Related Medical Issues To Gluten Allergy

[Anna207]

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroid and have had low vitamin D and have an unexplained weak immune system. I also have had very bad digestive problems for 3 years and I have tried many different possibilities that haven't helped. My doctor thought it was IBS but after taking medication for that I found it doesn't seem to be it. Recently I thought it could be a gluten allergy and so after I did research on it I found many articles relating these other conditions I have with a gluten allergy. So I'm wondering if it is likely that I have a gluten allergy considering I have these other conditions and if going on a gluten free diet will cure them?

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.  

 

Someone around here said IBS is doctor-ese for "I Be Stumped".  IBS is not really a diagnosis but more of a description of symptoms.  It is sort of the equivalent of going to the doctor with stomach upset and having him declare that we officially have stomach upset, just with a medically accepted phrase.  LOL  There are a LOT of people around here who were told they have IBS too.

 

There are many around here who have thyroid problems too.  Hypothyroidism is usually caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease closely linked to celiac disease (another autoimmune disease - not an allergy). Diabetes (T1) is the other common AI disease most often linked to celiac disease.  Those with thyroiditis often find that their thyroiditis improves on a gluten-free diet (if they have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity [NCGS]). Those with Hashi's should be tested for celiac disease as they have a greater likelihood of having it than the regular population.

 

If you want to get tested for celiac disease you need to be eating gluten (1-2 slices of bread per day) in the 8-12 weeks prior to testing.  

 

These are the tests to ask for:

tTG IgA and tTG IgG

DGP IgA and DGP IgG

EMA IgA

total serum IgA (a control test)

AGA IgA and AGA IgG (older and less reliable tests)

 

These are all blood tests.  You can also have an endoscopic biopsy done as well.

 

Do the testing BEFORE you go gluten-free. Some people find doing a gluten challenge to be very painful.

 

Allergies are all IgE related.  If you want to test for (the more rare) wheat allergy, you would need to see an allergist and have the skin prick testing done.  There is actually no such thing as a gluten allergy (that doctors know of) but there is gluten sensitivities: NCGS which is found in 6-10% of the population, and celiac disease which is found in ,1% of the population.  NCGS has the same possible symptoms as celiac disease but it does not have the intestinal damage or the possible dh rash.

 

You can also do genetic testing but that just tells you if you are part of the minority (30%) of the population that has the DQ2 and DQ8 genes which the majority (+95%) of celiacs have. Chances are, if you don't have the DQ2 or DQ8 genes, you won't have celiac disease.... Doctors have no idea yet (as far as I know) if the genetic tests apply to those with NCGS.

 

Good luck!