Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Test results and advice?

Mgh1213

Recommended Posts

Mgh1213 Rookie
Mgh1213
Posted

Hello everyone sorry if this is repetitive but I am a 26 year old female with hyperthyroidism, hypoestrogenism, severely underweight 88lbs  (lost 35 lbs)  just recently last week, found out that I have celiac disease. Panel is as follows: 

IgA - 144

Gliadin AB IGG - >160

Gliadin AbB IGA - >320

TTG IGA - >160 

Could someone tell me if the higher the number, does that necessarily mean it's any worse than the next person with the disease?? I'm really scared about all of this honestly, I'm afraid I don't have the self control to begin to stick to a gluten free diet as all I have eaten my whole life is junk..any advice is helpful. The mental is taking a toll on me. Also, I have not had a menstrual cycle in 5 years (was on Depo birth control shot for 3 yrs, been off for 2 yrs) would this celiac disease have anything to do with the lack of menstration? I have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy over a year now with no results. I have to get back to my old self by before I lose it forever...Thanks for the help. 

 

 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted
51 minutes ago, Mgh1213 said:

Hello everyone sorry if this is repetitive but I am a 26 year old female with hyperthyroidism, hypoestrogenism, severely underweight 88lbs  (lost 35 lbs)  just recently last week, found out that I have celiac disease. Panel is as follows: 

IgA - 144

Gliadin AB IGG - >160

Gliadin AbB IGA - >320

TTG IGA - >160 

Could someone tell me if the higher the number, does that necessarily mean it's any worse than the next person with the disease?? I'm really scared about all of this honestly, I'm afraid I don't have the self control to begin to stick to a gluten free diet as all I have eaten my whole life is junk..any advice is helpful. The mental is taking a toll on me. Also, I have not had a menstrual cycle in 5 years (was on Depo birth control shot for 3 yrs, been off for 2 yrs) would this celiac disease have anything to do with the lack of menstration? I have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy over a year now with no results. I have to get back to my old self by before I lose it forever...Thanks for the help. 

 

 

Welcome! 

Chances are your high results are due to celiac disease.  Have you had a gastroenterologist consult?  He/she can refer you to a dietician who can help you with the gluten free diet.  

Celiac disease can wreak havoc on so many different areas of the body.  It just does not affect the GI tract.  There is a good chance that the gluten-free diet will help resolve your hormone issues.  Are you taking medication for your hyper thyroid?  Have you been diagnosed with Graves Disease?   

Higher test result numbers do not necessarily correlate with higher intestinal damage.  Common sense though, seems to indicate that your severe weight loss might mean severe intestinal damage.  Only a GI can confirm that. 

In the meantime, read through our Newbie 101 thread located at the top of the "Coping" section of the forum.  

If you have not met with a GI yet, keep in mind that additional testing for celiac disease requires you to be on a gluten diet.  

Mgh1213 Rookie
Mgh1213
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your response, it really helps to hear from others and I will check out the coping forum that you mentioned. I do have Graves Disease and have been on anti-thyroid medication for 2 years, I just recently started seeing an Endocrinologist (had been seeing normal MD prior) and they said my thyroid levels were good and suggested some gastro tests since I was still having other symptoms. This included the celiac panel that came back positive. They have not referred me to a Gastroenterologist but I assume that is next. I think I will wait to cut out the gluten totally, until further testing is done by the correct specialist. I'm hoping getting this celiac in line, will help the rest of my problems such as the hormones, as you said. Thank you again for taking the time to reach out. 

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, but my Mom has Graves.  I have been both hyper and hypo.  Had crazy swings for a while while going through menopause and being undiagnosed with celiac disease.  My thyroid calmed down on the gluten-free diet.  My enlargement and nodules went as well.  Not sure if it was the gluten-free diet or simply reducing my immune response (inflammation)  by addressing celiac disease.  Does that make sense?  

