High Igg Gliatin But Negative Otherwise?

[mom2kae]

My almost 4 yr. old daughter has been dropping off the weight charts since 9 mos. old. She is only 26 1/2 lbs. & has quite a few symptoms of Celiac.

*tooth enamel loss

*unexplained anemia

*diarrhea/loose stools

*distended belly

*failure to thrive/low weight/not gaining

Among others...

We had her tested for Celiac in '08 & was neg. We had her retested recently & her ped said that the tests came back fine except for the IGG gliadin was high. But then she said she was fine, not Celiac.

So, of course, I came home & looked it up & find out that if that test was high than she has Celiac.

Now I'm confused. We have HMO & seriously, this ped drives me insane.

Does anyone know anything about this? Would you consider going gluten free? Should we get a specialist involved (if she'll give us a referral)? Any ideas?

Thanks!!!

Jenn

[Dace]

High Gliadin Ab IgG is an indication or potential celiac/gluten intolerance, but from all of my reading there is quite a broad range of interpretation. I would say it definitely is a sign that she is not tolerating gluten well.

I woudl certainly take her off gluten right away...if you really want to push for more testing then she needs to continue to consume it, which is a hard thing to make your child do!

Good luck!

Edited to add.....you could simply get a copy of the lab work and take that to a GI doc for a second opinion.

[WheatChef]

Technically according to how the medical profession regards the term "Celiac", your doctor was correct and your daughter did not test positive for "Celiac". The IgG test however corresponds with a gluten intolerance which is treated exactly the same way as celiac disease anyways so yes, from the sound of it, it was somewhat irresponsible for your doctor not to recommend any treatment. Measurable intestinal damage does not have to be present (celiac) in order to have a damaging systemic response to gluten (gluten intolerance). Because of your daughter's young age you may wish to get referred to a specialist and take her test results to get a firm diagnosis, during her school years an actual doctor's diagnosis can be helpful for ensuring your daughter gets treated correctly in her available dining options.

[mom2kae]

Technically according to how the medical profession regards the term "Celiac", your doctor was correct and your daughter did not test positive for "Celiac". The IgG test however corresponds with a gluten intolerance which is treated exactly the same way as celiac disease anyways so yes, from the sound of it, it was somewhat irresponsible for your doctor not to recommend any treatment. Measurable intestinal damage does not have to be present (celiac) in order to have a damaging systemic response to gluten (gluten intolerance). Because of your daughter's young age you may wish to get referred to a specialist and take her test results to get a firm diagnosis, during her school years an actual doctor's diagnosis can be helpful for ensuring your daughter gets treated correctly in her available dining options.

Thanks for the replies! I got her lab results paperwork yesterday & it also shows low rbc, hemoglobin & hematocrit & high platelet counts. Which all point to anemia & Celiac. We left a message with her ped yesterday & we'll hopefully hear back from her on Monday. We intend to request for a referral to a specialist & if she won't give us one, a 2nd opinion.

Jenn

[farmwife67]

Thanks for the replies! I got her lab results paperwork yesterday & it also shows low rbc, hemoglobin & hematocrit & high platelet counts. Which all point to anemia & Celiac. We left a message with her ped yesterday & we'll hopefully hear back from her on Monday. We intend to request for a referral to a specialist & if she won't give us one, a 2nd opinion.

Jenn

I know it is nice to have a diagnosis, but I wouldn't get hung up on that. Just start with a gluten-free diet right away. The sooner you get started the sooner she will heal.