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

Accepting, adjusting...


olgi
Go to solution Solved by Russ H,

Recommended Posts

olgi Newbie

Hi there

I am a52 yrs old female. About 20 months ago I realiced I was likely to be gluten intolerant. For decades I had suffered from night low abdomen pain, usually in the middle of the night, which I used to atribute to some bladder sensitivity after a surgery following a fistula. I laso had chronic low transferrin, insmonia and anxiety and depressiom symptoms usually in the middle of the night, overwhelming fatigue a couple of days a month that I would think was caused by stress, migraines, constipation and a chronic feeling of not beeing well. I stopped gluten almost completely and 3 mothns later I had Ig tested and came negative.

Then I kind of became more relaxed about excluding gluten and I had more symptoms, sometimes strong pain if ate something with gluten. Then last month I had my genetic test done and these were the results:

HLA-DQ2 (DQA1*02:01/DQB1*02:01) POSITIVE
HLA-DQ6 (DQA1*01:02/DQB1*06) POSITIVE

I assumed that means I actually am celiac, which I didnt expect and I am having a hard time to accept, being 52 it upsets me I didnt find out earlier.

Am I correct? Any thoughts suggestions or whatever?

Thanks in advance

Olgi


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Scott Adams Grand Master

Welcome to the forum!

A positive genetic marker, and in this case you have two markers that are positive, can only give you the probability of you developing celiac disease, but does not indicate one way or another whether or not you actually have it.

The only way to find out would be to have a blood test done (see below), and to do that you would need to be eating gluten daily for 6-8 weeks.

 

 

olgi Newbie
43 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

Welcome to the forum!

A positive genetic marker, and in this case you have two markers that are positive, can only give you the probability of you developing celiac disease, but does not indicate one way or another whether or not you actually have it.

The only way to find out would be to have a blood test done (see below), and to do that you would need to be eating gluten daily for 6-8 weeks.

 

 

Thanks Scott for the quick reply. it scares me to go back to gluten for 6 weeks, there is not other choice then? I understood from my GP that with symptoms and genetics markers it was clear.

trents Grand Master

Both the genetic marker and the symptoms are circumstantial evidence that you have celiac disease. If you want to find out for certain there would be no alternative but to go back on gluten. There is a blood anibody test for celiac disease and there is a test involving an endsocopy with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. Both require have been consuming gluten regularly for weeks or months in order to yield valid results.

The last I knew of the DQ6 gene was not associated with celiac disease. Did yo mean to type DQ8? But the DQ2 gene certainly is. Many people who have the genes for celiac disease never develop celiac disease. Having the gene just establishes the potential for it.

  • Solution
Russ H Community Regular

This paper indicates that in combination with DQ2, DQ6 can increase positive predictive value by 50%. Looks like whoever is doing the genetic testing is on the ball in this case as it is a quite recent finding.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7785002/

olgi Newbie

Wow Thanks Russ, very very interesting indeed. I have both dq2 and 6. I live in Madrid, this was the test they offered me 

Warmly 

 

 

 

 

Russ H Community Regular
23 minutes ago, olgi said:

Wow Thanks Russ, very very interesting indeed. I have both dq2 and 6. I live in Madrid, this was the test they offered me 

Warmly 

 

 

 

 

In some cases it is possible to be diagnosed without a positive antibody or endoscopy test. Certainly in the UK there are guidelines for this, and Spain is definitely more advanced than we are! This is based upon a genetic test and resolution of symptoms during a gluten free-diet under a specialist. Having a formal diagnosis is useful, if for example you were to be admitted to hospital and needed a gluten free diet, or for screening of close relatives. A chap I met has classic coeliac disease but self diagnosed and his GP is resisting having his son tested because he is not on the books despite having symptoms.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



trents Grand Master
(edited)
1 hour ago, Russ H said:

This paper indicates that in combination with DQ2, DQ6 can increase positive predictive value by 50%. Looks like whoever is doing the genetic testing is on the ball in this case as it is a quite recent finding.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7785002/

Wow! That is a great find. Actually, by 55%. I think Scott and Jefferson should do an article on this.

Edited by trents
olgi Newbie

thanks again. my problem is I  dont dare to go back to gluten, really.

my GP, who is also a friend, told me with my symptoms plus those genes it was quite obvious i will need to go gluten free anyaways so i am trying to accept it.

this forum is really helpful now

trents Grand Master

It's overwhelming at first but over time it becomes the new norm. The biggest adjustments have to do with the social limitations. These two articles might help you get off on the right foot:

Many people who claim to be eating gluten free are actually eating lower gluten because they have eliminated major sources of gluten but are not giving attention to CC (Cross Contamination).

 

Russ H Community Regular
10 hours ago, olgi said:

thanks again. my problem is I  dont dare to go back to gluten, really.

my GP, who is also a friend, told me with my symptoms plus those genes it was quite obvious i will need to go gluten free anyaways so i am trying to accept it.

this forum is really helpful now

It can be very trying but on the positive side, it normally goes into complete remission on a strict gluten-free diet. If you look at all the other autoimmune diseases that people have and the Hell that they go through, we have it easy -  it could be much worse.

olgi Newbie

Thanks that is a very helpful thought right nos!

SandraSt Newbie
On 2/25/2023 at 11:00 PM, Russ H said:

It can be very trying but on the positive side, it normally goes into complete remission on a strict gluten-free diet. If you look at all the other autoimmune diseases that people have and the Hell that they go through, we have it easy -  it could be much worse.

Totally agree. It's understandable that you may be upset about not finding out earlier, but it's important to focus on the present and moving forward to manage your health.

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

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,894
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lostcha
    Newest Member
    Lostcha
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
    • trents
      You state in an earlier post that you don't have celiac disease. Here in this post you state you will "be doing another test". What will this test be looking for? What kind of celiac disease testing have you had done? If you have used a Entero Labs it sounds like you have had stool testing done for celiac disease which is not widely accepted as a valid celiac disease diagnostic testing method. Have you had blood antibody testing for celiac disease done and do you realize that for antibody testing to be valid you must have been eating generous amounts of gluten for a period of weeks/months? 
    • Gigi2025
      No, I've not been diagnosed as celiac.  Despite Entero Labs being relocated to Switzerland/Greece, I'll be doing another test. After eating wheat products in Greece for 4 weeks, there wasn't any reaction.  However, avoiding it here in the states.   Thanks everyone for your responses.  
×
×
  • 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.