Gastro Problems With No Idea What To Do

[Missleigh]

Hi,

I discovered this forum through a search online. I have extreme gastro problems and it is driving me crazy. I have had allergies my whole life, mostly to outdoor things or pets. Then, at 16yrs old, I got diagnoised with mild asthma that my doctor said was in result of all my allergies. A few years ago, a blood test showed I had a pre-rheumatoid arthritis condition, but that kind of went away. Then, the burping started and the full stomach feeling after I ate a small amount. I am thin, but I was a lot thinner back then, so I had this thin body and big stomach puffed out. I had insurance back then so I went to doctor after doctor who gave me every acid relieving drug: Prilosec, Nexium, Acidfex and others but and nothing worked. Finally, I got an endoscopy and they said I have gastritis. That was a few yrs ago when no one really heard of Celiac Disease, so I didn't get tested for that or either I didn't know if they did or not. Now, I have no insurance and it seems everything I eat is a problem. And I was wondering if it can also be Celiac as well. Is there a way to test without a soctor's visit? I also have been reading the questions about brain fog and fatique elsewhere in the forums. I have all of that, and not being able to concentrate and being cold as well. I had been diagnosed with anemia yrs ago. So, what can I do? Should I try gluten-free for a few days? Weeks? Clueless on what to do next because I love food, especially desserts and pizza. I tried a gluten-free pizza and hated it. Please help. Thanks!

[guest134]

Wow, you scarily fit the celiac description, you really need to be tested. Unfortunately it will cost you money to get the celiac blood panel, I assume you live in the States, I am not sure of the costs down there. If you can pay out of pocket, I would, a situation like this can be life changing and would be well worth the money.

Here are the tests you need:

Total serum IgA- Nothing to do with celiac, but if it is low all of your IgA antibody's will have false negative result.

Deamidated Gliadin IgA - In IgA sufficient people this is the most accurate test in your body's response to gluten

Deamidated Gliadin IgG - Another pretty specific test, particularly useful if you are IgA deficient.

Tissue Transglutaminase IgA- This is a test that looks at damage in your intestines, it can be false positive sometimes but unlikely in a case like yours

Endomysial IgA- This one is very specific for intestinal damage, 99 percent of the time it is because of celiac. There are no false positives for this test really, if it is positive your intestines are damaged.

You can't go on a gluten free diet before these tests or you run the risk of false negatives. If you can, scrounge up the money, get the blood tests, and then try going gluten free for a couple months to see. Also, you just aren't trying the right gluten free pizza, I actually prefer the taste of the gluten free pizza at my local pizza shop to the gluten containing one. Trust me when I say being gluten free is not a big deal and once you get the hang of it you will be creating foods that are just as delicious and you will forget you even have a restrictive diet.

Let me know if you have any other questions.