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

Accuracy Of Fecal Anti-gliadin Slga Testing

artsy67

Recommended Posts

artsy67 Newbie
artsy67
Posted

I have lived with debilitating fatigue, intestinal symptoms, depression, and insomnia, for 30 years. I have Crohn's disease, but it's been in remission for nearly two decades.

I am currently seeing a registered dietician, clinical certified nutritionist, and she uses Metametrix labs, for her testing. Recently, I got a considerably high reading to a fecal Anti-gliadin slgA test. She thinks that I have Celiacs, based on a collection of old lab tests, my present symptoms, and the current test results. She is doing further blood tests to confirm this diagnosis, but I'm wondering how accurate the stool test that she requisitioned, was in the first place.

Anyone out there who knows anything about Metametrix labs, or about this specific test? I would totally appreciate any feedback that I get!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I have not used that lab but I used enterolab for the soy and casien. The stool testing actually tends to be more accurate than blood testing. No matter what the blood test results you should get on the diet unless you plan to have an endoscopy. Welcome to the boards and ask any questions you need to. You may have now found the key to recovering your health and life. Read as much as you can here and feel free to vent if you need to. It can be frustrating at first.

artsy67 Newbie
artsy67
Posted
  • Author
I have not used that lab but I used enterolab for the soy and casien. The stool testing actually tends to be more accurate than blood testing. No matter what the blood test results you should get on the diet unless you plan to have an endoscopy. Welcome to the boards and ask any questions you need to. You may have now found the key to recovering your health and life. Read as much as you can here and feel free to vent if you need to. It can be frustrating at first.

Thanks for the info. I'm so sorry that you suffered so long with incorrect diagnoses and debilitating symptoms. I am on a gluten-free diet now. This is the second day. My nutritionist said that even if I don't have Celiac disease, I do have a sensitivity to gluten. How long did it take you on this diet, before you started feeling better?

Wendy

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

My stomach problems and migraines ceased almost immediately, within 2 weeks. My nerve issues slowly repaired and the difference was noticeable within 6 months with some repair still going on after 5 years, but remember my nerve damage started at 4 so 5 years is not a lot compaired to the 40 years it took for me to get to the point I was at. My DH resolved with outbreaks lessening in the first 6 months to a year and after 2 years was pretty much gone. My depression and anxiety issues were gone in about 2 months, unless glutened.

After the first 3 months I got smart and dropped almost all processed mainstream foods from my diet and removed gluten from my nonfood items and that sped the healing up a great deal because I no longer had CC issues to deal with.

In some ways I do not regret the amount of time I spent undiagnosed, not for my sake but for others. Being undiagnosed for so long and having so many of my systems effected made it really clear to what extent gluten can damage folks long before the GI stuff sets up residence. If I had not been so very, very sick and had the turn around I did I don't know if my family ever would have been tested and then done the diet. So many rely on doctors and blood tests, my tests were always negative so my family realized that a trial of the diet was needed even though their results were low positives. The turn around in all of us has been amazing.

artsy67 Newbie
artsy67
Posted
  • Author
My stomach problems and migraines ceased almost immediately, within 2 weeks. My nerve issues slowly repaired and the difference was noticeable within 6 months with some repair still going on after 5 years, but remember my nerve damage started at 4 so 5 years is not a lot compaired to the 40 years it took for me to get to the point I was at. My DH resolved with outbreaks lessening in the first 6 months to a year and after 2 years was pretty much gone. My depression and anxiety issues were gone in about 2 months, unless glutened.

After the first 3 months I got smart and dropped almost all processed mainstream foods from my diet and removed gluten from my nonfood items and that sped the healing up a great deal because I no longer had CC issues to deal with.

In some ways I do not regret the amount of time I spent undiagnosed, not for my sake but for others. Being undiagnosed for so long and having so many of my systems effected made it really clear to what extent gluten can damage folks long before the GI stuff sets up residence. If I had not been so very, very sick and had the turn around I did I don't know if my family ever would have been tested and then done the diet. So many rely on doctors and blood tests, my tests were always negative so my family realized that a trial of the diet was needed even though their results were low positives. The turn around in all of us has been amazing.

It's interesting to know that you didn't test positive for the blood testing, although you have the Celiac disease. You must have gone through so much frustration, anger, and depression, while you were untreated. I know that I certainly have. I've been on the gluten-free diet for 3 days now, and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I even brought up Celiac disease with my gastro-enterologist, and she didn't take me seriously. It's very encouraging to hear how dramatic your improvements in health have been, and how little time it took you to begin feeling better. I know that it's sort of strange to hope for confirmation of Celiac disease, but I've been feeling so crappy for so long now, that an answer to what is causing my symptoms, would be greatly appreciated!

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,678
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kristina S
    Newest Member
    Kristina S
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • 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.