Lab Testing

[Pilot49]

My wife has Celiac Disease.  She found this out back in 2005 when she kept losing weight.  She tries to eat Gluten free all the time but you never know what you are really getting in foods.  I ran across a site Better Lab Tests (betterlabtestsnow.com) that offer test on just about everything but the test are expensive.  The full test cost about $1800.00.  We are wondering if this is the way to go to find out if there is other foods she is allergic to.  The one Dr. in our area that was up on Celiac Disease retired a few years ago and the Dr.s we have seen since kind of brush it under the table.  Has anyone had these test?

Pilot49

[trents]

Food allergy testing is notoriously unhelpful. There are some specific reasons for this but I won't go into all of that. The bottom line is that there is often poor correlation between the test results and actual symptoms in real experience. And when you send the same sample to two different labs you typically get significantly different results. That should tell you something right there. It would be better for your wife to keep a food diary and less expensive. And it is common for celiacs to develop allergies/intolerances to other foods that do not contain gluten. Dairy, soy, eggs and corn are chief among them but it could be anything. Celiac disease results in a dysfunctional immune system in that sense and one that is hyper vigilant when it comes to foods. Not only that, but about 10% of celiacs react to oat protein the same way they do to the gluten in wheat, barley and rye.

Having said that, I am concerned that your wife is getting more gluten in her diet than she may realize. More than one recent research study has shown that most people who claim to be eating gluten free are actually eating lower gluten than before diagnosis. The studies showed that this is particularly true for those still dining out. I would be interested to if your wife would start feeling better if she cut out all processed foods and stuck to simple, basic things like fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and avoided eating out if she is still doing that.

[Scott Adams]

To me it sounds like your wife's biggest issue is maintaining her 100% gluten-free diet. You are correct that it is very difficult, and if you two eat outside your home, especially in restaurants, it's likely she's getting some contamination:

One good option if this is the case would be to use AN-PEP enzymes (GliadinX is a brand that makes them who also is a site sponsor here) whenever she eats out, or before eating anything she's not sure about (but it's always best to be sure!). These enzymes have been shown in several studies to break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach, like you might get with cross-contamination at a restaurant, before it reaches the intestines.

As @trents mentioned, oats and other top allergens can be eliminated for a few weeks, and then she could keep a food diary when she adds them back.

But above all, keeping gluten-free should be your top priority.

[RMJ]

Has your wife had her celiac antibodies retested?  Are they now in the normal range or still high?  If not back to normal, that would indicate more care is needed with the gluten free diet.