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Next steps after tTG-IgA Ab test

Waltzferret

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Waltzferret Newbie
Waltzferret
Posted

Hi, My 68 year old husband has been coping with severe anemia for a year. An endoscopy and colonoscopy came back normal, although neither involved a biopsy. He has had long term diarrhea and stomach distress. In the last three months he lost 15 pounds without trying to do so. He has also recently tested low in folate. Recent lab work indicated his tTG-IgA Ab level was high. His family physician has suggested a gluten free diet. He has not been feeling at all well and we are uncertain if we should quickly see if he improves on a gluten free diet or if we should make an appointment with a gastroenterologist and have further testing. Our concern is that his current health is not good and it will likely be a period of time before a gastroenterologist can see him. 

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I am sorry that your hubby is sick!  :(  

I am not a doctor, but I would agree that a gluten free diet is probably his best bet for improving his health.  Waiting for an endoscopy to obtain biopsies does not seem necessary at the age of 68.  But....it is important that he maintains the diet for at least six months to determine if it is working.  The gluten free diet is hard.  I'm not going to sugar coat it.  It is doable, but the learning curve is steep.  Check out our Newbie 101 section for tips under the "Coping" section of this forum.  Gluten can be hidden in unlikely places like soy sauce.  Cross contamination is huge (hubby and I are both gluten free and so is our kid within our home.  She eats gluten at school).  

We (the folks here on the this forum who walk the walk) recommend avoiding all processed foods in the beginning and that even includes gluten free items (which are just junk anyway).  Do not eat out unless it's a 100% gluten free restaurant run by celiacs!  Take risks once he feels better.  Eat fish, meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, cheese, dairy.  Though many celiacs have issues with lactose that often resolves depending on your genetic make-up.  

Make sure all medications and supplements are gluten free.  I am extra careful and only purchase certified gluten-free supplements.  Call all drug companies to confirm that medications are gluten free.  Yep, drug companies do not have to follow the same rules as food companies.  Sad, but true!  

I hope this helps!  I was anemic (severely) too.  I was able to feel better within three months of being gluten free.  

celiac disease is genetic.  All first-degree relatives should be tested even if they are symptom free.  

I was diagnosed three years ago (took about two years to really feel well even after my anemia resolved.  Lots of little things that I just thought were related to old age!), but my hubby went gluten free 15 years ago.  It worked for him.  That first year was tough.  He'd be the first to say that I have had it easier with my formal diagnosis.  He could do a gluten challenge, but there's no way he's going back on gluten .  We know it makes him sick.  So, he either has celiac disease or Non-celiac Gluten Intolerance/Sensitivity.  Either way, he needs to be gluten free.  

I wish your hubby well!  

Waltzferret Newbie
Waltzferret
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for such a thoughtful and complete reply. We have an adult son with autism and thanks to your advice, I'll ask his doctor about testing. I'm very grateful for all of your suggestions.

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    • Rogol72
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By Rogol72 · Posted

      @HAUS, I was at an event in the UK a few years back. I remember ringing the restaurant ahead to inquire about the gluten free options. All I wanted was a few gluten free sandwiches, which they provided and they were delicious. The gluten-free bread they used was Warbutons white bread and I remember mentioning it on this site before. No harm in trying it once. It's fortified with Calcium and Iron. https://www.warburtonsglutenfree.com/warbs_products/white-loaf/ The only other gluten-free bread that I've come across that is fortified is Schar with Iodized salt, nothing else.
    • Scott Adams
      Sainsbury's Free From White Sliced Bread - Now Egg Free - Completely Ruined It

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In the U.S., most regular wheat breads are required to be enriched with certain B-vitamins and iron, but gluten-free breads are not required to be. Since many gluten-free products are not enriched, we usually encourage people with celiac disease to consider a multivitamin.  In the early 1900s, refined white flour replaced whole grains, and people began developing serious vitamin-deficiency diseases: Beriberi → caused by a lack of thiamin (vitamin B1) Pellagra → caused by a lack of niacin (vitamin B3) Anemia → linked to low iron and lack of folate By the 1930s–40s, these problems were common in the U.S., especially in poorer regions. Public-health officials responded by requiring wheat flour and the breads made from it to be “enriched” with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. Folic acid was added later (1998) to prevent neural-tube birth defects. Why gluten-free bread isn’t required to be enriched? The U.S. enrichment standards were written specifically for wheat flour. Gluten-free breads use rice, tapioca, corn, sorghum, etc.—so they fall outside that rule—but they probably should be for the same reason wheat products are.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

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    • JoJo0611
      CT with contrast.

      By JoJo0611 · Posted

      Thank you. 
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

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