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

1 year.. antibody levels in weak positive range ?


fllstuart77

Recommended Posts

fllstuart77 Explorer

August was a year since I've been gluten free.  My antibody levels dropped from the 120's to 10 ( ttg iga )..  which is now weak positive ..   0 - 3 is normal... 4 - 10 weak positive..

My previous test showed my ttg iga at 13....  6 months later it only dropped by 3 points to 10...      My igg dropped a lot more though from 18 down to 7...  and is only 2 points from normal range now...

Shouldn't my ttg iga have dropped a lot more ???      why would it have dropped by only 3 points in 6 months ?

I have another test in December..     my Dr said he feels I'm 90% there...     but my stomach still feels upset daily....    better than it was a year ago..  but not like a normal feeling gut...

 

 


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cristiana Veteran

Hi fflstuart

I have been gluten free for 8 years, and very conscientious about it, and yet my tTG has never dropped below 14.   I used to worry about it but my gastroenterologist isn't at all worried - he actually said to me that if I lived on a diet of rice and water my figures might never get lower than that.

Interestingly I have been reading on this forum recently that consumption of dairy can stall recovery and as I have never really got rid of dairy in my diet that might be a reason why my numbers have a) been so low to come down and b) haven't gone lower.  Are you still consuming dairy?

Also, my own view (I'm not a medical person) is that as I suffer from one auto-immune condition that may predispose me to suffering from another.  If so, the condition may be under the medical radar but it could be contributing to me having slightly raised numbers.   I haven't got a list on me now but I recently read about a few conditions that can have this effect.  I hope someone else can chime in on this.

Cristiana

 

fllstuart77 Explorer

no dairy before i had these tests...     lately i've been eating lactose free cheese though....  over Lentil noodles

fllstuart77 Explorer
22 hours ago, cristiana said:

Hi fflstuart

I have been gluten free for 8 years, and very conscientious about it, and yet my tTG has never dropped below 14. 

 

Are you able to gain weight ??

Have your villi healed with 14 ttg? 

cristiana Veteran

Hi - yes, too much weight! Also, my villi are healed. 

GodsGal Community Regular

Hi,

I am not a medical professional. Your story reminds me of my story. In January 2020 my TTG IgA was >250 (normal range is <15). 11 months later it had dropped to 25.6. I was a bit discouraged that it had not dropped farther. But my GI specialist said that as long as it was going in the right direction, it is ok. This past June my TTG IgA was at 16.3, almost there!

Like your experience, my IGG also dropped a lot more quickly. 

Don't be discouraged. It takes time. Keep us posted!

RMJ Mentor

It took me three years to get my TtG IgA to the normal range, and six years for DGP IgA.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - trents replied to GlorietaKaro's topic in Super Sensitive People
      2

      Am I nuts?

    2. - Russ H posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      0

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

    3. - Scott Adams replied to JoJo0611's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Just diagnosed today

    4. - Scott Adams replied to GlorietaKaro's topic in Super Sensitive People
      2

      Am I nuts?

    5. - Scott Adams replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      28

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,805
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    lalan45
    Newest Member
    lalan45
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @GlorietaKaro! As Scott indicated, without formal testing for celiac disease, which would require you to have been consuming generous amounts of gluten daily for weeks, it would be not be possible to distinguish whether you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). Their symptoms overlap. The difference being that celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small bowel. We actually no more about celiac disease than we do about NCGS, the mechanism of the latter being more difficult to classify. There are specific antibody tests for celiac disease diagnosis and there is also the endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel lining. Currently, there are no tests to diagnose NCGS. Celiac disease must first ruled out. Researchers are working on developing testing methods to diagnose celiac disease that do not require a "gluten challenge" which is just out of the question for so many because it poses serious, even life-threatening, health risks. But we aren't there yet.
    • lalan45
      That’s really frustrating, I’m sorry you went through that. High fiber can definitely cause sudden stomach issues, especially if your body isn’t used to it yet, but accidental gluten exposure can feel similar. Keeping a simple food/symptom journal and introducing new foods one at a time can really help you spot patterns. You’re already doing the right things with cleaning and separating baking—also watch shared toasters, cutting boards, and labels like “may contain.”
    • Russ H
      I thought this might be of interest regarding anti-EMA testing. Some labs use donated umbilical cord instead of monkey oesophagus. Some labs just provide a +ve/-ve test result but others provide a grade by testing progressively diluted blood sample. https://www.aesku.com/index.php/ifu-download/1367-ema-instruction-manual-en-1/file Fluorescence-labelled anti-tTG2 autoantibodies bind to endomysium (the thin layer around muscle fibres) forming a characteristic honeycomb pattern under the microscope - this is highly specific to coeliac disease. The binding site is extracellular tTG2 bound to fibronectin and collagen. Human or monkey derived endomysium is necessary because tTG2 from other mammals does not provide the right binding epitope. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/3/1012
    • Scott Adams
      First, please know that receiving two diagnoses at once, especially one you've never heard of, is undoubtedly overwhelming. You are not alone in this. Your understanding is correct: both celiac disease and Mesenteric Panniculitis (MP) are considered to have autoimmune components. While having both is not extremely common, they can co-occur, as chronic inflammation from one autoimmune condition can sometimes be linked to or trigger other inflammatory responses in the body. MP, which involves inflammation of the fat tissue in the mesentery (the membrane that holds your intestines in place), is often discovered incidentally on scans, exactly as in your case. The fact that your medical team is already planning follow-up with a DEXA scan (to check bone density, common after a celiac diagnosis) and a repeat CT is a very proactive and prudent approach to monitoring your health. Many find that adhering strictly to the gluten-free diet for celiac disease helps manage overall inflammation, which may positively impact MP over time. It's completely normal to feel uncertain right now. Your next steps are to take this one day at a time, focus on the gluten-free diet as your primary treatment for celiac, and use your upcoming appointments to ask all your questions about MP and what the monitoring plan entails. This dual diagnosis is a lot to process, but it is also the starting point for a managed path forward to better health. This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):    
    • Scott Adams
      Your experience is absolutely valid, and you are not "nuts" or a "complete weirdo." What you are describing aligns with severe neurological manifestations of gluten sensitivity, which is a recognized, though less common, presentation. Conditions like gluten ataxia and peripheral neuropathy are documented in medical literature, where gluten triggers an autoimmune response that attacks the nervous system, leading to symptoms precisely like yours—loss of coordination, muscle weakness, fasciculations, and even numbness. The reaction you had from inhaling flour is a powerful testament to your extreme sensitivity. While celiac disease is commonly tested, non-celiac gluten sensitivity with neurological involvement is harder to diagnose, especially since many standard tests require ongoing gluten consumption, which you rightly fear could be dangerous. Seeking out a neurologist or gastroenterologist familiar with gluten-related disorders, or consulting a specialist at a major celiac research center, could provide more validation and possibly explore diagnostic options like specific antibody tests (e.g., anti-gliadin or transglutaminase 6 antibodies) that don't always require a gluten challenge. You are not alone; many individuals with severe reactivity navigate a world of invisible illness where their strict avoidance is a medical necessity, not a choice. Trust your body's signals—it has given you the most important diagnosis already.
×
×
  • 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.