New Celiac With Lots Of Questions

[Santafegirl]

Hi! It feels so good to talk to someone who understands me. Since my mid thirties, I started getting different health issues including dry eyes, dry mouth, aching joints in hands, Tachycardia - currently on heart meds to control and Ativan, itchy breasts, eyes and other places on my body, gradually more and more eczema to the point where in the last six months it would not leave my face, severe allergy to mold, periodically an urge to urinate, but I cannot (nervous system?), of course all the stomach ssues - yuck, tomato allergy, potato allergy, pepper allergy. I went to a Chiropractor in November due to issues with my neck and he had me do an initial checkup with a food allergy test. My results came back as:

Milk (Casein) Ab. SigA Positive

Soy (Protein) Ab. SigA Equivocal

Gliadin Ab, SIgA 32 Positive (Positive is >15).

I started the search immediately for Gluten-Free and began reading. A couple of days I felt really good with more energy. Some days, I get severe headaches and my eyes covered in Ezcema and low energy so I have not figured out all the places it is yet. I used to want to exercise every day - now I have to drag myself on some days.

Called my GP as I am scheduled for an annual Physical and asked his nurse if I should add anything to my blood test order since I believe I have Celiacs - they said no. Right now my blood test order has TSH, 3rd generation, Urinalysis, CBC w Diff W Pit, Lipid Panel, and Comp Metabolic Panel Checked. He said I did not need anything else. Do I need separate test for vitamin deficiences

Questions: Could my Tachycardia be related to Celiacs? Could waking up in the middle of the night with painful muscle spasms in my feet and calves be related? Could my occassional need to urinate and the signal does not seem to trigger my bladder to release be a sympton, could an occassional electric shock in my legs be related - only happened a couple times in 2003 in the same time frame when my Tachycardia started. Could my Anxiety be related (I am on one Ativan a day as the Dr. said it could trigger my Tachycardia which I take 25mg Cardizem a day to slow my heart rate. Do my Cardizem and Ativan have gluten in them. Do my vitamins have gluten - should I buy a certain brand? Is the level of antibodies on my test high? Could my Tachycardia go away with a Gluten Free diet. Does makeup have gluten? What normal foods should I avoid that are not obvoius.

I know - the note is as overwhelming as I feel.

Many blessings for your guidance.

Sandy

[Lisa]

Continue to eat gluten and request, no require, your doctor to test you. This is the test: (all of them)

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

Vitamins and makeup can contain gluten.

[Santafegirl]

Thank you for your reply. I will ask for those tests - they are blood tests? They are not listed on the form used by the clinic.

Do the results from the test that came from my Chiroprator look high? Or is that a different kind of test?

Do you know if some Celiacs have issues with Tachycardia - rapid heart beat - 250 bpm? Or the other symptoms?

I know that I have it because two days this week I had so much energy and I have been watching my diet closely.

Last question, I have a vegan boullion that my husband uses to make soup -- does something like that have gluten - it is not listed on the ingredients but I felt sick the next day.

Thanks again - Sandy

[psawyer]

I have a vegan bouillon that my husband uses to make soup -- does something like that have gluten - it is not listed on the ingredients but I felt sick the next day.

Possibly. Bouillon is usually made from a dehydrated source to which water is added. In my experience, when the source is a powder or concentrated liquid it is usually safe, but cubes are usually held together by a gluten-containing stabilizer. It can vary by brand as well. Knorr make a number of products in this area, and they will always clearly disclose any gluten source by name.

The tests that Momma Goose mentioned are blood tests.

[Santafegirl]

Possibly. Bouillon is usually made from a dehydrated source to which water is added. In my experience, when the source is a powder or concentrated liquid it is usually safe, but cubes are usually held together by a gluten-containing stabilizer. It can vary by brand as well. Knorr make a number of products in this area, and they will always clearly disclose any gluten source by name.

The tests that Momma Goose mentioned are blood tests.

[Santafegirl]

Thanks Peter -- I appreciate the information on Knorr. Now we might be able to have some soup!

[maile]

Hi Santafe girl and welcome

for the leg cramps and spasms, this may be related to a mineral deficiency, try taking magnesium citrate before sleeping and some potassium daily to see if this helps

(not a medical professional, this is just what I do for my cramping feet )

as for anxiety, it can appear as a symptom of gluten intolerance in some people (I'm one) and it does take time on the gluten-free diet for it to fade away but if you search the forum you'll see that many have mentioned that eventually it disappears on the gluten-free diet.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Common hidden sources of gluten:

1) Boxed/canned chicken stock or broth (SOME brands contain wheat, as do almost all varieties of Campbell's Soups)

2) Soy sauce (most brands have wheat listed as the second ingredient after water; LaChoy and San-J WHEAT-FREE tamari are safe)

3) Rotisserie chickens (most are marinated in wheaty soy sauce)

4) Crab "stix"--most brands contain wheat starch

5) most breakfast cereals, including Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Corn Chex (but Rice Chex are safe)

6) deli tuna and chicken salads (contain bread crumbs)

7) most restaurant sauces (thickened with flour)

8) "Lite" ice creams (thickened with wheat starch)

9) Some chips (Doritos nacho flavor and Sun Chips, for example)

10) anything containing spelt or kamut, which are actually different forms of wheat--some health food store owners are under the misunderstanding that they are gluten-free--they're NOT.

11) Rice Dream rice milk products--they are processed with barley enzymes, and are listed as gluten-free because the current labeling laws allow them to if the amount of gluten is under 200 ppm, which is still enough to cause many celiacs to react.

Welcome aboard, and good luck!