Got Some Confusing Test Results Back / Sensitive To Gluten Free Pasta?

[LOWNskater52]

Hey everybody,

Test Results

It's been a while since I posted and things have been ok. Started the gluten-free diet on October 20, 2011 and a lot of things got better. My eczema cleared up significantly (but didn't go away), my anxiety eased, my post nasal drip and shotty digestion cleared up, my BP and heart rate normalized and some other things I can't quite remember got better. I did have some withdrawal symtpoms but nothing too bad. Overall I went from about 40% health to about 85% health.

In early December (about 1.5 months off gluten), I went to both my Naturopath and my allopathic doctors and got a whole bunch of tests done.

At the allopathic doctor, I got blood drawn for both an 85 panel allergy test and a whole host of Celiac test. The only allergy that came back positive was some sort of strange mold and the Celiac test came back Negative.

At the Naturopath, I collected and sent off stool and saliva to a company called Diagnos-Tech and had a whole bunch of test run to see how my body was doing off gluten. Here are the results:

GOOD RESULTS

- Cortisol Load = 25, 23-42= Normal, In normal ranges throughout the day

My original test back in May '11, I had a pretty serious case of adrenaline. 1.5 months off gluten and it had completely corrected itself.

- DHEA = 10 Normal, Adults (M/F): 3-10 - Reference Zone - "Individuals with values in this zone usually display balance in the average values of cortisol to DHEA for the day"

Another Adrenal test that I failed miserably back in May and passed now.

- P17-OH 17-OH Progesterone = 42, Adults (M/F): Optimal

- Gliadin Ab, SIga (Saliva) 5 Negative, Borderline: 13-15 Positive: >15

This is the Celiac test. Negative

- Androstenedione = 235 Normal: 151-350

- Stool Culture, Fungi = No yeast isolated

- Dihydrotestosterone = 119, No Reference Range Established for Males Younger than 30, Next Age Bracket: 30-39 = 22-72

- Chymotrypsin (Chymotrypsin is a marker enzyme for pancreatic exocrine output) = 12, Normal= >9

- Occult Blood (Stool) = Negative

- Fecal pH = 7.0, Normal = 5-8.5

- Follicle Stimulating Hormone - 109 Normal, Normal All Ages: <125

- Ova and Parasites (Stool) - No Ova or Parasites Seen

- Bacterial Stool Culture - Normal Stomach Flora, No Pathogenic Bacteria Detected

The May '11 test showed a whole host of crazy pathogenic bacteria.

- Total Intestinal SIgA(This is the bacteria count in your stomach) - 428, Normal = 400-880

The previous tests showed this number pre-gluten-free to be 25. Yes, 25.

- Free Testosterone = 83, Normal = 60-110

- Alpha Anti-Chymotrypsin (Applicable with elevated lysozyme, small intestine irritation with normal lysozyme) - <13, Normal = <60

BAD RESULTS

Intestinal Lysozyme (Elevated lysozyme indicates an ongoing colonic inflammation) - 11, Normal = <6, Borderline Elevated = 6-8, Elevated = > 8

Luteinizing Hormone - 37 Elevated, Normal All Ages = 10-25.

So the good things to come out of this report was that my adrenal fatigue cleared up remarkabley fast (naturopath said it was the fastest AF recovery he had ever seen), my whole gut flora balance realigned itself, and most of my hormone levels came back normal. The bad things in this report show that my luteinizing hormone is very high and I have colonic inflammation. My doctor says that my luteinizing hormone being elevated shows that my testes aren't working hard enough to make testosterone so my pituitary gland is working overtime to compensate. Not sure why this is happening.

So what do you think about these test results? I mean the numerous blood tests and saliva test say no but I honestly think that I do have a serious form of gluten intolerance and the test just aren't showing it. I think what really gives that away is the inflammation of the small intestine and colon, as well as the eczema/anxiety that just explodes all over me after a few gluten-full meals.

Please Lemme Know What You Think

PART TWO - REACTION TO GLUTEN FREE PASTA? WITHDRAWAL?