In the meantime, you might consider eliminating most dairy.  Celiacs tend to be lactose intolerant --- at least temporarily unless you are genetically predisposed (as are some huge chunk of the world's population).  It could bring you some relief while you complete testing.  You might however, be one of the lucky celiacs who can eat all the dairy they want!  Throw in some veggies  and some healthy fats to help off set your weigh loss.  Your body is probably starving for nutrients right now, so make every bite count.  

 

Jmg Mentor
Jmg
Posted

Hello and welcome :)

3 hours ago, Mgh1213 said:

I'm really scared about all of this honestly, I'm afraid I don't have the self control to begin to stick to a gluten free diet as all I have eaten my whole life is junk..any advice is helpful. The mental is taking a toll on me.

It can be scary and there's definitely a mental side to dealing with this which is at least as important as the physical. If available to you consider seeking out some counselling to help you process this. It was really useful for me, as were the people on this forum which is a great resource which you should use as much as you need to. 

And, easy to say, try to be optimistic! 

1 hour ago, Mgh1213 said:

I'm hoping getting this celiac in line, will help the rest of my problems

It may be that you've solved a huge health puzzle whilst you're still young and have lots of great years ahead of you, years which will be so much more enjoyable gluten free. Time will help you learn the diet and what at first seems impossible will become the new normal to the point where you won't have to think too much about it. We are an adaptable species and however hard it seems at the outset you will adapt and you will feel better.

Best of luck!

 

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted
14 hours ago, Mgh1213 said:

Thank you for your response, it really helps to hear from others and I will check out the coping forum that you mentioned. I do have Graves Disease and have been on anti-thyroid medication for 2 years, I just recently started seeing an Endocrinologist (had been seeing normal MD prior) and they said my thyroid levels were good and suggested some gastro tests since I was still having other symptoms. This included the celiac panel that came back positive. They have not referred me to a Gastroenterologist but I assume that is next. I think I will wait to cut out the gluten totally, until further testing is done by the correct specialist. I'm hoping getting this celiac in line, will help the rest of my problems such as the hormones, as you said. Thank you again for taking the time to reach out. 

I can guarantee you that once you get your weight back up to normal, your period will come back.  You sound really malnourished and if your weight gets too low, your periods will stop.  Don't panic.......I was down to about 92-94 pounds at diagnosis so you will be able to heal if you do the diet correctly and don't cheat. Once you start to feel better and your other problems are under control , you will find it easy to stick to the diet. Nothing beats health!  Good luck to you!

Mgh1213 Rookie
Mgh1213
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all so much for the encouraging words and advice, it has been the most help so far! @cyclinglady I have heard of others that have had thryoid issues improved with the gluten-free diet so that definitely makes sense! I think a lot of things will get better once the gluten is gone. And wow! That is a lot to deal with mentally emotionally, etc. going through menopause, and dealing with celiac and thyroid problems. Major props to you for maintaining a positive attittude..that is most admirable and reminds me I can do this!

@Jmg I have considered talking to a counselor, like you said, it would help to talk to someone and I have very grateful to have figured this out while I am still young, I'm ready to take control!

@Gemini Thank you for your encouragement as well, it helps to hear someone has gone through a similar process..doctors have made me feel like I am the only person in the world trying to gain weight so I am excited for the future! Thank you all again. 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,946
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Miyasato
    Newest Member
    Miyasato
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jacki Espo
      Covid caused reoccurrence of DH without eating gluten

      By Jacki Espo · Posted

      This happened to me as well. What’s weirder is that within a couple hours of taking paxlovid it subsided. I thought maybe I got glutened but after reading your post not so sure. 
    • Mari
      New Celiac Mama in My 30s

