Question About Blood Test Results

[Salax]

If one of the blood tests is positive and the one is normal and the third is out of range, that would still be positive for Celiac right? Just curious.

Thanks guys!

[ravenwoodglass]

Most likely yes. The test that was out of range most likely means it was far above the positive level. It would be helpful if you would post the tests, results and ranges. We might be able to give you a better answer.

[Salax]

Sure thing. Sorry about that. The Doctor said I have it, but he also said to eat low gluten, so I doubt he was very familar with celiac disease itself. As we all know its gluten or no gluten, with celiac there isn't an in between.

They are:

IgA, Result: 6 (According to the lab this is postive)

IgG, Result: 82 (According to the lab this is out of range, normal range was 11-17)

tTG, IgA, Result: <3 (According to the lab this is confusing either <5 is negative or >8 is positive)

Any light you all can shed would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!

[ravenwoodglass]

Sure thing. Sorry about that. The Doctor said I have it, but he also said to eat low gluten, so I doubt he was very familar with celiac disease itself. As we all know its gluten or no gluten, with celiac there isn't an in between.

They are:

IgA, Result: 6 (According to the lab this is postive)

IgG, Result: 82 (According to the lab this is out of range, normal range was 11-17)

tTG, IgA, Result: <3 (According to the lab this is confusing either <5 is negative or >8 is positive)

Any light you all can shed would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!

I agree with your doctor that those test results were conclusive, welcome to the family.

Many doctors think the diet is impossible to follow, perhaps the reason why he said low instead of no gluten. We know better though.

If you haven't already you may want to elimate dairy for a month or two and then add it back in. Add in hard cheeses like cheddar at first and yogurt. Also it is often wise to be careful with soy at first. It seems many of us have an issue with it and you can add it in or increase it after you are healing well.

I just noticed you also have diverticulosis. I did too. Before diagnosis my GI said it was the most extensive he had ever seen effecting my entire large intestine instead of just the left side. When I had a scope done 5 years after celiac diagnosis it had almost totally resolved. Hopefully that will be the case for you also.

[Tallforagirl]

Sure thing. Sorry about that. The Doctor said I have it, but he also said to eat low gluten, so I doubt he was very familar with celiac disease itself. As we all know its gluten or no gluten, with celiac there isn't an in between.

They are:

IgA, Result: 6 (According to the lab this is postive)

IgG, Result: 82 (According to the lab this is out of range, normal range was 11-17)

tTG, IgA, Result: <3 (According to the lab this is confusing either <5 is negative or >8 is positive)

Any light you all can shed would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!

There's an article on the main site that may help you shed some light: https://www.celiac.com/articles/57/1/Interp...ults/Page1.html

Since it's not the tTG test that has come back positive, but the anti-gliadin (I'm assuming this is the IgG test you quoted), which is a less reliable test, I would be asking for an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis and to check in case there is anything else going on in there. You'd need to stay on gluten until the endoscopy has been done. Another blood test you could ask for which is almost 100 per cent specific but less sensitive than the tTG IGA is the anti-endomysial antibody test (EMA).

[Salax]

Hi all- Thanks for the response. I have been gluten-free since I found out in Feb 2009. I totally feel better so it makes sense. I also did kill my dairy intake I think I hate that more than the lack of bread LOL!

I wanted to confirm the test I guess because although my doc is really cool, but he seems not so knowledgable in celiac so because I was diagnosed with celiac back in 2000, then after eating gluten-free they did the scope test and that came back negative my GI at the time was clueless then and told me even though my blood showed positive the biopsy was negative (while gluten-free) I didn't have celiac. I didn't know any better and went back to gluten, continued to get sick....and here we are 9 years later...*(^&)(*! GRR.

I also found test results from then, same type of results AND apparently I also have delayed solid and liquid emptying... Not sure why I was never giving that information, but I guess I need to research that too! Apparently that is Gastroparesis! Geez, lol does this ever end! Gosh I wish I could sue my GI back from 2000. So frustrating. I guess it could always be worse.

