Could it be Celiac Disease?

[Nikkster]

Hi there,

I'm 49 years old and have always been fairly healthy apart forma few back issues.  However, for the past year I have been struggling with crippling joint pain in my hips and shoulders.  After months working with a physio and no improvement, I was finally referred to a rheumatologist and tested for rheumatoid arthritis but all tests have so far come back negative. 

On and off I've also been suffering with stomach issues, roiling nauseous gurgling stomach (almost like a hangover) and feeling drained and ill by 4pm in the afternoon.  While googling my stomach symptoms I came across celiac diseas and discovered that many people suffer also chronic joint pain.    Now I'm putting the pieces together and wondering if gluten could be causing all my pain.  I'll be seeing my doctor in 3 weeks and in the meantime should I eliminate gluten from my diet to see if that alleviates my smptoms or would that prevent me from getting a positive result for celiac disease ?  

[ravenwoodglass]

Do not eliminate gluten until all celiac related testing is done. Just keep to your usual diet making sure to eat at least a couple slices of bread worth of gluten daily.  I was thought to have RA for a time but it did turn out to be gluten. Within a few months gluten free my joint pain was a thing of the past...at least till age caught up with me. You may want to call your doctors office and speak with a nurse. have the nurse ask the doctor to either call in or let you pick up a lab slip. that way you will have the results of the celiac panel at your visit.

 

[Nikkster]

7 minutes ago, ravenwoodglass said:

Do not eliminate gluten until all celiac related testing is done. Just keep to your usual diet making sure to eat at least a couple slices of bread worth of gluten daily.  I was thought to have RA for a time but it did turn out to be gluten. Within a few months gluten free my joint pain was a thing of the past...at least till age caught up with me. You may want to call your doctors office and speak with a nurse. have the nurse ask the doctor to either call in or let you pick up a lab slip. that way you will have the results of the celiac panel at your visit.

 

Thanks  so much for your response ravenwoodglass - I do have a slip to get bloods done before my visit but I'm guessing he is not testing for celiac diease.  He has requested FBC and diff, electrolytes, LFT's, LDH, ESR - Erythrocyte Sedimentation rte, C-Reactive Protein.  What would be the test for Celiac Diesase?

[plumbago]

tTG-IgA	Tissue Transglutaminase Immunoglobulin A	Self	The enzyme TTG deamidates gliadin (a broken-down component of gluten). In reaction to the presence of TTG, the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is produced. Raised IgA antibodies indicate short-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten 2-4 weeks preceding the test.   Not 100% specific: there are other causes of a positive test, including diabetes, heart failure, Crohn’s and others. Also, people who have celiac disease can get a negative result with this test. Machine-read.
tTG-IgG	Tissue Transglutaminase Immunoglobulin G	Self	In reaction to TTG, IgG is produced. Raised IgG antibodies demonstrate long-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten from 3-6 months, sometimes up to a year, preceding test.   Valuable in diagnosing Celiac in patients with selective IgA deficiency.
DGP-IgG	Deamidated Gliadin Peptide Immunoglobulin G		Newer, excellent test that detects an immune response to a very specific fragment of the gluten molecule (gliadin peptide).   If both DGP are high, celiac disease almost certain. Accurate for detecting gut damage of celiac disease, so good it is likely to make endoscopy redundant. Does not replace the IgG-gliadin test.
DGP-IgA	Deamidated Gliadin Peptide Immunoglobulin A		(ELISA) measures antibodies directed against deamidated Gliadin peptides (DGP) in human serum or plasma.
AGA-IgG	Anti-Gliadin Antibody Immunoglobulin G	Anti-self	(Older gliadin test.) The antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) is produced in response to gliadin. Raised IgG antibodies demonstrate long-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten from three to six months, sometimes up to a year, preceding the test.   Not specific & sensitive for Celiac, but accurate as an inexpensive test for evidence of a gluten reaction
AGA-IgA	Antigliadin Antibody Immunoglobulin A	Anti-self	The antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is produced in response to gliadin. Raised IgA antibodies indicate short-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten 2-4 weeks preceding the test.   Not specific & sensitive for Celiac, but accurate as an inexpensive test for evidence of a gluten reaction
Total IgA	Immunoglobulin A	Self	The celiac blood test panel includes the total serum IgA test because some people (3%) are IgA-deficient. If you have a very low total serum IgA, that can invalidate the three blood tests that rely on your IgA levels. People with celiac disease suffer from low total IgA levels about 10 to 15 times more frequently than people in the general population.
EMA IgA	Anti-endomysial antibody IgA	Self	EMA stands for antiendomysial antibodies, which are antibodies produced by the body that attack the body's own tissue. When the EMA-IgA is positive, the patient almost certainly has celiac disease. However, the test also can produce false negative results in patients with celiac disease but only partial villous atrophy.   Highly specific (>95%), and >90% sensitive. The EMA antibodies correlate to degree of villous atrophy. Observer-dependent.

