Do I Need More Testing?

[monica]

I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity by accident about 4 years ago. My doctor at the time did not make a big deal about it. He told me to try and avoid Gluten containing foods and gave me a short list of foods to avoid. Since I had no symptoms, I basically continued to eat gluten. I just recently had another blood test and my IGg came back abnormal. It came back 46 which is very high. The other antibody tests came back normal. My dietician suggested that I go for further testing to see if I just have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. SHe said that celiac disease is more serious that just a gluten sesitivity. In other word, if I just have a gluten sensitivity, than I can occasionally have gluten. I am still pretty much asymptomatic although I have had trouble losing weight since being diagnosed and I wonder if it can be related

Monica

[lovegrov]

Most experts consider gluten sensitivity or intolerance merely the early form of full-blown celiac. You can go for the endoscopy and see where you are but if you continue eating gluten you're probably taking big risks. Are you having any sort of symptoms?

richard

[taneil]

You sound a lot like myself. My IgG came back high (34) but I do not have any symptoms typical of Gluten Intolerance. I had hypothyroid symptoms. And did test positive for Hashimoto's Hypothyroiditis. My conclusion after researching it, is that my hypothyroidism was being triggered by gluten. So I ordered the test through enterolabs which is where you send a stool sample. It came back positive for antibodies for gluten and autoimmune reation to gluten as well as instinenal malabsorption. So I am now gluten-free and my hypothyroid symptoms are going away.

Your weight gain may be due to another autoimmune reaction such as hypothyroidism, but the gluten intolerance may be causing this other autoimmune reaction.

I wanted to get more tests so that it would help me stay on the diet if I really was gluten intolerant. I knew that if I wasn't sure I had a problem with gluten than I would be more likely to not stay on the diet, since currently I am pretty much asymptomatic when I ingest gluten in the way of intestinal and stomach stuff. Yet I know gluten-free is important because autoimmune disease runs in my family and gluten can trigger these autoimmune reactions. The symptoms I get when I do ingest gluten are major hypothyroid symptoms.

A gluten-free diet is probably what you need and this will keep you from getting cancer or autoimmune reactions. Whether you need more testing is a matter of choice. If it will help you to know exactly what is wrong, then I would go through enterolab (www.enterolab.com). If a blood test is enough for you then go gluten-free and don't worry about more tests.

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Monica,

If it were me and my blood results came back positive I would NOT go for further testing. I would however immediately begin a gluten-free diet and stick to it for the rest of my life. Even though you do not have any GI symptoms does not mean that's it's not damaging your small intestines or that you don't have Celiac.

Here are some links to gluten-free foods that you can buy in the grocery stores:

Open Original Shared Link

Mainstream Products that are gluten-free

[dana-g]

I have celiac disease and I had trouble losing weight until I went gluten-free. My celiac disease daughter was asymptomatic except for occasional cracks in the corners of her mouth. You definately don't need to have obvious symptoms to have damage in your intestines, as we found out when her biopsy showed significant damage in her gut.

[kalo]

Hi Taniel. I'm curious if you are currently on thyroid medication. I'm new here (not fully diagnosed yet). I thought I fit the picture of low thyroid from birth. However 6 grains of Armour along with hormones and adrenal support and I'm still sick. Recently found out that I may have celiac disease which explains alot. Wasn't tested for Hashis as I was told the treatment was the same either way. I have delayed reflexes which is a sign of low thyroid but I think I read some where recently where you can have delayed reflexes with this as well. Not sure of that (I'm usually in a fog) but it will be interesting to see where thyroid plays a role in my health once I have a concrete diagnosis of celiac disease. Also, I love your scripture. I am a Christian and I've always heard that God answers prayer in 3 ways: yes, no and later (wait). Being as how I'll be 55 next month and my problems started at birth I guess He's had me in the wait mode for a LONG TIME. LOL :-) Carol B

[monica]

Hi everyone,

WOW thanlks for all your relplies. They moved my post from another forum so I only found it now.

