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

Do I Have Coeliac?

Taylahmai

Recommended Posts

Taylahmai Newbie
Taylahmai
Posted

Hi all. I'm new to the boards and am hoping someone can provide me with some advice, because my doctor has been pretty useless!

I have had blood tests and an endoscopy to test for coeliac (in Australia its called coeliac, but in the US celiac.... strange). My Tissue Transglutaminase IG levels were normal but my Gliadin IGA levels were slightly elevated (5.4 g/L and normal is between 0.89 - 4.46 g/L). My endoscopy showed no damage to villi so I was told I didn't have coeliac disease and that was that.

But I've since learned (through doing my own research, no thanx to my doctor) that raised IGA levels means I am gluten intolerant - is that correct? So whats the difference between gluten intolerance and coeliac disease? I went to another doctor today about my rasied IGA levels, and he told me he had no idea why they could be raised if the endoscopy showed no sign of coeliac. He seemed to think my raised IGA levels could be due to something else?

I'm reaalllly confused. Is someone able to shed some light on this?

Thank you :)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted
;) well--you can be celiac and not have full blown damage in your intestines as of yet, or the scope may not have found the damages area, that's always a possibility too----the difference between the 2----a sensitivity means just that--you are sensitive to gluten and in my opinion should go gluten free--i also feel that gluten sensitive and intolerant go hand in hand--i think with a gluten sensitivity you must go gluten free--i dont think there is a middle ground--i feel that all of us would be better off with out gluten in our diets---i dont have a doctor diagnosis and i will never go back to gluten--i have been gluten free for almost 4 yrs now---my sister is a doctor diagnosed celiac and this last nov my dad was put on a gluten-free diet too--i didnt have insurance when me sister went gluten-free and she and i decided together that gluten is my problem too--my life has changed so much since that day--i will never go back-----------have you tried gluten-free to see if you feel better---omitting gluten from your diet will not hurt you, not in the least---give it a try and keep us imformed---------deb
KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

You may have celiac. If your IgA levels were elevated that usually has something to do with gluten. It is a pretty specific test. Your body may either not have damage or they could have looked in the wrong spots. I know many people that have had damage but the doctor either didn't go down far enough or get the tissue from a damaged place.

I would really suggest an Enterolab. They test for all sorts of intolerances and allergies. They test for celiac, the celiac gene, malabsorption and so forth. Many doctors don't look at this for diagnosis yet but in my opinion it is a good test. I don't know if you can get one in Australia but I assume you could. The site is Open Original Shared Link to find out more info about it.

That might help you figure out what is going on.

You could always try the diet and see how you feel. Some people on here don't have a medical diagnosis but are 100% gluten free and are self diagnosed. Doctors really haven't been much help I know with me I switched doctors many times looking for an answer. Don't rule celiac out just yet.

Hope you get an answer soon :D

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,393
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    HeckelCrazy
    Newest Member
    HeckelCrazy
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By Mmoc · Posted

      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
×
×
  • 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.