Are These Symptoms Gluten Related?

[alihawk]

Hello everyone I have had the following symptoms on and off for a while, fatigue, headaches, blisters on side of tongue, cysts on ovaries, thyroid nodules, stiff or achy joints, constipation, bloating, peeling skin on toes.

the only constants are bloat and constipation. The others come and go never constant or permanent.

Many years ago, appox 10-15, I was tested for celiac and the only positive result was the IgG gliadin AB. All others were negative including biopsy. I was initaiily told I had celiac and get a biopsy when that was negative I was told nope I am not celiac. I had 8 years of severe constipation that's resulted in mega colon and colonic inertia. Essentially my colon was twice the diameter and the contraction of the peristalsis was ineffective I would go to the bathroom every 20 days give or take.

I don't believe that they even offer the IgG gliadin AB blood test anymore cause all the labs I have had for celiac do not include this test as it resulted in many false positives from what I read.

Any thoughts on the symptoms and the lab work is appreciated.

Thanks for reading and your input.

Alison

[nvsmom]

There is a good chance that you have celiac disease and the doctors did not realize that the biopsy can miss as many as 20% of all celiacs, especially if it was not well done.  Your symptoms could be celiac disease so if you are eating gluten, you may as well get tested... with the newer tests.  

 

These are the tests:

• ttG IgA and tTG IgG (tissue transglutaminase) - most common test
• DGP IgA and DGP IgG (deaminated gliadin peptides) - newest tests
• EMA IgA (endomysial antibodies) - similar to the tTG but tends to detect more advanced disease
• total serum IgA _ a control test
• AGA IgA and AGA IgG (anti gliadin antibodies) - older test that is not very sensitive, replaced by the DGP tests

 

The AGA IgG has a specificity to celiac disease of 80-95% according to this report (pg 12): Open Original Shared Link That means a positive means celiac disease 80-95% of the time.  I'm disappointed that your doctor did not suggest at least trying the gluten-free  for 6 months when this positive test popped up.  

 

Your symptoms also sound like hypothyroidism, at least they sound like my symptoms.    You might want to get that rechecked while you are at it.  I find these tests will tell you the most:

• TSH -should be close to a 1 regardless of the lab's normal range
• Free T3 and Free T4 - should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal reference range
• TPO Ab - should be pretty low.

Avoid the T4, T3, or total T4 and total T3; those tests won't give you as clear a picture as the free T's will.

 

If your doctor won't test you, find a doctor that will. If you are unable to get tested, consider trying the gluten-free diet for 6 months or so.  Give it a long trial as symptoms of celiac disease can take months or years to improve.  Do NOT go gluten-free before testing is done though because that can, and eventually will, lead to false negative celiac disease tests.

 

Best wishes.