I never had any of the classic gluten intolerance symtoms. It is only now that I am eating gluten-free ( about one month) that I notice that my stomach s very sensitive. If I have the smallest amount of gluten, I get very gassy. I am getting alot of heartburn also. It started several months ago when I was eating gluten. Now , it seems to be getting worse. If I drink any d.coke or have any tomato sauce ( which I though was gluten-free) , I get terrible heartburn. It is strange because I went from drinking 2 L or more of d coke a day to one can and now I feel like my body cannot tolerate it.

regarding the weight gain, I had my TSH, t3 and t4 just tested and they all came back very normal- I mean smack in the middle of the normal range. I don't have any of the other symptoms of hypothyrodism such as sluggishness, low body temp , slow reflexes so I don't think it is that. My dietician seems to think that I exercise too much and don't eat enough. She put me on a 1600cal /day diet and told me to exercise less. How do you like that? That's a first. Anyway, I have been trying to eat gluten-free for about a month and I haven't lost any weight. Why would that contribute to weight gain?

My dietiician is the one who suggested further testing. In a way, I would like to do it to validate the fact that I have to eat gluten-free< My mother doesn't believe me. She has that attitude that if I have no symptoms, than why suffer?I get the feeling that no one else in my family believes me either.

\

it is hard. I went to a party today and could not eat anything. Everything had gluten- lasagna, eggplant parm, blintzes, muffins.

Monica

[taneil]

monica,

I just finished reading "The Metobolic Typing Diet" by William Wolcott. I had been overweight most of my life. Then in November of last year I went on "The No-Grain Diet" by Dr. Joseph Mercola. Both of these books say the same thing "eat right for your type". I have lost 30 pounds and am only 10 pounds over my ideal weight. These diets basically advocate eating correctly for your metobolic type (carb type, mix type, and protein type). And they help you determine what your type is. It might be something to look into for your weight issue.

[VAGuy]

I can't remember which posting in which forum I saw it, but there was mention of a woman not being able to get a new health insurance policy when her husband changed jobs - because she was diagnosed with celiac disease/had a "pre-existing" condition.

From what I understand a biopsy is needed for a positive ID.

My Enterolab results were that I have gene #whatever, antigliadin IgA high. I have an appt. coming up in early July - I'll maybe go for a blood test, but no way on a biopsy because I've been gluten-free since Nov and do not want a gluten challenge, and I've had no insurance for 6 years and at age 51 I desperately want it in the future.

The tax deductible angle on celiac disease diet items sounds interesting - A copy of the Enterolab results may work in place of a letter from a private physician, because it does give the names of the doctors that ran the tests, but there has not been a biopsy. Kind of an end around run, but it might fly. Otherwise, I think the gains (financial) by being able to get insurance again outweigh the tax break gains.

[monica]

Thanks Taniel,

Maybe I will look into that book if I don't manage to lose weight with the dietician. I have been on many low carb/high protein diets ( that were not gluten-free ) and did not lose even a pound. I tried Atkins, south beach weight watchers, ediets etc. I tried them all for several weeks and never managed to lose even a pound. Very discouraging. Right now, my dietician wants me to eat more starch ( potatoes, rice, gluten-free bread, gluten-free muffin etc) . It is mentally hard eating so many carbs when I am used to hearing that carbs are so bad.

Anyway, we will see if eating gluten-free and eating the way my dietician is advocating has any effect.

Monica

[taneil]

Monica,

If you have tried the Low Carb/High Protein diets and have not lost weight then you are probably a carb type which means you do need grains and high carb and high starch vegetables. Which both of the books I recommend talk about. They basically say that we are all diferent and require specific nutrient ratios of Carb/Fat/Protein but that it is different for everyone. That is why low carb has not worked for you but has worked for me. I would say you would probably benefit from the "metobolic typing diet" the most.