Celiac Vs. Intolerance

[MacieMay]

I am confused about the difference between Celiac and G. Intolerance. I understand that Celiac is an autoimmune disease and triggers an antibody response, which results in damage to the small intestines. But what kind of response is an intolerance? Is it just the unablility to digest the Gluten? Are there a difference in symptoms? And how is the intolerance dx? I've read on here that people are being dx with just the intolerance but not Celiac. I think my daughter be might be having an issue with Gluten.

Thanks!

[Skylark]

Sadly, there are no answers for your questions. There are people who have all the celiac tests negative, but still have health problems when they eat gluten. Some really do seem to have celiac symptoms; others might have neurologic problems, MS-like symptoms, chronic fatigue, or psych problems like depression and anxiety. Celiac disease does follow a progression, so some people who do better on gluten-free diets may just be in early stages of the disease and not have the markers. There are other documented effects of gliadin peptide on the gut, so there are also reasonable arguments for gluten intolerance that is not autoimmune.

There is no formal dx for gluten intolerance, other than response to the gluten-free diet. Some people find the Enterolab stool tests helpful, but those are not diagnostic because Enterolab's own data shows they lack specificity. (Meaning healthy people and people with other GI problems can have the antibodies.)

You need to get your daughter a celiac panel first, and possibly an endoscopy based on the bloodwork. If all that is negative, she is not celiac. Then you try the diet and see how she does.