy, rather than the three month challenge required for more antibody testing.  The endoscopy has the advantage of looking at other parts of the upper digestive tract.

[seabass]

The drop in DGP-IgG while gluten-free is proof there is an issue with gluten.  The Demiadated Gliadin Peptide test measures antibodies produced in response to the ingestion of gluten.

 

Do you have the reference ranges for these tests?

Was a Total Serum IgA run either time?

 

Often when gluten is removed in someone with gluten sensitivity their body reacts more strongly to minute amounts of gluten, which is why cross-contamination becomes an issue for us.

 

My opinion would be to tighten up your diet...make sure you eliminate all sources of gluten...Perhaps review the "Newbie 101" thread in the coping section.

 

Now, gluten may not be the entire problem.  Many of us develop other autoimmune issues.  I understand it can be frustrating going to the doctor with non-specific symptoms, but it is important to keep looking for other causes of the issues going on in your body.  Tightening your diet will not impede investigation of issues other than Celiac.  

 

All that said....if you think you can tolerate a two week challenge, perhaps opt for endoscopic biopsy, rather than the three month challenge required for more antibody testing.  The endoscopy has the advantage of looking at other parts of the upper digestive tract.

Thanks for your responses, I guess that's what I hoping to hear.  In reading about the tests it seems IgA is the tell tale test and the IgG can sometimes be offset by other issues.  However I guess you're right the combined feeling better and test showing low after going gluten-free is probably enough.  Unfortunately the only other info on the lab sheets I received was showing acceptable levels 0-20 negative, 20-30 weak positive, and 30+ strong positive.  I don't think I'm going to want to do the challenge unless my gastro really pressures me for it.  I'm currently in the process of going to see one, I wish my doctor would have just sent me through that process to begin with.

 

 It's weird I've owned this for 3 years and have just looked at it like well it's what you have to do.  But when you feel you've been doing everything right and have been extremely diligent and it just keeps happening for some unknown reason it's so frustrating.  I'm sure everyone of us has gone through the frustration, sometimes I guess feels good to vent it.  I will check out the threads you suggested and just keep going the way I have.  Thanks again

[GottaSki]

You are welcome SeaBass (my favorite fish)

 

Hang in there...and hang out here a bit when you have questions or just need to vent from time to time -- many of us have been there.