I had an ex ray yesterday and I was told that my bones in my jaw were broken and falling away. I have 2 front bottom teeth that are wiggling and I have to take them out. I am so scared of this as I have more broken teeth that I’m wanting removed. If I have them removed would I be able to get false teeth if I have a bone problem?? 

Welcome to the forum, @ShRa! First of all, celiac disease is not a food allergy. It is an autoimmune disorder. That is, the ingestion of gluten triggers the body's immune system to attack it's own tissues, primarily the tissues that line the small intestine. This causes inflammation. This inflammation produces certain antibodies that can be detected by serum testing. Over time, the inflammation damages the lining of the small intestine and compromises the efficiency of nutrient absorption since the small intestine (aka, small bowel) is the part of the intestinal track where essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed. Gluten is a protein found in three grains: wheat, barley and rye. In people with celiac disease, the immune system mistakes gluten as an invader. Two factors have to be present to develop active celiac disease. The first is the genetic potential. Two genes (and their variants), HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, have been tied to celiac disease. About 40% of the population has 1 or both of these genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. That means there is a second factor that must come into play to turn the genes on such that they become active in producing celiac disease. This second factor is not well understood but it is thought to involve some kind of stress event. For example, a viral infection or other acute illness or even prolonged psychological/emotional distress. Apparently, for most with the genetic potential for celiac disease, this never happens. Your son has been diagnosed as a celiac via serum antibody testing. Normally, there is a second stage of testing involving an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to microscopically check for damage. This second stage procedure is considered the gold standard of celiac disease diagnosis but is sometimes dispensed with if the serum antibody scores are quite high. Your son's tTG Ab-IGA score apparently qualifies for this in your PCP's opinion. The "normal" IGA (aka, "total IGA") score simply means he is not IGA deficient and is not a test for celiac disease per se. In the case of IGA deficiency, the tTG Ab-IGA score can present as a false negative. Since his total IGA is normal this is not an issue. The other celiac antibody test done was the Gliadin DGP Ab IgA and it was normal. Do not be concerned that one antibody test was high positive and the other was normal. This is typical. The tTG Ab-IGA is the most important one and the one test most ordered by doctors when checking for celiac disease. One concern I have going forward is the instruction from your PCP to have your son stop eating gluten before he sees the specialist. If the specialist wants to do an endoscopy with biopsy and a good amount of time elapses before that procedure happens, going gluten free now might allow for enough healing of the small bowel lining to invalidate the biopsy results. Kids heal fast! I would consider holding off on going gluten free unless your son's health is clearly in immediate danger by not doing so. I am linking two articles that might be helpful in. One is an overview of celiac serum antibody testing. The other is a primer for getting a handle on eating gluten free.  

My son, 13 had been complaining about the tummy aches since past few days. He lost quite a bit of weight in past few months. We thought it's because he has been playing soccer alot recently and also is not much intereseted in junk these days.  His doctor ordered Celiac panel with a few other bloodwork. Here are the results: TTG Ab,IgA | Normal value: <15.0 u/mL | Value: 104.2 IgA is normal Gliadin DGP Ab IgA is normal His PCP told us that he need to stop eating gluten right away as he has been diagnosed with celiac disease and has been now referred to specialist for further advise. I'm trying to understand gluten free diet and this disease further.  Any guidance on how to proceed now and what to expect would be appreciated

First off, I’m sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve been facing, both with your recent celiac concerns and the dermatitis you've been dealing with. It’s clear you’ve put in a lot of effort to figure this out, and it’s frustrating to still have lingering questions. Regarding your TTG-IgA result of 11.6 U/mL, you’re correct that many labs and celiac experts consider values above 10 to be indicative of possible celiac disease. However, interpretation can vary depending on the lab and the individual. It’s worth noting that slightly elevated levels can also sometimes occur with other autoimmune conditions, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. However, since you already have Hashimoto's and a strong family history of celiac (your daughter’s diagnosis), the most likely explanation is that you also have celiac disease. Here are a few steps you might consider to gain peace of mind: Consult a Gastroenterologist: They have more expertise in celiac diagnostics than a general PCP. They may recommend additional tests like an EMA (endomysial antibody) test or even genetic testing to confirm your predisposition further. Consider a Small Intestinal Biopsy: If there’s uncertainty, a biopsy remains the gold standard for celiac diagnosis. It can provide clarity, especially since your TTG-IgA is borderline. Monitor Symptoms on a Gluten-Free Diet: Since you already have another autoimmune condition and a chronic rash (which could resemble dermatitis herpetiformis, a skin manifestation of celiac disease), some doctors might suggest trying a strict gluten-free diet for a few months under supervision. If you notice a marked improvement, it might be telling. Keep in mind that if you go on a gluten-free diet before an endoscopy/biopsy, you will need to do a gluten challenge and eat lots of gluten daily for at least two weeks before the biopsy. As for your genetic results from 23andMe, having two copies of a celiac-associated gene (HLA-DQ2 or DQ8) does increase your risk of developing celiac disease considerably. However, about 30-40% of the general population carries these genes, and only a small percentage actually develop the disease. The genetic predisposition combined with your elevated TTG-IgA and symptoms could justify further investigation. Lastly, regarding your chronic "dermatitis," it might be worth bringing up the possibility of dermatitis herpetiformis to a dermatologist familiar with celiac disease. This condition is often misdiagnosed as eczema or another dermatitis type and may not respond well to typical creams. A skin biopsy taken near (not on) an affected area can help diagnose it.

I’ve been gluten-free for a while too, and I know how frustrating it can be when your body reacts unexpectedly. I haven’t personally experienced what you’re describing with Ozempic, but I did have a situation where I took a break from certain supplements and noticed my body felt a lot better.