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

Interpreting Blood Work

borst

Recommended Posts

borst Newbie
borst
Posted
  • Author

Update after a little over 3 weeks on a gluten-free diet...

I've been as strict as possible and careful with CC.. but haven't really felt a positive change. I think i'm still continuing to lose weight as well which is disconcerting.

I have my GI appointment on monday, hoping to get somewhere with that.

I'm also starting to suspect candida as a possibility as well (my bowel symptoms began during a round of antibiotics)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


AndreaB Contributor
AndreaB
Posted

Borst,

I don't remember......did you go dairy free as well.

Candida is often a problem if there is something else going on......with my family metals. The body allows the candida to overgrow to absorb the metals. Candida is bad too, but not as bad as if the metals were circulating.

Something we've been talking about alot on the OMG thread is humaworm. Seems to be helping a lot of people who've just started it. It's for parasites. Most of us have them to some extent, so that may be something you want to look into. Just google humaworm. I think the site is www.humaworm.com but I'm not sure.

Another thing to consider is a holistic doctor/naturopath or LLMD to do a lot of different testing to get a view of what's going on. Mainline tests don't usually show much.

borst Newbie
borst
Posted
  • Author
Borst,

I don't remember......did you go dairy free as well.

Candida is often a problem if there is something else going on......with my family metals. The body allows the candida to overgrow to absorb the metals. Candida is bad too, but not as bad as if the metals were circulating.

Something we've been talking about alot on the OMG thread is humaworm. Seems to be helping a lot of people who've just started it. It's for parasites. Most of us have them to some extent, so that may be something you want to look into. Just google humaworm. I think the site is www.humaworm.com but I'm not sure.

Another thing to consider is a holistic doctor/naturopath or LLMD to do a lot of different testing to get a view of what's going on. Mainline tests don't usually show much.

Thanks for the reply!

I am going to try and get my GP to refer me to a naturopath (insurance only covers naturopaths if referred to by doctor)..

Yes i went dairy free as well (only the last two weeks though) ..

If my GI wants to do an endoscopy, should i go back on gluten, and for how long before a biopsy would show celiac?

AndreaB Contributor
AndreaB
Posted
If my GI wants to do an endoscopy, should i go back on gluten, and for how long before a biopsy would show celiac?

For a biopsy you need to consume gluten. Probably depends on how long you are off of it before the biopsy would be. I think they say it needs to be equivalent to 4 slices of bread a day for six months......

Remember biopsies are hit and miss and just because a biopsy may be negative doesn't mean you don't have a problem with gluten. Something in the gluten and candida is similar (Rachel--24 posted something about this) so if you think you have candida you'll want to remain gluten free until the cause is found for the candida and you've healed.

With a worsening of symptoms after abx I'm wondering about the possibility of lyme. Seems to be a common thing. Don't dismiss it as an impossibility. There have been quite a few diagnosed who've never seen a tick or live in supposedly "safe" areas. It is more widespread (just like celiac) than people think.

I'd like to invite you over to the OMG....I Might Be On To Something thread. Many on there have experience from different angles and would probably be able to give you more things to look for/test for.

aprilh Apprentice
aprilh
Posted
Hi, new member here.

I've been trying to tackle my health issues for about 4 years now with no definitive answer. This is my history that i typed up for my new physician that i'm seeing (trying to seek a second opinion). I tried to make it as concise as possible but i have a complicated history.

Anyway, the first thing my new physician wanted to do was run some general bloodwork as well as a celiac panel. I got the results back today:

So my Glidin IgA is positive, my Gliadin IgG borderline, and my Transglutaminase IgA looks negative.

My doctor said I may have a gluten sensitivity but not "full blown Celiac". What do you guys think?

The rest of my bloodwork showed some spikes as well..

The bloodwork also included a random glucose test, calcium, vitamin b12, Ferriton, sTSH, T4 Free, Free T3, GGT, AST, Alkaline Phosphatase, all came back within normal range.

I'm getting a referral back to the same gastroenterologist that i had before, hopefully will get some more answers this time

Any advice/suggestions/insight would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hey Borst!

I just wanted to suggest a GI panel by Diagnos Techs. This testing can detect all kinds of bacterial, yeast, and other infections that could be troubling you. If you are interested I can dig up the link and post it for you.

I am not sure if this new gastro will use this specialty lab but you could request that it be done through them. Insurance may not pay for it, but sometimes I feel its best to go out of "insurance" because they do not always use the best labs or the best forms of testing available. That is, if you can afford it.

A good ND might be able to help with this if your gastro dr dismisses your concerns or if you find you are unhappy with the results of your consult.

Good luck and I hope you find results!!!

April

ksb43 Apprentice
ksb43
Posted

For t-Transglutaminase, the test I got had this on the results:

Units - U/mL

Negative: 0-3

Weak Positive: 4-10

Positive: >10

And my doctor said most people without celiac would below below 1. Mine was 14 and I was diagnosed with it (all the other antibody ones were negative and my biopsy didn't really show any damage). So what's the deal? Why are the ranges different?

dadoffiveboys Rookie
dadoffiveboys
Posted
For t-Transglutaminase, the test I got had this on the results:

Units - U/mL

Negative: 0-3

Weak Positive: 4-10

Positive: >10

And my doctor said most people without celiac would below below 1. Mine was 14 and I was diagnosed with it (all the other antibody ones were negative and my biopsy didn't really show any damage). So what's the deal? Why are the ranges different?

There are different ranges based on the lab. For my test, a TTG <=20 was normal. My TTG was 20. For IgA a score of <20 was normal, 20-50 equivocal and >50 positive. I was 46 on the IGA Anti-gliadin and went for a biopsy - actually several biopsies. They were all negative and showed only mild signs of Gastritis and GERD. I went gluten-free and it made a HUGE difference.

My wife had the SAME IgA tests and her value was 1.0. So I clearly know what someone w/o a problem should score and I would consider 46 pretty high in that case!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Son's legs shaking

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son. Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia. An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal. Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease. Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease. Though having the genes for Celiac...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,869
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    MaryannHall
    Newest Member
    MaryannHall
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son.  Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia.  An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal.   Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps, as well as aggression and irritability, confusion, mood swings and behavior changes.  Thiamine is essential to the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which keep us calm and rational.   @Jsingh, histamine intolerance is also a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is needed to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine at the slightest provocation as is seen in histamine intolerance.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins and Vitamin C are needed to clear histamine from the body.  Without sufficient thiamine and other B vitamins to clear it, the histamine builds up.  High histamine levels can change behavior, too.  High histamine levels are found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia.  Thiamine deficiency can also cause extreme hunger or conversely anorexia.   High carbohydrate meals can precipitate thiamine deficiency because additional thiamine is required to process carbohydrates for the body to use as fuel.  The more carbohydrates one eats daily, the more one needs additional thiamine above the RDA.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses. Keep in mind that gluten-free processed foods like cookies and such are not required to be fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals like their gluten containing counterparts are.  Limit processed gluten-free foods.  They are often full of empty calories and unhealthy saturated fats and additives, and are high in histamine or histamine release triggers.  It's time you bought your own vitamins to supplement what is not being absorbed due to malabsorption of Celiac disease.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that has been shown to improve intestinal health as well as brain function. Do talk to your doctors and dieticians about supplementing with the essential vitamins and minerals while your children are growing up gluten free.  Serve nutritionally dense foods.  Meats and liver are great sources of B vitamins and minerals. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Scott Adams
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
×
×
  • 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.