I'm New To This....could Eggs Be The Culprit?

[Guest JEN]

Hello everyone,

First off - thanks for all the wonderful dialogue on this board. Where would we be without the internet for information sharing??? WOW

Anyway - a little about me. I was accidentally diagnosed with celiac disease in June, 03 by way of a biopsy during an enderoscopy (throat scope-whatever that's called). Anyway - after some initial research and preparation, I went gluten-free on September 9th (I have not had a beer in over 4 months - not even a sip - and it's near killed me...ha). Ok, on with the serious stuff.....

I have been gluten-free for 4 months and a week (with only one "known" accident). I can't tell you that I feel better because I was asymptomatic in the first place (as I said, I was diagnosed accidentally while ruling out a GI problem for some female problems I was having at the time). I have two questions for all of you:

1) When I had my follow-up appt. last week with the GI doc - we couldn't measure my improvement by talking about my symptoms because I never had any to begin with. So, he did a celiec-panel bloodwork to compare it with my baseline that I had back at time of diagnosis. He said I was improved in every antibody test (I think he said there were 4 or 5 categories?) that they ran. I went from a total antibody count of 308.6 down to a 26.8. I was elated (because that is over 90% improvement). But he basically said that, "if I thought I was gluten-free to think again...beacuse if that were the case my antibody levels would be at zero". After that comment, I wanted to kick him in the you-know-what. But I didn't. I was feeling so down after my appointment that I went and ate a half of a pizza (but no beers). Again, absolutely NO SYMPTOMS after having a half of a pizza and some fried cheese sticks. OK - so I haven't fallen off the gluten-free wagon - just had an angry episode. I just need to try harder to get that to a zero, I guess. I need to be more careful about cross-contamination and make less assumptions that things are ok. But it's very difficult when I have no outward symptoms to gluten.

This leads me to my next question.

2) It seems that since going gluten-free, I am reacting to EGGS. I seem to get terrible rumbling stomach pains and have endless watery diarrhea (like turning on a hose-sorry) shortly after I eat eggs. Could that be a culprit? And if so, how do I really find out if I am allergic to eggs? Is there a blood test I can ask the doc to order to determine if I am allergic to eggs?

Any advice or words of encouragement would greatly be appreciated at this time.

Thanks, in advance, for your support. God Bless.

Jen

[gf4life]

Hi JEN,

It could be the eggs causing problems, but it wouldn't change your antibody levels to gluten. Although after 4 months the tests would not necessarily be at "zero" some people take 6 months or more to be able to reduce their levels to zero, and yours were exceptionally high. I have a few questions for you.

Do you routinely have anything else with the eggs that might also cause a problem?

Was there a significant amount of damage in your intestines, and if there was did you stop having dairy products, at least temporarily to allow yourself to heal?

As for testing, you could ask your doctor to order the RAST food allergy testing. They take a blood test and check for IgE reaction to certain foods, eggs being one of the top eight. The others being wheat, soy, milk, shellfish, fish, peanuts, and tree nuts (like walnuts or pecans). There is also a more detailed test of more than 100 foods, and I don't know much about that one. I know that with most true food allergies the reaction is typically outward, rash, hives, throat swelling, and such. Food intolerances are typically GI reactions. They are also harder to test for. You could check your self by doing an elimination diet of the suspect foods,

I imagine it would be hard to stick to the gluten-free lifestyle when you didn't have symptoms to begin with. Try not to have too many of those "angry eposides" though. You don't want to continue to damage yourself inside.

By the way, did they ever figure out the "female" problems you mentioned. I was just wondering if they were caused by the Celiac Disease?

God bless,

Mariann

[Lily]

Hi Jen,

I'm getting ready myself to go on an allergy elimination diet and cannot have eggs while I do that. When I add them back in I'll be able to tell if I can take it or not. I have grown not to trust lab tests so I'm in the mindset to listen to my body. Good luck !

Mariann.......you have such wonderful information, we're lucky to have you here .

Lily

[gf4life]

Thanks Lily, I'm happy to share. I've always had a weird obsession with medical books and since I got on the internet it's been insane! I just seem to absorb what I read, at least when the topic interests me. My sister and a few of my friends lovingly refer to me as Dr.Mariann and call me to ask me what I think about their symptoms before they call the doctor... I study my medical encyclopedias and love to do research. I think it is because I have been suffering from the effects of gluten intolerance since I can remember (my earliest symptom I can remember was at 4 years old) and since the doctors couldn't figure it out, I have been on a lifelong quest for health...

God bless,

Mariann