Starting To Go Crazy! Can Anyone Help?

[chrislong2]

Hi,

HELP!!!

Anyone that can help me make sense of all this?

Here's the deal: I've done a variety of tests all while being on a gluten diet.

Gliadin IgG high 29.2 U/ml (ref: < 10.0)

Gliadin IgA normal at < 5.0 U/ml

Ttg IgA normal at < 4.0

Reticulin IgA normal at < 1:10 titer

Endomysial IgA normal at < 1:10 titer

negative biopsy from a GI endoscopy

I did immunolabs food allergy IgG testing and show a +4 reaction (the worst) to wheat, +2 to rye, +1 to barley, +1 to oat. For the record, I also had strong IgG reactions to milk, cheese, soy, eggs, and various nuts. Basically I'm allergic to FOOD!

So, at the end of the day, the only thing that has shown up positive relating to Celiac is the IgG tests.

I have spent hours and hours researching and I still don't know how to interpret this! Is there anyone that can give me any guidance (i.e. your opinion) on what this might mean or what I should do?

Here's my dilemna: I was hoping if I'm not celiac, but just have a gluten sensitivity (like I also do to dairy/eggs/soy/nuts) that I could then maybe go gluten-free for 6 months and then reintroduce. But I'm scared to do that given the experiences of others that have really had Celiac and tried that and by going gluten-free, their body got super allergic. I've read several reports on this board of people that got much more SENSITIVE to gluten by going gluten-free. So, I really don't know what to do. Anyone?

Thanks so very much!

Chris

[cassP]

you should get your Total Iga Serum tested. if you're Iga low or deficient- that would explain the "normal" on your Iga tests.

[tarnalberry]

exactly what cassP said. without knowing your total IgA, those "negative" IgA results can't tell you anything - positive or negative.

[Skylark]

I'll "third" that. I was wondering the same thing about total IgA.

Are your symptoms from wheat allergic or delayed celiac-type reactions?

[Simona19]

I'll "third" that. I was wondering the same thing about total IgA.

Are your symptoms from wheat allergic or delayed celiac-type reactions?

Hi Skylark! What do you mean by delayed celiac-type reactions? Are you talking about the skin test?

[Skylark]

Hi Skylark! What do you mean by delayed celiac-type reactions? Are you talking about the skin test?

What does gluten do to you when you eat it, and how fast?

[chrislong2]

I'll "third" that. I was wondering the same thing about total IgA.

Are your symptoms from wheat allergic or delayed celiac-type reactions?

Thanks for your help/thoughts everyone!

Total IgA (which I didn't see initially as it was on a different sheet) - listed as "IGA, SERUM" - I assume that's the total - is 108, with the reference range given as 66-436. For the record, IGG is 814 (ref. range of 791-1643) and IGM is 54 (ref. 43-279).

I've got so many symptoms going on, it's hard to know what's what...besides wheat, barley, rye, and oat, I'm also highly allergic to dairy (cheese & milk), soy, nuts, rice, egg, and yeast. So it's hard to isolate what symptoms go with what. I have asthma and other allergies complicating all this too. Wheat on paper seems to be my "strongest" reactor but I can't point to any one symptom and say wheat definitely brings it on, so I guess I would say it might be more of a delayed reaction.

Can someone explain why total IgA is so important in relation to the individual Gliadin IgA tests?

Thanks!

[cassP]

because if your Total Iga was below the range- then your "normal" Iga results would be a false negative. But your Iga levels are normal.

all of your numbers look normal except that Antigliadin Igg.

i am no expert, and obviously our medical system are not experts either- there's still so much to learn about Celiac & Gluten Intolerance.

to me- your results dont look like a positive Celiac dx... or maybe not yet ??? the important thing is that your one result is high enough to show your body has a problem with gluten. and if you feel better on the diet- stick with it. one can be a non-celiac and still have a lot of distress from gluten. gluten can be linked to Crohns & Colitis... and it can cause neurological problems. Wheat Germ Agglutin CAN also wreak havoc on the body- so, i would say you should stay OFF gluten... and keep regular checkups with your doc.

the genetic tests are controversial to some & not diagnostic- but they can be a good piece to the puzzle.

[Skylark]

I've got so many symptoms going on, it's hard to know what's what...besides wheat, barley, rye, and oat, I'm also highly allergic to dairy (cheese & milk), soy, nuts, rice, egg, and yeast. So it's hard to isolate what symptoms go with what. I have asthma and other allergies complicating all this too. Wheat on paper seems to be my "strongest" reactor but I can't point to any one symptom and say wheat definitely brings it on, so I guess I would say it might be more of a delayed reaction.

Hmmmm....

Here's the thing. I was having all sorts of allergic reactions to dairy, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Mouth itching, asthma, rashes, GI trouble, plus delayed reactions to wheat, rye and barley. If I ate gluten-containing grains other than wheat I would have low-level GI trouble the next couple days. Wheat is just plain unpleasant, with an instant stomach-ache and big GI trouble.

Once I got off gluten, the rest of the allergies improved dramatically over the next 6-9 months. I did a little research, and people with damaged villi do not break proteins in food down well. That means there are more allergens left in the food. People with celiac also tend to make a lot more antibodies to foods in general, so the combination of bad digestion and lots of antibodies leads to intolerances. I had food allergies as a child, so my body has plenty of antibodies! Going completely gluten-free seems to have healed my gut, I digest food again, and all the food allergies/intolerances went away. I can even eat shrimp, which really surprised me.

You mention losing natural desensitization, and yes I'm pretty sensitive to wheat now. My childhood wheat allergy seems to be back and I get rhinitis, asthma, and sneezing now along with the GI problems. For me it was a pretty good trade though, once I figured out how many problems wheat and gluten were causing for me. I have one food (gluten) that really messes me up, but I can eat ANYTHING else happily.

By the way, I should add that I had a LOT of celiac symptoms, like GI trouble, canker sores, thin tooth enamel, ridges in my nails sometimes, fatigue, depression, autoimmune thyroid disease and carpal tunnel on top of the allergies.

[chrislong2]

Thanks so much - cassP and Skylark - your info was very helpful to me.