Positive Wheat Allergy But Negative Celiac Disease- Blood Test

[lev30ro]

Hi everyone,

 

I have the following symptoms:

1. Loss of weight(10kg in 1 year) - big malnutrition but I eat a lot of healthy food

2. Constipation with Open Original Shared Link and black spots

3. Cold extremities (hands and feet), stiffness neck, back pain 

4. Bloating, gas(bad smelly), cramps, stomach pain(sometimes)

5. Insomnia, headaches and joint pains

6. Short of breath, chest pain and low blood pressure, dizziness, blurred vission 

and more

At this point I am at the worst state of my health.

 

I had had this blood tests:

 

1. Wheat allergy - Positive

2. Gluten allergy - Negative

3. Celiac disease- Negative

 

I have a permanent IgA and IgM deficiency.

 

Every other blood test look's good, X-rays done and many more and they couldn't find anything wrong. Doctors are saying that I am healthy !

 

It is possible to have celiac disease?

I am trying to convince the GI doctor to have an Endoscopy done.

 

Thank you,

Levi

 

[kareng]

Did you go to an actual MD for these tests? I ask because " gluten allergy" isn't something medical doctors usually buy into.

And you can have a wheat allergy without having Celiac. But your symptoms don't sound like normal allergy symptoms. For example, my BIL has a wheat allergy. He isn't anaphaltic but he gets stuffy nose, runny eyes if he eats wheat.

[lev30ro]

I did my test at a Naturopath clinic .

I never had allergy symptoms from eating wheat, more gas and bloating but no allergies.

 

Naturopath told me that due to IgA deficiency , celiac disease test is negative and they  suggesting the endoscopy test.

[kareng]

That makes sense. They may not have even given you a legitimate allergy or Celiac test. I suggest that you keep eating gluten and go to an MD for Celiac blood tests and maybe an endoscopy. I think you have enough symptoms to go to a GI if you don't have a regular MD that could order the blood work.

If you really have an IGA deficiency, there are IGG versions of the Celiac tests.

[kareng]

"Is an IgA result of 39, where normal is 81-463, considered deficient and could it invalidate anti-IgA tests?

Any level of IgA above 20 mg/dl should make the tTG-IgA test valid, regardless of age."

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

"If you are attempting to get an accurate diagnosis for celiac disease and you know you’re IgA deficient, or if there is some other equivocating factor to potentially compromise the blood test, then an EMA blood test should also be taken."

Open Original Shared Link

[lev30ro]

I had MD test for Celiac at the regular Hospital. NEGATIVE

Test's and Doctors appointments takes forever in Canada, can't wait no more,  I went on gluten  free 3 days ago.

I've been suffering for more than a year. 

 

Thank's for your help.

[cyclinglady]

We understand about the amount of time it can take to get an endoscopy in Canada. Karen was trying to make sure that all proper testing was done.

It is hard after being gluten free to do testing again. For some, it is difficult to maintain the gluten free diet without that official diagnosis.

I was diagnosed two years ago, but my husband was not. He went gluten free per the advice of my allergist and his GP 14 years ago. He was not advised to take a blood test nor do an endoscopy. Celiac disease was not even mentioned. He did well after learning how to avoid cross contamination. He has been thriving. He tells me that I have had more support from family and friends because of my official diagnosis. Plus, our new doctor is quick to test me for other issues and test my daughter who does not even display symptoms at this point.

Since you have made the decision to go gluten free, just make sure you do it correctly. Read our Newbie 101 section under "Coping". I think you will find it useful. Remember, it can take years to fell well. (Took me two years.....)

I wish you well!

[nvsmom]

You can get the blood tests ordered from  any GP - even a walk-in clinic.  The blood tests may take a week to get done, but it's a good idea to do it now before your blood autoantibodies normalize.  If you want to test after going gluten-free, you'll need to resume eating gluten for 2-3 months.

 

Ask for these tests (they'll work with IgA deficiency):

• tTG IgG (tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin G)
• DGP IgG (deaminated gliadin peptides immunoglobulin G)
• EMA IgG (endomysial IgG) - similar to tTG IgG - they may only do this if the tTG IgG is positive
• AGA IgG (anti-gliadian antibodies) - older, less reliable tests mostly replaced by the DGP test

I live in Canada too (Alberta) and I know testing can be hard to get (I skipped the endoscopy because it would have taken over a year to get).  In Alberta, they do not usually go beyond the tTG IgA test unless you fight for it.  I know Ontario can be horrible for getting celiac disease tests, but if you can do it now, it may be the easiest in the long run.

 

Best wishes in whatever you decide to do.

[lev30ro]

I did all these test's both at the Hospital and Naturopath. They came up negative but IgE Wheat allergy came up Positive.

They said that I have an IgA deficiency and the celiac test could be false, have to go for endoscopy.

 

I can't wait a year for Endoscopy , I went gluten-free due to my  IgE Wheat allergy and will see the improvement.

 

Thanks a lot!

[StephanieL]

IgE allergy testing is only about 50% accurate.  The signs and symptoms you are describing, how soon after wheat ingestion are they happening?  IgE allergic reactions happen immediately up to 2 hours after ingestion.  Of those things you ave mentioned, the shortness of breath would make me think perhaps an IgE allergy BUT it would also depend when it is happening.

[lev30ro]

I never notice anything wrong since I always had a lot of Gas, Bloating, constipation - since I was a kid.

Now everything became worse, with loss of weight and difficult breathing (not short of breath- sorry). I moved from Europe to Canada and I changed my diet as well. The doctor said that the wheat is different , the gluten is different in USA and Canada comparing to Europe. He said that some people in Europe live with gluten sensitivity without noticing anything.

 

Since I went gluten free, everything stopped , quiet digestion, less gas, no more pain, mild constipation from strong constipation.

 

I can see the difference,

[nvsmom]

I did all these test's both at the Hospital and Naturopath. They came up negative but IgE Wheat allergy came up Positive.

They said that I have an IgA deficiency and the celiac test could be false, have to go for endoscopy.

 

I can't wait a year for Endoscopy , I went gluten-free due to my  IgE Wheat allergy and will see the improvement.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

An IgA deficiency will only cause false negatives in the IgA based tests such as tTG IgA, DGP IgA, EMA IgA, and AGA IgA.  The ones listed earlier are IgG based and are the tests used for people who are IgA deficient (as 5% of celiacs are).  The IgG based tests (like tTG IgG) should be accurate.