Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Should I Get New Tests From Introlab? Need Help Interpreting.

byrmanson

Recommended Posts

byrmanson Rookie
byrmanson
Posted

I got some tests run from a local lab. The doctor that ordered them hasn't explained a darn thing and just told me to do the gluten diet. But I think these tests are negative, so why do the diet (I am anyway). I have two doctor friends that told me to do the diet too... but I can't understand their rationale from these tests? Where are the antibodies?

Here's what I got back. I have also had a doctor tell me not to trust the lab normals, and that if I'm on the low end or high end of the normals that it could still be a problem? So what good are these test then?

I do believe I'm gluten senstive (self-diagnosed) regardless of these numbers as my research and my diet experiments have all supported the possibility. But, this seems to be a great forum for trustworthy input. PLEASE tell me what you've heard or what you see in these results?

I read these to say:

(1) that I am positive for a gene causing celiac, (2) but am normal for T-transglut IGA (test result 1), and (3) have normal Immunoglobulins. Also looks like (4) possibly low iron and (5) low Vit D but not outside the lab normals? The lab normals are confusing me, and my research has made me conclude that these tests may not have picked up a sensitivity ... perhaps there are other tests too that would be more helpful?

HELP! HELP! HELP!

IRON

Ferritin = 28 (normal 10-291)

Immunoglobulins

IgA 135 (Normals 70-400) [these normals look wierd to me to have such a range???]

Celiac Disease HLA DQ Association

DQ2 POSITIVE

DQA1 NEGATIVE

Vitamins

Vitamin D, 25 OH = 49.5

(normals 32-100)

Serology

T-transglut IGA 1 (Normals 0-3)

T-transglut IGA

Neg: 0-3

Weak Pos: 4-10

Pos: >10

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Seeing as doctors in this country are very reluctant as a rule to tell someone to do the diet I have to assume that you have health issues that are pointing strongly in that direction. You also say that you have felt better without gluten, were your blood tests done before or after you went gluten free? You have had 3 doctors tell you that you need to be gluten free, you feel better gluten free and you carry a celiac and an intolerance gene. The blood testing is not perfect, it missed me for many long and disabling years. It has done so for others also. The truest test is your response to a strict gluten free diet.

If I am not mistaken you are asking about Enterolab testing. They test for stool antibodies to gluten, casien, soy, yeast and egg. If you feel better on the diet I would just stay with it but if you need more conclusive testing the stool testing for antibodies is pretty sensitive and has less false negatives than blood testing.

byrmanson Rookie
byrmanson
Posted
  • Author

Just to clarify, I have reason to think that the doctor that ordered the test overdiagnoses gluten senstivity as a "fad" diagnosis. In addition, the two other doctors weren't specialized in this but friends that I sought out.

And, no, I don't have significant symptoms compared to other people on this board AT ALL....

Thank you for your input!

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

Well, celiac disease can be asymptomatic, so that isn't a complete rule out. Also some have symptoms that clear that they had not paid attention to.

I agree, if you want more testing of a different type, try Enterolab. The other option if you are still eating gluten, is to ask for a biopsy. Some people have negative blood tests but positive biopsy.

Enterolab doesn't diagnose celiac, but does pick up gluten sensitivity quite well.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,708
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    coachnitro
    Newest Member
    coachnitro
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Still unsure.....

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @badastronaut, I'm so glad you got your folate and zinc up! I'm a big fan of Benfotiamine.  It's a form of thiamine that promotes intestinal healing.  I take 250 mg Benfotiamine with the first two meals of the day along with a B 50 Complex.  The B vitamins all work together so taking a B Complex with Benfotiamine is great.  I also take a form of thiamine called TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which helps immensely with brain function, anxiety and depression.  Start off with small doses (50 mg) and increase doses as long as you see improvement.     https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10682628/#:~:text=Benfotiamine (Fig.,]%2C [62]].
    • knitty kitty
      Help needed

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @nanny marley, I had great improvement by supplementing with a B Complex and extra thiamine in the form Benfotiamine which promotes intestinal healing.  I followed the AutoImmune Protocol Diet developed by a doctor with Celiac Disease herself, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  The AIP diet removes everything from the diet that can be irritating or hard to digest.  After a period of time to heal, other foods are slowly added back into the diet if tolerated.   For more stories of my journey, read my blogs by clicking on my name and choosing activities in the dropdown menu.
    • cristiana
      SSRI stopped working after gluten free diet due to Celiac diag

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Redlima My anxiety hit before diagnosis, and in fact it was anxiety which led me to see a doctor who put me on the road of various blood tests which revealed iron deficiency, raised globulin levels and borderline B12.  At first my GP suspected a type of cancer, and didn't really know what else to make of it until about six months down the road when I started to get diarrhea and was losing weight.  That then led another GP to do more tests and coeliac disease was the culprit. Clinical anxiety can be very scary indeed and I suffered with a horrible, irrational phobia at that time, too.  I could hardly think straight.  My GP put me onto citalopram but also, thankfully, I found a couple of books that helped me to get through this time and I always mention them on this forum, at the risk of repetition, because they were a huge help to me. Paul David's 'At Last a Life' book (and his forum), as well as Dr Steve Llardi's 'The Depression Cure' book which looks at things which we neglect in modern life, such as physical exercise, omega-3 fatty acids,  natural sunlight exposure,  restorative sleep,  social connectedness and  meaningful, engaging activity.  These things can really make a difference.   At the same time, my vitamin and mineral deficiencies were addressed.  Have you had your levels checked, particularly B12 and iron?  These are particularly important as deficiencies can really affect people's mental health.  If they are low or low normal, get your doctor to prescribe some supplements, but at the same s/he needs to keep an eye on iron going forward, as too much in the blood is dangerous.  I found B12 incredibly helpful in feeling better in the early stages of my recovery - sometimes, it was almost like night and day just a few hours after taking it.  (Someone on this forum recommended Solgar sublingual tablets, they are great.) My anxiety started to get a lot better after a few weeks but there were setbacks which made me at times think I'd not recovered, or perhaps ever would.  But like a jagged line on a chart, which has ups and downs but over all has an upward trajectory, I did get better in the end.  I hope that you will find the same, and that perhaps some of this story has helped.  
    • badastronaut
      Still unsure.....

      By badastronaut · Posted

      So after  a long time in which I got my zinc and folic acid levels back on track I will now start with taking Thiamine to see if that does anything. According to my blood levels I'm not low on Thiamine but, if I understand correctly, blood works are not the best way to find out if there is a Thiamine shortage. How much Thiamine should I take to start with? 100 mg? 
    • Scott Adams
      Curious if I should quit my job

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'm in the "never reveal your plans to the enemy" camp on this one--it's none of their business if you're looking for another job, so I would leave that out of any conversation. Also, retaliation can be common with some employers, especially if you bring up the ADA and claim a disability because of celiac disease. I was a corporate paralegal for 5 years and handled employment claims against some major USA companies, and I've seen it all--even by huge companies that contract with the government and should know better. I say keep your cards close to your vest, wear an N95 mask if you handle wheat flour, and quietly look for another job if you feel you can't continue there.  Oh, and when I say "enemy," I mean that unscrupulous managers may quickly become your enemy, even if the law is on your side, and they could find trivial reasons to give you the 3 quick warnings that may be necessary to fire you. Very few lawyers would take such a case on a contingency basis, so unless you have a stockpile of money, you'd have no recourse. 
×
×
  • Create New...