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

Newbie With Questions About Tests

snowflake

Recommended Posts

snowflake Newbie
snowflake
Posted

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and needed to ask a couple of questions. While trying to determine what is causing my health problems I found a doctor who would order a salvia test to check my cortisol levels (I suspected adrenal fatigue and hypothyroid). My cortisol levels came back definately depressed, so we are treating that. Once I get that where it should be I'll move on to the thyroid. Anyway, when my results came back the doctor told me I was also gluten intolerant. This wasn't even on my radar, so I decided to pretty much ignore it over the holidays. I still do not feel up to dealing with it, but I must be feeling a tad better because I decided to post here and start getting some information. :) My lab results state: "Gliadin Ab, SIgA 22 Positive (ranges are Borderline: 13-15 U/ml and Positive >15 U/ml.) Patient shows mild intolerance or reactivity to Gliadin and may be clinically asymptomatic, however an ongoing low-grade intestinal inflammation following Gliadin intake has been demonstrated."

On a somewhat positive note, I already have a GI doctor that I like and trust. Of course, that is because I also have Chron's disease. I was diagnosed with in January 1994 during emergency surgery. They thought it was my appendix but it was my small intestine that had ruptured and abcessed. I also had a second surgery 2 1/2 years ago due to a stricture that had formed from scarring from the previous surgery and subsequent flare ups of Chron's. So I'm wondering, would Celiac have been noticeable at either of those surgies? Is it something that can develop at any point in time or would it likely have been something I've been dealing with unknowingly for awhile? I've had 2 or 3 endoscopies and at least 3 or 4 colonoscopies. Also, what things should I ask my GI when I see him specifically? What tests should I request? I'd REALLY like to have as few visits to the doctor as possible. I'm having to see a different doctor for the adrenal/thyroid stuff plus my regular GP. In addition, I am my 90yo mother's primary caregiver and have to work her doctor's visits in. Then I have my 2 children to take care of. Sorry this is so long and whiny! I'm just REALLY tired of new stuff going wrong with me! There should definately be a limit to the number of major medical problems a person is allowed to have! Thanks for any and all advice.....

Cherie

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


nikki-uk Enthusiast
nikki-uk
Posted

Hi Cherie :)

Looks like you didn't have the full 'Coeliac Panel'

This is

Antigliadin (AGA) IgA

Antigliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti - tissue Transglutiminase (tTg) Iga

Total serum IgA

The ones underlined are the most important ones.

Damage by celiac disease cannot be seen by the naked eye (e.g during your previous surgery) - only under a microscope.

You mention that you've had many endoscopies - were any biopsies taken??? Damage caused by celiac disease (villous atrophy) should have been picked up on any biopsies.

Having said all that - a number of people suffering with Crohn's find a gluten-free diet does help their gut - without them actually being a coeliac.

Hope that hopes :)

snowflake Newbie
snowflake
Posted
  • Author

Thanks Nicki! I will ask my GI to do the tests you posted. I'm not sure why they did the one they did, but it must have been part of the testing panel they were doing. Who knows. So the one test isn't conclusive even though it was positive?

It makes sense that they wouldn't have noticed it if it isn't visible to the naked eye. I'm not sure why I was thinking it would be... I know that a biopsy was taken of some ulcers during one endoscopy, but that wouldn't have shown anything about celiac. Thanks for the info! It gives me a starting point.

Cherie

Hi Cherie :)

Looks like you didn't have the full 'Coeliac Panel'

This is

Antigliadin (AGA) IgA

Antigliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti - tissue Transglutiminase (tTg) Iga

Total serum IgA

The ones underlined are the most important ones.

Damage by celiac disease cannot be seen by the naked eye (e.g during your previous surgery) - only under a microscope.

You mention that you've had many endoscopies - were any biopsies taken??? Damage caused by celiac disease (villous atrophy) should have been picked up on any biopsies.

Having said all that - a number of people suffering with Crohn's find a gluten-free diet does help their gut - without them actually being a coeliac.

Hope that hopes :)

Archived

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

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

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,916
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Ykat
    Newest Member
    Ykat
    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

    • xxnonamexx
      Fermented foods, Kefir, Kombucha?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      very interesting thanks for the info  
    • Florence Lillian
      gluten free cookie recipes

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      More cookie recipes ...thanks so much for the heads-up Scott.  One can never have too many.  Cheers, Florence.
    • Russ H
      Severe severe mouth pain

      By Russ H · Posted

      Hi Charlie, You sound like you have been having a rough time of it. Coeliac disease can cause a multitude of skin, mouth and throat problems. Mouth ulcers and enamel defects are well known but other oral conditions are also more common in people with coeliac disease: burning tongue, inflamed and swollen tongue, difficulty swallowing, redness and crusting in the mouth corners, and dry mouth to name but some. The link below is for paediatric dentistry but it applies to adults too.  Have you had follow up for you coeliac disease to check that your anti-tTG2 antibodies levels have come down? Are you certain that you not being exposed to significant amounts of gluten? Are you taking a PPI for your Barrett's oesophagus? Signs of changes to the tongue can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, particularly iron, B12 and B9 (folate) deficiency. I would make sure to take a good quality multivitamin every day and make sure to take it with vitamin C containing food - orange juice, broccoli, cabbage etc.  Sebaceous hyperplasia is common in older men and I can't find a link to coeliac disease.   Russ.   Oral Manifestations in Pediatric Patients with Coeliac Disease – A Review Article
    • cristiana
      Severe severe mouth pain

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Charlie1946 You are very welcome.   I agree wholeheartedly with @knitty kitty:  "I wish doctors would check for nutritional deficiencies and gastrointestinal issues before prescribing antidepressants." I had a type of tingling/sometimes pain in my cheek about 2 years after my diagnosis.  I noticed it after standing in cold wind, affecting  me after the event - for example, the evening after standing outside, I would feel either tingling or stabbing pain in my cheek.   I found using a neck roll seemed to help, reducing caffeine, making sure I was well-hydrated, taking B12 and C vitamins and magnesium.  Then when the lockdowns came and I was using a facemask I realised that this pain was almost entirely eliminated by keeping the wind off my face.  I think looking back I was suffering from a type of nerve pain/damage.  At the time read that coeliacs can suffer from nerve damage caused by nutritional deficiencies and inflammation, and there was hope that as bodywide healing took place, following the adoption of a strict gluten free diet and addressing nutritional deficiencies, recovery was possible.   During this time, I used to spend a lot of time outdoors with my then young children, who would be playing in the park, and I'd be sheltering my face with an upturned coat collar, trying to stay our of the cold wind!  It was during this time a number of people with a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia came up to me and introduced themselves, which looking back was nothing short of miraculous as I live in a pretty sparsely populated rural community and it is quite a rare condition.   I met a number of non-coeliacs who had suffered with this issue  and all bar one found relief in taking medication like amitriptyline which are type of tricyclic anti-depressant.   They were not depressed, here their doctors had prescribed the drugs as pain killers to address nerve pain, hence I mention here.  Nerve pain caused by shingles is often treated with this type of medication in the UK too, so it is definitely worth bearing in mind if standard pain killers like aspirin aren't working. PS  How to make a neck roll with a towel: https://www.painreliefwellness.com.au/2017/10/18/cervical-neck-roll/#:~:text=1.,Very simple. 
    • Scott Adams
      gluten free cookie recipes

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      We just added a ton of new recipes here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/gluten-free-recipes/gluten-free-dessert-recipes-pastries-cakes-cookies-etc/gluten-free-cookie-recipes/
×
×
  • 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.