Positive Salivary Antigliadin Amongst Other New Health Issues..do I Need To Be Gluten Free?

[discocole]

Hi...I'm new to this forum. I'll start with a little of my background. I went off the birth control pill about three years ago...and have felt my health go downhill ever since. I'm only 26. 6 months after I went off, my hair started falling out. I know it can be somewhat normal to have hair shed after going off the pill, but it's supposed to eventually stop. My hair has continued to thin. I was concerned about my thyroid, so I went to my primary doc and got all the basic tests done, and everything came back normal. All of my allergies also started to change after going off the pill. I started getting hives from tanning beds/sun exposure, which was a new experience for me. Fast forward to last summer..I had a really bad allergic reaction to Benadryl(didn't used to be allergic to that either). Ever since then, I have been struggling with anxiety and occasional panic attacks, along with depression at times. I decided to see a Naturopath so I could get absolutely everything tested. This is what she found that was abnormal: mild hypothyroidism(NOT Hashimotos), low Vitamin D, low progesterone, high calcium, and a positive salivary Anti Gliadin(56). She then told me that based upon that, I was gluten intolerant. This came as quite a surprise, since I didn't even see her for GI issues. I have always been a person who's more on the constipated side, but not to the point where I'm frequently uncomfortable or to the point where it bothers me. Eating gluten doesn't make me feel sick. Do you think that being gluten intolerant is causing all of these other problems? I know Hashimoto's and Celiac go hand in hand, but what about just the regular kind of hypothyroidism(I have a family history of this by the way)? Also, she is concerned that I have hyperparathyroidism because of the high calcium, so I'm waiting on the results for my PTH. All of this is just so depressing to me. I went from having ZERO health problems to all of a sudden having multiple "conditions." I'm currently eating gluten free to see if this makes me feel any better, although I don't know how it would considering I wasn't having GI problems in the first place. I don't know what to think or do...every part of me doesn't want to believe the gluten intolerance thing is true.

[discocole]

Oh, and one more thing. Nowone in my family is gluten intolerant or has Celiacs. Could my antigliadian antibodies be elevated because of a mere wheat allergy, as opposed to gluten intolerance/Celiacs? I have always been a "rashy" person(I'll wake up some mornings with minor hives) and have always wondered if this co-related with something I've been eating.

[ravenwoodglass]

I am not familiar with the saliva testing so I can't give any answers as to that. Celiac can cause rashes with dermatitis herpeformis being one of them. Have you seen a dermatologist for the rashes? They can biopsy next to the rash and look for the antibodies but they do need to be looking for it to do the proper procedure in the lab.

It might be a good idea to go to your GP and ask for a full celiac panel if you can. Don't stop eating gluten if you are going to have any more celiac related testing done. When your done testing then go strictly gluten free for a few months to see if it helps.

[discocole]

I've looked at pictures of Dermatitis Herpetiformis and I know I definitely don't have that. Once and awhile, I'll wake up with a few tiny hives on my wrists and that's not even every day. I'm starting to think I just have bad allergies(I've always had tons of allergies to things) and I really don't think the "gluten intolerance" I have is due to the autoimmune disease. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I had a wheat allergy. I don't even really feel that motivated to get a full celiac panel at this point. I've also started to feel better anxiety-wise over the past week...but I think it's because my thyroid meds are kicking in, not from being gluten free. I only lasted on the gluten free diet for four days, lol. Thanks for the help.

[lc1333]

i also have the hives issue when i get hot for any reason, it's called Cholinergic Urticaria, or an allergy to the heat that makes you break out in hives. i often break out in the morning as soon as i wake up, i'm not really sure why other than that it's an internal temperature shift. when i get hot from exercise, folding hot laundry, doing the dishes, taking too long of a hot shower or ANYTHING that raises my body temperature i break out in hives from head to toe. it is insanely painful and itchy and lasts for about 15 minutes, then the hives take about an hour to completely go away. the doc told me it is an autoimmune disorder. and it was because i have this autoimmune disorder that she initially suspected celiac when i went in with my list of complaint, since one autoimmune disorder can lead to another...

sorry for all your troubles, i hope you get some resolution soon, the gluten free diet has been a miracle for me, i never knew life with out GI issues was possible...

[kareng]

i also have the hives issue when i get hot for any reason, it's called Cholinergic Urticaria, or an allergy to the heat that makes you break out in hives. i often break out in the morning as soon as i wake up, i'm not really sure why other than that it's an internal temperature shift. when i get hot from exercise, folding hot laundry, doing the dishes, taking too long of a hot shower or ANYTHING that raises my body temperature i break out in hives from head to toe. it is insanely painful and itchy and lasts for about 15 minutes, then the hives take about an hour to completely go away. the doc told me it is an autoimmune disorder. and it was because i have this autoimmune disorder that she initially suspected celiac when i went in with my list of complaint, since one autoimmune disorder can lead to another...

sorry for all your troubles, i hope you get some resolution soon, the gluten free diet has been a miracle for me, i never knew life with out GI issues was possible...

My son gets itchy when he sweats. I wish I could find the article but this is apparently common for white people who live in humid areas. It's a benign skin fungus. Washing the skin with Head & Shoulders makes it go away. Just thought people might like to try that before thinking they have your Urticaria. It's easy & harmless to try for a few days.

[mushroom]

My hair has continued to thin.

I have been struggling with anxiety and occasional panic attacks, along with depression at times.

mild hypothyroidism

low Vitamin D,

I have always been a person who's more on the constipated side

These statements taken from your post are all symptoms associated with gluten intolerance/celiac disease.

The IgA response in the body is not an allergic response, it is an autoimmune response where the body reacts to what it perceives to be foreign invaders. In celiac, it perceives gluten as non-self and therefore foreign and mounts an attack against it. The allergic reactions are measured by IgE antibodies, so what was measured in your saliva test was not an allergic reaction, since IgA is an anti-gliadin reaction. While not as conclusive as blood testing it is a marker for celiac disease. Open Original Shared Link

I believe I sense a little denial of your diagnosis in not wishing to have the blood tests With your symptoms I think you owe it to yourself to find out for sure (well, we can't say 'for sure' because there are some false negatives on the testing), but to get a more definitive answer. Unfortunately, one autoimmune disease tends to lead to others and you already have hypothyroidism which runs in your family (as celiac disease runs in families being of a hereditary nature), and it woujld be a shame for you to continue to eat gluten and end up with other autoimmune complications (like me having to fly to the United States every year to get medication to treat my autoimmune psoriatic arthritis)

I hope you will reconsider the testing issue

[lc1333]

My son gets itchy when he sweats. I wish I could find the article but this is apparently common for white people who live in humid areas. It's a benign skin fungus. Washing the skin with Head & Shoulders makes it go away. Just thought people might like to try that before thinking they have your Urticaria. It's easy & harmless to try for a few days.

wow, i've never heard of that. I certainly hope that works for others too! It beats the heck out of urticaria! i'm gonna give it a try, even though i quit sweating years ago, i just break out instead.

[nora-n]

the high calcium does not fit with celiac, but with possible hyperparathyroid and the low vitamin D is also typical for hyperparathyroid.

But, hyperparathyroid may also be related to celiac (celiacs are a little bit prone to develop parathyroid adenomas)