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

Needing Reassurance


kyga

Recommended Posts

kyga Rookie

After years of 'strange' symptoms, including vertigo and infertility and a host of other 'random' problems, I finally thought to look into the possibility of celiac disease. I started a gluten-freen diet about a month ago, and then last week went to a doctor who is very knowledgeable about gluten sensitivity. My blood test results will be in probably Tuesday. Anyway, I reasoned that if I am sensitive to gluten, I'll need an endoscopy and will need to eat some gluten in preparation for that. If I am not sensitive to gluten, it won't matter anyway. So I ate gluten all weekend.

Then, on a lark, because my period was late, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! However, instead of feeling completely happy about it, now I'm worried that if I'm gluten sensitive, I have dramatically increased the likelihood of miscarriage by eating gluten. Anyone out there 'get glutened' during pregnancy without a disastrous result? I need to look on the bright side!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



sydneysmommy Apprentice

no no no.... eating gluten will NOT increase chance of miscarraige! rest assured your baby will be okay! but you should call your dr who is doing the endoscopy and let him know about your pregnancy so you can do a blood test to confirm celiac instead of endoscopy!

congratulations!!!!!!!

pregnancy & celiac can work! and eating gluten will not hurt your child! it may upset your stomach... but it wont hurt your baby!

good luck!

kbtoyssni Contributor
no no no.... eating gluten will NOT increase chance of miscarraige! rest assured your baby will be okay! but you should call your dr who is doing the endoscopy and let him know about your pregnancy so you can do a blood test to confirm celiac instead of endoscopy!

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure that if you do have celiac, eating gluten will be harmful to the baby. If you're not absorbing nutrients properly, that can't be good for the baby. Many celiacs have fertility problems and miscarriages. Maybe someone can cite some research here. I don't want to freak you out, but I do think that you want to seriously consider whether eating gluten for traditional medical testing is a good idea right now.

maryjoali Newbie
Are you sure? I'm pretty sure that if you do have celiac, eating gluten will be harmful to the baby. If you're not absorbing nutrients properly, that can't be good for the baby. Many celiacs have fertility problems and miscarriages. Maybe someone can cite some research here. I don't want to freak you out, but I do think that you want to seriously consider whether eating gluten for traditional medical testing is a good idea right now.

I know there are mixed messages out there, but my doctor told me that throughout pregnancy, I needed to maintain a 100% gluten-free diet, especially during the first trimester. It was much easier for me, though, since I had already been diagnosed and I know how sick I would be if I cheated even a little (I am craving gluteny foods like crazy!) I would definitely check into it further if I were you and remember that you're going to have to do a lot of self-advocacy.

loraleena Contributor

I noticed you said you went gluten free and then had the blood work after. If this is the case it is very likely that your tests will be negative. You have to eat gluten for the tests to show anything. Anyway, I would stay on the diet now that you are pregnant. I wouldn't eat it on purpose, but I don't think a mistake would hurt the baby. I don't know for sure.

shanluts Apprentice

I was gluten-free with my 1st pregnancy AND 2nd Preg (lost this one at 12 weeks). With my 3rd they said I was JUST sensative to wheat so I ate tons of gluten. She was a healthy baby girl. THEN when she was ill (unrelated to gluten) I was retested per her doctors request AND I do have celiac disease SOOOOOO if it is any consolation I ate gluten for an entire pregnancy NOT just a short time. The risks with eating gluten (I was told) was vitamin deficiancies which are taken care of with all the extra we take with pregnancy.

Best of luck to you.

Shannon

kyga Rookie

Thanks to everyone who replied. I feel better now. I am not eating gluten, but I have decided not to freak out if I accidentally ingest some.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Ursa Major Collaborator
no no no.... eating gluten will NOT increase chance of miscarraige! rest assured your baby will be okay! but you should call your dr who is doing the endoscopy and let him know about your pregnancy so you can do a blood test to confirm celiac instead of endoscopy!

congratulations!!!!!!!

pregnancy & celiac can work! and eating gluten will not hurt your child! it may upset your stomach... but it wont hurt your baby!

good luck!

Yes, yes, yes, gluten WILL increase your risk of miscarriage! But getting glutened at times won't. I did have five healthy babies while eating gluten, but I also had eight miscarriages. Plus, I had AWFUL pregnancies, I was sick for nine months every time.

