Allergic to Gluten

[Debron]

Took a series of $5000 worth of bloodtests with a Rootcause Foundation Dr. Some of the readings came back:

Allergic to Gluten

Allergic to Milk

Not sensitive but Allergic. I could no longer afford care from this Dr.  However I did not connect Allergic to gluten with Celiac Disease till recently. Is allergy to Gluten the sa.e as Celiac...I have majority of the limitations ongoing symptoms.

[trents]

Welcome to this online community @Debron!

First, celiac disease is not an allergy to gluten. It is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten. In a person with celiac disease, the consumption of gluten triggers an autoimmune response in the villous lining of the small bowel that generates inflammation and produces specific antibodies that can be detected by blood tests. Over time, if gluten is not discontinued, the constant inflammation damages and wears down the millions of finger-like projections that constitute the villous lining of the small bowel such that nutrient absorbing efficiency is greatly compromised since this villous lining is where all of our nutrition is absorbed. This in turn often produces other nutrient deficiency related medical problems such as anemia and osteoporosis, just to name two. 

Dairy intolerance is very common in the celiac community, either to the protein casein or to the sugar lactose found in dairy. The former may be due to the similarity in protein structures between gluten and casein. The latter may be due to the damage to the villous lining of the small bowel.

In addition to celiac disease, it is also possible to be allergic to gluten or casein just as it is possible to be allergic to most any food protein. As I said already, celiac disease is not an allergy but an autoimmune disorder and is mediated by the IGA component of the immune system. With autoimmune disorders, the immune system is tricked into attacking the body's own tissues. Allergies are IGE mediated.

Edit: I should also add that there are dedicated antibody tests used to diagnose celiac disease that are, of course, not part of an allergy panel. Here is an overview: 

 

[Scott Adams]

Given that you paid so much for these tests, I think it would be a good idea to contact Rootcause Foundation and find out exactly what test for gluten that they ran, and what your results were. I've never even heard of a test for gluten allergy, but have heard of testing for wheat allergy. 

They should be able to tell you what test you were given, which may shed more light on what the results mean.