[Nikkster]

11 minutes ago, plumbago said:

tTG-IgA	Tissue Transglutaminase Immunoglobulin A	Self	The enzyme TTG deamidates gliadin (a broken-down component of gluten). In reaction to the presence of TTG, the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is produced. Raised IgA antibodies indicate short-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten 2-4 weeks preceding the test.       Not 100% specific: there are other causes of a positive test, including diabetes, heart failure, Crohn’s and others. Also, people who have celiac disease can get a negative result with this test. Machine-read.
tTG-IgG	Tissue Transglutaminase Immunoglobulin G	Self	In reaction to TTG, IgG is produced. Raised IgG antibodies demonstrate long-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten from 3-6 months, sometimes up to a year, preceding test.       Valuable in diagnosing Celiac in patients with selective IgA deficiency.
DGP-IgG	Deamidated Gliadin Peptide   Immunoglobulin G		Newer, excellent test that detects an immune response to a very specific fragment of the gluten molecule (gliadin peptide).       If both DGP are high, celiac disease almost certain. Accurate for detecting gut damage of celiac disease, so good it is likely to make endoscopy redundant. Does not replace the IgG-gliadin test.
DGP-IgA	Deamidated Gliadin Peptide   Immunoglobulin A		(ELISA) measures antibodies directed against deamidated Gliadin peptides (DGP) in human serum or plasma.
AGA-IgG	Anti-Gliadin Antibody Immunoglobulin G	Anti-self	(Older gliadin test.) The antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) is produced in response to gliadin. Raised IgG antibodies demonstrate long-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten from three to six months, sometimes up to a year, preceding the test.       Not specific & sensitive for Celiac, but accurate as an inexpensive test for evidence of a gluten reaction
AGA-IgA	Antigliadin Antibody Immunoglobulin A	Anti-self	The antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is produced in response to gliadin. Raised IgA antibodies indicate short-term immune response, indicating ingestion of gluten 2-4 weeks preceding the test.       Not specific & sensitive for Celiac, but accurate as an inexpensive test for evidence of a gluten reaction
Total IgA	Immunoglobulin A	Self	The celiac blood test panel includes the total serum IgA test because some people (3%) are IgA-deficient. If you have a very low total serum IgA, that can invalidate the three blood tests that rely on your IgA levels. People with celiac disease suffer from low total IgA levels about 10 to 15 times more frequently than people in the general population.
EMA IgA	Anti-endomysial antibody IgA	Self	EMA stands for antiendomysial antibodies, which are antibodies produced by the body that attack the body's own tissue. When the EMA-IgA is positive, the patient almost certainly has celiac disease. However, the test also can produce false negative results in patients with celiac disease but only partial villous atrophy.       Highly specific (>95%), and >90% sensitive. The EMA antibodies correlate to degree of villous atrophy. Observer-dependent.

Thankyou!

[GFinDC]

Hi Nikkster,

They often call the celiac testing a celiac panel.  There is also a celiac screening test they sometimes do first, the ttg.  You want to get the full celiac panel if possible.  Not everyone shows up on just the screening test.