Kyga, I am glad you have decided not to go through with eating gluten again for a test, as you would put your baby at risk (as well as yourself) otherwise.

Make sure you get tested for nutritional deficiencies, so you know which extra supplements (on top of your regular prenatal vitamins) you may need to take. The most common deficiencies with celiac disease are vitamin D, ferretin (iron), calcium, magnesium, vitamins B12 and B6, vitamin K, potassium. Make sure you have enough folic acid!

Try not to worry too much, and do your best to stay gluten-free, that is all you can do.

I agree, even if your blood test comes back negative (which is very likely), that won't mean that you don't have celiac disease. Those blood tests aren't all that accurate to begin with, and having it done after being gluten-free for several weeks is pretty useless.

TLT Newbie

Don't get too worked up about it, I didn't realize I had the gluten issue until I was pregnant, so I ate gluten up and through the first month of pregnancy and my little girl is perfect as can be, so do your best to get it out of your system and lay off of it, but you can't change the past. By the way you will feel a ton better when you are off the gluten, it seems you are a million times more sensitive while pregnant. Be careful and good luck.

Archived

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

  • 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. - Scott Adams replied to MicG's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      Test interpretations

    2. - trents replied to MicG's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      Test interpretations

    3. - suek54 replied to Kayla S's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      4

      Need advice for some relief!

    4. - MicG replied to MicG's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      Test interpretations

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,656
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Coop12
    Newest Member
    Coop12
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Based on those results alone, it’s not possible to say you have celiac disease. The test that is usually most specific for celiac, tTG-IgA, is negative in your results, and the endomysial antibody (EMA) is also negative, which generally argues against active celiac disease. However, your deamidated gliadin IgA is elevated, and your total IgA level is also high, which can sometimes affect how the other antibody tests behave. Another important factor is that you were reducing gluten before the test, which can lower antibody levels and make the results less reliable. Because of that, many doctors recommend a gluten challenge (eating gluten regularly for several weeks) before repeating blood tests or considering an endoscopy if symptoms and labs raise concern. It would be best to review these results with a gastroenterologist, who can interpret them in context and decide whether further testing is needed.
    • trents
      Since you compromised the validity of the antibody testing by experimenting with gluten withdrawal ahead of the testing, you are faced with two options: 1. Reintroduce significant amounts of gluten into your diet for a period of weeks, i.e., undertake a "gluten challenge". The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat-based bread) for at least two weeks leading up to the day of testing. Note: I would certainly give it more than two weeks to be sure. 2. Be willing to live with the ambiguity of not knowing whether gluten causes you problems because you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). There is no test for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we have tests for it. Celiac disease has an autoimmune base. NCGS does not. GI symptoms overlap. In the early stages of celiac disease, other body systems may not be showing stress or damage so, symptomatically, it would be difficult to distinguish between celiac disease and NCGS. Both conditions require elimination of gluten from the diet for symptom relief. Some experts feel that NCGS can be a precursor to celiac disease.
    • suek54
      Hi Kayla Huge sympathies. I was diagnosed in December, after 8 months of the most awful rash, literally top to toe. Mine is a work in progress. Im on just 50mg dapsone at the moment but probably need an increased dose to properly put the lid on it. As you have been now glutened, I wondered whether it might be worth asking for a skin biopsy to finally get a proper diagnosis? Sue  
    • MicG
      I had been eating reduced gluten until about 3 days before the test. I did realize that wasn’t ideal, but it was experimental to see if gluten was actually bothering me. One slip up with soy sauce and it was quite clear to me that it was, lol. 
    • trents
      Possibly. Your total IGA (Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum) is actually high so you are not IGA deficient. In the absence of IGA deficiency, the most reliable celiac antibody test would be the t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA for which your score is within normal range. There are other things besides celiac disease that might cause an elevated DGP-IGA (Deamidated Gliadin Abs, lgA) for which you do have a positive score. It might also be of concern that your total IGA is elevated as that can indicate some other health problems, some of which are serious.  Had you been practicing a gluten free or a reduced gluten free diet prior to the blood draw? Talk to your physician about these things. I would also seek an endoscopy/biopsy of the small bowel to check for damage to the villous lining, which is the gold standard diagnostic test for celiac disease.
×
×
  • 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.