High blood protein? Polyclonal gammopathy & stringy poop mucus.

[TTOTA]

Has anyone had high blood protein at or before diagnosis? Specifically, "polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia" or "polyclonal gammopathy," caused by inflammation. My gamma globulin is high, putting total protein at 9. I've had every test short of a scope & dr's can't find an obvious source.

For 3 yrs I've had difficultly maintaining weight & lost 15 lbs, only recently gaining it back on a very unhealthy high-fat diet. The symptom pointing to celiac is occasional shredded/mushy stools, with stringy mucus-like stuff in it, sometimes white fuzzy stuff. Honestly it looks like candida from googling.

If tTG IgA & IgA celiac panels are normal, can it still be celiac?

*POOP PICS* (for those willing) ?:

Shredded poop: https://imgur.com/a/qoLH8a4

Stringy mucus: https://imgur.com/a/kvLLFGi

Soft w/ stringy mucous: https://imgur.com/a/5XwQBr9

[cyclinglady]

First, not all celiacs test positive to the TTG tests.  You can ask your doctor to run the rest of the celiac panel which includes the DGP and EMA.  I have never had a positive TTG or EMA, yet I am biopsy confirmed and in remission (five years later more biopsies) from celiac disease.

Elevated Immunoglobulins can be due to autoimmune disease or MGUS which is a precursor to things like Multiple Myeloma.  Doctors usually run an Immunoglobulin A (IgA) test to insure that you are not IgA deficient which can impact a TTG IgA test result if very, very low.  Sometimes they catch an elevated number as a by-product.  So, lots of people are getting evaluated  for MGUS and sometimes unnecessarily.  

Elevated immunoglobulins again can be due to many things (like autoimmune or cancer) but even aging causes increases.  So, actually it is not rare, only that more people are inadvertently getting tested.  

My IgA has been elevated for years.  It remains consistent.  My doctors and I are just waiting and because we know about it, we are watching.  I am pretty sure that something else will kill me before I develop multiple myeloma!  

Hey, do not knock a high fat diet.  It can be unhealthy if you are eating junk food and unhealthy fats like trans fats.  I consume a high fat diet.  Does wonders for my insulin resistance.  

Have a talk with your doctor.  He or she can check any other biomarkers for illnesses related to elevated Immunoglobulins. Consider the complete celiac panel and get a referral to a Gastroenterologist for scoping.  Unless they look and biopsy, you can only guess.  It could be celiac disease, Crohn’s, parasite, or nothing.   

Get the facts!  

[Gemini]

Yes, I had elevated blood protein at diagnosis of Celiac Disease.  From all the research I did at the time (2008), Celiac Disease was listed as one of the many causes.  I went YEARS before I got a diagnosis of Celiac so having an elevated protein level was not surprising to me.

I was shuffled off to a hematologist, who was one of a few of really good doctors I was lucky to meet.  She did more blood work and when I returned for the appointment, she reassured me immediately that I did not have any blood cancers.  I knew that already because I felt way too good to be told I have a blood cancer.  She went on to say that people with AI disease can have elevated protein counts, which makes sense because MM is a cancer of the white cells and white cells are part of your immune system.  I went on my merry way and within 2 years of eating a strict gluten-free diet, my protein count normalized and has remained so ever since.

Having an elevated count does NOT MEAN you have cancer. It's a sign of inflammation. I would say to be screened for any AI diseases but don't freak out that you may have cancer.  There are many other causes which are far more likely to happen before cancer.  Make sure to have the complete Celiac panel done and not the half a$$ testing they usually do.  Good luck!

[cyclinglady]

@Gemini — I seriously think we are related!  ?

[Gemini]

19 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

@Gemini — I seriously think we are related!  ?

You never know........we could be!    Some of us Celiac's on here have identical health profiles and experiences so we could actually be Celiac twins.  ?