Gliadin Ab Iga In Equivacal Range, Please Help

[mohavehiker]

I just got my test results today. Please help me interpret them. My Doctor, who never believed that I had Celiac's and who reluctantly ordered the tests, told me that I don't have Celiac's Disease due to these results:

Celiac Disease AB panel, IgA 456, reference range: 81-463 mg/dL*PAZ

Celiac Disease panel, (tTG) Ab, IgA <3, reference range: Negative: <5, Equivical: 5-8, Positive: >8

Gliadin Ab IgA: 15 H, Reference range: Negative: <11, Equivocal: 11-17, Positive: >17

IgA: 463, Reference range: 81-463 mg/dL

Values Outside of Reference Range: Gliadin Ab IgA 15 H U/mL

My Doctor said not too worry about the slightly elevated Gliadin Ab IgA as equivocal just means "grey area." The way I interpret it, it means that I don't have Celiac's but I do have a gluten intolerance.

I started searching for answers more than two years ago, when I was dx with Osteoporosis, (even though I'm too young, I work out, don't drink or smoke, and eat lots of calcium rich foods.) I was refered to an Endocrinologist, who decided that I had a malabsorption problem, but couldn't determine the cause. I also have Attention Deficit Disorder, which was dx when I went in for narcolepsy testing. I used to fall asleep driving, whenever I sat down to watch TV etc. After EEG tests and some other things a neurologist told me that I didn't have narcolepsy, but had ADD. This made sense as I have severe brain fog, poor memory and have missed things all my life. Lately, I have developed new, weird symptoms that made me search again and I keep coming up with Celiac's. My new symptoms include: vertigo, balance problems, falls, burning tongue, mouth sores, dry eyes, and itching skin. A month ago I quit eating wheat, dairy, corn, peanuts, sugar, and citrus and I feel so much better. I haven't been tested for any of these foods, and I may add some of them back to my diet eventually. But I want to know if I should bother with a biopsy. My fear is that in a weak moment I will start eating wheat again, because I don't have celiac disease, just a gluten intolerance.

[julie5914]

DId you have these blood tests done before you quit eating wheat or after? Being gluten free before the tests could have made them a false negative. The tTg test you had was very specific, and if you were on gluten when the test was negative, then that means 99% you do not have celiac. If you were not on gluten it doesn't mean anything. If you do not want to go back on gluten but want to know, a gene test is likely your best option.

Also, have you had your thyroid tested?

[KaitiUSA]

If you were off gluten before testing then the test pretty much meant nothing. If you were on gluten then you probably have a gluten intolerance rather then celiac. You might want to consider a gene test because 98% of celiacs have the HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 gene. If you are predisposed to celiac, a gluten intolerance could turn into celiac if you continue to steadily eat gluten.

[Carriefaith]

A month ago I quit eating wheat, dairy, corn, peanuts, sugar, and citrus and I feel so much better.

Like the others said, being wheat free before the blood test may have resulted in false negative results. Even a person with celiac disease will get a negative result on those tests after being gluten free for a while.

I guess the important question here is, Were you eating lots of barely, rye, or oats? If you were, than you were still getting gluten into your system and the test would have been accurate. If not, well you should tell your doctor and decide what to do (eg. go back on gluten and redo the tests, or just go gluten free based on a dietary response). If you don't want to do that than maybe try enterolab:

Open Original Shared Link

[Matilda]

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[mohavehiker]

Matilda, thank you so much for the information and the link. I think this is what is happening with me. It makes so much sense. I definitely have a neurological problem, as well as a malabsorption issue. I think this is enough to convince me not to cheat with wheat. Maybe, over time, my brain fog will lift, if I stay wheat free. My memory problems and brain fog come and go, it never occured to me that it could be diet related. This is actually really great news. Thank you.

[Matilda]

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[jcc]

My new symptoms include: vertigo, balance problems, falls, burning tongue, mouth sores, dry eyes, and itching skin.

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I just happened upon this post from an unrelated google search, and couldn't pass by without mentioning that these symptoms sound very much like symptoms of B12 deficiency, not uncommon at all in patients with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. I had most of the symptoms you mention and many more with a low normal B12 level of 294 (150-1100). You could ask to be specifically tested for this, or you could just begin supplementing with 1000-2000mcg of B12 daily, preferably the methylcobalamin type...although most people do just fine with the cyanocobalamin type. You usually have to 'order out' methylcobalamin, although some health food stores have begun to carry it. Be sure to also take a multi-vitamin with a good B-complex because the B's need each other.

There is a thread devoted to B12 deficiency in The Gluten File. I really think this could be important for you. If you think you will be able to be tested soon, within a couple of weeks, don't begin taking the vitamin until afterward. The B12 serum level can come up relatively fast once you begin supplements, but the reversal of symptoms can take months to a year or more. If you don't think you can get the tests ordered within a few weeks, I'd just go ahead and start taking B12. B12 is safe...there is a lot of info about dosing, etc, here: Open Original Shared Link

Interesting that you mentioned Narcolepsy. One thing I came across in googling my family's genetic type of HLA DQ1 (NOT a main celiac gene, but both Dr. Fine and Dr. Hadjivassilou have found it associated with gluten sensitivity), is that HLA DQ1 is also associated with narcolepsy. That would be very interesting if you found out you were also HLA DQ1! Try googling: narcolepsy HLA DQ1 !

Matilda, thank you for passing along the link to The Gluten File, and for your kind words about it. Its there to be shared, so I truly appreciate you posting the link.

jcc

[mohavehiker]

I just happened upon this post from an unrelated google search, and couldn't pass by without mentioning that these symptoms sound very much like symptoms of B12 deficiency, not uncommon at all in patients with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. I had most of the symptoms you mention and many more with a low normal B12 level of 294 (150-1100). You could ask to be specifically tested for this, or you could just begin supplementing with 1000-2000mcg of B12 daily, preferably the methylcobalamin type...although most people do just fine with the cyanocobalamin type.  You usually have to 'order out' methylcobalamin, although some health food stores have begun to carry it.  Be sure to also take a multi-vitamin with a good B-complex because the B's need each other.

There is a thread devoted to B12 deficiency in The Gluten File. I really think this could be important for you. If you think you will be able to be tested soon, within a couple of weeks, don't begin taking the vitamin until afterward. The B12 serum level can come up relatively fast once you begin supplements,  but the reversal of symptoms can take months to a year or more. If you don't think you can get the tests ordered within a few weeks, I'd just go ahead and start taking B12. B12 is safe...there is a lot of info about dosing, etc, here: Open Original Shared Link

Interesting that you mentioned Narcolepsy. One thing I came across in googling my family's genetic type of HLA DQ1 (NOT a main celiac gene, but both Dr. Fine and Dr. Hadjivassilou have found it associated with gluten sensitivity), is that HLA DQ1 is also associated with narcolepsy. That would be very interesting if you found out you were also HLA DQ1!  Try googling:  narcolepsy HLA DQ1 !

Matilda, thank you for passing along the link to The Gluten File, and for your kind words about it. Its there to be shared, so I truly appreciate you posting the link.

jcc

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[mohavehiker]

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Thank you jcc. I will research this. I just got up and took a sublinqual dose of B12 that I had in the refridgerator. I quit taking it when I was getting mouth sores and burning mouth, I also have been making less than normal saliva, so I blamed this on the sublinqual B12, and quit taking it. Now it makes sense to me that the B12 is what I needed to combat these symptoms.

I haven't had any gene testing yet, but if I do and I have HLA DQ1 I will let you know. This is a puzzle in which the pieces are starting to come together.