Ok so starting in late January I started to venture off the safe path and began to dabble in gluten-free products. I began by going to Whole Foods and picking up some Organic Gluten Free Pasta made out of rice and some organic/sugar free/gluten free pasta sauc. Went home and made a huge bowl of it and it was just indescribably good and filling. I mean damn it was good. I got to the point where I was having a giant bowl of rice pasta every day after work for about 3 weeks. During these three weeks, I didn't feel too awful bad but the eczema on my foot and hand exploded all over my hand and foot. Super itchy and bumpy and was growing rapidly.

I decided to go off the pasta about a week ago and realized that I had become addicted to this pasta. I mean I craved it badly. After a few days of no gluten I began to get crazy withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include:

- Anxiety

- Chest/Back Pain

- Gray Stool (just once but it was flat out gray)

- Slow Healing (Sprained my jaw during those 3 weeks and it took FOREVER to get better)

- Bloating

- Cramping

- SOme other weird things I can't quite remember

The good news is that the eczema is clearing up nicely and my jaw is finally starting to heal.

Anybody else experience anything like this? Anybody else have gluten like reactions to gluten-free foods? Anybody else have these withdrawal symptoms?

[Bubba's Mom]

I'm wondring if the gluten/gliadin test was negative because you weren't eating gluten?

It sounds like you had a dramatic improvement gluten-free?

I haven't experienced any withdrawl symptoms from gluten-free foods, but I've learned that if you're craving something, it's usually bcause your body has an intolerance to it. The brain is a mysterious thing. Dairy is a good example of an item like that.

Could it be that you have an intolerance to rice..or some ingredient you were using for the sauce?

[Takala]

More likely something in that sauce.

Take plain rice pasta, cooked, and toss with chopped fresh ripe tomatoes and evoo olive oil, and see what happens.

[ciamarie]

I agree with Bubba's Mom, the celiac tests would be pretty useless as a diagnostic tool after you've been gluten-free for over a month. If they were testing to see if levels had come down, that's another thing.

As for the pasta issue, as Takala said, it might be something in the sauce. Knowing the brand or ingredients in both could be helpful. Depending on the brand, it's possible there were small amounts of CC that would only bother you if you're eating it every day. Wheat does have addictive properties. But it's also quite possible you need more variety in your diet, to get needed nutrients and all that good stuff.

[addis001]

I had the same issue... It was the sauce...

I do pasta with tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and oregano etc.. its wonderful...

The sauces are not labeled correctly so watch out!!! I had good results with Prego and I think Bertolli... I'll have to double check that...

the bad sauce was a pizza type sauce.. i forgot who it was by..

[sa1937]

I had the same issue... It was the sauce...

I do pasta with tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and oregano etc.. its wonderful...

The sauces are not labeled correctly so watch out!!! I had good results with Prego and I think Bertolli... I'll have to double check that...

the bad sauce was a pizza type sauce.. i forgot who it was by..

Classico red and white pasta sauces are gluten-free. Open Original Shared Link

[LOWNskater52]

The exact pasta brand is Amy's Pasta Sauce - Open Original Shared Link

I scowled the label before I bought it and I was pretty sure it didn't have any gluten or sugar in it but who knows I guess. All I know is that things are getting better after quitting the pasta.

Let me clear something up that I made a little confusing. I had the blood celiac tests in late October after about 3 days after starting my gluten-free diet. Before that I was a gluten monster and ate all sorts of terrible foods. The tests by the naturopath was in December.

WHat do you guys think about the tests? It says no Celiac but colonic/small intestine inflammation?

[Lori2]

I just got results yesterday from some food testing. I show an "intermediate immunologic reactivity" to rice--my go-to food. That explains a lot of my problems. Just something more for you to consider.

[LOWNskater52]

Update:

About 2 weeks off the gluten free pasta and my eczema is clearing up (about 40% better). Still having some stomach problems and anxiety but I feel that these are just more withdrawal symptoms. I'm now eliminating eggs from my breakfast and shifting my lunchtime Spinach, Straberry, and Banana smoothie to breakfast. Now for lunch I am eating kidney beans.