Here Are My Enterolab Results...

[carrielynn]

Hi everyone,

I sent off a "sample" to Enterolab and recently got my results back. I had previously done the genetic test and found out I have two gluten sensitive genes.

Here are my results:

**********************

Gluten sensitivity Stool Panel Complete

Fecal Antigliadin IgA 33 (Normal Range <10 Units)

Fecal Antitissue Transglutaminase IgA 18 Units (Normal Range <10 Units)

Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score <300 Units (Normal Range <300 Units)

Cow's Milk Protein Sensitivity Stool Test

Fecal anti-casein (cow

[celiacgirls]

It does seem that most people will be diagnosed with a gluten problem by Enterolab. My personal opinion is that most people probably do have somewhat of a problem with gluten.

I think for you to know if it is worth giving up gluten and casein for you, you need to be very strict for a while. Otherwise you will never know how good you can feel.

I was one who would have said I had no symptoms before I did the Enterolab test. I did it because my daughter was positive by Enterolab. Looking back, I did have the constipation issues but I thought that was normal for me. I now have a whole list of things that were wrong with me that went away when I went gluten free. The ones that keep me on the diet are depression, irritability and brain fog. Now if I have tiny amounts of gluten from cc, those symptoms come back and are not completely gone for 2 weeks.

My constipation seems to have been caused by the casein. I am not as bothered by that as I am the gluten symptoms but I still do not deliberately eat it.

I'm not sure if the answer is known yet about whether you can have trace amounts of gluten and casein if you are not a celiac. Many doctors would say that you can and it is a matter of personal tolerance. A few doctors, including Dr. Fine, believe gluten intolerance is all part of a spectrum which includes celiac disease and that gluten damages other body parts if not the intestine. It's up to you to decide what to believe and how strict to be, if you are not dx'ed with celiac disease.

Again, in order for you to know what tiny amounts of gluten and casein do to you, you will have to completely eliminate them for a while and then possibly re-introduce a little bit to see what happens.

[Nancym]

It's taken me 1.5 years of being extremely strict with gluten and mostly strict with dairy to get to where I feel really good and my gut is behaving very nicely. I also found a few other foods that seem to upset my gut, so I really listen to what the body is telling me. It really does talk to you, you just have to listen!

[carrielynn]

Thanks for these responses!

Which leads me to my next question... and I know there's no one answer, but how long before I start feeling better if the gluten and dairy is bothering me? My husband, who is a true celiac, started feeling better pretty quickly. Of course he may have been feeling so bad before that any improvement was registered as feeling better. He's been gluten-free for 8 months now. He had lost a bunch of weight prior to going gluten-free but is now gaining it back.

Other than the soy sauce (it was in teriyaki sauce, so it was very small amount), I don't think I've had any gluten. We're pro's around here with this stuff and we eat at home quite a bit. When I have eaten out I've limited myself to salads with meat. No blue cheese or croutons, etc. Only vinaigrette dressings.

I do get moody and have "down days" from time-to-time so it would be great if this new diet resolved that.

[CarlaB]

As others have mentioned, I would try the gluten-free/dairy-free diet for several months. At that point if you want to "challenge" either intolerance, do so one at a time. I had a casein score similar to yours, but after 6 months casein-free had seen no difference in my health. I "challenged" it and it doesn't bother me at all.

Gluten, on the other hand, still bothers me! Barley was listed as about the 20th ingredient in a supplement I was taking -- so a VERY small amount -- and it was enough to give me terrible stomach cramping.

It varies in how long it takes to feel better.

Be careful eating salads when you're out. My son worked in a tea shop last summer and the salad station was the same as the sandwich station. He said that it would be impossible for me to eat anything at all at the tea shop.

I generally only go to places with a gluten-free menu because they are trained by their corporate offices how to avoid contamination. I would limit myself to these places at least until you're healthy. Many avoid eating out completely until they're healthy.

You may find your moodiness and down days improve on the diet. Many people do.