Thank you all again so much, it's so hard and it's good to know your all here! *hugs*

[joellen]

How interesting to see another person that suffers from gastroparesis! I was diagnosed with GP back in 2002, so sick I was disabled from working; literally thought I might die. Lost 20 pounds in a month, ate almost nothing at all, too sick. What a horrible time.

Also, if you have delayed emtpying (GP), then the diet generally is higher in carbs, since they are easier to digest. That is one thing that makes this difficult, I have lived on carbs for the past 7 years. My condition has greatly improved, but to this day, breakfast is an issue. So, a diet that consists of meat/fish and veggies or fruit can create it's own problems.

I'm not celiac, and my blood test results seem inconclusive regarding intolerance to wheat and dairy. I've had numerous endoscopies, though none for a couple of years. You may want to consider something called a gastric emptying test to confirm the diagnosis of gastroparesis. It's an easy test. You simply eat a small meal that contains something that allows them to see the passage of food through your digestive tract. They then take x-rays over a period of several hours to see how things move. You may also want to talk to your doctor about the cause of the gastroparesis, if one can be found. Most common is the presence of diabetes, but more than half the cases are of unknown, or "idiopathic" origin. I have no idea what caused mine, doubt I ever will. Gastroparesis can improve or worsen with time, or stay the same. What it was back in 2000 is probably much different than what it is now. The delayed emptying may well be a factor in the gluten intolerance. Let me know if you have any questions, that at least is something I do know something about!

[Salax]

Thanks Joellen, I actually had the gastric emptying test in 2000 that's how they confirmed the gastroparesis. Frustrating thing is that the doctor didn't really tell me about it. And this might sound bad...but I wish I had the weight loss symptom. I gained weight over the past 9 years. 80 pounds to be exact, thank goodness I am tall. However, I have dropped some when going gluten-free the second time. 8 pounds so far. I am finally feeling well enough to go back to the gym now. But man 9 years of sick..it has been hell on earth. I am surprised I actually work every day and go to school and run a household without medication!

Thanks for being there for me.

[joellen]

Gastroparesis can be a devastating illness. Before I was diagnosed, and had no idea what was wrong with me, I made the decision to make that nausea and lack of appetite work for me, lol. I thought, what the heck, if I don't feel good, I'm just not going to eat. And it did work. It was when I got seriously ill that I lost so much weight. In a twisted sort of way, I was thinking, hey, at least I look better. Which was confusing to people, because on the outside, people would say, hey, you look great! Because I did need to lose the weight. I would get comments like, "hey, maybe that's what I need to get, ha ha". I would think, yeah, maybe you'll get lucky and get cancer, then you can get chemo and lose the weight that way! Wouldn't THAT be great?? But I felt horrible. I do wonder if having the gastroparesis changed my metabolism in some way. Because of the not eating, or eating a lot less, for so long, my body went into a "starvation mode", and started conserving calories. I have gained back everything I lost, and then some. I know part of it is psychological. When nausea has been such a big part of my daily existence, being able to eat and actually have an appetite and enjoy food feels even better. Hunger=health. So, I struggle with that. And by consciously increasing my consumption of protein, that sometimes makes me feel queasy. It takes longer to digest, which is good in the way of evening out blood sugar, but just a little bit too much can tip it in the other direction. I am extremely conscious of my level of full/hungry/nausea, it's a delicate balancing act. Carbs, especially in the way of bread/toast, has given me more control of that. The whole thing is very frustrating. Bread has been my friend for so long. When I don't feel good, but know I have to eat something, a piece of toast will almost always settle my stomach. Still does. Like the old remedy for morning sickness of crackers and ginger ale. And I'm still not convinced about the blood test results.

One of the treatments I got for the gastroparesis was botox injections of the pyloric sphincter. That helped a lot; it made it much easier for my stomach to empty. There aren't a lot of treatment options. I also used something called Motilium, or domperidone.That was a lifesaver. I rarely use it anymore, but at the time, it really helped to turn things around.

I know what you mean about being sick. It was really a blessing in disguise to have gotten so very ill. It forced me to stop trying to keep up. But learning how to push through the being sick and live in spite of it was also an exercise in persitence.