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Tiffany. Thank you for writing your dituation and  circumstancesin such detail and so well writte, too. I particularly noticed what you wrote about brain for and feeling like your brain is swelling and I know from my own experiences that's how it feel and your brain really does swell and you get migraines.    Way back when I was in my 20s I read a book by 2 MD allergist and they described their patient who came in complaining that her brain, inside her cranium, was swelling  and it happened when she smelled a certain chemical she used in her home. She kept coming back and insisting her brain actually swelled in her head. The Drs couldn't explain this problem so they, with her permission, performed an operation where they made a small opening through her cranium, exposed her to the chemical then watched as she brain did swell into the opening. The DRs were amazed but then were able to advise her to avoid chemicals that made her brain swell. I remember that because I occasionally had brain fog then but it was not a serious problem. I also realized that I was becoming more sensitive to chemicals I used in my work in medical laboratories. By my mid forties the brain fog and chemicals forced me to leave my  profession and move to a rural area with little pollution. I did not have migraines. I was told a little later that I had a more porous blood brain barrier than other people. Chemicals in the air would go up into my sinused and leak through the blood brain barrier into my brain. We have 2 arteries  in our neck that carry blood with the nutrients and oxygen into the brain. To remove the fluids and used blood from the brain there are only capillaries and no large veins to carry it away so all those fluids ooze out much more slowly than they came in and since the small capillaries can't take care of extra fluid it results in swelling in the face, especially around the eyes. My blood flow into my brain is different from most other people as I have an arterial ischema, adefectiveartery on one side.   I have to go forward about 20 or more years when I learned that I had glaucoma, an eye problem that causes blindness and more years until I learned I had celiac disease.  The eye Dr described my glaucoma as a very slow loss of vision that I wouldn't  notice until had noticeable loss of sight.  I could have my eye pressure checked regularly or it would be best to have the cataracts removed from both eyes. I kept putting off the surgery then just overnight lost most of the vision in my left eye. I thought at the I had been exposed to some chemical and found out a little later the person who livedbehind me was using some chemicals to build kayaks in a shed behind my house. I did not realize the signifance  of this until I started having appointments with a Dr. in a new building. New buildings give me brain fog, loss of balance and other problems I know about this time I experienced visual disturbances very similar to those experienced by people with migraines. I looked further online and read that people with glaucoma can suffer rapid loss of sight if they have silent migraines (no headache). The remedy for migraines is to identify and avoid the triggers. I already know most of my triggers - aromatic chemicals, some cleaning materials, gasoline and exhaust and mold toxins. I am very careful about using cleaning agents using mostly borax and baking powder. Anything that has any fragrance or smell I avoid. There is one brand of dishwashing detergent that I can use and several brands of  scouring powder. I hope you find some of this helpful and useful. I have not seen any evidence that Celiac Disease is involved with migraines or glaucoma. Please come back if you have questions or if what I wrote doesn't make senseto you. We sometimes haveto learn by experience and finding out why we have some problems. Take care.       The report did not mention migraines. 
    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Jmartes71 That is so much like my story! You probably know where Laytonville is and that's where I was living just before my 60th birthday when the new Dr. suggested I could have Celiacs. I didn't go on a gluten challange diet before having the Celiac panel blood test drawn. The results came back as equivical as one antibody level was very high but another, tissue transaminasewas normal. Itdid show I was  allergic to cows milk and I think hot peppers. I immediately went gluten free but did not go in for an endoscopy. I found an online lab online that would do the test to show if I had a main celiac gene (enterolab.com). The report came back that I had inherited a main celiac gene, DQ8, from one parent and a D!6 from the other parent. That combination is knows to sym[tons of celiac worse than just inheriting one main celiac gene. With my version of celiac disease I was mostly constipated but after going gluten-free I would have diarrhea the few times I was glutened either by cross contamination or eating some food containing gluten. I have stayed gluten-free for almost 20 years now and knew within a few days that it was right for me although my recovery has been slow.   When I go to see a  medical provide and tell them I have celiacs they don't believe me. The same when I tell them that I carry a main celiac gene, the DQ8. It is only when I tell them that I get diarrhea after eating gluten that they realize that I might have celiac disease. Then they will order th Vitamin B12 and D3 that I need to monitor as my B12 levels can go down very fast if I'm not taking enough of it. Medical providers haven't been much help in my recovery. They are not well trained in this problem. I really hope this helps ypu. Take care.      
    • knitty kitty
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Fascinating.
    • DebJ14
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By DebJ14 · Posted

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.